New manager Niall Currie met up with his squad for the first time at the weekend to push home the message that every one of the players has a fresh chance to prove themselves.

With the transfer window firmly shut until January 1st, the new man in charge must make do with the squad assembled by his predecessor, that contains some familiar names and some new faces for the boss to get to know too. Currie comments: "I'm well aware of the Darren Nixons, Aaron McKees and Nathan McConnells but there's others I'll have to get to know. I've told the players that as far as I'm concerned with the transfer window shut for two months everything is in their hands. We've got to turn things around and get some results and get a feel good factor here. If we can get a bit of momentum going, it's amazing where that can take you."

Chairman Brian Adams welcomes Niall to the club Picture: Andrew McCullough

For the past four years Currie has been busy carving out his well respected name, as the most successful boss in Championship level football. His two league titles and six cups while manager of Loughgall made him the number one on the Ards board's wish list, but Niall insists that his pedigree goes back even further than that. "From I started managing, even at Annagh United we turned things around," he remembers. "At one time they were re-applying to stay in the league and I lifted them up the table and got them into the Mid-Ulster Cup final. I had great times there and great times at Loughgall and my intention is to have even greater times here.

"I'm absolutely delighted to be here. It's great to be back in football and it's great to get an opportunity at such a great club. To me the potential here is enormous. We've such a great fan base to tap into again and I'm hopeful that I can be as successful as I have in the past. I'm looking forward to some real good times at Ards."

The Mid-Ulster based boss is set to do some travelling as takes on the Ards role but is quick to explain how that wont be a problem, especially with the team he'll have behind him. "I'm based in Mid-Ulster but that's not going to be a issue. As far as I see it all the work is done on the training pitch on a Tuesday and Thursday night, which I'll be there for. What I will have to do is tap into the talent available locally and so I've brought in David Bryson as my scout and he knows very well what this area offers. Jay Willis is also coming on board as our first team coach and I plan to have my assistant manager in place for Tuesday night's game."

Continuing, the new boss revealed, "My biggest strength is man management. What we've got to do is get some smiles on faces and make sure people are enjoying their football - that's the best way to get players playing well. If you work hard the results will come, there's no doubt about that. If we give 110% every time we play, when we're out there representing the supporters, I don't think anyone will have any complaints. The players wont ever get hammered by me if they come off the pitch and have given everything and we've been unlucky to lose. Everybody wants to see that when they come off the pitch they've given everything."

The Currie name has been around Irish League football for a lot of years, with the former goalkeeper turning out at one time or another for Portadown, Glenavon, Distillery and notably, Bangor. Niall remembers fondly his experiences of North Down derby games, pointing out that he is now fully committed to the team on the other side of the fence.

"I've had great times and I've been very lucky throughout my career. I don't regret a thing. I remember having wonderful banter with the Ards supporters regularly. I think they had seen that side to me too, that I like a bit of banter. There was never anything nasty. Even up to two years ago when I brought my Loughgall team up to Dixon Park and had to play in goals myself, the Ards supporters were fantastic.

"A big thing to me has been the reaction of the Ards supporters to me coming here. I'm buzzing because I've received such tremendous support. I'm here and from now on I'm red and blue."

Ards isn't a club Niall is totally alien to of course, as a former Ards player himself. The topic brought up some happy reminiscing for Currie. "I had been saying to my dad in the last few days, I wonder how many at Ards remember that I played for them?

"I was actually playing rugby at the time, on a break from football, when Roy Coyle rang me and asked me to come come up and do emergency keeper, because Stephen Henderson was suspended. So I came up to training on the Thursday, played against Crusaders on the Saturday and then went back to my rugby."

But with playing days now firmly done and dusted (he has no plans to register himself come January), Niall will be focusing firmly on putting a winning side out on the field. He says knowingly, "It's a big challenge but I see no reason why we can't bring the club on and be up there challenging. I think that's the only place to be."

16th October 2011

ardsfc.co.uk