Kevin McHugh Accuses Finn Harps Leadership of Crossing Lines

Kevin McHugh has spent almost three decades absorbing the chaos around Finn Harps. This time, he says, it went too far.

The club icon has spoken publicly for the first time since his departure as first-team manager, accusing senior figures at Finn Park of crossing “lines… way beyond what I am prepared to let slide” and failing him and his staff when they needed backing most.

Harps confirmed on Sunday night that McHugh had left his role, but the tone from the boardroom statement and the tone from the man himself could hardly be further apart.

Lack of honesty, decency and support

McHugh, who has lived almost his entire football life at Finn Park, did not disguise his anger.

“I am extremely disappointed in the chairman and a few of his close board members that are supposed to be directing this football club,” he said, highlighting what he called “the lack of honesty, decency and the lack of support shown towards myself and my staff during a period when we needed it most.”

He stressed he was no stranger to turbulence around Harps. Since making his senior debut in August 1998 against Fanad United in a League Cup tie, he has seen it all: promotions, relegations, financial strain, and constant firefighting behind the scenes.

“Here, after nearly three decades, I am well hardened to the mayhem and nonsense that happens around this club in a normal season,” he said, adding that he has always been willing to “roll sleeves up and get on with things.”

This time, though, he felt pushed into a corner.

“Having pieced things together over the past few days, lines have been crossed way beyond what I am prepared to let slide.”

Club legend under strain

McHugh’s status at Harps is unquestioned. Across two spells as a player, he scored 186 goals in 439 games, the defining figure of modern Finn Harps history.

Since 2017, he has led the Finn Harps Academy, a role he continued to hold even after stepping into the senior hot seat in April 2025 following the departure of Darren Murphy. For the last 15 months he has effectively doubled up, running both the first team and the academy under what he describes as “difficult circumstances.”

“I was more than prepared to take a hit in-terms of my own reputation for the club with two hands tied behind my back whilst doubling up with first team and academy roles to help us in a tough period,” he said.

The strain grew as results dipped. Harps have endured a grim spell on the pitch and recently slipped to the bottom of the First Division. McHugh had still been ready to “ride the waves”, believing a brighter future might be on the horizon under a prospective new owner.

Instead, he watched his squad stripped and his budget slashed.

Key departures and a cut budget

Over the last six weeks, Harps lost Max Johnston, Idir Zerrouk, Perrault Tokam, Daniel De Lacerda and Temi Ajibola. Those exits ripped experience and potential out of a squad already walking a tightrope.

McHugh says his budget was “cut drastically”, leaving him and his staff trying to compete at this level with resources that, in his view, simply weren’t fit for purpose.

“Lesser men would have walked months ago with the conditions we were left in to compete at this level,” he said.

They stayed, he insists, for the dressing room and for the terraces.

“We had too much time for the players and supporters who showed up to Finn Park and away grounds each week to walk out on them. People deserve better.”

Standing up for his staff

One of the most striking elements of McHugh’s statement is his determination to defend those who worked alongside him.

The 46-year-old admitted he never wanted to “wash dirty linen in public”, but said he felt forced into speaking out “to show support for my staff who have shown nothing but full on commitment, professionalism and dignity throughout all of this and deserved much better treatment from the people involved.”

For a man who has spent his career protecting the club, this is a rare, pointed public rebuke of its leadership. He also acknowledged the “ugly nature of football” but made it clear that recent behaviour from some inside Finn Park had left him “extremely disappointed.”

Gonzalez takeover talks and a new direction

McHugh has already held talks with prospective new owner Freddy Gonzalez since leaving his post. The Filipino entrepreneur’s proposed takeover is expected to go before shareholders in the coming weeks and, in McHugh’s eyes, would represent a clean break.

He believes a Gonzalez-led Harps would mean “complete change within the club” if the buy-out is approved.

Harps’ statement on Sunday claimed McHugh would move into a new role “as part of the club's transition to a professional structure”. The Killea native, however, says nothing has been agreed.

“(Freddy) stepped me through his short and long-term plans and he also understands I need time to assess everything before discussing any potential roles he has planned for me,” McHugh said.

He did not commit to returning in any capacity, but he did not hide his enthusiasm for what Gonzalez could bring.

“Whether I decide to be part of this journey or not, there is certainly exciting times ahead for this brilliant football club when Freddie does come on-board.

“What I can also say, is the direction the club will go under him is hugely positive and what I like most, he has complete clarity in his plans.”

From survival mode to development mode

For all the bitterness around his exit, McHugh’s attachment to Finn Harps remains obvious. He spoke directly to supporters, volunteers and staff who have “gone through the mill in some shape or form down through the years.”

“I am delighted for each and every fan, current and past volunteer and staff members… to eventually, in their lifetime be hopefully able to watch Finn Harps FC come out of survival mode and into development mode,” he said.

A club legend has walked away from the dugout, disillusioned by those in charge. Yet he still believes the next chapter, under new ownership, can finally drag Finn Harps out of the cycle that has worn him down for nearly 30 years.

The question now is whether the club can match that promise without the man who has so often held it together.