Cliftonville assistant boss Gerard Lyttle: 'My dad was my biggest fan, I wish he was here to see Irish Cup win'

In a quiet moment of solitary reflection following the chaos of Cliftonville's Irish Cup win, Gerard Lyttle's thoughts immediately turned to his father. The club had just ended 45 years of misery by lifting the famous trophy at Windsor Park.

Ronan Hale's breakaway goal completed a 3-1 victory in front of over 18,000 fans, an iconic moment that will go down in football folklore.

Fans were euphoric, while manager Jim Magilton's look of sheer disbelief just about summed up the emotions cascading down the sea of red inside the international stadium.

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His assistant Lyttle has been a part of the Solitude furniture over the decades.

The 46-year-old played for the club and was a coach under Tommy Breslin when they won back-to-back titles. He went on to become manager before leaving for Sligo Rovers, and then returned as Magilton's wingman last summer.

And one constant throughout was his father - also called Gerard and known as 'Skin' - who sadly passed away in March, 2022.

"My immediate thoughts after the final were of my dad. He would have loved watching Cliftonville winning the Irish Cup, being a fan," Lyttle told Belfast Live.

"There is a plaque with his name on it at Solitude. It is on a board that remembers fans. I wanted dad to have his own plaque at the club, just as a sign of him still being here.

"When I was coach under Bressy (Tommy Breslin), and then as manager, my dad always had a seat there. When I walked off the pitch I would look over and see him smiling.

"I get emotional talking about it. I still look towards that seat when I am walking off the pitch and I think to myself, 'He is still there'. You know?

"We shared so many memories together. He was my biggest fan, and he just wanted the best for me."

Lyttle's return last summer was met with a backlash from some fans who never forgave the 46-year-old for leaving Solitude for Sligo back in 2017. He would go on to work as underage manager for the Irish FA, looking after Northern Ireland's Under 17 and 19 sides.

Despite successfully guiding both teams to the Elite rounds of the Euro qualifiers, Lyttle's contract wasn't renewed by the IFA.

He joked that his dad would have "had someone by the throat" following the axe.

"When I left Cliftonville I think it hurt my dad, and the crap that came along with it. When I got the Northern Ireland job he was delighted, because that sort of took me out of the Irish League firing line, so to speak," Lyttle says.

"It was a great job and he was delighted when I got it. But I always said I wanted to manage again and get back in that firing line. I wanted the day-to-day management and the Saturday buzz. But my dad always said, 'No, no, you stay where you are'. That was his advice.

"When my contract wasn't renewed with Northern Ireland, he would have been up in arms. He would probably have had someone by the throat.

"Then when I went back to Cliftonville last summer, I can just imagine him saying, 'What the f*** are you doing Gerard?'. I think initially he would have called me a mad man and told me to get a safer job.

"But once we got in, he would have been there every week supporting me and the team. He would have probably been on the pitch when Ronan scored, knowing my da. He was my biggest fan and supporter."

While his father's memory wasn't far away following this month's Irish Cup win, Lyttle says there was another man who was close to thought.

"I also thought of Gerard Lawlor for some reason. Don't ask me why. But I did," he adds.

"I just remember Gerard from when I was a player, coach and manager. He was around the club the whole time in various roles, and then he was obviously chairman. I saw his desire to win the Irish Cup.

"Things like that cross your mind, and then all the s**** you had to go through. The win was the icing on the cake."

Cliftonville's Irish Cup success means Lyttle has now won every domestic trophy going in the Irish League, adding it to the Premiership, League Cup and County Antrim Shield he won previously as coach and manager.

"It is a proud achievement. It completes the set," he says.

"But it is a massive team effort. From Jim (Magilton), who has been a loyal friend over the years, to all the other backroom staff including my brother-in-law Ricky (McCann, sports science). Ricky has been such a support to me and the rest of the staff. He has been a pillar of strength.

"It filters all the way through the club. Every single person plays such a huge part in keeping things moving in the right direction. That's what makes Cliftonville a great club to work for.

"Hopefully we can continue building momentum and delivering more special moments."

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