Republican News · Thursday 30 January 2003

KERR...plunk

It's not very often we are afforded the opportunity to compliment the Football Association of Ireland, and their betrayal of fans by selling international rights to Sky still rankles, but the appointment of Brian Kerr as manager was a good move.

One of the worst kept secrets of the year was finally announced on Tuesday and it was great to see a man so firmly rooted in the domestic game get his chance. But it's not as if Kerr hasn't earned his shot at the top job. Apart from the League of Ireland, his successes on the world stage with teenage teams have been astounding, and many of our best players will be no strangers to the new boss.

On top of all that, Kerr comes across as a nice guy and has the true Dub's finest weapon, a sharp sense of humour, qualities that the Irish camp can really do with at this stage if the wounds of the past year are to be successfully healed.