Mullins opts out of contention

The search for a new Dublin football manager took further twists yesterday with the news that Brian Mullins has ruled himself out as a candidate, closely followed by the revelation that John O'Leary is now in the running to take over the position.

The Dublin board were accepting nominations from clubs up to last Sunday night, and although the board will not make public the final list of names, it is now known Mullins has become the latest of the original candidates to drop out of the race.

Mullins had admitted his interest in the position even before Tom Carr's reign was controversially terminated by the county board earlier this month. Yesterday, however, the speculation ended about whether he would be the new man.

Speaking on national radio, the former Dublin midfielder confirmed that his name was not among the final list of nominations with the board. He cited work commitments as director of sport at UCD as the main reason he was not in a position to go forward for the job at this point.

Last week Dr Pat O'Neill also said he would not be running for the position. His duties as a highly-regarded sports injury specialist conflicted too much with the position he previously held when Dublin won their last All-Ireland title in 1995.

The name of John O'Leary hadn't been widely publicised as a candidate, not least of all because he was a selector on the management team which had just been given the chop. Yet yesterday a source from his club, O'Dwyer's, confirmed that O'Leary had been nominated and was likely to get considerable support from a number of other north Dublin clubs.

The former Dublin goalkeeper and captain - who played for 18 unbroken seasons and picked up two All-Ireland medals before his retirement in 1997 - was unavailable for comment yesterday as he was out of the country on a golfing holiday.

O'Leary spent the last four years as a selector on Carr's management team, along with Dom Twomey and Richie Crean. He was also particularly critical of the way the management team was treated by county board chairman John Bailey, and expressed his "bitter disappointment" at the handling of the situation in the wake of their dismissal.

Although O'Leary has no managerial experience at either club or county level, his close relationship with the current Dublin panel and the insight gained by working with Carr over the last four years may see him emerge as the new manager.

With Mullins and Dr O'Neill out of the running, former Cavan manager Val Andrews is seen as the leading candidate. Also understood to be definite nominations are former Offaly manager Tommy Lyons and former Na Fianna manager Paul Caffrey. Andrews, Lyons, Caffrey and O'Leary are the only four believed to have been nominated.

According to John Costello, the county board secretary, there will no further communication on the matter from the board until the meeting of Monday, November 5th, when the management committee's nomination will be presented to the club delegates for ratification.