IT'S FINALLY HERE! Derry City PRO Lawrence, can I get an interview with . . . ?

Ruaidhri Higgins would tell you himself – a manager’s life is made a whole lot easier if he has a good PRO at the club.

A Public Relations Officer may be a fancy way of explaining what Lawrence Moore does, which is basically everything he can, to ensure that his manager’s path is clear to focus on what is most important, winning football matches.

It can be a demanding role – ask any volunteer at any football club, at Derry City especially. It just ever stops, especially these days when success has come back to the club. A tidal wave of interest in the club has followed Ruaidhri Higgins in the door, and Lawrence and a small team of volunteers are paddling away like crazy to keep everything going smoothly.

“It can be busy,” he laughs. “Match day is almost a relief because once you get the team sheet out and make youse boys a cup of tea at half time I can watch the football. There are busy times in the year, so when the season is in full flow it almost becomes regimental; when you leave the Brandywell on Friday, the two boys, Kevin and Ethan, on Twitter. Then you’re back to the start of the week and it’s the same thing again, the manager’s programme notes for Friday night, any player interview requests that are and just general week to week stuff.

“The close season is a lot different because there are people coming in and going out of the club. There are interview requests or requests for players to attend presentations; this year has been crazy because we’ve won the cup, which went around the schools, businesses and parties. It was great fun, because you’d rather have the cup than not have the cup, but at the same time it brought a lot of additional work.

“The run up to the cup final itself; everybody at the club rallied around and did a lot of work to make sure what happened happened. The players and the manager did the main bulk of the work by putting on the performance they put on but I think it was well keyed up by the people in the background as well ahead of the game.”

Lawrence will deflect all credit onto others, that’s his way, and he doesn’t tale to long to bring others into the conversation. It is all a team effort he insists.

“Whether it’s going well or not, there is a level of commitment there. We do have a small team and they all have various roles, be it Dodie and Bert in the office, Kevin and Ethan and myself in the social media team, and Karen of course. I think by now everyone knows their role which makes things a lot easier. Having someone like Ruaidhri in charge also makes things a lot easier for everyone. He works extremely hard and deserves a lot of credit, not just for the work people see on the field, but so much more off the field.”

Part of the team

Due to the nature of his role, Lawrence has almost daily dealings with the manager and the players, and he I very much a part of the team, even if in reality he couldn’t pick out a pass if a player was six yards in front of him.

“I have got very close to the players and the background staff and it doesn’t work any other way, unless you have that relationship,” he explains. “It’s quite professionally run now. Guys looking for interviews will come through me, and I’ll talk to Ruaidhri. We would also put people up for interviews in particular weeks and try and share that workload around. It’s the same for after the games. There is a good relationship and that’s why it works so well.”

Like any good PRO, Lawrence is as professional as they come. But if the ball hits the back of the net in a big game, that veil might slip ever so slightly…

“When you’re in the press area you’re supposed to be somewhat professional. I let a roar out of me in the cup final and I think the Mayor came out of her skin,” he laughed. “I think that was the second goal.

“When it’s your passion, and when it’s your club, and this is my club; I have a passing interest in what happens in England and Scotland and abroad; but this is it for me, this is my club.”