Belfast Galaxy is one of the most active managers north of the border and last season not only led his own team to the top flight of Northern Irish football, but took the Northern Irish national team for a hell of a ride that culminated in a final of the UETA Cup.  Some season...

Apart from winning the coveted TM Ireland Overseas Manager of the Season Award (which surely was the highlight), you got promoted to Div 1 and took the NI NT to the final of the UETA Cup – which of those two other achievements was the most satisfying?

Well, of course they were overshadowed by the award, but it's a very tough choice. The promotion was great as I had 8 long seasons in Division 2, whilst the NT run was a great achievement and a lot of fun. Both are very different, one was the result of many seasons of work whilst the other was the talk of the International Forums. I'd say the NT run was the most satisfying.

What will make this season better?
NI qualifying for the World Cup (whether I'm manager or not) and staying up in the Premier League. A Cup run wouldn't go amiss.

What’s the step up to the Irish Premier League like from Div 2, how do you rate your chances?
A bit better after Wednesday's win but It will be a tough season. If the club can comfortably avoid relegation, I'll be happy.

You’ve your YD at level 7, some would argue that’s a bit low for your level – have you given up on YD or are you having a break?
7's OK, not sure if I quite have the cashflow for higher levels.

You’ve a shitload of youths all the same, any talent there?
I've been a great believer in the fact that low asi players can do a good job with the right key skills, which is why my Training Ground's so high.

There's a few high Star late-bloomers there though, so the future looks good.

What are three things you wished you’d known about TM when you first started?
I wish I hadn't bought 2 rubbish players, wish I hadn't upgraded the toilets so much (they're important to me in real life) and I wish I had gone for YD sooner.

What brought you to TM?
An advert, I'd been looking for an online football game and I thought I'd give this ago.

What keeps you here, what do you like most about the game?
The pace, a full 34 game League season in 12 weeks. 3 League games a week mean I've always got something to look at.

And, conversely, what pisses you off most about TM?
The bugs. The work on them has been great and I hope the MTs keep it up!

Are you looking forward to the new ME, what changes do you think it will bring?
I've had a brief look at the test phases and it's almost like a different game. The managers who have time to play on this server and the test one will have a huge advantage once it comes in.

The number of teams in NI is 234 – have numbers stagnated a bit there, is this a problem?
They're slowly but steadily growing. I'm not worried, the more Division 3 teams that are created, the more NT players are created. It's why small countries tend to do better at NT level.

Are you running for the NC job again, and if so, do you think you’ll get it?
I've accepted my nomination and the forum's seem fairly supportive of me but you never know!

That was a fantastic performance taking NI to the European Cup final, how much of that do you put down to skill and how much to luck?
A bit of both to be honest, we had our fair share of luck but we were able to take advantage.

Was there anything in particular about the NI NT setup last season that contributed to that great run?
Roy Mcguire, our goalkeeper. That and the fact that anyone can PM me with a suggestion and I'll have a look. I'm also able to PM certain, more experienced managers who are more than willing to help out.

Do you have any words of wisdom or advice to the NC to the south of you who will most likely love to emulate your achievement?
4-4-2, it's the way football is run. Also, don't mess about with the squad too much, let the players settle and only make more adjustments if needed.

Cheers bud and good luck!
No problem!