Ian Stewart

THE youngsters he works with these days aren't always aware of Ian Stewart's place in Northern Ireland football folklore but that suits the former winger just fine. Now the IFA's Grassroots Development Manager, Stewart is in charge of the 40 Mini Soccer centres now in operation right across Northern Ireland and the fact that he played in the Mexico World Cup finals doesn't matter much to the boys and girls involved as it was long before they were born.

Maybe it's the fact that the kids keep Ian young and help him look to the future rather than the past but it's striking how Stewart would rather enthuse about his current role than wallow in nostalgia about his own exploits as a player.

"I've had my day and now it's someone else's turn," is Ian's instinctive response to my initial attempt to steer him down memory lane to that summer of 1986 and a Northern Ireland World Cup finals adventure which was incredibly exciting to this writer as a young lad just finishing primary school.

Playing on the biggest stage would be a huge highlight in any player's career but Stewart isn't the type to bore an audience with tall tales of the past – or one of those who would claim it was all so much better in his day as he looks back with rose-tinted spectacles to some golden era of football.

"I think the football these days is amazing and I love watching teams like Arsenal and Man Utd. It's unbelievable. There's real speed of thought to go with pace and skill. As far as I'm concerned, the modern game is great."

Having played in a World Cup finals for Northern Ireland puts Stewart in a select group yet he happily acknowledges that there are many great players – not least our own George Best – who didn't have that opportunity and those who know him will say he never makes much fuss about a distinguished playing past.

He played professionally for QPR, Newcastle and Portsmouth – holding his own at a high level – as well as winning 31 caps for his country, but one of the things he failed to make mention of in the interview was scoring the winner against West Germany at Windsor Park in a Euro qualifier!

In fact he's got a pretty philosophical view on the whole footballing fame thing, insisting that the game itself is more important than the level you play it at. It's all about expressing yourself and enjoying it, which in many ways sums up the mini-soccer ethos.

"I've always treated football the same regardless of the level you play at, whether it's in the local park or in P7 at school – all the dreams are there in the playground – or in a World Cup finals as I was fortunate to do.
"It's as great a game to the person playing and that's what we emphasise with the mini-soccer. Football is a game for everyone as the growth in the number of females watching and participating in the sport shows.
"The women's World Cup recently was a great showcase for female football. You should never make the mistake of comparing it with the men's and instead admire the technique and standard, which is improving all the time. That will continue as more girls take up the game and the IFA is proactive in that regard."

Stewart's soccer started with the Boys Brigade in Belvoir and he soon went to Willowfield where, ironically, he played alongside a guy called George Best, and current IFA Executive Committee member Jim Weir was his Under 15 manager.

He'd a trial with Everton at 14 and was part of a successful Northern Ireland Schools side which featured Nigel Worthington and David Jeffrey.
Although the talent identification and development programmes were less developed in those days, the cream of the crop generally secured cross-channel opportunities thanks to the scouting system and word of mouth – "if you were good enough, word usually got out."

We often hear how famous footballers started with kickabouts in their local streets and although that culture is less prevalent now due to parental concerns about children's safety and the growth in other distractions such as computer games, the CIS Mini Soccer Centres are providing a modern alternative.

It's semi-structured in the sense that the football is organised – the 40 centres current in Northern Ireland which cater for over 3,600 kids have to be licensed and are bound by regulations in relation to things like insurance, first aid, a charging policy, child protection and so forth.

They're run by co-ordinators who are all at least Level 3 coaches and sessions include speed, agility and quickness training, skill development games and mini-matches.

But there's nothing elitist or exclusive about the centres – they aren't academies for future stars – or a win-at-all-costs mentality. Although there's a fixture list, results aren't kept, so there can be no league tables and the emphasis is on enjoyment and skills development.

"Our approach is to let the kids play, for the love of football and without fear of losing, in small games with no offside. It's about fun for children rather than trophies on fireplaces – that can come later.
"We have all abilities of children, aged from six-12, who can come along and develop not only their ball skills and attributes like respect, discipline and teamwork but also a bit of self-esteem.

"They're developing their communication skills, making friends and – at a time when there's so much focus on childhood obesity – getting exercise.

"It's mass participation with boys and girls playing in a pressure-free environment, not afraid to try step-overs or whatever, and hopefully developing what will be a lifelong love of football.

"We want people to remain part of their game, to find their level as a player and maybe go on to become involved in coaching or administration or refereeing or whatever."

Having attended a big Belfast rugby school, Stewart knows all about the stifling effect of focusing everything on winning – "I quite like rugby but was totally sickened and put off"- and is determined to keep the emphasis on enjoyment early on.

Mini soccer started a decade ago with current sponsors CIS coming on board last year with very valuable support. Some of the youngsters have the thrill of getting to play on the Windsor Park pitch during half-time of international matches.

It's as much about getting the numbers as unearthing the gems but Ian reveals how current Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty was discovered through one of the first Mini Soccer Centres in Kesh, County Fermanagh, so it is also a net for top talent.

Having made a brief comeback with Wycombe when his former international team captain Martin O'Neill was manager and then decided after a day at Darlington that being assistant manager to Jim Platt wasn't for him, Stewart started working with the IFA more than a decade ago.

He heads up the grassroots section of Roy Millar's coaching directorate – recognised to be one of the best set-ups among the 53 countries which are members of UEFA –and is responsible for 16 development officers as well as the 40 Mini Soccer Centres and various other initiatives.

Stewart's totally taken up by his current work with our future footballers but, having had the opportunity to tell the story of the Mini Soccer Centres and praise the IFA's partnership with sponsors CIS, the reluctant hero can finally be coaxed into talking briefly about the good old days on the wing for Northern Ireland.

Although he'd broken into the team in time to score that winner against Germany at the back end of 1982, the then 21-year-old Stewart had been on his holidays when Billy Bingham's boys were performing their heroics in Spain that summer.

He admits that being part of a team which would get to the finals again four years later seemed like a long shot but of course they famously made it to Mexico courtesy of a draw at Wembley.

"I remember doing the drugs test with Mal Donaghy after our game against Brazil and having lost six pounds in weight – we were playing in about 105 degrees," he recalls.

True to form, Ian quickly turns the conversation back to the present by making favourable comparisons between the Northern Ireland team he played for and the current crop, expressing admiration for the type of football being played.

He admires his wing successor Keith Gillespie along with midfield men Steve Davis, Sammy Clinghan and Damien Johnson plus, of course, David Healy – "he's a bit like Clive Allen, a real goal-scorer."

Lafferty is the link with his current role, in which Stewart is reluctant to trade on his name as an ex-international. Although he doesn't seek to receive recognition, Ian's happy however if his involvement helps encourage any parents to send their kids along to a Mini Soccer Centre.