Blair calls it a day after more knee problems

The centre-back who for a number of years has been suffering from one or two injuries decided recently to call it a day after suffering a serious knee injury.

Still only 31, the Waterside man has played for a host of sides but Newbuildings United was and will always be his club and he attends to watch Peter Allen’s men now as a supporter.

“It was tough making the decision to retire,” insisted the centre-back.

“It’s just frustrating that it was forced upon me rather than me choosing to make the decision. Yes, over the last couple of years and probably last year I haven’t got much game time due to the niggling injuries, so it’s probably the best time for me to call it a day now.”

Blair also conceded that he knew his latest set-back was serious the minute he landed awkwardly.

“We were playing Strabane Athletic in the cup in August and I hurt my knee again, then I came back and played for the Reserves against Lincoln Courts and hurt my hamstring and didn’t play again until November and in that first team match after about five minutes I landed awkwardly on it and then I knew it was serious,” he conceded.

“When I hurt my knee the first time I was able to play on but then it would swell up like a balloon and I would be out for a bit, but as soon as it happened that time I couldn’t play on and I had to be carried off, so as I said I knew it was serious.”

Just because he has decided to hang up his boots Blair concedes he’ll still be checking results and talking to people in and around ‘his club’ to see how they are doing and he feels there’s exciting times ahead.

“As I said I’ll be a supporter now going forward and I’ll try to get out to Newbuildings as much as I can,” he said.

“It’s a good club, with good people around it and I have a lot of friends out there, so I’ll definitely be keeping in touch with them and watching out for their results.

“Things are going rightly at Newbuildings now, obviously people were worried when Chada (Gary Simpson) left but the dust has settled down now and things are going in the right direction again.

“The new facilities getting built out there it will be just a matter of time that we’ll go looking to take that step up into a higher level.”

The former Clondermott High School pupil believes the future is bright for Newbuildings United and in the not too distant future they may be rubbing shoulders with Waterside neighbours Institute on a regular basis.

“The future is bright out there and it’s good to see that there is sort of two clubs from the area ourselves and Institute who are going rightly and I can’t wait to see what happens over the next couple of years.

“We have the right people in the club and good people in the committee and they are doing everything they can to get things moving on and maybe in 2015 the club will be at a stage to make that jump up. I can’t believe how much things have actually progressed out there over the last couple of years and hopefully now over the next few years it will continue to grow.”

The former Institute, Churchill United and BBOB man, who has been captain at Newbuildings for a number of years, knows not being able to again play the game he loves will be tough he also admits things off the field will have his hands full.

His fiancée Mairead Campbell is expecting their first child in March, something which he’s looking forward too and he even admits United will have another fan during their title run-in.

“My fiancée Mairead is due in March so I know I’m going to have my hands full now, but it’s something I’m looking forward too and keeping my mind off football looking forward to my new child being born.”