DOYLE SEES A REA OF LIGHT New boss revamps Foundry with a committed squad

NEW Albert Foundry chief Stuarty Doyle is surrounding himself with people who only want to play for the shirt as he bids to inject some fight into his beloved club.

The Paisley Park men have been in a slow but steady decline for a number of years now – the malaise setting in during Colin Mcilwaine’s final campaign in 2015/16 and accelerating during Hugh Sinclair’s ill-fated return last year.

Over the course of those couple of years a raft of senior players exited, leaving first Sinclair and now rookie manager Doyle with a rebuilding job on their hands.

But whereas Sinclair sought to repair the damage by bringing in seasoned players like Mark Magennis and Miguel Chines – both now since departed – Doyle is taking a more subtle approach.

Having spent the best part of a 25-year playing career at the West Belfast outfit – where he won everything there is to win in the Amateur League – he’s dyed-in-thewool Foundry and only wants players who share his passion for the club in the trenches with him.

In an era where loyalty to clubs is scarce it’s a wise strategy and one which has proven hugely successful for the likes of Immaculata and Crumlin Star, the last two champions of the Premier Division.

And while Doyle is not bracketing his team among the runners and riders for this season’s title, despite Saturday’s fine 3-0 derby win over Shankill, he reckons it will provide him with a solid base as he plots Foundry’s route back to becoming serious contenders for all the main prizes in the Amateur League.

“I’m under no illusions after what happened last year,” said Doyle, who has brought Glen Mccartney in as his number two.

“Roughly 17 or 18 players left after Colin Mcilwaine left so it was a struggle for Sinky [Sinclair] from start to finish. That’s why I went on board with him, to try and keep the camaraderie about the place.

“In the end we went out of all the cups early and finished up mid-table on 29 points.

“But I have come in and I want to get the players playing for me, I had 25 straight away wanting to sign for me and what I told the board is that we want to challenge this season in the cups and get more than 29 points. What you have to remember is that last season you had Nortel who most people were beating and you had Ardglass who most people were beating.

“So those two weak teams have went out of the division and you have East Belfast and 1st Bangor coming in, two strong teams.

“And then you have Drumaness who are going to be stronger, plus the usual teams like Crumlin Star and Immaculata, so the table will be strong all round.

“So I’ve told them [the board] that my ambition is to go and challenge for a couple of cups and I’d love to be up there in the league, doing what we need to do, because we need to be better than we were last year.

“But they were realistic enough with me as well. It’s my first time in the job and I’m learning as I go along.

“I had no intentions of taking the job but the club have been good to me so I felt it was the right thing, the right time, and the right fit and it was just me wanting to give something back to the club.

“The foundation is there for us to kick on, but I’m certainly not looking too far ahead.”

Like many of his counterparts in the Amateur League over the close season, Doyle found new recruits with the required quality thin on the ground. Nevertheless, he’s content with the squad at his disposal ahead of his debut campaign in the Paisley Park dugout with one of his new boys, Michael Rea, on target alongside Darren Mccomb and Marcus Beattie on Saturday.

“There’s not many new faces, it’s been difficult to get them in,” said Doyle.

“But there are a couple of players who I have brought back in who will be like new signings, players who have gave me their commitment and said they will put the effort in for me, and they have so far.

“Ian West is like a new signing for me, he’s giving me 100%, and Jamie Anderson has come up through the ranks, he’s a young player and is very good.

“I have signed goalkeeper Jake Halliday which I’m over the moon with – a good kid, he’s strong and commands his area, and I signed Michael Rea from Suffolk.

“Even though he has come in from the lower leagues he has fitted in well for us.

“He wanted to better himself and he has come in, played four matches and scored five goals. He has more to his game too, his hold-up play is good, he comes short, and has a good technique.

“And then Aaron

Knowles has come in.

“He came from the

Whites, another good kid.”