Football: FED UP TO THE GILL

JOHN GILL has already started planning for their first season as a Premier Division club next year, but the Dublin City boss is not going to be held to ransom by the emerging cadre of money hungry agents he claims are starting to flood Irish soccer.

He maintains that eircom League players are pricing themselves out of the game, but he has no intentions of lining anyone's pockets.

He said: "It's going to be a monumental task to stay in the Premier Division. I'm not deluding myself on that score.

"The only thing that gives me a slight bit of hope is that there's a lot of uncertainty with the bigger clubs in the game as regards their financial status. Hopefully, that will create a more level playing field in the short-term and while it still may not benefit us too much every bit helps.

"Given the perilous state of football's finances in this country, perhaps players might be more realistic in terms of their demands in the future. I'm not saying players are too greedy - they're entitled to negotiate the best deal that they can.

"But I've been shocked by some of the demands of part-time players, and I tell you what else - I've had agents on to me this week representing them!"

Gill, who also won two First Division titles as a player with Drogheda, reckons it is time for a reality check.

He said: "What is going on; where's the game going? It's ludicrous.

"They're part-time players I'm trying to sign, for Heaven's sake, not Gianfranco Zola!

"We all know the game is financially on its knees at the moment in Ireland and yet you have agents coming in who are also looking for a cut and there is hardly any money to pay the players as it is.

"I'll be making quite a number of additions, but they'll be the right additions, and they'll be within my budgetary constraints. I won't be rowing the boat out for anyone. I won't be living beyond my means." If that means failing, Gill is prepared to pay that price.

He added: "If it comes to that, so be it; I'd rather fail. I'm not going to bankrupt the club.

"Every club, including my own, are financially crippled at this point in time and I'm not going to make a bad situation worse by going in and asking my chairman for unrealistic demands."

Avoiding automatic relegation next year is Gill's main aim and would even settle for a place in the play-offs.

He admitted: "Realistically, we've got to aim to try and stay out of that bottom position and if I could keep the club up next year it would surpass what we have achieved this year."

Gill also took a swipe at his side's begrudgers, of whom there are many.

"There's a lot of people going around - other managers, in fact - saying we didn't deserve to win the First Division title and that we weren't the best team in the league.

"The bottom line is we won the league. The table never lies. You end up where you deserve to be with very few exceptions. We won the league, thats history now, and people can't take that away from us. And what we may lack in cash next season we'll more than make up for in hard work."

Gill, a workaholic, will this week reveal who he's retaining and who's going... and it's not a job he is looking forward to.

He said: "I haven't spoken to the players yet, but I will get around to that.

"It's part of the job but not necessarily a nice part. But I'll be doing it in the right way.

"I won't be taking the easy option, as in picking up the phone, or what happened to me when I was a player: just not being contacted at all when your contract is up.

"I'll meet every player individually this week - there are 20 of them - and for some it's going to be heartbreaking..for others, it will be good news.

"But I'll do it looking into the whites of their eyes and being honest with them.

"It's not a nice job to do - especially as my players, to their eternal credit, were magnificent for me this year."

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