Keith Andrews remains at Brentford as Thomas Frank bids emotional goodbye
FORMER REPUBLIC OF Ireland international Keith Andrews is not among the Brentford backroom staff joining Thomas Frank at Tottenham, and is thus expected to start pre-season with the club as they seek to appoint a successor to their long-serving Danish boss.
Andrews, who served as Ireland assistant boss during Stephen Kenny's four-year tenure, joined Brentford as set piece coach at the start of last season, having been on the staff at Sheffield United.
But while Frank has brought assistant Justin Cochrane, head of performance Chris Haslam and first-team analyst Joe Newton with him to Spurs, Andrews remains at Brentford.
Reports suggest Brentford had hoped to appoint Cochrane as Frank's successor. Andrews is presently the bookmakers' favourite to take the job but the fact Andrews has yet to work as a manger may work against him, with Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna heavily linked with the post. Brentford declined to comment on whether Andrews is under consideration for the job.
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Frank meanwhile insists Brentford will always have 'a big piece of my heart.'
Frank won 136 of his 317 matches across a seven-year spell, with the Danish coach able to lead the club into the Premier League for the first time in 2021 via Championship play-off success at Wembley.
In an emotional message posted on Brentford's official club website on Friday, Frank said: 'The time has come for me to move on. But, even as I leave, I know I have left a big piece of my heart at Brentford, not just at the football club but with the community and, of course, the incredible and loyal supporters.
'I want to extend my profound gratitude to the club for giving me the chance to pursue my dreams and for everyone involved who made the journey such a memorable one.
'For my family and I, it has been a privilege to be allowed to be part of such a special community – it's an experience and adventure that we will cherish for life. So, thank you.
'Whatever we have achieved, we have achieved together, and our success is built on unity, spirit, courage and ambition at every level of the club and amongst the fans.
'Everybody has contributed, and every contribution has been invaluable. I am not just leaving a football club, I am saying goodbye to friends whose support through good and bad times I will carry with me always.
'I would like to say a special word of thanks to Matthew Benham. His trust and friendship have meant so much and the fact he gave me a chance in English football means I will always owe him a debt of gratitude. Thank you, Matt.
'So, while this is a goodbye, I hope the relationships I have built with everybody will be lasting ones and, of course, we will meet again in the wonderful world of football.'
Additional reporting by PA
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The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
As Dublin football's production line slows down, Derry's is ramping up
WE'VE NEVER QUITE been able to nail down whether Ciaran Archer scored nine or 10 goals in the 2019 All-Ireland U20 championship for Dublin. There's a question mark over whether he registered two or three goals in Dublin's 4-21 demolition of Longford at the beginning of that campaign. We'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he finished the campaign with 10-35, a monstrous season of scoring by any standard. And when he curled in the last of those goals in the 11th minute of that year's All-Ireland U20 final, punishing a fumbled short kick-out by the Cork goalkeeper, the possibilities seemed endless. For player and county. It left Dublin 1-6 to 0-0 up and poised to win their fifth All-Ireland at the grade in the 2010s. With the senior team just weeks away from clinching the five-in-a-row, another decade of sky blue dominance appeared almost a given. The young Dubs caved in after that though, suffering a 17-point swing on the scoreboard by full time to lose by eight points. Some of them, including Archer, got back to the 2020 All-Ireland U20 final but lost to Galway, playing second fiddle throughout. Advertisement Ciarán Archer was one of Dublin's stars of the U20 Championship in 2019. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Five years on, Dublin haven't won even a Leinster U20 championship since, let alone an All-Ireland, suffering final losses to Offaly and Kildare and coming up short to Louth in both the 2024 and 2025 provincial semi-finals. It hasn't been going a whole pile better for the Dublin minors who, since winning the 2017 Leinster title, have won just two provincial titles, in 2022 and 2023. Longford beat Dublin in last year's Leinster minor final and a brilliant young Louth side hammered the Dubs at the semi-final stage this year. We won't say the Dublin conveyor belt has suddenly come grinding to a halt but, compared to what came before, it is a considerable drop off. Which makes for useful background when considering the senior team and their present predicament. Former Dublin minor and U21 manager Dessie Farrell will take his seniors to face Derry in neutral Newry this Saturday evening knowing that a loss could very well end their Championship campaign. Conor Glass and Eoin McEvoy celebrate during the 2024 Division 1 league final. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO The Derry seniors are in similar straits. It's only 15 months ago that Derry and Dublin contested a National League Division 1 final that one outlet pretty accurately reported as 'one of the wildest games of football we've seen in Croke Park in a very long time'. Derry won on penalties but it amounted to a thrilling bout between two heavyweight performers who left each other black and blue. Their All-Ireland credentials, it seemed, were evident. Since then, Derry have played 16 National League and Championship games and won just two. And only one of them in the regulation 70 minutes. They have gone from Taylor Swift to Graham Taylor in about the time it takes to say Ange Postecoglu. Dublin's numbers are better, admittedly, with just six defeats from 18 games in the same period since that 2024 league final but the losses have been crushing. Last year's Championship exit was their earliest since 2009. This summer, they finally relinquished the Leinster title. And prior to this year, the last time they lost twice in the same Championship was 15 years ago. The question is, which of the two counties will bounce back quickest? The answer to that one could actually be Derry. Whilst Dublin has suffered a dearth of underage success, the Oak Leaf County has won three of the last five All-Ireland minor titles. U20 success hasn't yet followed but, crucially, there appears to be more than enough quality young performers capable of making the step up to senior. St Patrick's College Maghera won this year's Hogan Cup too. Eoin McEvoy, Patrick McGurk and Lachlan Murray, all starters in Derry's 2020 minor final win, featured against Galway last time out in the senior championship. James Sargent is the pick of the bunch from the 2023 and 2024 teams that won All-Irelands. 'I'd be really excited about James Sargent, unfortunately he's done his ACL but he has a big future,' said former Derry captain Chrissy McKaigue. 'Eamon Young is another player I'd be really excited about that's yet to come. 'Derry have a fair bit of talent to come and probably a nice age profile already in the senior squad that would suggest they're going to be knocking around there or thereabouts for the next number of years.' Dessie Farrell is managing this Dublin team through its latest transition. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Dublin aren't nearly as advanced. And, worryingly for them, they're not producing the rough diamonds that they once did, for senior managers like Pat Gilroy, Jim Gavin and Dessie Farrell to polish up. Archer made just two senior appearances for Dublin after his U20 career, starting against Longford in the 2022 O'Byrne Cup and coming on three weeks later as a sub against Kerry in the league. And that was that. The 2020 minors, whose championship lasted just one game — a loss to Meath — produced about the greatest yield of future seniors from that period. Hugh O'Sullivan, Theo Clancy, Greg McEneaney, Alex Gavin and Luke Breathnach were all minors that year and have played in this year's Championship. But none of them are coming through with underage medals, even at provincial level. It's 2017 since Dublin produced an underage team – their U21s won the All-Ireland that year – that contained truly exciting talents, laden with medals. Future All-Stars Con O'Callaghan, Colm Basquel, Brian Howard and Eoin Murchan were all on that team. Paddy Small didn't even start the All-Ireland final win. Now that the bulk of their elders from the golden era have moved on, it's been left to those 2017 U21 players, along with a few others like Ciaran Kilkenny, John Small, David Byrne and the evergreen Stephen Cluxton to provide the inspiration. The evidence so far is that it's too great an ask. Related Reads As Derry seek to kick losing habit in Dublin game, kickouts and attacking role are key Calculators out: The final permutations for the All-Ireland football group stages Alan Brogan pointed the finger of blame for the faltering supply line at the schools system in Dublin. 'I believe the drop off in standard of Gaelic football in Dublin secondary schools in the last 10 years is a huge issue,' he tweeted last month. 'Most of my football between the age of 12 and 17 was played in St Declan's.' Brogan's former Dublin forward colleague during the boom times, Diarmuid Connolly, shrugged. 'Look, it's very hard to pinpoint what's happening,' said BoyleSports ambassador Connolly. 'We had a generational team for the last two decades and that talent pool doesn't come along that often. I think we made hay whilst it was there. 'It's like cycles, and the same with my club Vincent's, we had two very successful teams back-to-back and now they're struggling a little bit. It just takes time. 'It'll take putting the work down at the grassroots level, getting back into the schools and getting that competition really competitive again, especially at the senior level in schools. 'Being competitive for minors, being competitive for U21s, being competitive at senior level for All-Irelands over the last two decades, look, I think one year you can nearly write it off to a changing in the guard or whatever it is. I don't think it's a big talking point around Dublin. They'll be back, don't worry about that.'
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
‘I'll build on this race' – Rhasidat Adeleke finishes fourth in Bislett Games 400m at Diamond League meeting in Oslo
It was Adeleke's first race at her specialist distance since last September, having raced over 200m earlier this season along with a couple of 4x400m legs at last month's World Relays in China. Drawn in lane six, she got off to a steady start but began to move through the field after halfway, challenging for second as she came off the final bend. But as it was in some key races last year, Adeleke tied up slightly over the final 50 metres, fading to fourth, with USA's Isabella Whittaker taking victory in 49.58 ahead of Norway's Henriette Jaeger (49.62) and Britain's Amber Anning (50.24). Dutch athlete Lieke Klaver was just behind Adeleke in 50.64, with Olympic bronze medallist and European champion Natalia Bukowiecka sixth in 50.67. 'It's my first 400, I'm trying to adjust in terms of that,' said Adeleke. 'Me and my coach have been working on something different so we're just trying to get going, get the season going. The main goal is September so we're working towards that. Adeleke will be back in action over 400m at the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday. 'I'll build on this race,' she said. 'Each race I'm building up to make it to where I need to be.' Mark English was also in action in Oslo, the 32-year-old coming home seventh in the 800m, clocking 1:44.33. English, who broke the Irish 800m record on Monday night with 1:43.92 in Hengelo, was on track shortly after for a loaded 800m race that featured four Olympic finalists, and two medallists, from the Paris Games. He kept contact with the field for much of the race but didn't have the gears to go with the world's best over the last 200m, the Donegal athlete finishing seventh in the second fastest time of his career, 1:44.33. The race was won by Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya in 1:42.78. 'I would have liked a bit quicker,' said English. 'But it's a lot of races in a short space of time so that's probably the reason I wasn't able to run 1:43 today. It's hard to do it in every race.' Meanwhile Grand Slam Track, the upstart league co-founded by Michael Johnson, has cancelled its fourth and final meeting of the 2025 season. Johnson called an emergency meeting with athletes and managers on Thursday night to inform them that the final event in Los Angeles on 28-29 June will not go ahead. It's understood the chief reason for the cancellation is financial, with organisers keen to avoid further losses after the league struggled to attract big attendances and TV viewing figures for its first three events. Its inaugural meeting in Kingston, Jamaica played out in front of mostly empty stands, while things improved at the second meeting in Miami and were better again at the third meeting in Philadelphia, where around 30,000 tickets were sold across the two-day event. Organisers plan to return for a second season in 2026 and are expected to announce new investors and partners in the coming weeks. Grand Slam Track said it would award over $12 million in prize money during its first season, with Johnson securing $30 million in investment to get the league off the ground. First-placed prize money stood at $100,000 in each category, with $50,000 for second and $10,000 for eighth. Andrew Coscoran and Sharlene Mawdsley both featured in its first season, with Coscoran earning $50,000 for his runner-up finish in the long-distance category in Miami and $12,500 for his fourth-place finish over 3000m in Philadelphia. Mawdsley earned $15,000 for her sixth-place finish in the long sprints category at the latter event. Elsewhere, Athletics Ireland has announced a 46-strong Irish team for the European Athletics Team Championships, which take place in Maribor, Slovenia on 28-29 June. Ireland will contest the second division against 15 other nations, with the top three teams promoted to the first division and the bottom three relegated. Mawdsley is among the star names on the team alongside fellow Olympians such as Sarah Lavin, Sophie Becker, Cillín Greene, Brian Fay, Eric Favors, Sophie O'Sullivan and Nicola Tuthill. Irish squad for European Team Championships Women Lucy-May Sleeman (100m, 4x100m), Lauren Roy (200m, 4x100m), Sophie Becker (400m, mixed 4x400m), Sophie O'Sullivan (800m), Laura Nicholson (1500m), Róisín Flanagan (5000m), Sarah Lavin (100m hurdles, 4x100m), Arlene Crossan (400m hurdles, mixed 4x400m), Ava O'Connor (3000m steeplechase), Elizabeth Ndudi (long jump), Saragh Buggy (triple jump), Aoife O'Sullivan (high jump), Clodagh Walsh (pole vault), Michaela Walsh (shot put), Niamh Fogarty (discus), Nicola Tuthill (discus), Grace Casey (javelin), Ciara Neville (4x100m), Sarah Leahy (4x100m), Aisling Kelly (4x100m reserve), Sharlene Mawdsley (mixed 4x400m), Cliodhna Manning (mixed 4x400m), Rachel McCann (mixed 4x400m reserve). Men Bori Akinola (100m, 4x100m), Andrew Egan (200m, 4x100m), Cillín Greene (400m, mixed 4x400m), Cian McPhillips (800m), Shane Bracken (1500m), Brian Fay (5000m), Adam Nolan (110m hurdles), Fintan Dewhirst (400m hurdles), Finley Daly (3000m steeplechase), Shane Howard (long jump), Michael Alajiki (triple jump), David Cussen (high jump), Conor Callinan (pole vault), Eric Favors (shot put), Eoin Sheridan (discus), Sean Mockler (hammer), Conor Cusack (javelin), Michael Farrelly (4x100m), Sean Aigboboh (4x100m), Marcus Lawler (4x100m), Ciaran Carthy (mixed 4x400m), Calllum Baird (mixed 4x400m).
The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
'I loved putting on the Leinster jersey every single time'
MARTIN MOLONEY WILL be there in Croke Park this evening. He's an ex-Leinster player now, having just enjoyed a strong first season with Exeter in England, but Moloney will be willing on some of his best friends against the Bulls. The 25-year-old was at the Aviva Stadium last weekend too, taking great joy as his former housemate, Jamie Osborne, had an outstanding game in the semi-final win over Glasgow. Thomas Clarkson, who Moloney came through the academy with, was another Leinster man who shone. 'You have some of your best friends playing and you're just hoping they go on to be man of the match,' says Moloney of the fairly new experience of being a Leinster fan. After that win over Glasgow, Moloney went back to Osborne, Brian Deeny and Sam Prendergast's house to catch up with them. Clarkson and another five of their Leinster team-mates came over too. They did what they have always done – watched sport. The Bulls' URC win over the Sharks was followed by the gripping Munster hurling final that went to penalties. The evening reminded Moloney of the years he spent working his way through the Leinster academy onto a senior contract in 2022. He made 11 appearances for his native province before leaving last year. There is no hint of bitterness on Moloney's part that things didn't progress further for him in Leinster. He's genuinely delighted to see his mates getting ahead in blue and green jerseys, with others soon heading off to play in red ones in Australia. Moloney's friends have also no doubt been thrilled to see the powerful, combative flanker making an impact outside of Leinster. Sitting in a café in Dublin this week, the Athy man was excited to reflect on signing a new deal with Exeter to extend his time with the Premiership club into next season. He joined initially on a short trial last summer and quickly earned a one-year contract. Moloney set a target of playing 20 games. He made it 21 appearances in the last game of the season against Sale two weekends ago. 'You learn the best lessons in the arena,' is how Moloney puts it as he sums up how beneficial this season has been for him. He had a short spell on loan to Cornish Pirates in the Championship in December but fought his way into Exeter's back row towards the end of the season, earning his new deal with the Premiership club. Moloney with Exeter club captain Jack Yeandle. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO Director of rugby Rob Baxter noted how Moloney 'was playing his best rugby for us towards the end of the campaign where he really showed his value,' and highlighted that they expect him to get better and better next season. Life in Exeter has been good so far, even if Moloney's partner, Tess, has been back in Dublin working 'unbelievably hard' as a doctor in the Mater Hospital. Her support and the big effort to get over for his games has made it all possible. The pay-off has been some memorable weekends visiting beautiful parts of Devon and Cornwall. Moloney is excited about Exeter's new signings for next season, including Wallabies centre Len Ikitau and South African hooker Joseph Dweba. The newcomers, along with the returning England wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, will add to a talented squad. This season was difficult for Exeter. They finished second from bottom in the Premiership with four wins in 18 games. Moloney points out that they were involved in a fair few tight losses. No fewer than eight losing bonus points highlight how it was close to being a much happier season. 'One thing about the Premiership is that the teams are so evenly matched,' said Moloney. 'If you look at a set of five games in a weekend, they're unbelievably hard to predict. 'Within the league, there are lots of contrasting styles of play. The way Bristol play is very different to the way Sale play. So each week it's kind of a fresh challenge, it's a great league to play in.' He wasn't playing on the dark day when Exeter were hammered 79-17 by Gloucester, prompting club owner Tony Rowe to give the players a dressing down in the changing room afterwards. Long-serving coaches Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher left the club in the wake of that game, following defence coach Omar Mouneimne's exit in October, but Moloney says the players just had to keep trucking on. Advertisement 'It was a horrible day for the club. Rob was a coach who had a big, positive impact on my game. And so I was obviously sad to see him go. It was tough for a lot of people, the same with Ali and Omar. 'As a player, the only thing you can control is your next game and how you're preparing for it and how as a team, you come together and prepare for the next game.' Despite the challenges for Exeter, Moloney has been able to develop his game. Moloney is a combative, physical flanker. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO He has always been a destructive defender. The Chiefs challenged him to bring more variety. So on top of his longstanding jackaling quality, Moloney has been working hard on reefing the ball in tackles, as well as making better decisions around the breakdown and not over-chasing turnovers. His set-piece skills have also improved. Exeter's DNA has always been about physicality. Moloney has never struggled in that regard. It's his calling card. Anyone who has watched him play will have noted the relentlessness of his contact work. There is a slightly wild edge to Moloney's work rate, something that Leinster loved about him. A calm, considered, articulate young man away from the pitch, Moloney brings an aggressive edge on it. 'The physical part of the game is a part that I really enjoy,' he says. 'I put a lot of preparation into it because I think that has a big impact on the players around you and also has a big impact on the result. 'Obviously, tactical and technical stuff is very important, but in some of the big games, the most physical team wins. 'Where do I get my edge from? Anywhere I can.' There is a big technical element to his physicality. It's not just about his mindset. Moloney is grateful to have trained and played alongside Will Connors, 'one of the best chop tacklers in the world,' and Josh van der Flier, who had a big influence on him. It's no surprise that Moloney looked up to Seán O'Brien when he was coming through, all the more so because they're both products of the Leinster Youths system. Moloney initially grew up in Carlow on a diet of hurling and football, but when he was 10, he moved with his family onto their beef farm a stone's throw away from Athy RFC. Moloney went down to the Showgrounds and instantly loved rugby. He played for Athy – also Joey Carbery and Jeremy Loughman's home club – right through until joining the Leinster academy, proudly representing them in the Provincial Towns Cup before moving to Clontarf in the All-Ireland League. So Moloney was ecstatic to watch Athy claim the Towns Cup in April, their first success in the competition since 1984. Athy man Moloney won a Grand Slam with the Ireland U20s in 2019. Oisin Keniry / INPHO Oisin Keniry / INPHO / INPHO 'There is a really special group of people there running the club who were in the club when I was there and they're all still there,' says Moloney. 'And even more people have come in since and they've managed to get a really good group of senior players together. They're able to put out two women's teams as well. They're doing a fantastic job.' Moloney wouldn't have a professional rugby career without Athy. His school, Knockbeg College, didn't play rugby. He loved his days in Knockbeg, playing in a brilliant football team, a good hurling team, running cross-country, throwing shot put, and getting involved in any other sport on offer. Moloney's campaign to start a rugby team was unsuccessful. So his rugby was all in Athy RFC. Moloney is proud to have come from there, through the North Midlands team in the Shane Horgan Cup, the Leinster Clubs U18 team, and on into an Ireland U18s jersey. The majority of Irish professional players come through rugby schools and though Moloney never felt in any way disadvantaged, he says contact time with a rugby ball was something he later had to account for. 'The biggest thing is that lads in schools would play rugby at lunch every single day,' says Moloney. 'I was playing hurling, football and basketball. The lads in schools have a rugby ball in their hands for every five minutes they have to spare.' The Leinster Youths Selects programme was helpful for Moloney, with coaches like Noel McNamara bringing together groups of talented club players for sessions during the season. McNamara was a massive influence on Moloney, coaching him for the Ireland U18s and U20s, as well as in the Leinster academy. He developed Moloney's technical and tactical understanding, his ball-carrying, and pretty much everything else. 'Noel has an unbelievable way… he's so articulate in the way that he can explain the game,' says Moloney 'It's no surprise really that Bordeaux have probably the best attack in the world.' Moloney's senior Leinster debut came in a Rainbow Cup game against Munster in 2021, with his first start the following year in the Pro14 against Edinburgh, the first of a run of appearances at the tail end of the 2021/22 season. Back row competition in Leinster is always fierce and Moloney had to be patient until what looked like a breakthrough performance against the Sharks in October 2022. He was supposed to be the 24th man. Jack Conan was injured during the warm-up, so Moloney went onto the bench. Then Rhys Ruddock was concussed soon after kick-off. In came Moloney for a 78-minute shift alongside Johnny Sexton, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, and Robbie Henshaw. Moloney made the move to Exeter last summer. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO Leinster won a thrilling URC game 54-34 and Moloney was superb. It looked like a turning point for him, but disaster struck a few weeks later when he ruptured his ACL. From such a high against the Sharks, Moloney had his 'darkest day' in rugby as he was injured against Scarlets. He wouldn't play again nearly a year and a half. Moloney responded stoically, helped by a call from van der Flier. 'Josh rang me a few days after I got injured and said, 'Look, it's not going to be a straightforward journey, no long-term injury is, but you can make this the best period of your life and come back a much better player.' 'That stuck with me for a few parts of the journey and some of the days that didn't go well.' Having undergone the initial surgery, Moloney moved in with his parents in Athy to begin his recovery. They set up a bed in the living room beside the TV for those immobile initial days. He was grateful for the support from his family and Tess. Moloney's pathway back to fitness was difficult. He needed two further bouts of knee surgery and when he finally got back into Leinster training, he ruptured one of his biceps. It was cruel but Moloney stuck at it, working hard to make himself physically stronger in the gym during that long period on the sidelines. He also improved his mental skills in sessions with Leinster's Declan Darcy. There was great pride in making his comeback for Leinster off the bench against the Stormers in South Africa in April 2024, a full 17 months after his knee injury. 'You learn a lot about yourself in those periods and I do think it sticks with you,' says Moloney of nearly 500 days of injury rehab. 'It does give you an extra layer of resilience.' That game in Cape Town last year proved to be his last one for Leinster, but all has worked out well in Exeter so far. The example of Tadhg Beirne shows how dogged, talented players like Moloney can take a different route to the top. Playing for Ireland remains his main overall goal in rugby and Moloney feels Exeter is a perfect place for him to improve his game. For today, he's back in the role of Leinster supporter. He was also at the Northampton semi-final in the Champions Cup and hopes this is a happier occasion. 'I absolutely loved putting on the Leinster jersey every single time,' says Moloney. 'I really want them to go on now and win the URC. I think they deserve to win and hopefully they get over the line this year.'
