Jim McLaughlin remembered - 'He was just a genius, an absolute genius'

As mourners gathered to say their final farewells at Jim McLaughlin's funeral in Black Rock, Dundalk today, tributes were still being paid to a man who will undoubtedly be remembered as the League of Ireland’s greatest ever manager.

As well as leading the Candystripes to the treble in 1989, the Candystripes to the treble of 1989, he also led Dundalk to three league championships and three FAI Cups, including the double in the 1978/79 season. McLaughlin was also an incredible success at Shamrock Rovers leading them to three league titles and two FAI Cups in the early 1980s.

As a player, McLaughlin wore the Derry City jersey as a 16-year-old, before moving on to Birmingham City, Swansea City, Shrewsbury Town and Peterborough United.

He famously scored at Anfield's Kop end in the FA Cup quarter final in 1964, as Swansea knocked out Liverpool.

At international level, he won 12 caps for Northern Ireland, and scored six international goals.

Liam Coyle, who was given his senior debut by McLaughlin against Cobh Ramblers in November, 1988, has hailed his former manager as one of a kind. 

“He was just a genius, he was an absolute genius. There's no other way of putting it. People would usually ask, “What did McLaughlin do to make you play the way you did but Jim just was way ahead of his time, before all the other managers took all that psychology stuff on. Jim just used to talk to players and without going into great football detail. it was never great football detail. He made you believe that you were a whole lot better than you probably were and he just used to just have this thing about him.

Jim McLaughlin led Derry City to their first ever League of Ireland title in 1989, winning 32 of 48 games in all competitions and scoring 98 goals in the process.

“People used to say all this stuff about him being negative, but he was never a negative manager,” Coyle insists. “I never heard a negative thing ever come out of his mouth, he was so positive about everything he used to say to you about how you lived your life, and how to do the right things. He was that kind of manager and he was way ahead of his time before all the psychology stuff really came in.”

“He's one of the greatest managers that the League of Ireland's ever had, probably the greatest. I was fortunate enough as a young and a young footballer to be in his company, and he had a lot of faith in me to give me my debut for Derry. It's a sad day for everybody that's played for him, and for every football club that he's been involved with.”

Building a team of champions

Having returned to his hometown club in 1986, McLaughlin eventually took full control at the Brandywell following an unfortunate and all-too-public falling out with Noel King. But once in charge, McLaughlin took the first steps to making Derry City title contenders for the first time, bringing in

Mick Neville, Paul Doolin, Kevin Brady and John Coady from Shamrock Rovers. Four players did not make a whole team however.

“The thing that was never true about Jim was that he bought the league with Derry, but he never did,” Coyle continued. “He bought four players from Shamrock Rovers, but everyone forgets, I was only 20, Paul Hegarty was 21, Paul Curran was 21, Paul Carlisle was 21, Pascal Vaudequin was 22. He had Felix, he had Stuart Gauld and all these players who were with Derry for three or four years.

“McLaughlin comes in and he brings a few players in and all of a sudden all these players respond to all that, all the young players from Derry.

“The sign of a great manager is how you improve players and apart from the Shamrock Rovers boys, who he obviously turned into the best players in Ireland, the likes of Mick Neville, Paul Doolin, Noel Larkin and Kevin Brady, you throw all of us into the mix as well, too, he was just unbelievable, and that's the sign of a great manager, that you can actually turn young players, and mostly all Derry boys as well into treble winning players, which has never been repeated since, so that tells you the kind of manager he was.”

Jim was laid to rest yesterday at his home in Blackrock, a man who was understated in his manner, but whose legacy will be far from undervalued.

 “McLaughlin was very private, but he lived for football, but he had great craic about him and great wit about him and when you got to know him really well, he was an absolute gentleman,” Coyle concluded. “I can’t speak more highly of him. I only had two years with him and I went through a lot with him in two years, but even when he went onto other teams, we always had a catch up and I always had the same respect for him and I don't think I ever lost that respect, even after 35 years.”