Jim Delighted To Be Back
Jim Duffy spoke to the official website this week after agreeing to return to the club until the end of the season. The 63-year old commented on what attracted him back to The Bully Wee and gave his initial thoughts on where Clyde are at the moment:-
“I’m absolutely delighted to be back involved with the club again. Football management is often a very precarious role these days but there’s still a love of the game and plenty of enthusiasm for me and when the opportunity came up to be involved at Clyde again I jumped at the chance. I know how tough it’s going to be but it’s something I’ve got the energy and desire for and hopefully we can turn things around.
“Clyde is still a big draw in Scottish football, they’re a club with a very proud history and tradition but nevertheless they’re in a very competitive League 1 and that poses a great challenge to me. You just need to look at the teams in the league and the quality of the players; it’s so high this season and there is a lot of potential there so to come into this division is a huge challenge for me personally but one I’m looking forward to with relish. There’s still a good chunk of the season to go and our aim is to get positive results in that timeframe to stay in the division.”
Duffy also commented on the work done by Danny Lennon and Allan Moore:-
“It’s a sad aspect of life when someone loses their job but there are always a number of people looking to get back in. I’m sure there were lots of interested candidates when the news came through that Danny was leaving; I got in touch with the board to let them know I would be interested in the role and thankfully for myself I’ve got that chance. With my role in the media you’re always aware of teams that are on poor runs of form and particularly with Clyde being my old club, but I’d never think of it as a potential job opportunity until a vacancy arises.
“I think Danny and Allan done a fantastic job in their five years at the club to take them up to League 1 and establish them there over the last few seasons. They’ve set a great platform here but obviously recent results have been a bit tricky and sometimes a wee change is needed but that can happen with any manager at any club and I’ve been there myself before too.”
Jim knows the club well after first joining Clyde in February 2011, presiding over 145 matches until May 2014 after guiding the side to the League 1 playoff semi-final:-
“There are a few parallels with my first stint here, obviously coming in at a challenging time on the park and when money was tight. We do seem to be in a healthier position now than back in 2011 but still we don’t have a lot of cash to throw about. I’m used to working with tight budgets though and having to duck and dive a bit to attract players and unearth some gems. So there are a few similarities and familiar faces still at the club in the background but it does feel like a whole new challenge with a new set of players and stadium and we’re only looking forward from now until the end of the season.”
Jim spoke to the website just after his first training session with his new group of players:-
“I’ve worked with Brian McLean, Conner Duthie and Joshua Bradley-Hurst at Dumbarton and know the Grant boys personally from working with their dad Peter at Norwich. There’s a few others I know of from playing against in recent years and some others that are new to me at the minute, but I’m looking forward to getting to know them as players and as people. It’s a new group to me and that gives me a bit of freshness and enthusiasm as well.”
Duffy is one of the most experienced managers in the Scottish game, having taken his first managerial appointment in 1988 and managing over 860 games to date:-
“I don’t really look at the past that much or look at my stats. I just try to use my experience at certain times but ultimately when I come into a new job I do it with a freshness and excitement of a novice manager and that’s the way I’ll approach the job, with the adrenaline rush that a matchday gives you, whether that’s your first game in the dugout or your 800th odd game.”
Jim’s second debut in the Clyde dugout will take place at the league leaders at East End Park on Saturday:-
“Dunfermline are the form team in the league and the most consistent so far and they deserve to be top of the league. James McPake has gone in there and assembled a good balanced squad and they’ll be on a high after beating Falkirk at the weekend. They’ll have a big healthy support backing them at home this Saturday no doubt so it’ll be a real test for our players but for me these are the occasions you miss being involved in so I’m really looking forward to it. You’ll ask the players to rise to the challenge and they’ll have to play at their very best if we want to take something away with us.”
Jim concluded with a message to the fans:-
“First and foremost thanks for your support that you’ve given the team so far. I know it can be difficult when results aren’t going well but just keep sticking by them. We do have a few older heads but a lot of younger guys too and it’s important to keep encouraging them. The fans will understand it’s a difficult league with some top teams in there and bigger budgets which will always pose a challenge to Clyde but I’m absolutely sure the players have given 100% effort and will continue to do so. The more support and backing they can get from the stands the better, as it could give them just that little bit extra spur to go on and get some results. And from my point of view, I’m just delighted to be back with Clyde again.”