Institute to appoint Kee’s successor tonight

Last seasons skipper Paddy McLaughlin will hold talks with Institute about the vacant managers job.

The club have six candidates who they are expected to meet today before having a committee meeting this evening.

The likes of William Walker and Kevin Deery along with Stute pair Colin Colhoun and Paddy McLaughlin are also expected to be in the running.

Chairman Bill Anderson did confirm that there were two internal and four external.

“We have six candidates and we are meeting with them all on Wednesday and discussing the issue further there, then we’ll be taking that information to the board on Wednesday night and a decision is likely to be made later that evening,” he stated.

“We as a club can’t really hold back much longer in making an appointment, because the players need to have something confirmed for them.

“The six candidates we feel meet the criteria; there are two internal and four external candidates.”

Anderson also conceded that while promotion back to the Premiership wasn’t the club’s number one priority next season, he did does want Paul Kee’s successor to keep the Drumahoe club a side to be a force in the Championship next season.

“We want to appoint a manager who can do a good job in the Championship, to give us stability back at the club so that we can then plan for a crack at promotion the following season,” he stated.

“But in addition to that we want to sort out the youth set-up as well, because it’s that youth set-up that we see as a conveyor belt for future teams.

“So we may be looking for someone to take on the role of Youth Development, but that will be after we sort out the manager’s position.

“Then we’ll be looking to get on with other things and look for people who have the necessary skills or contacts or whatever to be able to play a meaningful role at the club. We are looking for people to come on board in a defined role.”

One man who wouldn’t be at the Riverside Stadium next season is midfielder Cormac Burke, who like Robbie Hume and Michael McCrudden will be back playing in the Premiership,he signed for Darren Murphy’s Dungannon Swifts side at the weekend.