Eddie Patterson
Encyclopedia
Eddie Patterson is the former manager of Irish Premier League
club Cliftonville
http://www.cliftonvillefc.net/profile_pattersone.html.
Patterson took temporary charge of The Reds on 22 July 2005, when former manager Liam Beckett
walked out, and was officially confirmed as Cliftonville boss on 11 October 2006. He had been assistant manager the previous season. Patterson starred for the club during his playing days and was also a successful manager of the reserve side, Cliftonville Olympic.
, was brought up in Belfast. He now lives in Glengormley
. In the 1970s, he played midfield for Newington Football Club in the Down and Connor League, along with John McAuley, Gary Higgins and Paddy McCoy, all of whom were later to emulate him by playing for Irish League teams. Patterson went on to have a spell playing intermediate football for Chimney Corner under former Cliftonville boss Lawrence Stitt.
. Had Cliftonville been awarded the extra three points due to this registration error, they would have climbed above Dungannon Swifts F.C.
into fourth place and qualification for the UEFA Intertoto Cup
the following season. Nevertheless, coming fifth was the club's best performance since winning the title in 1998.
The team's biggest victory that season was an 8-1 hammering of Armagh City F.C.
During the January transfer window, Patterson re-signed two former players, Chris Scannell
, who had been away in Australia for just over a year, and Barry Johnston (footballer)
, from Coleraine.
, and Barry Holland joined his brother Mark after leaving Bangor F.C.
. In addition, Goalkeeper John Connolly returned for his second spell at Solitude.
Patterson's second season in the job proved even more successful than the first. After the disappointment of losing the CIS Cup final 1-0 to city rivals Glentoran F.C.
, his side went on to win the County Antrim Shield
in January 2007 by defeating Lisburn Distillery F.C.
2-1 in the final. Both goals were scored by Mark Holland. Patterson also signed Vincent Sweeney from Limavady United F.C. and Daniel Lyons on loan from Donegal Celtic F.C.. However John O'Loughlin (Finn Harps F.C.
) and Conor Downey
(Linfield F.C.
) both left the club. Patterson's side also reached the semi-final of the Irish Cup
but lost a penalty shootout to Dungannon Swifts. Cliftonville finished third in the league, narrowly missing out on second place, but nevertheless qualifying for the Intertoto Cup and the Setanta Cup
for the following season.
due to be played on 23 June 2007 against Latvian side Dinaburg FC
, he signed Francis Murphy from Lisburn Distillery and Kieran O'Connor
from Armagh City, and made Daniel Lyons permanent signing. Became the first Cliftonville manager to win a European tie.
Cliftonville's performances in the majority of the season had made them genuine title contenders, however a poor run of form towards the end of the campaign ended their hopes of winning the biggest prize in local football. The Reds ended the league campaign in third position fourteen points adrift of Champions Linfield.
Patterson left the Reds in April 2011 http://www.cliftonvillefc.net/news_statement_010411.html.
Honours=
Irish Premier League
The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
club Cliftonville
Cliftonville F.C.
Cliftonville Football & Athletic Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. Founded on 20 September 1879 by John McCredy McAlery in the suburb of Cliftonville in north Belfast, it is the oldest football club in Ireland and celebrated its 130th...
http://www.cliftonvillefc.net/profile_pattersone.html.
Patterson took temporary charge of The Reds on 22 July 2005, when former manager Liam Beckett
Liam Beckett
Liam Beckett is a football manager and ex-footballer. During his football career he played most notably for Coleraine and Crusaders.-Managerial career:...
walked out, and was officially confirmed as Cliftonville boss on 11 October 2006. He had been assistant manager the previous season. Patterson starred for the club during his playing days and was also a successful manager of the reserve side, Cliftonville Olympic.
Early life
Patterson, from the Bruslee Way/Pinkerton Walk area of the New Lodge RoadNew Lodge, Belfast
The New Lodge is an urban, working-class Catholic community in Belfast, Northern Ireland, immediately to the north of city centre. The landscape is dominated by several large tower blocks. The area has a number of murals, mostly sited along the New Lodge Road...
, was brought up in Belfast. He now lives in Glengormley
Glengormley
Glengormley or Glengormly is the name of a townland and electoral ward in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Glengormley is within the urban area called Newtownabbey and the wider Newtownabbey Borough.-Location:...
. In the 1970s, he played midfield for Newington Football Club in the Down and Connor League, along with John McAuley, Gary Higgins and Paddy McCoy, all of whom were later to emulate him by playing for Irish League teams. Patterson went on to have a spell playing intermediate football for Chimney Corner under former Cliftonville boss Lawrence Stitt.
2005/2006 Season
In his first season in charge of the Cliftonville F.C. Senior side, Patterson led his side to a fifth-place finish, an improvement on the 11th place in the previous year. The season ended in controversy, however, after a registration error involving fellow Irish League side Coleraine F.C.Coleraine F.C.
Coleraine F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1927, hails from Coleraine, County Londonderry and plays its home matches at the Showgrounds. Club colours are blue and white...
. Had Cliftonville been awarded the extra three points due to this registration error, they would have climbed above Dungannon Swifts F.C.
Dungannon Swifts F.C.
Dungannon Swifts F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1949, has risen from the Mid-Ulster league to the top tier in Northern Ireland since its election to the Irish League First Division in 1997...
into fourth place and qualification for the UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
the following season. Nevertheless, coming fifth was the club's best performance since winning the title in 1998.
The team's biggest victory that season was an 8-1 hammering of Armagh City F.C.
Armagh City F.C.
Armagh City F.C. is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Championship 2. The club, founded in 1964 as Milford Everton, and originally hailed from the village of Milford, just outside Armagh city, but changed their name in 1988 on relocation to Armagh...
During the January transfer window, Patterson re-signed two former players, Chris Scannell
Chris Scannell
Chris Scannell is a professional footballer from Northern Ireland and plays for Cliftonville F.C.. Scannell is one of Cliftonville's all-time leading goalscorers having amassed over 100 goals for the club. His brother Ronan also plays for the club.Chris made his senior debut for Cliftonville...
, who had been away in Australia for just over a year, and Barry Johnston (footballer)
Barry Johnston (footballer)
Barry Johnston is an Irish footballer currently playing for Cliftonville F.C..After serving the best of apprenticeships at Celtic Boys under Jim 'Dino' Heaney, Johnston believed he could cut it as a tricky winger when he joined Cliftonville's U18 set-up...
, from Coleraine.
2006/2007 Season
In preparation for his second year in charge, Patterson signed a number of influential players. Defenders David McAlinden, the son of a Cliftonville legend, arrived from Glenavon F.C.Glenavon F.C.
Glenavon F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1889, hails from Lurgan and plays its home matches at Mourneview Park...
, and Barry Holland joined his brother Mark after leaving Bangor F.C.
Bangor F.C.
Bangor Football Club is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 1. The club, founded in 1918, hails from Bangor and plays its home matches at Clandeboye Park. Club colours are gold and royal blue...
. In addition, Goalkeeper John Connolly returned for his second spell at Solitude.
Patterson's second season in the job proved even more successful than the first. After the disappointment of losing the CIS Cup final 1-0 to city rivals Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
, his side went on to win the County Antrim Shield
County Antrim Shield
The County Antrim Shield is a football competition in Northern Ireland. The competition is open to senior teams who are members of the North East Ulster Football Association , often plus intermediate teams who...
in January 2007 by defeating Lisburn Distillery F.C.
Lisburn Distillery F.C.
Lisburn Distillery is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1880, originated in west Belfast, where it was based at Grosvenor Park at Distillery Street off the Grosvenor Road until 1971...
2-1 in the final. Both goals were scored by Mark Holland. Patterson also signed Vincent Sweeney from Limavady United F.C. and Daniel Lyons on loan from Donegal Celtic F.C.. However John O'Loughlin (Finn Harps F.C.
Finn Harps F.C.
Finn Harps Football Club are a professional Irish football club playing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. They hail from Ballybofey, County Donegal and play their home matches at Finn Park. The club's colours are blue...
) and Conor Downey
Conor Downey
Conor Downey is a professional footballer from Northern Ireland and plays for Ballymena UnitedDowney played for Carrick Rangers before joining Cliftonville in 2000. In his first spell at the club he played largely as a striker, alongside Chris Scannell...
(Linfield F.C.
Linfield F.C.
Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
) both left the club. Patterson's side also reached the semi-final of the Irish Cup
Irish Cup
For the equivalent tournament in the Republic of Ireland, see FAI Cup.The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. Inaugurated in 1881, it is the fourth oldest national cup competition in the world...
but lost a penalty shootout to Dungannon Swifts. Cliftonville finished third in the league, narrowly missing out on second place, but nevertheless qualifying for the Intertoto Cup and the Setanta Cup
Setanta Sports Cup
The Setanta Sports Cup, commonly known as just the Setanta Cup, is a club football competition featuring teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland...
for the following season.
2007/2008 Season
Patterson wasted little time in preparing for Europe. With the first leg of the UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
due to be played on 23 June 2007 against Latvian side Dinaburg FC
Dinaburg FC
Dinaburg FC was a Latvian football club, playing in the city of Daugavpils. In 2009 it merged with FK Daugava. The club plays at the Daugava Stadium . In October 2009 the club was eliminated from Virsliga and also from The Baltic League, because of suspicion about totalizator playing at the club...
, he signed Francis Murphy from Lisburn Distillery and Kieran O'Connor
Kieran O'Connor
Kieran O'Connor is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Aghada and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 2004 until his retirement in 2011.-Inter-county:...
from Armagh City, and made Daniel Lyons permanent signing. Became the first Cliftonville manager to win a European tie.
Cliftonville's performances in the majority of the season had made them genuine title contenders, however a poor run of form towards the end of the campaign ended their hopes of winning the biggest prize in local football. The Reds ended the league campaign in third position fourteen points adrift of Champions Linfield.
2008/2009 Season
During the 2008/2009 campaign Cliftonville struggled in terms of their league performance but finished strongly to secure a top 6 finish. They won the County Antrim Shield and reached the Irish Cup final, 30 years since their previous victory in the competition. Alas it was not to be a victorious occasion with the Reds losing out to their near neighbours Crusaders FC, 1-0 who had waited 41 years to taste Irish Cup Success. It was a bitter pill for the Reds to swallow, not only losing but to lose to their near neighbours made the occasion heart breaking for the Red Army.Patterson left the Reds in April 2011 http://www.cliftonvillefc.net/news_statement_010411.html.
Honours=
- County Antrim ShieldCounty Antrim ShieldThe County Antrim Shield is a football competition in Northern Ireland. The competition is open to senior teams who are members of the North East Ulster Football Association , often plus intermediate teams who...
: 2- 2006/07, 2008/09