There was a huge upheaval at the club earlier this year as Cliftonville looked to restructure following that disappointing season. Martin Douglas came in as head of women’s football, Brendan Lynch assumed the position of elite development coach, Clare Carson made the transition from player to coach and John McGrady was appointed as first-team manager.
Douglas, Lynch and McGrady are synonymous with the Reds, having previously been involved with the successful Cliftonville Olympic side that won the Premiership Development League last year.
“The pandemic meant that we had no football with Cliftonville Olympic, and around that time the Ladies had parted ways with their manager, so we were asked to come in and help them for the last few matches of their season,” Douglas explains.
“We talked about new roles, the opportunities in the women’s game and how we could help the club fulfil its potential. It was an exciting opportunity for us, so we decided to go for it.”
McGrady echoes his sentiments and said taking on the role was a “straightforward decision”.
“During this period, we were impressed by the players – their work rate, hunger to learn and improve, the ability within the group and the positive atmosphere in the squad,” he said.