Keith’s departure is a tough pill to swallow
Padraig Amond with former Head Coach Keith Long and coach David Breen after victory against St. Patrick's Athletic last season. Photo: Noel Browne
It was a really disappointing weekend for us at Waterford as we lost for the sixth game in a row which sadly has resulted in Keith Long being sacked as manager of the football club. It was a tough pill to swallow for me personally as I thought given time Keith could have turned things around for us.
When a manager is sacked everyone at a club does some self-reflection. In my 19-year career to date I think this is only the fourth time that something like this has happened to me which is a pretty good record.
Managers have moved on to other clubs but that was because things were going well, and they stepped up a level. Unfortunately, as a group we have let Keith down I think by our performances in the last six or seven games and ultimately, he has paid the price for the results.
Keith was a man that I had huge respect for even before I had met him face to face. He tried to sign me for Bohemians back in 2022 when I was on loan at Exeter City. I had agreed to come back and sign for Sligo Rovers in the weeks previous, but after all was agreed someone at Sligo pulled the plug on the deal for some reason and by the time news got out of my possible return and I had spoke to Keith it was too late for me to move anywhere. Because I was on loan from Newport County the transfer window fell a little different for me and I had to be recalled from my loan before a certain date. With the messing about from Sligo that time had passed, and I couldn’t move because of it so eventually when I spoke to Keith, we both knew it was too late. It was a very good conversation, and he made a lasting impression on me. Had I been able to be recalled from Exeter it was almost certain that I would have signed for Bohemians and for Keith, that was my admiration for him and how he spoke about the game. The job he done had Bohs was fantastic too. he took them at a very difficult period for the club and brought European football back to Dalymount Park.
While I didn’t sign for Keith at Bohs then when the opportunity came back into play for me to join him at Waterford last year I jumped at the chance. I really like what Keith had to say and his plans, so it was a no brainer to sign for him and a great club in Waterford. From the first moment it felt like a match made in heaven for me. Keith was brilliant for me, and it showed on the pitch just how happy I was to be home and playing in front of friends and family again. I spoke to Keith on Saturday, and it was a sad conversation because we both wanted him to continue in the job but sadly a decision had been made. I will be forever grateful to Keith for giving me the opportunity to be the captain of a fantastic club, play the latter years of my career back home for a team that was managed by him.
There were some fantastic memories for Keith at the club and they shouldn’t be forgotten by anyone. He got the club back into the Premier Division at a very tough time and then last season for long periods the dream of European football was a real possibility.
In the interim Keith’s replacement is Matt Lawlor who is assistant manager at Fleetwood Town. Lawls or should I now say gaffer which will take a bit of getting used to was assistant manager last season to Keith and he made a great impression on the players during his time here.
While I didn’t want Keith to leave the club, they have made a very good appointment in the short-term at least with Matt here. We trained for the first time on Sunday with him ahead of the Cork City game on Easter Monday in Turners Cross so hopefully by the time of reading this we will have stopped the run of losses and got ourselves back on track in the league. On Friday night Matt will take charge of his first game for the club back in the RSC in Waterford against Derry City and I am sure all the supporters will get behind him like the done with Keith. For us players it is time to stand up and be counted now and to make sure that this isn’t a long season for all the wrong reasons. Hopefully we can do that and give the supporters who have been backing us even through the difficult period with results something to shout about.
