Gerry McClintock - Merit Award
August 04, 2022
On Friday the 28th February 2020 in the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen the Fermanagh and Western Association & League honored Gerard McClintock with a deserved Merit Award for all he did for local football.
Gerard McClintock
Ladies and gentlemen, our final award tonight goes to Gerard “Busty” McClintock, who has to settle for the fact that he is the second member of his family to receive this award. I had a little more success in eliciting how Busty’s nickname came about – Gerard described how he was always a heavy child and the moniker has been with from the age of 3, to the extent that many people who know him would not know his given name.
Busty has early memories of climbing the fence at the Broadmeadow to avoid paying to watch the game, although the caretaker Jack Meehan was aware of the practice and took payment in kind, getting the miscreants to clean out the changing rooms after the match in order to be released.
During the formative years after its foundation in 1970, Enniskillen Town United had no reserve team, so Busty started his football career at Lisnarick as a fleet footed right winger but soon realised that he was too slow and took up a residency at left back. Busty recalls his time at Lisnarick in the seventies with great fondness, playing with some wonderful players such as Ronnie Elliott, Chris Brennan and Basil Wallace to name a few. Even though Busty was lining out for Lisnarick, he still served on the Town Committee from 1976, serving as Secretary for two years until 1979, his replacement being a certain Gerard Connolly. Shortly afterwards, Busty signed for the Town starting a period of unbroken service to the present day. After stopping playing, Busty took up scouting duties on behalf of Glenavon Manager Terry Nicholson, for the grand fee of a club tie and lapel badge. Busty ferried a number of local lads up and down to Lurgan for training and matches; the players got expenses but not Busty! The only success achieved by Busty on the playing field came in 1985, when a Town Reserves team managed by him won Division 3, the first ever title secured by the club. Busty then took the reigns of the first team in 1987 only because no-one else wanted it, the team having returned to Division 1 as champions. Busty’s limited success as player was not replicated in management, the first major honour came in 1990 with the Mulhern Cup success against Shelbourne. Busty had pulled together a side combining experience and youth and his finest moment in management came in 1994 at Loughgall when the Junior Cup was secured for the first time. The achievement can be put into context by the some of the teams vanquished along the way, Lurgan Celtic, Holywood Rec and Oxford United. This triumph was quickly followed by a second Mulhern Cup defeating arch local rivals Enniskillen Rangers, meaning that his team had remained undefeated in cup football for a full season.
Busty stepped away from management but still stayed committed to the club serving in various roles including a number of years as Chairman He is proud of the fact that his son Neil has joined him on the Management Committee to continue the link into a second generation.
Family ties are one of the enduring memories of his time in football that have a special resonance with Busty, recalling the McClintocks, Loves Connollys & Judges at Enniskillen Town, the Keenans at Rangers, the Bensons & Gawleys at Lisnaskea Rovers and the great friendships he made with both team-mates and adversaries over a 50 year involvement in our local game, remembering epic battles with the great Lisbellaw, Rangers, Dergview, Ballinamallard & Irvinestown teams over this period. Busty described Herbie Downey of Maguiresbridge as probably his toughest, hardest opponent over the years and Hoppy (Adrian Hopkins) as the most difficult to play against. He played with and managed many great players but the careers enjoyed by Gary Beckett and Michael McGovern hold a special place in his affections; the fact that two boys could come through his club to enjoy top careers in the senior game.
On a personal note, I worked on sites with Busty for over twenty years and during that time I had the utmost respect for the way he carried out his duties, making sure the site was a safe and good place to work, treating everyone with respect, knowing that only by working as a team, would the tight programmes we were all working to be achieved. However, there were times when it might have been best not to mention football!
Busty has talked much about the friendship and relationships he has benefited from through his involvement with Enniskillen Town United and the game as a whole; but it would also be fair to say that all of us involved have also been enriched by his presence; Busty is universally respected by all who have encountered him over the years. This contribution marks him out as a very worthy recipient of our Merit Award.