Marty Quinn: ‘Winning the Irish Cup with Coleraine is one of my proudest memories in Irish League football’

It had been 26 years since the Bannsiders had tasted success in the Irish Cup, and they were to be up against it this time around as they took on a Glentoran side going for the ‘Clean Sweep’.

But an unbelievable will to win and Marty Quinn getting his tactics spot propelled the Showgrounds outfit to a famous 1-0 win thanks to Jody Tolan’s first half strike.

For Quinn it is right up there as one of the proudest moments of his illustrious career in the Irish League.

“Seventeen years ago, my goodness where did that time go? It only seems like yesterday,” he said.

“Winning the Irish Cup with Coleraine is one of my proudest memories in Irish League football, it’s up there with Cliftonville winning the league.

“We went down to Coleraine that morning of the final, we met up with the local lads and the Belfast based players joined us.

“We travelled up the road to Windsor Park together and stopped off at the Chimney Corner for a bite of lunch.

“The reason for that was I’m a bit superstitious. In 1979 when I was playing for Cliftonville we went back there after winning the cup, so it was a winning frame of mind for me.

“We got to Windsor and there was a fantastic turn out from the Coleraine fans, they really backed us in their numbers.

“I gave the team talk and everyone knew exactly what they had to do, and every man carried out their duties on the day. I was very proud of them.

“The scenes after the game were fantastic.

“I had a feeling leaving Coleraine that morning that we couldn’t let the people down as they had turned up in their numbers to send us off.

“The players gave their all on the day.

“We stopped off at an off licence on the Shore Road on the way home to get some drinks and I’m sure they didn’t know what had hit them.

“Myself and the late Harry Gregg enjoyed a bottle of Bushmills on the way home.

“We had a fantastic night of celebration with the fans, directors and players when we got back to Coleraine.”

Marty’s team talk was exceptional says Bannsiders’ goal-scoring hero Jody Tolan

Jody Tolan may have been Coleraine’s goal-scoring hero on the day, but the striker points to several key moments which he believes made sure the cup headed back to the north coast.

Tolan, who also played under Quinn at Cliftonville, says his team talk was inspirational.

“Marty’s team talk on the day was exceptional,” he said.

“He went through every player individually and by the time we were going out to warm up I don’t think there was anyone in our team who didn’t think they were going to win the cup!

“Obviously everyone remembers Pat’s tackle, it was typically 100% from the big man, he tears his hamstring and he’s still going in for tackles.

“But five minutes in Davy O’Hare, for me, sets the standard because Andy Smith was through on goal, he was offside and the flag went up, but as he goes through Davy comes out and busts him!

“I think that set the standard for us to go on and win on the day.

“When we got back to the Railway Arms in Coleraine it was just a sea of blue and white with thousands of fans there to greet us.

“It’s a day I’ll never forget and I’m sure it’s a day a lot of people won’t forget either.”