Mailey heading to the Brandywell

FORMER Finn Harps captain Packie Mailey is to join their northwest rivals Derry City. Harps manager Peter Hutton is resigned to losing the services of the centre-back.

The 23-year-old was training with Derry City this week having been invited to the Premier Division club for pre-season. 

Last year, Mailey was courted by Stephen Kenny, but he opted to remain at Harps. Now he will link back up with Paul Hegarty - who last Friday was confirmed as assistant manager to new Derry boss Declan Devine - at the Brandywell.
 

It was Hegarty who first signed Mailey for Harps in 2009 and he was the club captain in 2010. He was named Harps Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010, but the former Hibernian youth appears to have severed links with the Donegal outfit.
 

“Packie is a free agent at the moment,” Harps manager Peter Hutton told the Donegal News.

“We spoke to him before Christmas and outlined that we’d have to ask him to take a cut in wages due to the financial constraints at the club.
 

“Since then, we have tried to get in touch on numerous occasions, but he has failed to respond.

“He’s a free agent and I know ‘Higgs’ has invited him into Derry. The ball is in his court at the minute and there is very little we can do about it.”
 

Harps are back in pre-season training in Raphoe tomorrow, Saturday, and will have some trialists attending with a view to signing.
 

It had looked like midfielder Shaun McGowan would make a return to the club from Kildrum Tigers, but that move is now in jeopardy. Hutton said yesterday that a bid to bring the tenacious Ballybofey man back to Finn Park was ‘up in the air’.
 

However, Hutton has made no secret that he would like to have his services. “He is a very wholehearted player and would bring something that we were lacking last season - a bit of aggression - into the squad. We’re hopeful on that one,” said Hutton.
 

Goalkeeper Ciaran Gallagher has agreed a new one-year deal at the club, but has yet to put pen to paper, while those already signed include Kevin McHugh, who was already under contract, as well as Thomas Bonner, James Doherty, Ciaran Coll, Keith Cowan, Barry O’Mahoney, Blaine Curtis and Stephen O’Donnell. Chris Breen will also rejoin the club having played last season for Limerick FC.
 

Harps are in the process of lining up a number of friendly fixtures, starting with an away game against Limavady United on Tuesday January 24th.
 

Tomorrow, the squad are in pre-season in Raphoe, at the Deele College grounds, which is one of a number of venues around the county they will use. Other confirmed venues include Rathmullan and Glengad.
 

“That was a conscious decision we made because we feel that it is important to get Harps, the senior club in Donegal, back out into the community again,” said Hutton.
 

“Myself and Felix (Healy, Director of Football) are looking forward to getting back in and getting an idea of what kind of shape the boys are in.
 

“There is a lot of work to be done. We have a few players coming in to join us for pre-season and we have a number of the U-19s added to the squad too. It is important that we managed the finances there and as a club we’re not alone in that regard.
 

“We can’t be silly with the money and this is a big opportunity for young players to play senior football. With some drive and hunger there is no reason that they can’t step up.”