Steven Noble was one of Jim McInally’s earliest signings at Peterhead. To see him still in the Balmoor dugout a decade later speaks volumes.
McInally has been the longest-serving manager in Scotland for a while now. His tenure and friendship with chairman Rodger Morrison seems able to endure a myriad of tests.
The Blue Toon manager celebrated 10 years in charge of the club last year but still has new territory to conquer, as Peterhead face Dundee in the Scottish Cup last-16 on Monday night.
For Noble, seeing his old manager still in charge of the same club brings admiration.
“It’s astounding,” said Noble, who now plays junior football for Beith. “He’s had a couple of spells where he almost walked away and he’s always been convinced to stay.
“You don’t see that kind of tenure in modern football now. Clubs are very quick to go for a change.
“Fair play to Rodger, because he’s managed to keep him and back him. Unless he wants to take a break from football, I don’t imagine Jim will be going anywhere soon.
“I was one of his early signings and he put his stamp on the team. He looked to bring in guys from the Glasgow area and from all over the country.
“It was his ethos and how he wanted to work. He felt different personalities would work better than just guys from Aberdeen, or as south as Dundee.”
McInally has guided the club to two League Two titles but for their best cup achievement, you have to roll the clock back six years.
Noble was captain of the Peterhead side which reached the Challenge Cup final in 2015, where they were beaten 4-0 by Rangers, and was a firm favourite during his time with the Buchan outfit.
Despite the result, he looks back on that game as one of his fondest in a Blue Toon shirt.
“That and lifting the League Two trophy were my two main highlights,” said Noble.
“Playing in front of a full crowd at Hampden Park – I don’t think that will happen again in the Challenge Cup.
“I said to someone recently that while I appreciated it, I wish I cherished it a wee bit more at the time.
“You’re too busy thinking about making mistakes, the negative side of things. It was a great time to be involved in and one I will always remember, it’s just a shame at the time you get caught up thinking about having so many people watching and not letting them down.”
Noble, who works as a physio in Paisley, helped former team-mate Simon Ferry last year to overcome a niggling Achilles problem. He has also had visits from Ryan Conroy and Andy McDonald, as well as Dundee defender Jordon McGhee.
He also played alongside current Dark Blues defender Cammy Kerr, who had two loan spells at Balmoor earlier his career.
“Cammy was very young when he came to us but he was very keen and I don’t think he’s changed much,” said Noble.
“Whenever I have spoken to the Dundee boys that have come into the clinic, they speak about him exactly how I remember him. He loves football and loves Dundee – you can see why Dundee fans take to him.
“He did really well for us and I would imagine Peterhead was the main reason he managed to kick on.”
The odds are against Peterhead going beyond the last-16 – this is the first time they have reached this round under McInally – but Noble was part of the side which defeated Dundee in the League Cup in 2016. He knows it can be done.
“They are going to have to frustrate them,” he said. “At the end of that game in 2016, I remember their fans being very angry and Darren O’Dea and Paul McGowan going over to speak to them.
“It’s unlikely you’re going to play them off the park when they have guys like Paul McGowan, Charlie Adam and Niall McGinn. It will be tough but something they can definitely do is nullify the top players in the Dundee team.
“One thing which may go against Peterhead is the pitch; the surface Stan the groundsman prepares is always top-notch, so it might suit the so-called bigger team.
“But as always, the conditions will be a factor, particularly the wind at this time of year.”
