McCormack joins Accies as assistant manager

Jul 3 2008 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

HAMILTON boss Billy Reid last week brought in John McCormack as part of a management shake-up, and hopes he has his team in place to drive the club forward.

Albion Rovers gaffer McCormack will take over as assistant manager once loose ends have been tied up at Cliftonhill, while Stuart Taylor has been given a new role as first-team coach, and is in charge of the under-19s, as well as remaining part of the first-team squad.

Reid stresses that the decision is not a slight on Taylor, but felt he needed some experience in his backroom team, which McCormack adds in abundance.

He said: “We’re in the Premier League, we’ve now got in the region of 40-45 full-time players and that was a lot for myself and Stuart Taylor to manage.

“We also have a reserve team now and full-time under-19s, as well as a first team, so we felt as though we needed an extra body in.

“Stuart Taylor is still playing as well, and John’s got a bit of experience in terms of having been a manager at a few clubs and won a couple of championships, so we shuffled it a wee bit.

“This is no slight on Stuart, because he’s been fantastic for me both on and off the park – in fact, if he didn’t get injured last season I have no doubts that he would have ended up as one of the top goal-scorers at this club.

“Stuart has a massive role still to play at this club, and I would like that emphasise that. The three of us are in a management team, and it’s just a change of titles.”

Billy admits to not really knowing ‘Cowboy’, but spoke to various people in the game and decided the former Queen’s Park and Morton boss ticked all the boxes.

He said: “John has a wealth of experience and I thought that was important. I know the type of guy John is – he’s a motivator who gets the best out of people and drives them forward, and that’s what we’re all about.

“John, first and foremost, is a good person. To be honest with you I don’t know John all that well as a pal, but I’ve met him a few times in football circles. I speak to people within the game, I asked a few folk, and he fitted the bill as far as I was concerned.

“I want John to be his own person when he comes here, that’s why I brought him to the club.”

Reid, McCormack and Taylor will continue to cast their net out in a bid to attract fresh talent to the club, but Billy insists he won’t be rushed into any decisions.

He said: “I’ll take my time. We have the finance to bring in three or four, but it’s important that we get the right guys.

“We’d love to go out and get big-name players but we can’t afford to. That doesn’t worry me, I’ve always worked like that, but we will hopefully get the right players to the club and add to our squad.

“I know the positions I’d like to bring in and although John’s starting to get a feel for what we’re trying to do here, and will take a bit of time to bed in, he’s already thrown a couple of names into the hat as well.

“We’ll get there, we’re in a strong position in terms of squad because it’s bigger than it has been in recent seasons, and the players are raring to go.

“There’s a good feeling about the place at the moment.

“I believe that I have a point to prove in the Premier League, I’m quite sure John’s the same.

“I think I have a group of players who want to make their mark on the Premier League, and I think that’s healthy.”