There are those out there who will tell you they don’t like him, that he’s overrated as a manager and even worse as a commentator. Thankfully they are few and far between. Brian Kerr is indeed one of Irish football’s most beloved figures. But why exactly do we love the former Ireland manager so much?
Listen to episode 12 of the podcast: Brian Kerr, the Grandfather of Irish Football
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He was only a teenager when he started his managerial career.
At 13 years of age, Brian Kerr got his long career in football management started with the Crumlin United U-11’s side.
He won his first trophy less than a month after getting his first senior managerial role.
He remortgaged his house to help save St. Patrick’s Athletic.
When the Inchicore club were on their knees financially in the nineties, a number of investors raised £82,000 to save the club from going bust. It’s believed that some of them, including Kerr himself, remortgaged their homes to do so. Despite the turmoil surrounding the club, he was able to win two league titles in 1990 and 1994 as manager.
He’s the only manager to have won major trophies with Ireland.
A bronze medal at the 1997 World Youth Championships was followed up with victory at the U16 and U18 European Championships the very next year.
He used to breed rats.
“I was part of a very important scientific experiment where we used to breed rats; they were huge, huge rats. They were on feeding trials in my days as a lab technician with the Department of Agriculture in UCD.
Occasionally there would have been escapee rats running around the floor, who escaped out of the cages. So I got quite handy at capturing white rats on the floor. Overall I thought it was good training for managing in the League of Ireland!”
He is one of the Faroe Islands’ most successful managers of all time.
Kerr’s record of two wins and a draw in 16 competitive games ensures his name will be forever etched into Faroese folklore.
His commentary is often the best thing about RTE’s football coverage.
His description of Shaqiri is just brilliant.
Or as Brian likes to call him, ‘The Powercube’.
But he’s not afraid to change his mind either.
His nicknames are on the money too.
Harry Maguire won’t forgive him any time soon though.
This conversation with Apres Match.
His analysis is always spot on.
“Biff, bang, wollop.” Kerr’s take on the state of Irish football is just one such example of his excellent punditry.
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