Soccer

‘He was just a genius, he was an absolute genius’: Former Derry City great Liam Coyle on the legendary Jim McLaughlin

McLaughlin, who died aged 83, led the Foylesiders to an unprecedented treble in 1989 and also won eight League of Ireland titles at four different clubs.

A man wearing a black jacket and tie kneeling in front of four trophies n a pitch with footballs sitting in two of the trophies
Jim McLaughlin after the treble-winning season with Derry City season in 1989. PICTURE: derrycityfc.net
By Kevin McLaughlin

DERRY City’s famous treble-winning manager Jim McLaughlin has been described as a genius by City great Liam Coyle.

Coyle, who played in the Candystripes’ memorable treble-winning side in 1989, felt the Brandywell native was ahead of his time.

McLaughlin, who died aged 83, made his Northern Ireland international debut against Scotland in 1961 and scored six goals while winning 12 caps.

As manager of his hometown club he led the Foylesiders to an unprecedented treble in 1989 and also won eight League of Ireland titles at four different clubs.

Derry City ace Liam Coyle 
Derry City ace Liam Coyle believes that "gentleman" Jim McLaughlin was the best manager in the League of Ireland's history

Coyle feels McLaughlin is the greatest ever League of Ireland boss.

“He was just a genius, he was an absolute genius,” said Coyle.

“There’s no other way of putting it. People would usually ask, ‘What did McLaughlin do to make you play the way you did’ but Jim just was way ahead of his time, before all the other managers took all that psychology stuff on.

“Jim just used to talk to players and without going into great football detail. It was never great football detail. He made you believe that you were a whole lot better than you probably were and he just used to have this thing about him.

“People used to say all this stuff about him being negative, but he was never a negative manager. I never heard a negative thing ever come out of his mouth, he was so positive about everything he used to say to you about how you lived your life, and how to do the right things.

Former football manager, Jim McLaughlin will be given the freedom of his native Derry at a ceremony at Guildhall tonight.
Jim McLaughlin won a historic treble with Derry City in 1989. He won a total of eight League of Ireland titles during his managerial career

“He was that kind of manager and he was way ahead of his time before all the psychology stuff really came in.

“He’s one of the greatest managers that the League of Ireland’s ever had, probably the greatest.

“I was fortunate enough as a young footballer to be in his company, and he had a lot of faith in me to give me my debut for Derry.

“It’s a sad day for everybody that’s played for him, and for every club that he’s been involved with.”

Coyle believes McLaughlin’s style turned young Derry natives into treble winners.

“The sign of a great manager is how you improve players and apart from the Shamrock Rovers boys, who he turned into the best players in Ireland, the likes of Mick Neville, Paul Doolin, Noel Larkin and Kevin Brady, you throw myself, Paul Hegarty, Paul Curran, Paul Carlyle, Pascal Vaudequin, Felix Healy and Stuart Gauld, all these players who were with Derry for three or four years, into the mix as well, too,” he said.

“He was just unbelievable, and that’s the sign of a great manager, that you can actually turn young players into treble-winning players, which has never been repeated since, so that tells you the kind of manager he was.”