1000 NOT OUT FOR KENNY

FROM USING MONEY FOR A FLOOR IN HIS FIRST HOUSE TO BUY PLAYERS TO MANAGING IRELAND, IT’S BEEN A BLAST

- BY PAUL O'HEHIR

THE lack of flooring in his first house feels like an appropriate starting point as Stephen Kenny reflects on 1,000 games in club management.

Kenny will reach that milestone on Friday when St Patrick's Athletic travel to play Cork City in the FAI Cup semifinal.

His league career began in 1998 when Longford Town handed a 26-year-old the reins at a time when his only experience was with Tallaght Town and St Pat's U21s.

It carried on to stints with Bohemians, Derry City, Dunfermline, back to Derry, Shamrock Rovers and a glorious era at Dundalk before taking on the Ireland U21 and senior jobs.

But if that reads like a straightforward Wikipedia entry, Kenny admits the journey to this point has been anything but.

Not that he would change a thing.

“I was lucky Longford took a chance on me and I'll always be grateful to them for giving me the opportunity” he said.

Kenny took over a Longford team with the majority of players out of contract and he had a £1,000 budget for the entire squad.

With money too tight to mention, it's no surprise they languished at the bottom of the League of Ireland First Division, having never been in the top flight.

But Kenny was convinced he could address that, even if others seriously doubted it.

“We bought a house in Lucan, myself and my wife Siobhan, but we hadn't put wooden floors in yet’ he said, “Longford had no money to buy players because at that time you had to buy players.

“Fellas were earning small amounts but the transfer fees were still exorbitant.

“Athlone had bought two players for £25,000. I actually bought Richie Parsons and Robbie Coyle out of the money that we were supposed to put the wooden floors in with.

“When we got up later on, brilliant people came in behind the scenes and that was all squared up long term.