JAY McCartney, a fans favourite with the Ferney faithful, a leader in the dressing room and versatile on the pitch. McCartney will be missed around Ballinamallard.
He joined the club in 2010 and quickly established himself as a first-team regular on the left of midfield. No matter what task he was asked to do, the Sligo native always done it to the best of his ability.
This season, McCartney’s playing time has been limited as a result of work commitments.
Having recently received a promotion to assistant manager at a warehouse for ‘heavy loading’ in Sligo, McCartney has to work every Saturday and is unable to play for the Ducks and as a result, he has decided to leave Ballinamalard at the end of the season, but his decision comes with a very heavy heart.
“For me, at 35, I had to make the decision. Work life is always going to go on a lot longer and I had make up my mind on that.
“With a young family and everything, it was a no-brainer really, so I had to take the job.
“Even though I said it was a no-brainer, it was still one of the hardest decisions that I have had to make. For 11 years, I’ve met some great people, made some friends for life there and I have been doing it now for three days a week for 11 years. It was definitely not an easy decision for me.”
Telling the players he was leaving was something McCartney put off for as long as he could.
“It was a Thursday night when I definitely knew. Deep down I probably knew that this was going to happen but the Thursday night I went up and told him [Harry McConkey] and he said to me that after training, I am going to call them in and let you tell the lads.
“To be honest, before that, I had to tell Harry that I wasn’t ready because it was a sad night for me and I wasn’t ready. I didn’t feel able to tell the boys there and then.”