Quinn Expects to Leave within 20 Years

Last updated : 09 April 2007 By Martyn Bowers

Quinn said: "I think that the way the industry is now, the days of having one chairman for 20 years are gone. It's too intense, too high-pressure and high-powered. Like all businesses, it needs freshening up from time to time.

"And I will know when I have done everything I can for the club ? although hopefully that time will never come. The last thing I want to do is have blinkers on and be chased out of town here in two or three years time. That's not going to happen because I'm going to be ahead of the posse.

"I will ride out tough times of course, because they always come along in football. But I don't see myself going on and on for the sake of it. I will stay for as long as I feel I can contribute something and when the time comes when I feel someone else could do it better, then I will happily step aside."

Quinn stated the obvious, saying that the short term at Sunderland is extremely bright, with Roy Keane guaranteed a sizable transfer budget for the summer, even if the club doesn't get promoted. He added: "We're in with a great chance of winning promotion this season and we are all focused on doing everything we can to go up into the Premiership.

"But if for any reason that doesn't happen, it won't put the brakes on what we are trying to do here. We won't sit around saying 'oh no, it's terrible', we will build on what we have achieved this year. If we do miss out,

"I'm sure we will only just miss out. We have a squad that has been magnificent this season and there will be a good bit of money available in the summer to add to that. Nobody will have to leave. There are no worries about the banks putting pressure on us to sell players if we don't go up ? that will not happen.

"Everyone is concentrating on trying to win promotion ? preferably automatic promotion ? this season, but we will be adding to the squad regardless of what division we are in next season. Football doesn't stand still and I have to keep thinking six months ahead of everybody. If I continue to do that, then I will see problems coming before they reach us. We all want promotion this season, but, if it doesn't happen, then our fans will still be in for a very exciting season next season because we'll have a strong squad for this division which we will ambitiously add to."