TWW Player of the Season 2025/26

Jason Burke is joined by Haydn Milligan, David Graham, Mo Brown and Ross Welsh for The Windsor Way's 2025/26 Player of the Season

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:16

Hello and welcome to the Windsor Way podcast. This is Jason Burke in the host's chair. I'm with me to discuss our options for the Windsor Way Player of the Season Award. I've got Hayden Milligan, I've got David Graham, I've got Ross Welsh, and I've got Mo Brown. And guys, we're just going to get straight into it in terms of trying to narrow down the options for this inaugural award, and then we'll maybe put it out to a vote amongst our listeners on social media, be that uh Instagram, Twitter, and on the Facebook group, and then people can vote uh for our selections. So the idea subsequently then would be that whoever wins the inaugural Windsor Way Player of the Season award will then be extended an invitation then to come on the podcast. And we'll either do that over Zoom or do that in person and we'll try and make that an annual thing. And we might add to the list of awards that we hand out. But for this one, being the first one, we'll just make it a straightforward player of the season. Being the miserable season that it was, this might be more tricky than other seasons. Um but the idea would be that we'll put up a candidate each. Um you can tell us why you've chosen them, um, and then we'll let the other panelists discuss the merits of that player uh thereafter. Um, I had written down my choice before he came on, uh, but I've quickly changed my mind on the basis that if this player was to win it and was to accept our invitation to come on the show, I think Dean Watson should be the host for the day. Um, and on that basis alone, I think Matthew Fitzpatrick with his 24 goals in all comps this season, 17 in the league, playing in what you might describe as an average Linfield team this season without much in terms of firepower alongside him. We heard from the manager during the AGN that he wanted to play Offord and Fitzpatrick as a two up front. Matthew Fitzpatrick's been doing a lot of the donkey work for most of the season on his own up front. Um a quick look at his goal record from I didn't realise he played for Cole Rain for a brief stint, but a season at Cole Rain, three years at Glen Avon, and now three years at Linfield. This is the most goals he's ever scored uh in a season. So on that basis, um, and also on the Dean Watson will interview him Big Fitzy 29. Uh on that basis, I think Matthew Fitzpatrick is my player of the season. Anybody got any thoughts on Matthew Fitzpatrick this year?

SPEAKER_00 2:46

I think the only thing I'll say is um for for me, Fitzsi Fitzy season this year is probably what we all expected it to be from sort of season one when we signed him, which would have been 2023. So that's obviously sort of I suppose three seasons ago now, isn't that right?

SPEAKER_03 3:05

Uh yeah, I think he sort of left rules that year when they were back, and there was quite a lot of people getting on his back, but he's he's managed to turn it round, which not a lot of people do at Windsor Park.

SPEAKER_00 3:14

No. No, I think that's absolutely right. I think the reason he's been able to, as we say, turn it round, his work great from day one in the first trade season or sorry, first training session he's come in, has been absolutely you know off the charts. Fitzy gives us a hell of a lot more than simply goals. Um, and Dean's in a much strong, you know, much more uh intellectual position to say that than than we than any of us can with respect. But certainly for me, it's almost kind of a pity that we have got our best season out of Fitzy in what has been actually the worst of the three seasons for the the club since he's been there. So listen, it's it's great that we've got him another year. We we really, really need him. And I think um the only disappointing thing is if I think it's pretty obvious that this season coming is going to be his last by all accounts regarding his sort of his wider educational job.

SPEAKER_03 4:02

Ross, I'm gonna come to you next for your selection.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Um if if we're having to be different, I would I would have to go for probably Chris Jones. Um I think he's he was out um on his own at the end of the season before. Um it looked like David Walsh was going to be the man to take us forward in nets. Um and and he's come back in after I certainly wasn't um trusting of him after that spell. And he he's come back in and he's he's one of the brighter lights of the season, I would say. Um his record's pretty good. I think we conceded the second least um it in the league. And when you consider that, and and Fitzy's what you know one of the top scorers, you wonder what what the issue actually was, but uh but there were plenty, obviously. Um but I'd have to go with Chris Johns bar in the uh the Limavati game. I I would struggle to think of a big mistake he made this year, so he'd be my man.

SPEAKER_03 4:55

A couple of things I'd say about Chris Johns is I think the season could have been a lot worse had it not been for Chris Johns. He had this great ability to pull out a great save during quite a lot of the games, which looked like certain goals at times, and he's had that throughout his Linfield career, but it seemed to be more in focus this year. Things could have been a lot worse for it. You you said that um you didn't have much faith in him. Was that at the beginning of last year or or after the David Walsh run? Well why why was that? Because there's he seems to split opinion among blue men. There's a lot of people love him, there's a lot of people not sure about him. What's your take on him? And why were you maybe not so sure about him?

SPEAKER_01 5:34

It was the the period before he lost his place in the team to David Walsh, there was a lot of sort of high profile mistakes. It seemed like he was throwing one in at least once a month. So that's sort of where it was coming from. I I think I'm right in saying he was maybe transfer listed uh at the start of last summer, and he's you know he's come back in and he's he's proved this, proved us all to be pretty foolish looking. He hadn't any thoughts on Chris John's for player of the season?

SPEAKER_04 6:00

Um, yeah, I mean he's certainly in, he's certainly one of the contenders, and there aren't really many. Um, but uh you know the the Americans uh for their sport have got this MVP most valuable most valuable player award, and um it's sort of the person that really you couldn't have done without for that particular game or or whatever. And I think the fact that um Chris Johns was replaced by David Walsh last season, and David Walsh was absolutely tremendous last season. Uh, you know, if we'd have started with David Walsh again this season, I I wouldn't have had an issue with it. It was certainly very good to have two goalkeepers, for me, more or less equally as good, fighting out for the position. Uh, we weren't really in a position um as happens uh over in England or whatever, where one goalkeeper gets the league games and the other goalkeeper gets the knockout games. Um we didn't really do that, but uh he's certainly up there, but he he he's not my choice.

SPEAKER_03 7:04

Uh David, I'll let me come to you for your selection, player of the season.

SPEAKER_00 7:09

Yes, I I think I would like to go for Ethan McGee. Um simply based on the fact that Ethan, when Ethan has played well, we have played well, um he is energetic, he is still raw. Um, you know, he's he hit for me his best game was actually away too Shelburne, literally first competitive game of the season, where I think from memory he played in that sort of sitting midfield role, socks around his ankles, ran his heart out. Look, Ethan will always struggle with respect because he's big and strong and abrasive, which means the manager's always tempted to play him the right side of a three if he runs with that. He's maybe not just as I suppose you know, we look at a modern day football fullback now like a Hakimi or a Connor Bradley, whatever. He's maybe just you know, not just as dynamic in terms of getting forward and getting the balls in the box, partly as well because he's probably something like Kirk Miller in front of him. But for me, Ethan McGee is since he has arrived, has has been at times our best player, full stop. Um part of me is always tinged with a little bit of almost sadness because I think uh you know you would have had ambitions that he would have got across the water. Whether or not that's too late now remains to be seen. But yeah, I think uh for me, if we can get him firing in all cylinders next year, it'll be uh certainly beneficial for everyone.

SPEAKER_03 8:38

It's interesting, David, you would say that because after maybe seeing 10 games of him playing in Linfield shirts, I remember turning to Madab aside me and saying that that boy's going to end up across the water. I I thought he was absolutely dynamite. He was brought in, if I remember correctly, as a as a right back, maybe first and foremost. Do you think something that's maybe let him down has been he's been he's been good in multiple positions, which can often work against a footballer? He can be a bit of a jack of all trades, but a master of none, and that's been through no fault of his own. That's just through through necessity of the team where he's had to play centre back a lot this year. He's played in midfield, he's played in right back. He's the type of player you could put him anywhere on the pitch, probably up front or in nets if required. But do you think that's something that he's going to have to iron out in the years ahead?

SPEAKER_00 9:24

Um, I think you're entirely right. He reminds me in many ways of if you recall Ross McCrory at Rangers who came in and maybe out of the kind of necessity in the the current the environment of the time, I think it from memory played right back, centre back, um holding midfielder and right in sort of more advanced almost again, like probably like a Patty McNair, who will probably go through and have a really successful career without having kind of a nailed-on position. Um, Ethan, I think because he he offers so much physically, um, again, one of his best games when he scored I was cup final when Cliffinville beat us again, where I think he did actually play in the midfield role that day as well. So you're right in many ways, because it like any player, you know, you want to be able to, you know, Stuart Dallas is the prime example where they always said Belsa picked the goalkeeper, then Stuart Dallas, and then essentially the other nine round him. Um that can work very much in your favour. But you're right. I think whenever you're looking, and this is the reality, when clubs are looking at players in the Irish League, they're purely looking at data. And I think that if you're nailed on, whether it is I am a centre half or I am a right winger, whatever the case may be, it's probably easier to actually build up a body of evidence that goes in your favour rather than if you're kind of I don't say flip-flopped around, but if you are kind of um, you know, because you're a square peg, you can go in many square holes if that if that makes sense. So um yeah, uh you're right. It it's one of Ethan's main strengths, but also perhaps is one of the things that's stopping any club, particularly the fact that they'll have to pay a fee, particularly the fact where we are financially, we're going to over ask. Um so you're right, it maybe does put him in slightly between the devil and the deep blue sea, really.

SPEAKER_03 11:07

Any other thoughts, guys, on Ethan McGee? I saw was it the Gurney Gubb Loyal gave him the young player of the year, um, which I thought was strange just seeing him in the young player category, but you you do have to remember he's he's he's still a young boy, he's still very much learning his trade. So we've got many years ahead of us of Ethan McGee. But any other thoughts on Ethan's season?

SPEAKER_04 11:27

I think he's had a good season, and I think you both touched on the um the important part part about him not actually uh known for the season for a particular position. He he was brought in as a right back, um, and he plays right back very well. He then he he he switches he switched to a centre back, um, not particularly tall, but still he's strong, and then he's in midfield, and he's a little bit, I think, like um let's say Trey Hume. If you if you look at the Sunderland lineup, you'll see that he is normally starting right back at the beginning of the season. He's then been played at left back, um, then he's sometimes in as a centre back, and currently now he seems to be right of a midfield three. And uh I think as you say, you could be very good in each position, but maybe if you just were able to go into one position, you could be great in that position.

SPEAKER_03 12:26

Yeah, I think I think a couple of things will help Ethan in in the season, which is ahead of us, is a settled formation, first of all. So whether whether we play 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-5-2, as we've seen sometimes, and maybe there's that's where the managers go in in terms of trying to get Offord and Fitzpatrick together. I think a settled formation might help Ethan McGee. Uh, for me, it's preferably in a four. Because if you think of the modern fullbacks like your Trent Alexander Arnold and others, a lot of the a lot of the modern day fullbacks are sort of stepping into midfield now, so you can kind of get the best of both worlds. You can almost get two two positions out of Ethan out of one there by starting up at right back and then watch them drift into midfield. And the other thing I think it would help him would be some good recruitment so that he he doesn't have to move around the pitch, uh, move positions around the pitch so often. So if we can get the likes of Aran Nolan in who it looks like we're going to get a good centre half in there, you might see less of Ethan McGee at centre half. Um, not that he's done a bad job there, but I think I prefer to see him at right back or maybe in that deep line uh midfield position, and or if we can get one or two uh additions to the midfield. Uh, but I would for me uh he's a right back drifting in the midfield, and that's where we see him at his best. Um, Hayden, unfortunately, you're you're gonna draw the short straw. You're gonna go last in terms of the picks because we haven't come to Mo yet for anything. But I'm gonna ask you, Mo, to make your pick for player of the season. I'm making the rules up as I go along here. Can you maybe you can be allowed to pick the same player twice? I don't know. Um but after you get after you get past three, I think you're struggling after the season that we've had.

SPEAKER_02 14:01

I think putting out a five aside team, pod team tonight, um, has made it extremely difficult for the rest of us, Jason, considering you went first, as you're right as the host.

SPEAKER_03 14:11

Nominate yourself. You've done a good job in the stands this year, Mo.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

Well, well I some some might say. Um I think the three that's already covered would be the three that most individuals, most supporters clubs, will be picking from. Um looking around the rest of the squad. I'll throw Kyle McLean in there. Um, although he hasn't been brilliant and he hasn't reached the heights of what he did whenever he was the Ulster Footballer of the Year a few seasons ago, he was pretty consistent without being brilliant, you know, um, but you can't really remember too often where he had a bad game. And again, I think that says more about where where we've been as a club in the past year, the fact that a five or a six steady out of ten every week is enough to be even considered remotely anywhere near player of the year status. Um Kieran Offer before he got injured probably would have been you know a great shout. So if we're giving out the player of the first six weeks of the season, um I would nominate Kieran Offer. But no, certainly for this guy, I'll nominate Kyle McLean. And unfortunately, Hayden, you now have a very difficult job in your hands to find a fifth name.

SPEAKER_03 15:26

A couple of things on Kyle just before we go to Hayden. I thought it was interesting the manager said during his report, or maybe it was during one of the answers to the several questions that he got from the floor, that they were very much having to manage Kyle McLean's minutes uh this year. Now, that's maybe not surprising after the injury that he sustained in in recent years, but he more or less suggested that if Linfield plays Saturday, Tuesday, Friday, that Kyle McLean, more often than that, is probably having to sit out the third game of the the week or 10-day period, which is something that it was a pattern that I hadn't picked up on. Um but there you have it. Um, and second of all, I think similar to Ethan McGee, I think what Kyle McLean would benefit from going forward would be some good players around him in the midfield. I think he missed Chris Shields. He went out injured early on in the season. And by no means did he struggle, but he he he misses Chris Shields' presence in and around him. So if we can get some additions in and around Kyle McLean, I think perhaps we can still see the best of Kyle McLean again going forward.

SPEAKER_02 16:36

If you look around the rest of the midfielders at the club, obviously Chris Shields, big loss, um the manager highlighted that, we we we we can all see that in the stance. You know, we became reliant on the big man for the last couple of years. But you know, you're then coming into failures in the recruitment, Alex Gorin, empty jersey, unfortunately, Cammy Ballantyne, empty jersey, um, Isaac Byrd, um, probably a wee bit similar to Ethan McGee, where we don't really know where his best position is. He came on the game at times, you know. So you look, and and then obviously you've got the skipper, Jimmy Mulgrew, um, you know, so there there's been no stability in the midfield at all all season, whether it be for injury, failure, or what whatever, you know, and I think that if Kai's only able to get two out of every three games in it in a in a busy period, we'd we'd explain a lot. But again, you know, that's not the that's that's not the slate of the guy in any sh any shape or form. If you're the consistent in the midfield, no matter how bad the season is, you must be doing something right. So Hayden, your turn.

SPEAKER_04 17:40

Okay, to just briefly come back on Carl McLean. I I think you you probably covered it anyway, but it was pretty obvious that whenever uh Chris Shields wasn't available and or Jamie wasn't available, then I think he did struggle a bit because he'd been expected to do too much. And he's an attacking midfielder, so he he wasn't getting forward to do the attacking. But anyway, um I think Jason, your theory of picking five, getting five different people to pick five uh possible players of the season, um, had a little bit, a few holes in it because I couldn't find it. And I'm afraid I'm gonna have to go uh with one that you suggest anyway, and that's Matthew Fitzpatrick. And I'll I'll give the reasons for it. Um I think the first thing is that uh is really statistics. You know, being a statistician and a historian, um I was it I was aided this morning by some figures uh published by uh the guru uh Marshall Gillespie, and he for each for each team he published um the player who had played most minutes, who was a top scorer and most assists. And the most minutes paired for a Linfield player was Fitzpatrick. The top scorer for Linfield with 24 was Fitzpatrick, and the most assists for Linfield with 15 was Matthew Fitzpatrick. So he's definitely the most valuable player. But the other thing I've noticed, particularly this season, is how much he has improved from those initial six months he he had with the club. His ability to hold the ball up is improved just dramatically. Um and I think that if uh uh if Dean was here, and he has pointed out before, his ability just to be in the middle of the box, the right place for the right time, illustrated by those two goals, the first and the last goals in the last match against uh Dunganon, um, you know, that's where he needs to be. He had the manager's uh asked him to have a shot when he can. He's done that. And to be honest, I think he's just the standout player for me and deserves the um uh player of the season award.

SPEAKER_03 19:57

By by Dean, do you mean uh Dean not good enough to play for Linfield Watson? Was that the quote that he used? I think Dean has subsequently rolled back on that, and and I do hope for the sake of the Windsor Way podcast that Matthew Fitzpatrick does win the vote because I will gladly hand over the host's chair to Dean, uh, who can carry out the and conduct the interview with Matthew Fitzpatrick Big Fitzy29. On all his knees, probably. Um so I think we've covered that thoroughly. Any other business before we wrap up, chaps? There was uh there was bits and pieces going on in the group chat that we might want to talk about if anybody wants to bring anything up.

SPEAKER_00 20:31

Yeah, the only the only thing I think that uh the the tradition is it would have been uh I think after the newly um elected board members in this case rejoined the board, and I think it's important that we congratulate all three on uh rejoining the there would be an election of officers. So my information is that that has been delayed. I think partly around um the retirement of one of the trustees, uh Richard Johnson, who was the finance director thing for some time. So I believe he's stepping down. I think stepping down entirely from the board, or at least from the the position as finance director. So um I think essentially my understanding is that there would be an expectation that everyone who's in their current directorship roles would would remain. So I I think uh almost a blanket re-election would be the understanding, but there is um there's obviously a question mark around around Mr. Johnson. So that's actually interesting that that's two trustees down. Um if that is the case, that he's so that would be us actually at 15 um on on the the board if that um if my masters me correctly. Uh I think this provides a really good opportunity because I mean I know Mo, you've been pretty vocal on this as well. I mean really you know, the directors of each, as opposed to subcommittee, um Are in many sort of largely powerless without the kind of wider committee and essentially the whole board voting. Um, from memory, I think that there could be at least a dozen on the finance committee. So, you know, really it is almost sort of a slightly smaller board meeting. Um for me, the club would be much better served in you know rejigging the sort of financial infrastructure in the club. And what I mean by that is having someone probably in a full-time role to look after, you know, the the financial affairs of the club, yes, from an admin point of view, but actually in terms in terms of financial planning, and I think really, you know, what I would say is that we we are if and and Hayden you can elaborate this, we we are now at the point where unless, and I think you mentioned it on the last pod, Jason, unless Trahume goes to Real Madrid, or we get into, you know, probably realistically the group stages um or something really good happens, i.e. outside investment, we are essentially by this stage next year pretty much broke unless someone can tell me I'm wrong in that. So there's a big year and a lot of big discussions in terms of you know, you can get down the back of the sofa and try to save as much money as possible. And I think with respect, and I've seen it as if I try to do it myself, no matter how many sponsors you come in and you can make your home shirt look akin to an F1 top with all the various sponsors, nothing comes close to, as I say, the sell-on value for a player like Trey Hume or Progressing in Europe or or outside investment. So um whoever is in charge of the finances over the next season essentially has has a lot of work to do, and I think really what I would say, and I've said this privately to some people within the club hierarchy, you know, if we decide, look, money ain't coming from anywhere, and we cannot, and we know already we can't compete with Henry Ross and compete with Ali Pour and others, what is our plan? And is our plan to build you know a sustainable model, which in reality means going to our academy and bringing bleeding through players, and actually probably about a short-term paying. Um, you know, it's very difficult for any Linfield board to say, listen, guys, get used to not winning the league for a few years. But actually, I think what I would say is that you know, I'm 40. We didn't win the league for five years, but in four at when I was 45, some of the clubs I've mentioned were, you know, potentially bankrupt because we know if Henry Ross walks away from Korean, they're in they're in serious, serious difficulties, as are Glenn Toran with Alipur, so on and so forth. So I think there's a real time actually for a reset. And this is you know, no one's probably as ambitious as I am on the on the pod in terms of Linfield winning absolutely every trophy available. But if there's a clear plan to say, look, guys, here's the environment we're working in. We simply can't financially compete. So here is our plan that within five years, besides the new five-year plan, we are in a much stronger position, win sustainably. So, look, as I say, um a really good opportunity for for the board here to reset and um get us going in the right direction.

SPEAKER_02 25:17

David, I merely choked there when you said you were down the back of the sofa. I wasn't having that for any for for a second. Um I'm sure one of the servants there, if you did lose the odd 50 pound note, would be down the back of the sofa on your behalf. Um but just coming in there on everything David's covered. I think the most um interesting article I've read has been from David Larmer the last couple of weeks about maybe the move away from Windsor Park. And I know David, you've you've mentioned it in the last couple of podcasts actually about how poor the Linfree attempts has have been. But you know, if you take a Lymphite home game, we would have comfortably fit it inside CV. Comfortably. Yeah, and we're always going to home Windsor Park, you know, so why is that option not even being considered? It's certainly for the lesser games that we know we're not gonna scale like, you know, maybe not scale at Screen Catters or Clifford or Plant Horn if they ever got a stadium up to Scotch. But something to consider something smaller. You know, the the county on the street game for for example on a Tuesday night, you know, we're opening up Windsor Park, we're spending big, big money on events second security, and realistically there's maybe seven or eight hundred people in in the uh in in the ground. I think maybe the time is maybe David Armour is right, and the time is there to have those types of conversations about maybe moving away, maybe not altogether from Windsor Park, but maybe see if we can put something in play to uh host and facilitate the first team in a smaller stadium for smaller games. Speaking of David Armour, um no, no, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 26:55

I think I I I was just gonna make the point that um the the IFA I think would would gladly help us clear our desks in our part of the stadium and and gladly move us somewhere else. Um I think even from the quality of the pitch, excuse me, the quality of the pitch would be enhanced for the FA. You know, there's a real challenge here because it's not just Linfield games in the Northern Ireland, men's first team, it's also the women's team, it's also the Harry Kavan Cup, the junior cup, the you know, cup after cup after cup. So I would have thought for a pitch, and I remember talking to one of the ground staff about this, when you would compare um an international pitch at any level, so any international I mean, we we really in terms of quality not even so much quality, but the amount of football being played on it is you know disproportionately extremely high. Um I mean for me, and I've said this before, if any investor came in, if you could be bought out of your deal over time with the IFA, and if that money could be used to set up a small, you know, six, seven thousand seater stadium somewhere, I think it would be uh it would be a tremendous, tremendous asset for Linfield Football Club. Um and I've said as well, and I'm repeating myself, but again, if an investor come in, you again could sell Midgley Park in the morning, it's prime real estate, and use that money to uh to build a new stadium. Um our big difficulty is the moment, you know, we're not getting anywhere near the stadium funding unless, and I think we've tried at some sort of flexible fancy footwork around you know getting the money perhaps for the women's team or something or training facility for the women's team, but we're well, well down the pecking order, you know, as a Crusaders. I think Institute or Derry City are taking the government assessment to court. So we ain't getting any government funding, and I think you know you're you're right. If if we're in Windsor and we have another season like this, it's it's gonna become you know more and more empty and feel more and more empty. And knowing the security costs, um you know, there's six figures every year for Windsor. Um even the smallest of you know quiet games, even in County Anthem Shield against Queens, you know, you're still talking the guts of five or six grand because you know you've still got to fulfil your security obligations, and that's that's massive for us. And yeah, it's it's something certainly what the last bit I'll say in this, I've never spoken to a board member, past or present, that had anything to do with the stadium agreement, because I think everyone in the whole realizes um there's a lot of the parts of it that we simply um simply have have suffered from negatively. You don't know any property or developers, Mr. Graham, do you? Yeah. I I know a few, but um as I was told an anecdote about one today, um you know you you fight over pennies because then the pounds look after themselves. So uh as as I think the best way to put it, Lord Alan Sugar said, How does a multimillionaire become a millionaire? He but you go and buy a football club.

SPEAKER_03 30:06

Well, on that bombshell, I'm gonna wrap it up there. Folks, I've got a newborn to get back to, but thanks to the listeners as ever for tuning into the Windsor Way podcast. Remember to keep your eyes peeled on our social media so that you can vote for our Player of the Season, and then hopefully we'll be back next week with an interview with the winner of the Wins the inaugural Windsor Way Player of the Season Award. And as ever, uh Fortune favors the bread.