In conversation with Barry Gray
Description
From Mid-Ulster to the Premiership: The Untold Story
The next guest on On The Spot Football Podcast is one of Northern Irish football's most fascinating figures.
⚽ The Journey
- Started coaching at 16 in a community centre
- Took Warrenpoint Town from Mid-Ulster League to the Premiership
- Kept a small regional club at the top level for 7 out of 10 years
- Managed Cliftonville and Newry City
💼 The Businessman
- Successful entrepreneur who balanced boardroom and dugout
- One of the few managers who understood both sides of the coin
💪 The Survivor
- Fought throat and neck cancer while managing
- Made the toughest decision: choosing life over football
🔥 "Players were on £50 a week at Cliftonville competing in Europe"
😤 "I had no training facilities, no warm-up gear, and no manager's office at Newry"
⚖️ "The relegation injustice at Warrenpoint - we took it to court"
👥 "We treat players like players. We should treat them like people"
🎯 "The problem with Irish League football? We've missed the people part of it"
This isn't just a football story. It's about survival, ambition, making impossible decisions, and what it really takes to succeed with nothing.
Now live on all podcast platforms
Hosted by Johnny McMurray























