Coleraine CEO pinpoints crucial club figure who 'none of this happens without' after Irish Cup glory
Coleraine CEO Dale Pryde-MacDonald insists “none of this happens” without owner Henry Ross after the Bannsiders celebrated Irish Cup glory – and now wants to use the success as a platform for further growth.
Local man Ross became majority owner in December 2024 and stated his clear ambition “to establish Coleraine FC as the leading club in the Irish League”.
Ross has made a number of decisive moves in order to achieve that dream, including appointing Ruaidhri Higgins as manager in May 2025.
He has backed Higgins in the transfer market by signing the likes of Joel Cooper, who scored in Saturday’s 3-2 final victory against Dungannon Swifts, Will Patching and Mark Coyle.
Coleraine’s first Irish Cup crown since 2018 feels like a significant moment in the journey under Ross and Pryde-MacDonald believes their owner deserves immense credit for building a successful project.
"Probably since the semi-final it has been highly-charged and emotional,” he said on BBC Sportsound. “We were playing for a lot.
"All of the credit has to go to Ruaidhri, his players and his staff who have been phenomenal.
"They're the best group of players and staff I have ever worked with, but also our chairman Henry Ross and his family, without Henry, none of this happens. Massive credit has to be paid to him.
"The game was the game, I don't think it matters how you play in a cup final, it's all about winning the game.”
Coleraine brought over 7,000 supporters to Saturday’s showpiece event at Windsor Park – the overall attendance was in excess of 11,000 – and Pryde-MacDonald feels it shows the club’s potential.
"I had tears coming down my face when the players were leaving the stadium and what was going on there, it was incredible to see,” he added. “The connection between the supporters and club has grown stronger as the season progressed.
"This is the important thing, when I came to the club, people told me about the untapped potential of Coleraine and we're seeing that - 7,500 Coleraine fans, the highest number we have taken to a cup final in a long time.
"We need to build on it, grow it, extend what we're doing in the community, in other areas, and use this as a platform for the club to prosper.”