Annbank United veteran Jim Duffy has a new lease of life

Dec 17 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

JIM DUFFY got sick of football when he saw youngsters fooling around without a care after a defeat.

No pain, no grief. It simply wasn’t the Duffy way.

But now the grand old man of junior football is back on the ball, determined to steerAnnbank United’s kids to safety.

What Duffy, 41, doesn’t know about the juniors isn’t worth knowing.

He played in Kilwinning’s all conquering 1998-1999 season when only the sacrifice of the Cunninghame Cup denied them a clean sweep.

He captained unfashionable Troon to West of Scotland Cup glory and was in the Auchinleck Talbot team that lost 1-0 to Linlithgow in the 2001/02 Scottish Cup final.

There have also been stints at Craigmark, Maybole, Cumnock and Saltcoats. Not forgetting a spell in the Malaysian sun with former Cumnock and Whitletts star Martin Tierney.

But do-it-all Duffy was ready to hang up his boots after falling out of love with the game.

He revealed: “I was working down in England for a couple of years so couldn’t do everything.

“I was getting disenchanted at some of the youths coming through. As soon as the game was over, no matter the result, it was all laughs and joking.

“I didn’t see a generation coming through and I thought this isn’t for me. So I gave up.

“I was still doing a bit of running and biking as well as playing over 35s football with the likes of Jim Coburn and Jim Fleeting.

“That I thought that was. But Carlo Walker, who is now at Annbank, kept nipping away at my head.

“I had other offers as fell. Mark Cameron wanted me to go to Arthurlie when he was there while Chris Strain kept threatening to chap my door if he needed me for Irvine Meadow.

“But no one can nip like Carlo and that’s why I’m at Annbank. I told him I would only go if the attitude of the players was 100 per cent.

“But I needn’t have worried. It’s been spot on. After we lost 1-0 to Clydebank I looked around the dressing room and saw 16 and 18 year-olds taking the defeat badly and that’s what I wanted.

“I’m the grandpa of the team. I want to help these young boys as it can only benefit them to work with seasoned pros.”

Duffy’s debut was cut short when he broke his nose in a clash against Whitletts. But not before he helped them to a coupon busting win over the First Division leaders in the West of Scotland Cup.

Duffy laughed: “I have never had an injury in my life – I was one of the lucky few so I couldn’t believe that I had to come off in my first game.

“I like what I see at Annbank. They may have no money but the attitude is good and the players are always eager to learn.

“I’m my usual self at training in that I shout and bawl and give the players what they need.

“At some clubs, players mope and moan after a defeat but that’s not the way at Annbank. They are willing to learn, win and fight which is exactly what I believe in.”

Football runs in the Duffy family. His partner of 10 years, Alison is the daughter of Cumnock president Allan McLuckie and her brothers Brian and Allan are in management and coaching at Girvan and Auchinleck.

Meanwhile, veteran Walker, 42, who tempted Duffy out of retirement, reckons Annbank are on a winner with their latest signing.

Walker said: “Jim is phenomenal at training and has brought winning habits to the club.

“He shouts FOR people and not against them and is like a machine gun in the dressing roon.

“He plays up front or in the middle of the park. But really he can play anywhere.”