‘My dad Dessie has been by my side through the highs and lows. When he had a heart attack it was a big scare and I feared the worst’
Shield. Talking about big personalties, compare that team to the current side and is it any wonder they are not as strong. We had Paul Leeman, Colin Nixon, Gary Hamilton, Dean Fitzgerald, Shane McCabe, Daryl Fordyce, Elliott Morris. That season we won the title I made my most appearances for the club so I can say
I played my part.
Alan McDonald’s tragic passing in 2012 shocked all of us. How did you feel?
AIt affected a lot of people and I don’t think anyone had a bad word to say about Al, he had a kind way about him but was also ruthless when he needed to be. Al gave me my chance in the Irish League and I’ve won medals from that so I will always be grateful to him. It was a massive shock to learn he passed away. He was highly thought of at QPR as well as in Northern Ireland and there was that cold feeling of numbness. He was a gentle giant. I witnessed the protests in the car park at The Oval near the end of his time in charge. Players must take responsibility for their performances but fans can play a huge part in helping you when the chips are down.
Q AHow did your move to Cliftonville come about?
Eddie Patterson came on board and, while I had another year to run on my contract at the Glens and I knew I wasn’t performing to my potential, a fresh start was needed. Eddie faced budget cuts and it suited both parties for me to move on. I had been approached by a few clubs and was close to joining Tim McCann at Lisburn Distillery when I got a call from Tommy Breslin, and after that conversation, and a meeting with him and the chairman (Gerard Lawlor), I was happy to sign. I took a significant pay cut to go to the Reds, and other clubs offered me more, but I knew as a visiting player the abuse you got from the ‘understanders’ at Cliftonville and I liked that togetherness and spirit they had.
Could you see the success coming?
No, I remember Conor Devlin and Marc Smyth had signed and Tommy said, ‘Jaimie, you’re the final piece in our jigsaw to get us over the line’. Nine months later, we lifted the Gibson Cup. I wanted to believe it but I probably didn’t think it would happen that way. In the end I was the wrong bit of the jigsaw as I ended up at centre-back with Marc instead of being a right-back, and once we clicked we never looked back. That was my second league title but I appreciated it more because it felt like it meant more to the club and supporters, and I was delighted for the experienced players who hadn’t enjoyed that feeling.
Q AThat happened four weeks later, it was the Irish Cup final against Glentoran in 2013. We let ourselves down. There was a little bit of arrogance from us and we took our eye off the ball. We lost a little bit of sharpness, physically and mentally.
QBecause Cliftonville haven’t won the Irish Cup since 1979, is that weight of expectation a burden to the players?
It can be an excuse from a fans’ point of view. Some of them have followed the club for decades. I wasn’t born in 1979 so I don’t think we can be held accountable for having that burden on our shoulders. We are a team still in transition and we have players who haven’t won trophies. This is new to them. The fans have every right to feel the way they do, but from a players’ perspective we need to show how much we want to win this trophy. It’s the only medal I don’t have and that’s a big incentive for me along with European football.
AWhat was your worst moment in football?
Q AColeraine will be hurting massively from last year. They will feel they didn’t turn up and they have young, hungry players. I think we have just as good a team and the frontmen, Joe Gormley and Rory Donnelly, are starting to fire. This is Joe’s first season back in the Irish League and he told me in pre-season he was just looking to hit 20 goals. He’s faced criticism and been dropped like all of us but he’s shown his class.
QYour manager Barry Gray isn’t afraid of criticising the players in public when he feels that’s necessary. What’s he like?
Barry is passionate and a completely different character to Bressy (Tommy Breslin). It’s probably taken the players a bit of time to become accustomed to that. He’s brought new players to the club and it was going to take time for the team to gel. The title-winning team is gone and now Barry is looking for hunger and desire in this group.
AWhat are your thoughts on this year’s final?
Q AWho is the best player you have played with and toughest opponent?
It has to be Liam Boyce, a player who was such a big part of our success. Other teams were so afraid of him our other players could exploit that. Look at what he’s achieving now, firing on all cylinders and an international striker. For toughest opponent I’d probably go back to when I was a right-back at Glentoran. Coleraine’s Stephen Carson was one of the most gifted players I have faced and Glenn Ferguson, even at the later stage of his career, was quality.