You were appointed as manager of Ballyclare Comrades in 2022. How do you reflect on your time in charge of the club so far?
“Coaching has been a deeply enjoyable journey for me. I’ve spent quite a long time in the field, working across nearly every level of the game here in both professional and Irish League football, which has given me a unique perspective. I’ve served as an assistant coach, worked with Cliftonville, and managed Carrick Rangers in the Championship. However, prior to taking this job, I was out of results-driven football for some time, focusing instead on development.
“Since returning to management, I’ve rediscovered my passion for it, and I feel like I bring so much more to the table now. When I first started, I was fresh off my playing career, and I more or less stumbled into an assistant manager role before stepping up as manager. Today, I come back as a far more experienced coach with a deep understanding of both coaching and player development.
“Taking on the role at Ballyclare has been immensely rewarding. For the past few months, I’ve been working to refresh the squad, focusing on youth and building a team with real potential. Developing this project has been a fantastic experience, and I’m genuinely excited about the direction we’re heading.”
Given your background in development, is it rewarding to be at a club like Ballyclare that supports bringing through the next generation?
“I think the club was in a decent place overall. Paul Harbinson did a commendable job steering Ballyclare through the challenges of COVID, which couldn’t have been easy. I know managers who essentially had to write off entire seasons—no training, and no way to build momentum. Paul endured that difficult period and likely didn’t get the full experience of the game during those years.
“When we came in, it was clear the squad needed an overhaul; they just didn’t seem energised. Given my background in development, the club was open to trusting my judgment on bringing in promising young players. Over the past couple of years, we’ve had some exceptional young talent come through, and several have moved on to pursue opportunities elsewhere. That’s something I truly enjoy—seeing players I coached at age 10 now playing first-team football at 18 or 19. It’s both a joy and deeply satisfying.
“Of course, football is results-driven, and fortunately, the club supports this project and trusts me to develop it further. We’ve already seen some talented young players rise to the first team, like Calvin McCurry, who has moved on to play regularly for Ballymena. It has its ups and downs—losing players can be tough, but working with such promising talent is incredibly rewarding.”
The Championship is a highly competitive division. What are your goals and vision for the club moving forward?
“I’d say we’re somewhat overachieving, if that’s the right word, given that we have the youngest squad in the entire league—there’s no doubt about that. We’re also working with fewer financial resources compared to many of our competitors.
“For now, our focus is on gradually strengthening the squad, and perhaps by next season, we can seriously push toward the top end of the table rather than simply exceeding expectations.
“We’re now over two full seasons in and heading into our third, and it reminds me of a similar journey. The question is: can we take that next step? We’re not far off, as recent results have shown. We’re close to finding the consistency needed to be a real challenger.
“The good thing is that both the club and I are patient. There isn’t overwhelming pressure to secure promotion immediately. But we do need to keep improving, possibly bring in more resources, grow our fan base, and keep challenging. I’m focused on building a succession plan rather than just coasting.
“What I don’t want is to simply exist in the Championship. Mediocrity can only sustain you for so long before you’re at risk of slipping into the bottom half. It’s a tough league, and we have to do more than just survive.”
Looking back, how do you reflect on your time as Carrick Rangers manager, given the successes you had there?
“When I took over at Carrick Rangers, the situation was quite dire. The club was at serious risk of dropping to the third tier of Irish League football. Carrick is a very different club today, but at that time, we faced a tough road. Over four years, we followed a consistent path that required resilience—we had to go through some hard times, but we improved each season. Eventually, we won the Championship and earned promotion, which was a fantastic achievement.
“During that period, we also saw some outstanding young talent come through the ranks. Paul Heatley, in particular, brought incredible energy to the Championship and really made his mark.”
Finally, Stephen, what did you take away from your time as assistant at Cliftonville?
“I was fortunate to play for Cliftonville for quite some time, and then, somewhat unexpectedly, I was given the role of player-assistant coach. In hindsight, I was probably brought into that role a bit too early; I was still very focused on my playing career, and I don’t think I was the best assistant at that stage. Marty Tabb asked me to take on the role based on trust—he believed in me as a person, which I greatly appreciated.
“Then, years later, in my second stint at Cliftonville, under Barry Gray, was different. By then, I was fully a coach and better equipped for the role. However, circumstances at the club were challenging, as it was in a bit of a lull following a period of incredible success.
“I learned a lot and genuinely enjoyed it. Cliftonville is a club close to my heart, and representing it was a privilege. That experience also solidified my ambition to step into a head coach or manager role.
“Over the years, I’ve grown as both a coach and a manager, evolving through hands-on experience and a commitment to applied learning.
“Each season brings new lessons, and I am continually seeking ways to improve as a head coach while helping players reach their full potential.
“I am fortunate to work with a talented squad who make progress and success possible, and I’m equally lucky to have Chris Ramsey as my assistant. Chris has been a fantastic asset to the team, and as his mentor, I see a bright future for him; his dedication and potential make him poised for success in his own coaching journey.”
Featured image: Ballyclare Comrades FC
Callum McFadden 