“Coleraine gave me opportunities”

COLERAINE FC is pleased to welcome Stuart McLean, Derek Cook and Greg O’Dowd as special guests of the club when the Bannsiders take on Linfield on Saturday…

It may be almost 30 years since this trio starred for the Bannsiders but the fact they are still held in such his esteem by the fans is testament to their efforts during their stay at The Showgrounds.

Club Historian and Vice President, Hunter McClelland, spoke to Stuart McLean recently about his time on the Ballycastle Road.

Hunter: Stuart, attached is the latest page in my computerised scrapbook. Looking forward to seeing you guys in January.
Stuart: I’m very much looking forward to being back

Hunter: The last time I saw you play at The Showgrounds you headed a goal from a corner kick, for LINFIELD!
Stuart: I remember it well. It was only a few weeks into my time there, I actually believe it was Oct 3rd 1995. I didn’t know what to do to be fair; the Coleraine fans helped me out though. It’ll be brilliant to be back at The Showgrounds, the club will always be very special to me.

Hunter: Well done Stuart – you’re spot on. It’s nice to hear what you said to the boys. Sadly, these days fans are not always respectful to players when they move to other clubs. But that certainly will not be the case with you and Derek. They’ll probably want to keep you!
Stuart: That’d be nice, I may want to stay. I take my son’s team now, the boys are 15 and I was telling them about my visit the other night. I told them it was against one of my other former clubs and they asked which was my favourite. I told them Coleraine gave me my opportunity, gave me team mates and experiences I’ll never forget and gave me the opportunity to grow as a player and a person. It might have been lost on the boys but brought it home how important my time with the club is to me. As I say, I can’t wait to be back.

Coleraine FC wishes Stuart, Derek and Greg a safe trip up to the North Coast on Saturday.