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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Finn Harps manager Darren Murphy. Photo: Sportsfile
Loughgall FC are set to approach Finn Harps manager Darren Murphy with a view to enticing him to the Irish League side.
Donegal Live understands that the County Armagh club are interested in making Murphy an offer to take over at Lakeview Park.
Murphy took over as the Harps manager in 2023, initially on a caretaker basis following the departure of Dave Rogers, who he had been assistant manager to.
Harps drew with UCD on Friday night for their first point of the 2025 season and are due to host Cobh Ramblers in Ballybofey on Friday night.
In November, Murphy agreed a three-year deal to stay at Harps, but now Loughgall are expected to swoop for the 50-year-old.
The Villagers,, who lost 1-0 to Larne on Saturday at Lakeview Park, are 12th in the Sports Direct Premiership and trail nearest rivals Carrick Rangers by 12 points.
Loughgall haven’t won since a 3-0 victory over Glenavon in early November and Dean Smith is no longer the manager.
On Thursday night, Loughgall issued a statement saying the club parted ways with Smith “by mutual consent”, but that statement has been rebuffed by legal representatives of Smith.
“We represent Mr Dean Smith. Our client has not agreed to terminate his contract,” Jamie Bryson’s JWB Consultancy said in a statement.
After Loughgall lost 2-1 to Glentoran, Smith was handed a 15-game suspension by the IFA for breaches of the disciplinary code. Ten of those games were for allegedly “”offending the dignity of a person or group of persons through contemptuous, discriminatory or denigratory words or actions concerning race, colour, language, religion, sectarianism" while a further five games were added having been reported for “unsporting conduct towards a match official”.
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Smith, who guided Loughgall to promotion in 2023, saw the club finish ninth last season.
David Johnstone is acting as caretaker manager at the moment.
Murphy had a spell as manager of Dungannon Swifts and has held coaching roles with the IFA, Linfield and Crusaders.
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