Stephen Baxter reflects on 'turning point' that helped give Crusaders confidence to challenge Irish League's elite

Stephen Baxter proudly holds aloft the Setanta Sports Cup and League Cup, which Crusaders had won earlier in the 2011/12 season. PIC: Stephen Hamilton/Presseye.com

Baxter’s contribution to the North Belfast club was celebrated on Saturday with a testimonial fixture against Derry City at Seaview, but he still has a couple of weeks on the job before fully handing over the reins to Declan Caddell after another European campaign, which begins with a UEFA Conference League first round qualifier against Welsh outfit Caernarfon Town before the winner takes on Legia Warsaw.

It’s fitting that the 58-year-old’s weekend recognition came against Derry City – the same opposition that Baxter’s men defeated in the 2012 Setanta Sports Cup final, becoming only the second Irish League side to win the cross-border competition after Linfield’s success seven years prior.

After that thrilling penalty shootout triumph at The Oval, Crusaders went on to win three Premiership titles, including in back-to-back seasons across 2014/15 and 2015/16, another hat-trick of Irish Cup crowns and collected two more County Antrim Shields in a golden period for the club.

Baxter believes that can all be tracked back to Gareth McKeown’s successful spot-kick – the winning moment in East Belfast – which gave Crusaders belief they could challenge the big boys.

“First of all, it is wonderful that the club recognised the whole thing with a nice game, particularly against Derry City,” said Baxter. “The Setanta Cup final in my book was the turning point for the club because we were a mediocre team who were just starting to challenge for the league at that time and, while we were improving all the time, to win that All-Ireland tournament gave us that confidence to attack the next bit, which was to go after the leagues and the cups and challenge the big boys in the league.

“After winning the Setanta Cup, we then successfully challenged the big boys for half a dozen years and more, so that was the turning point, as that big, big win gave us the confidence to push on to bigger and better things.

“So yeah, today was a bit of nostalgia. Ruaidhri Higgins played in the final for Derry City and I always think whenever you have that wee connection and wee bit of affiliation, it’s nice. In fact, some of the lads who played for that Derry City team came and played here under me and I still keep in touch with them.

“That’s wonderful and that’s the football game, which makes it so good and why we all do it and it was nice to have Derry City here today to mark things. It has been a fun day and I really want it to be that type of day, it was nice to just enjoy things with family, friends and the Crusaders fans."