Athlone step up search for manager

Athlone Town"s search for a new manager picks up pace this week - with former Town and Gillingham defender Brendan Place fast becoming a serious front runner for the post. It"s also emerged this week that Dermot Lennon, the club"s manager last season, has reapplied for the position and will be interviewed, along with the rest of the candidates, over the coming days. Early indications had pointed towards ex-Ireland international Paul McGee - who managed Limerick 37 two years ago - for the vacant position. But while the club expect to interview up to five candidates in the coming days - including Dermot Lennon, former Longford and Sligo Rovers coach Des Cawley, ex-Shelbourne and St Pat"s goalkeeper Tony O"Dowd, and Paul McGee - the local rumour mill has been in overdrive in the last couple of weeks and has strongly linked Brendan Place with the job. However, another former Town defender, Conor Frawley, has withdrawn from the managerial race due to work commitments. Tony Cousins has told the "Westmeath Independent" that he has removed his name from the frame this week due to the low playing budget on offer. All applicants received a letter from the club late last week outlining the playing budget for the 2009 First Division, thought to be in the region of €1,300, and had until today (Wednesday) to reaffirm their intent to be interviewed for the post. A club official told the "Westmeath Independent" that interviews will be conducted over the next couple of days and the club is optimistic of appointing a new manager next week. The club are also confident of finding a suitable manager from the remaining handful of candidates. Brendan Place played for Athlone during the eighties and won promotion from the First Division under Padraig O"Connor in 1988, before Damien Richardson signed the Dubliner for Gillingham in the old English Third Division. Place also played for Home Farm and briefly with Longford Town prior to joining Athlone. The 43-year-old, who has in recent years coached with Ireland"s under-17 and 19 squads, has managed Malahide Utd in the Leinster Senior League and is itching to make the breakthrough to League of Ireland management with Athlone. Speaking to the "Westmeath Independent" this week, Place said: 'Firstly, I"m delighted to see Athlone"s financial situation improving. I had four great years with Athlone as a player and I believe managing Athlone in their current position is a terrific challenge for an ambitious young manager. 'I watched Athlone four times last season and they"ve some very good players. I wouldn"t be going to Athlone to cut my teeth and move on. My ambition would be to eventually get Athlone back in the Premier Division and get the club"s old status back. I"m not worried about the budget, I"d be going in with my eyes wide open to the situation, and feel I can work hard under limited resources,' said Place. Place said he would build a squad around locally based players but that everyone would have to be realistic and acknowledge the importance of recruiting the best possible players within the current budgetary restraints - regardless of where they hail from. 'Once players give their all for the shirt and for themselves, it shouldn"t really be an issue. However, I do understand that supporters like to see a core of local players,' said Place. Meanwhile, the latest Athlone players to be linked with moves away from the club are defensive duo Des Hope and Nigel Keady, who have been linked with joining Limerick and Galway Utd respectively.