Philip O'Doherty pays tribute to 'good friend' and Derry City fanatic Paul Diamond

​Tributes have been pouring in for the hugely successful local businessman who sadly passed away at the weekend following an illness.

Mr. O'Doherty described him as 'a person of high integrity', a Derry City 'fanatic' and someone he greatly admired.

The chairman of award winning Pennyburn-based packaging firm, Diamond Corrugated who have loyally served as the Brandywell club's main shirt sponsor for the past 15 years, Mr Diamond followed in the footsteps of the late Nobel Peace laureate John Hume when becoming club President in 2021.

A long-standing benefactor of his hometown club, Mr Diamond guided Derry City through many highs and lows and was the last chairman to oversee a Premier Division title back in 1997.

That was two years after Mr O'Doherty first met him when he was serving as vice chairman and they remained close ever since.

He has fond memories of the straight-talking Mr Diamond who he described as a person he 'could always trust 100 per cent' when it came to business and football matters.

"It came as a shock when I heard on Sunday," began Mr O'Doherty. "I had spoken to him a couple of months ago and he was waiting on the call to go to Newcastle to the hospital for the surgery.

"He had all the arrangements made and he told me it was a serious situation he was in but he seemed very brave.

"I spoke to him and Mary [Paul's wife] up at his house but he went through the whole usual routine about the football club first of all which was normal. "He went through the team player by player which was just normal Paul Diamond - very interested in Derry City and the details of the players' performance and all the stuff a fanatic Derry City supporter would go through.

"That was the meetings we always had with Paul, especially if there was a managerial vacancy he was probably more excitable about that.

"It took me back when I first heard the news. I first met Paul Diamond in 1995 when Derry City was basically bankrupt. I was the vice chairman and Paul was the chairman.

"First of all he came across as a person of great integrity and very much a business person.

"It's that great mix of someone who is fanatical about their business but just as fanatical about their football club.

"He had a great work ethic because he was punching a lot of hours and growing a business which he did very successfully and very hands on.

"His children were very young at that time and Paul was basically leading the charge to some extent on his own.

"Derry City had a lot of tough years and business in general had a lot of tough years but Paul Diamond was always there. Always supporting.

"I have to say it makes it easier for people like me when you have a person you trust 100 per cent and you admire.

"It makes it easier doing the job I'm doing and the rest of the board are doing. It's good to have people of high integrity about the club and as president he was delighted with that." Mr O'Doherty has made no secret about his desire to guide Derry City to an elusive league title and it's long been a source of amusement between the pair as he attempted to replicate the feat achieved by Mr Diamond in 1997.

"Within two years of becoming chairman Paul had won the Premier Division which he always loved bringing up to me," he laughed. "I haven't managed to achieve that but we always had good fun about that.

"He had a great rapport with Felix Healy and they did the job in 1997. It's still there and to be honest with you I think Paul really enjoyed the success that brought Derry at the time.

"It was at a time when Shamrock Rovers were very dominant but Derry City pulled it out of the bag quite convincingly as well.

"He's left a real legacy but it's the decency of the man. He was very straight about things, told it how it was and anything that needed to be said he said it to the board or the manager or even reporters. It's a big loss to the city. A big loss to Mary and his sons Niall and Gerard.

"He obviously wasn't at Brandywell over the past few months but he knew everything that was going on. He had plenty of people to keep him informed."

Mr Diamond’s love of the Candy Stripes was triggered by his own father’s support of the City and he had spoken about how the red, white and black of his firm’s logo were inspired by the club colours.

He was 'humbled' and 'honoured' to become honorary president and Mr O'Doherty says there was only ever going to be one person for the job.

"John Hume was the president before him and taking over from John Hume was a great acknowledgement of the character he was.

"There was absolutely no one else who could've taken over that role. He really acknowledged it and I think was delighted with it."