What should the new stand at the Ryan McBride Brandywell be named?

Excitement for the 2025 League of Ireland season has begun as Derry City released the figures for its season tickets while the work on the new North Terrace continues at the Ryan McBride Brandwell. 

Fans have been impressed by the progress and are itching to watch the Candystripes under newly appointed manager Tiernan Lynch next year.

Yet, with every passing day we are getting closer to the official unveiling of the terrace, which will take the capacity of the Brandywell from 3,689 to 6,239; the question starts to emerge: what will be the name of the stand?

Previously, the club had named a stand in March 2018 to honour the late Mark Farren, who passed away from cancer in February 2016, while the name of the stadium was renamed in September 2018 to pay tribute to former captain Ryan McBride following his death in March 2017.

The club may decide to name the new North Terrace after a legendary figure from the club, with the leading candidate being Jim McLaughlin. 

The man who delivered the treble in 1989 for Derry City and who is the most successful manager in the League of Ireland’s history passed away in August 2024.

Born in Derry, McLaughlin began his career at his hometown club in the Irish League, impressing and earning a move to the English leagues, where he would spend the majority of his career playing for a number of clubs before he joined Dundalk as a player/manager in 1974 before fully retiring in 1979.

McLaughlin would guide Dundalk to three League of Ireland titles, three FAI cups, and two League cups.

He would then be appointed Shamrock Rovers manager, where he would win a further three league titles and two FAI cups.

In May 1986, he left Rovers to go home and manage Derry City, where he led the team to a domestic treble in 1989.

McLaughlin would then claim one more league title with Shelbourne in 1992, bringing his total to eight League of Irelands.

Naming the new North Terrace after McLaughlin to commemorate his achievement with his hometown club, bring Derry City their first League of Ireland title and the most recent team to claim a domestic title in Ireland; Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers are the only other clubs to boast such a privilege.

While naming the stand after the manager who brought the treble to Derry would be a fitting tribute, McLaughlin is not the only candidate who the stand could honour.

Felix Healy was a member of the treble-winning squad; however, he was the only other manager to guide Derry City to the League of Ireland title.

While he may not have an honours list as long as McLaughlin, Healy had a significant impact with his hometown club as he claimed two league titles and two FAI cups as a player and manager.

Like McLaughlin, Healy had an impressive footballing career, which had him apply the trade in England and Ireland with the distinction of representing Northern Ireland.

However, Derry City may decide not to name the new stand after a club legend but opt to leave it as the North Terrace, where it can formulate its own name and character.

An example would be ‘The Yellow Wall’ at the Westfalenstadion, which is the South Bank stand in the stadium.

Almost 25,000 passionate fans, often clad in the club’s iconic yellow colours, generate an incredible atmosphere throughout home matches, with Derry City capable of emulating this with their colours in the North Terrace to create a nickname for the stand.

 As construction for the new stand continues to move along in a promising manner, the club supporters will be intrigued to see the direction the club decides to take regarding the name of the stand.