Jimmy Brown succeeds Paul Kirk as Lisburn Distillery manager

Former Glenavon boss Jimmy Brown has been named as the manager of JJB Sports Premiership club Lisburn Distillery on a three-year contract.

Brown will move to New Grosvenor from his current job as technical advisor to League of Ireland side Dundalk.

He was previously Glentoran assistant manager under Roy Coyle and takes over from Paul Kirk who was sacked on Thursday after 13 years in charge.

Brown is best remembered for guiding minnows Carrick to the 1976 Irish Cup.

He also had spells in charge of Ballymena United and Cliftonville.

At New Grosvenor, Brown's first job will be to deal with first team players who were unhappy at Kirk's sudden dismissal.

Then he must prepare the club for their first qualifying round matches in the Europa League which are scheduled for 2 and 9 July.

Brown told the BBC that he had no hesitation in speaking to Distillery when they approached him about becoming their new boss.

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"They are a great club and I agreed to talk to them even though I had a good job at Dundalk," said Brown.

"I had an agreement with Dundalk that if a Premier League club in Northern Ireland came in for me I would be allowed to speak to them and I was offered the job on Tuesday and accepted it.

"I know the Distillery players were hurt by the sacking of Paul Kirk but I will meet with them on Thursday and hopefully we can take the club forward.

"I am really excited about this challenge as I'm inheriting a good squad of players and really want to do something here."

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