Eric Adair Player Profile

Biography

Charismatic leader Eric Adair was better known for his spell as manager of three Irish League clubs than his short six game spell at the Showgrounds in 1955.

Born in Belfast in 1933, his grounding in football came through the production line of the 11th Old Boys, before joining Cliftonville in the early 1950’s. Adair spent two years with the Cliftonville Strollers (thirds) before progressing into the Cliftonville Olympic (reserves) panel ahead of the 1953/1954 season.

Noted for his relentless dedication to football, at that stage Eric was working as an apprentice electrician in Londonderry and starring for the Reds’ second string at the half-back position in the B Division. His performances quickly caught the eye of international selectors and the local press, who tipped the midfielder for a call-up to the Ireland Amateur International team in 1954, but it never materialised.

In February 1955, Adair took the opportunity afforded by new Ballymena United manager Walter Rickett to sample regular senior football at the Showgrounds. The 21-year-old had made sporadic appearances in the first team at Solitude, but had failed to dislodge the ever-present Ernie McCleary in the Cliftonville engine room and therefore had to look further afield for his opportunity. After a few weeks in the United Reserves, he made his United debut in a 2-2 draw with Distillery at Warden Street.

Adair made a total of six senior appearances without recording a single victory for the Sky Blues during the dismal 1954/1955 campaign, with the club finishing bottom of the Irish League table for the first time in their history and being forced to apply for re-election. Player-manager Walter Rickett swiftly departed the Braidmen, and Eric followed suit that same summer.

A return to the city with Crusaders was confirmed in August 1955. It proved to be an unexpected breakthrough season for Adair, as manager Jackie Vernon converted the half-back into a makeshift centre-forward throughout large parts of the 1955/1956 season, after he had scored twice against Bangor in his first outing as the forward leader. The Crues eventually finished just two places above Ballymena, who were rooted to the foot of the table once again. Towards the end of the following season, he was released by Crusaders to quickly make the short journey across North Belfast to re-join Cliftonville.

Adair quickly found his spark again in the familiar surroundings on Solitude, as he finally earned the International recognition that had eluded him four years previously, gaining two Amateur caps for Ireland in victories over both Wales and Scotland in early 1958 – with Ballymena United favourites Eddie Russell and Hubert Barr on the scoresheet in both games.

In the final weeks of the 1958/1959 season, Eric moved to Larne who were one of the top Intermediate clubs of the time, and during the summer was made captain of the East Antrim club. He led the Invermen to the both the Steel & Sons Cup and George Wilson in his first full season.

Having fallen out of favour at Inver Park, Adair made the surprise move across the division to captain Dundela. Now 26 years old, he found himself back in the Steel & Sons Cup final again a year later – but this time was on the losing side of a seven goal thriller to Ballyclare Comrades.

Adair was back at Larne in June 1972 to embark on a dramatic six year journey as player-manager of the Inver Reds; quickly establishing the club as Intermediate League kingpins, winning four B Division titles in a row (1963/1964, 1964/1965, 1965/1966, 1966/1967) alongside the Steel & Sons Cup in 1964/1965, and it could have been a lot more silverware but for some narrow misses in the finals of the Intermediate and George Wilson Cups throughout that period.

He also remarkably took Larne to a senior final in 1965, defeating his old club Ballymena United in the semi-finals of the County Antrim Shield, but were comfortably beaten by another of his former clubs - Crusaders, at the Oval. Despite the success both on and off the pitch – as he had headed up the club as General Manager commercially through this period, the relationship turned sour early in the 1968/1969 and Eric resigned from his post.

The 36-year-old returned to club management a year later with Carrick Rangers in (October 1969), having used his sabbatical from the dugout on the Management Committee of Cliftonville FC to assist with the running of their social club.

Now fully focused on management the two-and-a-half years at Taylors Avenue were plagued with by inconsistency on the pitch for Adair and his Carrick Rangers team, as they failed to bring any Intermediate silverware back to Carrickfergus and after failing to meet his own expectations of replicating the success at Larne – he resigned from his post in January 1972.

After another period out of the game, Adair took his first senior managerial post in December 1972, as he was tasked with turning around the fortunes of struggling Glenavon. His tenure would last less than a year, as despite guiding the cash-strapped Lurgan Blues to a mid-table position in the league and to the semi-finals of the Irish Cup, in his frustration he cited the Board’s lack of support and ambition the reason for his resignation in November 1973.

The Glenavon position would be Eric Adair’s final foray in Irish League football, as through his career in electrical engineering he relocated to England to live and work in London.

Eric Adair passed away in December 2003 near Romford, Essex - aged 70.

Career
11th Old Boys; (1951) Cliftonville; (Feb 1955) Ballymena United; (Aug 1955) Crusaders; (Apr 1957) Cliftonville; (May 1959) Larne; (Oct 1960) Dundela

Managerial Career
(Jun 1962) Larne; (Oct 1969) Carrick Rangers; (Dec 1972) Glenavon

Honours
(with Larne)
Steel & Sons Cup: (winner) 1959/1960
George Wilson Cup: (winner) 1959/1960
(with Dundela)
Steel & Sons Cup: (finalist) 1960/1961

Managerial Honours
(with Larne)
B Division Championship: (winner) 1963/1964, 1964/1965, 1965/1966, 1966/1967
Steel & Sons Cup: (winner) 1964/1965
County Antrim Shield (finalist) 1964/1965

International Honours
Ireland Amateur (2 caps, 0 goals - 1958)