Having departed his role as Newry City manager following the side’s 4-0 Boxing Day defeat to Glenavon, Gary Boyle is back in the game.
The 36-year-old, who took up the mantle at The Showgrounds having served as his predecessor Darren Mullen’s long-time assistant in the summer of 2023, announced that he’d be stepping down as boss and cited that there had been some abuse and, in his words, “negativity” from a small portion of the support that had impacted upon him and the players.
City had also been struggling for form and, at the time of Boyle’s departure, they had not won a game in regulation since a 2-0 victory over Ballymena United at the start of October.
But in the wake of his first foray into the top job – he had served as Mullen’s number two for six years – he deserved credit for attempting to continue the work of a highly distinguished supremo who’d taken Newry from the bottom up over a decade in charge.
Barry Gray was named as Boyle’s successor, swapping local rivals Warrenpoint Town for The Marshes in a move that caught many by surprise.
After Gray’s own assistant John Gill was put in interim charge, however, the ‘Point scored a coup themselves after announcing that Gary would return to Milltown where he previously served as a player.
The move makes a lot of sense. A trusted ally of Mullen’s who was brave and bold when he became first-team boss, that experience is expected to serve Boyle well as he returns to an assistant capacity under Gill.
No less, Gary – a Warrenpoint native – is also reunited with his brother, John, who rejoined the south Down outfit in the summer and is a lieutenant-like figure on the pitch from centre-back.
Having already worked together at Newry and achieved two Premiership promotions in 2018 and 2022, that chemistry can work wonders once more as the ‘Point bid for promotion from the Premier Intermediate League.
The timing’s also apt. January is always a pivotal period in the campaign, and though a marquee asset in the left-sided Steven Ball has followed Gray to Newry in the mid-season transfer window, Boyle’s arrival is a motivational boost for a club that currently sits fourth-placed on 21 points from 10 matches played – they are four points from top spot and with games in hand to make up on all of their promotion rivals.
Boyle’s arrival also comes on the back of a bright start to Gill’s interim tenure. ‘Point raced into a shock two-goal lead at Windsor Park in the Fifth Round of the Irish Cup and, although Linfield surged back to win the tie 4-2, the visiting players received a standing ovation for a commendable performance.
So, the incoming of a respected coach comes with a feelgood factor sweeping through the Milltown air.
While Gary may not be lacing up his boots, securing his services could still drive Warrenpoint forward in the way a new signing would.
The PIL is a battleground, different to the top two tiers; often underestimated, those at the top end with serious ambitions of promotion must fight for every point, be it against their nearest rivals or versus those who are lower down the table who are unafraid to scrap it out.
It takes know-how as well as talent to make that step up from intermediate to senior level, delivering on a consistent basis.
At that, few clubs had as much weight of expectation piled on them at the season’s start than Warrenpoint, whose administrative drop-down when they were preparing for a promotion play-off to earn a Premiership place was the dominating storyline of the back end of 2022/23.
Billed as favourites by many, and with John Boyle, Joe Gorman and Fra McCaffrey counted among their array of on-pitch talent, an immediate bounce-back into the Championship is their all-too-natural ambition.
And now with a battle-hardened Boyle in their ranks, he could be the piece in the puzzle that takes them over the line.
Image from Warrenpoint Town FC Social Media.
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