Roy McCreadie ready to link up with Newry Town

McCreadie will inform his players on Tuesday evening that he will be leaving St Julian's Road for the Showgrounds.

The out-spoken McCreadie will take up a three-year contract offered by the Border club who sacked manager Ollie Ralph last month.

It will mark the end of McCreadie's colourful 12-year reign at Omagh where he was rarely out of the news.

McCreadie is expected to take charge of Newry's Irish League game against Crusaders on Saturday. He was be officially unveiled on Thursday.

He takes on quite a task of lifting Newry from the doldrums which they have encountered over the past number of seasons.

McCreadie said that it was a sad day to leave a club that he has been with for what seems a life time.

''Now is the time to go,'' he said. ''I'm happy that I've made this decision, and it's the right decision for Roy McCreadie.

''I'm excited about taking up a new challnge. To be honest, my batteries needed recharging.

''I've taken Omagh as far as they go. ''

McCreadie delivered Omagh's first senior trophy when they won the Budweiser Cup back in 1992.

Omagh twice played in Europe under McCreadie and were twice beaten Irish Cup semi-finalists.