Tag: Stephen Baxter
-
Linfield missed chance to hit summit… but not losing means it’s still a gain for David Healy
Glentoran and Linfield drew 0-0 in a fairly forgettable final Big Two derby of the 2023/24 season on Saturday night. A reduced crowd witnessed a stalemate in which both sides hit the woodwork, but it was a slow burner that struggled to ignite, and the affair is probably best summed up by the fact that…
-
Rise of future stars like Lewis Barr ensures Crusaders set up nicely for post-Baxter era
It will be a summer of seismic change at Crusaders knowing that two of the club’s all-time greats will depart – but with a new era soon dawning, not all change will come with apprehension. After 19 years, Stephen Baxter will exit the Seaview hotseat as the Crues’ most iconic figure, while one of his…
-
Improving Dungannon Swifts perfectly placed to launch shock surge into European Play-Offs
With just five rounds left until the split in the Sports Direct Premiership, permutations all across the league are being discussed ahead of a crunch climax. A three-team title race is now led by Larne, inspired to a 2-0 triumph over Loughgall courtesy of Scottish striker Andy Ryan’s brace on Friday night. That fired the…
-
Stephen Baxter built a winning culture from rock bottom at Crusaders… his greatest legacy
Stephen Baxter will walk away from Seaview at the end of the 2023/24 campaign as the greatest Crusader ever. The Hatchetmen have been treated to bundles of success during the 58-year-old’s tenure in charge on the Shore Road; almost two decades of unparalleled glory in the club’s entire history. Three Premiership titles, four Irish Cups,…
-
Five managers who could succeed legendary supremo Stephen Baxter at Crusaders
By Callum McFadden Stephen Baxter has announced that he is stepping down as Crusaders manager in the summer of 2024 after 19 years in charge of the club. Speculation will be rife in the coming months as to who may replace the man who is the longest-serving manager in world football at the moment. I…
-
Stewart Nixon’s resurgence is an inspirational feelgood tale of the 2023/24 campaign
Seeing a player who has battled hard through personal adversity to return to their peak performance will never not be a satisfying sight. That’s exactly the case with Stewart Nixon, the flying forward whose injury hell finally looks to be behind him. At the start of this season, the fleet-footed attacker made a surprise loan…
-
Linfield haven’t been bogged down by haves and have nots… it’s a pure winning mentality
The inevitability of Linfield Football Club strikes again. Despite key bodies being unavailable, despite the chips appearing to be down, despite the outside financial investment around them, there has never been any withering of their title ambitions. It’s the way David Healy’s team are built. They never make excuses for themselves, even in moments like…
-
North Belfast derby draw means only Larne have the privilege of a margin for error at the top
On a pouring night in north Belfast, rivals Crusaders and Cliftonville defied the conditions to serve up a feast at Seaview and deliver a dramatic 2-2 draw. The rain did not act as any sort of deterrent for either team to play attack-minded football, with plenty of action in both boxes and a sterling occasion…
Football Chatters 