Newly appointed Ballinamallard United manager Gavin Dykes says he is keen to build on the work done by is predecessor Whitey Anderson in the Ferney Park hot-seat.
Dykes was named as the new Mallards boss on Tuesday morning and was not put off the job by the fact that the club don’t know yet what league they are going to be playing in next season.
The experienced Dykes, who leaves the assistant manager’s role at Finn Harps to take up the position, has managed Newry Town and Derry City while he also coached Sligo Rovers. 
And he states that while he hopes to bring in a few new faces into the squad, one of his main objectives will be to develop young players at the club.
“It’s an honour to take over at Ballinamallard and it’s an honour to take over from Whitey,” said Dykes. 
“I know Whitey a long time and I’ve had a lot of dealings with him football wise in trying to get players to him on loan from Sligo. Hopefully we can build on the success and legacy that Whitey has put there. I think everybody knows what he has done for Ballinamallard, he has been hugely successful. Getting a club into the Premiership is one thing but keeping a small club like Ballinamallard there is an even bigger achievement and hopefully that goal of staying in the Premiership can be achieved again when this season finishes and we can move on from there.”
The new Mallards manager obviously impressed the club when they spoke to him and it would seem that was a two way thing.
“I met the club and I was very impressed with the chairman and the committee people that I met. They outlined their plans and outlined the potential that is there,” he commented.
And he stresses that developing the young talent at the club is going to be a big part of his role.
“There is a very good youth structure there and I have worked very strongly with developing young players and getting them into first teams. 
"There is a lot of coaches at Ballinamallard who do a lot of work from mini soccer up to try and get players into the first team and I think it is very important that those lads get a chance. That will be a key part of it for me.”
One thing that Dykes will be aiming for is to play an attractive brand of football and certainly the Ferney Park pitch will help with that.
“People who remember me as a player, all I could do was head it and kick it and organise around me but my philosophy on the game is totally different to that. Any time I came to Ferney Park there was a good crowd and they appreciated good football and we’ll be looking to play attractive football on what is one of the best playing surfaces on either side of the border. We’ll try and entice a few more bodies through the gate and the way you do that is by playing an attractive brand of football.”
As with any new manager, Dykes will be looking to put his own mark on the team which means some players will be going and some new faces will be brought in. He accepts though that a lot of that is dependent on what division they are in.
“It is a wee bit difficult at the moment because I don’t know what division we can offer them but hopefully that will be resolved shortly and we can sit down with the players and the ones we want to keep we can hopefully keep and the ones that have to go for whatever reasons will move on. There is a good base there to improve on where we are though,” he said.
He will also look to bring in players although he admits that he may have to be inventive in doing so.
“My view is that the more locally based players the better. I think if we can bring in players who buy into the philosophy of the club and are there for the right reasons;  a player who is committed can be valuable to any team.
“You have a good group of lads there and you have to maintain that so you have to bring in the right one that fits the group you are working with. 
"Like every squad you need a few players in, although the problem is that all the big clubs are looking for the good players as well so I’ve got to try and attract something different, but I’m sure that I can. 
"Hopefully we can bring a few players in who can excite the crowd.”
Gavin had been Ollie Horgan’s assistant at Finn Harps and he says that while it was a tough decision to leave, the chance to manage in the Premiership was too good to turn down.
“It was a wrench to leave Finn Harps as I was in the middle of project there with Ollie Horgan and I’m a great friend of his but the opportunity came along for myself and it gives me an opportunity to go into the Irish League,” said Dykes.
The former Sligo Rovers Head of Youth Development has already got down to work and hopes to name his backroom team tonight (Thursday) with Steve Feeney one name that has been bandied about while Andy Crawford is another. 
Dykes was reluctant to name names but he did admit that he wants people who know the club.
“I’ve spoken to a few people that I would like to come in and who have connections with the club already which I think is important,” he said
So, what are the aims for the season ahead? Well, he says that will depend on what league they find themselves in at the start of next season.
“First of all we have to find out what league we are playing in and then we can set targets. 
"If we are in the Premiership, we have to make sure that we stay in the Premiership and that will take a lot of hard work and honesty that I know I will bring to the party.
" If we are not in that division we will have to try and get back into it as quick as we can. 
"Hopefully though the players can go out and produce one more time this season and get the result we need and we can build from there,” he concluded.