Robert Wright "Roy" Walker (born 1957) is a
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activitie ...
and former player. His most recent job was as manager of
NIFL Premiership
The NIFL Premiership, known as the Danske Bank Premiership for sponsorship purposes, and colloquially as the Irish League or Irish Premiership, is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the North ...
side
Ballymena United
Ballymena United Football Club is a semi-professional football club from Northern Ireland. Based in Ballymena, County Antrim, the team competes in the NIFL Premiership and plays home matches at the Ballymena Showgrounds which is owned by the M ...
.
Playing career
Born to a working-class family in east
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
, Walker began his career with Torrin Boys youth club, before moving to
Luton Town in England. He returned to Northern Ireland to play for
Ards,
Glenavon
Glenavon Football Club is a Northern Irish semi-professional football club that competes in the NIFL Premiership. Founded in 1889, the club hails from Lurgan and plays its home matches at Mourneview Park. Club colours are blue and white. G ...
, and
Portadown
Portadown () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about southwest of Belfast. It is in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area and had a population of a ...
. He finished his playing career with
Crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
.
Walker is also a
Born-again Christian
Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sep ...
.
Managerial career
Crusaders F.C.
He later became player-manager of Crusaders, in 1989. Walker was a player with Crusaders and was appointed manager in 1989. Walker brought huge success to the North Belfast club by winning the Irish League in 1995 and 1997, also winning the Gold Cup in 1996, the Ulster Cup in 1994, the County Antrim Shield in 1992, and the Stena Line Trophy in 1997, the same year he won the league. Walker had a very good number of players who would become Crusaders legends.
Kirk Hunter was a fan favourite along with future manager of Crusaders
Stephen Baxter. Other players included
Sid Burrows,
Glenn Dunlop,
Kevin McKeown,
Glenn Hunter, and future
Glentoran
Glentoran Football Club is a professional football club that plays in the NIFL Premiership. The club was founded in 1882.
History
Early history
In 1914, Glentoran won the Vienna Cup, becoming the first United Kingdom team to win a European t ...
pair
Darren Lockhart and Chris Morgan. Walker stunned not only Crusaders fans but the whole Irish League by resigning from the club in 1998. He later became manager of
Glenavon
Glenavon Football Club is a Northern Irish semi-professional football club that competes in the NIFL Premiership. Founded in 1889, the club hails from Lurgan and plays its home matches at Mourneview Park. Club colours are blue and white. G ...
.
Glenavon F.C.
Walker became manager of the Lurgan Blues hoping to bring success as he did with Crusaders. He did bring a little success to Glenavon by winning the local Mid-Ulster Cup in 1999. Walker resigned in 2000. After leaving Glenavon on 31 July 2000 he became a pundit for
BBC Radio Ulster.
Glentoran
After becoming a co-commentator for Northern Ireland's local radio show BBC Radio Ulster for Sportsound (the football show to cover all games and bring the final scores) Walker showed a huge interest in becoming new Glentoran manager after the sacking of Paul Miller. In May 2007 Millar was sacked as manager of Glentoran, and Walker finally realised his dream of being appointed Glens manager on 24 May. However, Walker had informed the Glentoran board before his appointment that he did not have the relevant UEFA "A" coaching badge to compete in Europe, the board informed him that this was not an issue and he was therefore Glentoran manager. Less than 48 hours later, it appeared that this was a problem for Glentoran and Walker was informed by then Glentoran Director For Football Tom Dick, that
Alan McDonald (at the time Glentoran 1st team Coach) had been appointed caretaker manager. Roy Walker was not fired as Glentoran manager, and the resulting days became a media circus at the club, with some directors resigning.
On 29 May, Alan McDonald was appointed Glentoran manager. Roy Walker then issued a statement in the ''Belfast Telegraph'', informing the fans of the entire situation, and revealing that he believed he was still Glentoran manager. He also revealed that he had been offered a place on the Glentoran board, but McDonald refused to be part of the club if Walker assumed that position. No board member issued a statement at that time, leaving many Glentoran fans unsure of the situation. The board later released a statement saying that Walker was considering a place on the Glentoran board.
Ballymena United
After failing for the Uefa badges as Glentoran, Walker was appointed new manager of
Ballymena United
Ballymena United Football Club is a semi-professional football club from Northern Ireland. Based in Ballymena, County Antrim, the team competes in the NIFL Premiership and plays home matches at the Ballymena Showgrounds which is owned by the M ...
. Walker has come close to a few cup finals but losing in the quarter finals and knock out stages. Walker is currently still with the club. On 20 May 2008, Walker was announced as the new manager of Ballymena United, following another convoluted managerial situation. After the resignation of previous manager
Tommy Wright, Ballymena had initially announced Wright's assistant Jim Grattan as his successor until the appointment was vetoed by Grattan's full-time employers, the Irish Football Association. Walker didn't win any trophies with the Sky Blues but brought the best out of players who didn't really get opportunities at former clubs,
Gary McCutcheon and
Gavin Taggart were two of those players who soon became key players at the club.
Allan Jenkins,
Dwayne Nelson and
Wayne Drummond were also players who became key players. In the 2011/12 season, Walker resigned as manager after the Sky Blues lost to his former club Crusaders in the
Irish League Cup
The Northern Ireland Football League Cup (BetMcLean League Cup for sponsorship purposes), also known colloquially as the Irish League Cup, is a national association football, football single elimination, knock-out cup competition in Northern Ire ...
semi-final on 13 December 2011.
After Ballymena United
Walker is currently among the possible contenders to be new manager of East Belfast giants
Glentoran
Glentoran Football Club is a professional football club that plays in the NIFL Premiership. The club was founded in 1882.
History
Early history
In 1914, Glentoran won the Vienna Cup, becoming the first United Kingdom team to win a European t ...
. Walker applied for the job on 1 February 2012. Walker lost to former
Cliftonville manager
Eddie Patterson
Edward Patterson (born 22 September 1961 in Belfast), better known as Eddie Patterson is the former manager of NIFL Premiership clubs Cliftonville and Glentoran. He was relieved of his duties as Glentoran manager on Saturday 17 October 2015. De ...
.
Honours
Crusaders
*
Irish League (2): 1994/95, 1996/97
*
Gold Cup (1): 1995–96
*
Ulster Cup (1): 1993/94
*
County Antrim Shield
The County Antrim & District Football Association Senior Shield (more commonly known as the County Antrim Shield) is a football competition in Northern Ireland. The competition is open to senior teams who are members of the North East Ulster Fo ...
(1): 1991–92
* Stena Line Trophy (1): 1996/97
Glenavon
*
Mid-Ulster Cup
The Mid-Ulster Cup is a senior football competition in Northern Ireland run by the Mid-Ulster Football Association (founded 2 April 1887). The competition has historically featured teams based in County Armagh, east County Tyrone, and west Count ...
(1): 1998/99
Individual
* Northern Ireland Football Writers Manager of the Year – 1997
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Roy
1957 births
Living people
Association footballers from Northern Ireland
Association footballers from Belfast
Ards F.C. players
Luton Town F.C. players
Crusaders F.C. players
Football managers from Northern Ireland
Crusaders F.C. managers
Glenavon F.C. managers
Glentoran F.C. managers
Ballymena United F.C. managers
Association footballers not categorized by position