Eddie Patterson

Eddie Patterson (born in Belfast c. 1962) is the current manager of Irish Premier League club Cliftonville, the oldest football club in Ireland. Cliftonville are a Belfast club whose ground is called Solitude. They are nicknamed 'The Reds'.

Patterson took temporary charge of The Reds on 22 July 2005, when former manager Liam Beckett walked out, and was officially confirmed as Cliftonville boss on 11 October 2006. He had been assistant manager the previous season. Patterson starred for the club during his playing days and was also a successful manager of the reserve side, Cliftonville Olympic. Patterson's assistant at Cliftonville is another former Reds player, Tommy Breslin, whom he has known since childhood.

2005/2006 Season

In his first season in charge of the Cliftonville F.C. Senior side, Patterson led his side to a fifth-place finish, an improvement on the 11th place in the previous year. The season ended in controversy, however, after a registration error involving fellow Irish League side Coleraine F.C. Had Cliftonville been awarded the extra three points due to this registration error, they would have climbed above Dungannon Swifts F.C. into fourth place and qualification for the UEFA Intertoto Cup the following season. Nevertheless, coming fifth was the club's best performance since winning the title in 1998.

The team's biggest victory that season was an 8-1 hammering of Armagh City F.C. During the January transfer window, Patterson re-signed two former players, Chris Scannell, who had been away in Australia for just over a year, and Barry Johnston, from Coleraine.

2006/2007 Season

In preparation for his second year in charge, Patterson signed a number of influential players. Defenders David McAlinden, the son of a Cliftonville legend, arrived from Glenavon F.C., and Barry Holland joined his brother Mark after leaving Bangor F.C.. In addition, Goalkeeper John Connolly returned for his second spell at Solitude.

Patterson's second season in the job proved even more successful than the first. After the disappointment of losing the CIS Cup final 1-0 to city rivals Glentoran F.C., his side went on to win the County Antrim Shield in January 2007 by defeating Lisburn Distillery F.C. 2-1 in the final. Both goals were scored by Mark Holland. Patterson also signed Vincent Sweeney from Limavady United F.C. and Daniel Lyons on loan from Donegal Celtic F.C.. However John O'Loughlin (Finn Harps F.C.) and Conor Downey (Linfield F.C.) both left the club. Patterson's side also reached the semi-final of the Irish Cup but lost a penalty shootout to Dungannon Swifts. Cliftonville finished third in the league, narrowly missing out on second place, but nevertheless qualifying for the Intertoto Cup and the Setanta Cup for the following season.

2007/2008 Season

Patterson waste little time in preparing for Europe. With the first leg of the UEFA Intertoto Cup due to be played on 23 June 2007 against Latvian side Dinaburg FC, he signed Francis Murphy from Lisburn Distillery and Kieran O'Connor from Armagh City, and made Daniel Lyons permanent signing.

Cliftonville's performances in the majority of the season had made them genuine title contenders, however a poor run of form towards the end of the campaign ended their hopes of winning the biggest prize in local football. The Reds ended the league campaign in third position fourteen points adrift of Champions Linfield.

Early life

Patterson, from the Bruslee Way/Pinkerton Walk area of the New Lodge Road, was brought up in Belfast. He now lives in Glengormley. In the 1970s, he played midfield for Newington Football Club in the Down and Connor League, along with John McAuley, Gary Higgins and Paddy McCoy, all of whom were later to emulate him by playing for Irish League teams. Patterson went on to have a spell playing intermediate football for Chimney Corner under former Cliftonville boss Lawrence Stitt.