Alfie Wylie (Northern Ireland)

An interview with Alfie Wylie, Northern Ireland’s full-time women’s national coach since 2005 and first-team coach of Linfield’s men. Wylie is upbeat despite a difficult 2011 World Cup qualifying campaign in the six-team Group 1: a 1-0 win away to Croatia, an unlucky home defeat to Iceland, then a 6-0 loss in France followed four days later by a 4-0 home defeat he felt flattered the visitors. He describes the pride of playing at Windsor Park, his own home stadium, and says the players were more nervous in televised France before 6,000 fans than at home. Wylie sets out the practical problems: the squad meets perhaps once a month, only eight players live close enough for weekly strength work at Jordanstown, and ten competitive games cost GBP20-30,000. His targets are a top-50 ranking and double-figure points. Alfieisms are boxed alongside.