Inside story on Jim Magilton's protracted Reds appointment last summer

What a difference a season makes. Eleven months ago Jim Magilton and Gerard Lyttle were wrestling with the pros and cons of taking over at Cliftonville.

Magilton was the Reds' primary target to succeed Paddy McLaughlin as manager, but good pal Lyttle was hesitant to jump in as his number two.

Lyttle had previous history with the club, as a player, coach and manager. His departure as boss back in 2017 to take over the reins at Sligo Rovers had left a sour taste with some fans, many of whom didn't want the 46-year-old back at Solitude.

Read more: Inside Cliftonville's Irish Cup celebrations including star's 6am Magilton call

Read more: Linfield star undergoes procedure to resolve 'ongoing issue' ahead of new season

So when murmurs of a Magilton/Lyttle double act at Cliftonville surfaced, a barbed backlash quickly followed.

Lyttle recalls: "We had to win the fans over. I'll be honest, I think a lot of the negativity was to do with me and not Jim. That's fair enough. I had left the club before, but the fans don't know the full story why I left. Everyone is ambitious. I am still ambitious. If I am not then I shouldn't be in the job.

"With Jim, he got reeled into all the s**** as well. But it's all pie in the sky now."

The appointment of Magilton and Lyttle has been a resounding success so far.

Cliftonville finished third in the Premiership to qualify for Europe, but their crowning glory was beating Linfield to win the Irish Cup on May 4, ending the club's 45-year hoodoo in the competition.

However, it could have been a completely different story if Lyttle had turned down the chance to return to North Belfast.

"I remember when the Cliftonville job came up and Jim approached me. I wasn't so keen. He just said, 'Well, I'm not taking it if you're not coming in with me'. That was the bottom line," Lyttle says.

"I had been feeling guilty about it. My loyalty to Jim stretches way back. He has been there for me during really difficult times, and likewise I helped him. So we have a real understanding.

"We were playing golf one day, and I think we were on the third hole. I don't know if it was to put Jim off, but I just said, 'I think we should take this job'.

"He said, 'Ah for f*** sake, you told me you didn't fancy it'. So I told him to go make the call. It was me thinking, I owe Jim. This could be an opportunity for Jim to get back in. He hadn't had much opportunity. Someone like him being out of the game is criminal, given the knowledge and experience he has. It is just being wasted.

"I think Jim and I work really well together. I looked at the squad and thought this is a really good group of players. We could do something with them. That was my thinking around it.

"So we made the call. Jim asked if I was sure, and I said I would go with him. That's all he wanted to hear."

The pair met the club's then chairman Paul McKeown and director David Begley in the 'Lyttle Tin Whistle', a quaint, home-built bar nestled at the bottom of the assistant manager's back garden.

He says it didn't take long for the rumours to start flying about as some nosey neighbours caught a glimpse of the high-profile visitors arriving at his house.

"We met the board members at my house. I live beside a couple of die-hard Cliftonville fans and they saw Jim's car pulling up outside and then the chairman's car and David's car. There were a few photos flying about and that's when all the s*** started flying about," he jokes.

"We struck the deal in my bar out the back of the house. From then on that was it. I just thought it was right for me to be there for Jim. He was there for me after Sligo and the Northern Ireland job.

"I had to give something back to Jim, and that was my decision."

With the deal done, Lyttle says he was prepared for a fierce backlash. He was also conscious that there would be no honeymoon period.

They had to hit the ground running.

He says: "I don't think any other people or managers could deal with that. We were immediately under pressure. Jim and I are quite strong characters, and mentally we can deal with things. We just said be prepared for this, and we were. We didn't react to anything, we did our talking on the pitch.

"Right away we hit the ground running. We got a couple of decent signings in despite being late to the transfer window. We had a squad, we had to lose a few and bring some new faces in. We dissected everything from top to bottom and went through it thoroughly and fairly.

"We took the s*** that came along with it. But that's in the past now. We had our player of the year dinner on Saturday and the fans were there. It is probably the first time in a long time that I have felt comfortable being around our fans. A few even said they got it wrong. They openly said they were one of the ones who were against Jim and I, but we move forward as a club.

"They all got behind Jim and I, and now we are enjoying the rollercoaster together."

Lyttle also admits some of Cliftonville's players were cautious of the new management team arriving last summer.

He said: "All the negative press and s**** about Jim being this and me being that, the players thought we would be hard to work with. I think when we came in, we showed our vision from day one, and how we wanted to play. We added the extra night in and we worked hard on coaching them and planning.

"We drove standards and professionalism from early doors, and then the players followed. Rory Hale, Ronan, Chris Curran, Joe Gormley, all of them. They realised that all the talk and rumour beforehand was bull****. A lot of these players have been in full-time football and used to high standards and professionalism, and that's what we're big into."

Despite enjoying a stellar debut season, Lyttle says the hard work has already started for the 2024/25 campaign as the Reds look to build on their success.

"We don't switch off. Jim and I had a meeting with the staff on Monday night to review last season. We looked at what worked well and what we need to improve to go to the next level. We are very blessed to have a great backroom staff behind us. We also looked at some of our targets, and hopefully the club back us on that," he said.

"It was a positive debut season for us. We finished third, qualified for Europe with five games to spare and won the Irish Cup. It is a great platform to work off. The club need to be hitting these heights every year, qualifying for Europe and winning major trophies.

"The European money is a big plus, and when Jim and I came in I don't think many people think this would happen."

Join Belfast Live’s new Irish League WhatsApp group. Click this link to receive the latest Irish League headlines and breaking news direct to your phone. We also treat our members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our group, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice