Have boots will travel

Pars Assistant Manager had footballing experience in five different countries before coming to Dunfermline.

Pars Assistant manager, Gerry McCabe did not know where football would take him after he was sacked from the manager's post at Dumbarton Football Club in November 2007. But Gerry has been immersed in football all his life, his list of contacts is extensive and it was not long before the likeable Weegie got the call from Jim McIntyre who had been asked to replace Stephen Kenny at East End Park.

It was January 2008 when Macca invited him on to his management team with the new boy to management obviously impressed with his assistant manager while he was a player under him at Kilmarnock.

"I knew what he was like and I was delighted when he asked me to come. I had never worked with Stephen Wright before but the three of us hit it off and we enjoyed it.

"Things changed a bit when Stephen had to go to the youths, but then there was the promotion win and the rest is history."

The McCabe story started with him playing amateur football at Toll Star in Hamilton. He explained:-

"I played amateur from the age of 15 to 17 although I was at Hamilton accies for a spell when I was 15 under a manager called Eric Smith. I went to the juniors, playing with Polkemmet (now Harthill Royals) for a year before going on to Hibs.

"When I released by Hibs, former Hearts full back Jim Townsend took me over to play at Windsor Star in Canada. When I came back to Scotland I played with Clyde, I was Manager Craig Brown's first signing - and then returned to Canada for the summer to play for Toronto Italia."

His next move was to be more permanent as he was signed for Clydebank for what turned out to be six years at Kilbowie Park. His manager there was Bill Munro and team mates included Jim Fallon, Tony Gervais, Tommy Coyne and Paul Gallacher's dad, Jim. Fondly referring to them as the 'Godfathers', he recalls:-

"That was my best spell in football. Then I had a short spell at Dumbarton, then Clyde, Cork City and Hamilton. I was assistant to Iain Munro. When I left Hamilton it was to join Glentoran in Northern Ireland but then returned to Hamilton again to play for Billy McLaren."

Gerry was to continue his travels to play for Arbroath while also coaching the Celtic youths. There he helped develop players like John Paul McBride, John Paul McGovern, Paddy Kelly and Mark Anthony.

The years were clocking on and Gerry was 40 when he left senior football to return to the ranks of the juniors at Shettleston. That was only to be for three or four games as it transpired.

"Just after I'd gone to Shettleston, Bobby Williamson who I also had played with at Clydebank, contacted me about the job at Kilmarnock. He told me that Alex Totten had been sacked, he had been given the role of caretaker manager and when that was to be made permanent he asked me if I wanted to come in with him as full time coach.

"I was reluctant to leave the juniors because I'd only just joined them but I agreed on the proviso that I would still be allowed to play in the wee games in training.

"That year, it was 1997, we drew with Aberdeen to stay in the league and we won the Scottish Cup. We got a three year contract, then two more followed by another two. It could have been seven years at Kilmarnock but it was only to be six because we left to go to Hibs, that was Bobby's decision.

"I went with him and then we went on to Plymouth. It was the right decision at the time but i could see the writing on the wall. Things weren't right down there and I left after about 15 months. They were nice people and a good family club but you couldn't attract players. It was so difficult because of all the travelling. You left on a Friday afternoon and didn't get back until the Sunday afternoon and your weekend was over.  When I came back up the road I was out of the game for a wee while before I got the Dumbarton job."

Gerry replaced Paul Martin as the Sons manager. He signed David Bagan and Stephen Dobbie but after 18 months he too got the sack. While there Bobby Williamson asked Gerry to team up with him at Chester City where he was to become the boss.

"I asked him what the deal was there but Bobby said there was no need for a contract; 'if we do alright, these boys down there will buy another club' - they had that much money! I told him that I had a job and I was not going down there without a contract. He asked me to think about it but if I didn't get back to him in a couple of days, he was going to get Jimmy Bone.

"I refused to go down to Chester without a contract. Jimmy went down and after six weeks Jimmy got the sack and Bobby was sacked after six weeks. When I saw him I said 'right decision, eh' but he replied that if I had gone down then maybe he wouldn't have got sacked! I did the right thing there but I could have been out in Uganda with him now."

Gerry's career has seen him ply his trade in five different countries and at too numerous clubs for even him to know. When Jim Jefferies arrived at East End his previous right hand man, Billy Brown, was already in a job and Jim inherited Gerry as an assistant.

Gerry concluded:-
"I enjoy it here. Jim Jefferies has a different style from Jim McIntyre but he just let's me get on with the job. We have the same aim - just to be successful at Dunfermline."