Former Harps player Paul Simpson guides Carlisle to Wembley glory

A former Finn Harps player has guided his Carlisle United side to promotion from League Two in England.

Paul Simpson's side beat Stockport County in a penalty shootout at Wembley 5-4 after the game ended 1-1 following 120 minutes of football.

Carlisle were playing in their first-ever EFL play-off final and thanks to the shoot-out success now look forward to returning to League One for the first time since 2013-14.

Although his time in Ballybofey was brief, he is fondly remembered and always admired as a great player.

Simpson began his playing career as a schoolboy at Manchester City in the early 1980s. He made his senior debut aged 16, on 2 October 1982 in a 3–2 win against Coventry City. However, after the club was relegated and new manager Billy McNeill arrived, Simpson, along with John Beresford, was briefly loaned out to Finn Harps for the 1984-85 season to gain more experience. He scored three goals in nine total appearances at Finn Park.

He returned during the final stages of 1984–85 campaign and enjoyed a run of games as he scored six times in just 10 appearances as City won promotion from the Second Division. He was a regular member of the first team in the 1985–86 season and scored nine First Division goals as City survived their first season back in the top flight, although they were relegated a year later.

He won five caps for the England under-21 team during his spell at Maine Road, adding to three caps at under-18 level.

He also played for Oxford United, Derby County, Wolves, Blackpool and Rochdale where he became player-manager in 2002. Following his departure from Rochdale, Simpson moved back to his hometown, where he became the manager of Carlisle United where he enjoyed success. Simpson played his final game as a professional player on 6 May 2006 at Edgeley Park against Stockport County, the club he later managed. This marked the end of his playing career aged 39, after 24 years. He also managed Preston North End, Shrewsbury Town, Northwich Victoria and Derby County.

On July 3 2015, Simpson was appointed as one of Steve McClaren's assistant coaches along with Ian Cathro, after leaving Derby County. Simpson took charge of the England Under 20 Squad in 2017 and won the U20 World Cup in Suwon, South Korea on 11 June 2017, beating Venezuela by the only goal of the game. Simpson left his post on 10 August 2020, to become assistant head coach to Dean Holden at Bristol City.

On February 23, 2022, Simpson returned to former club Carlisle United as manager until the end of the 2021–22 season. In similar circumstances to his first spell with the club, the Cumbrian side found themselves in the League Two relegation zone in 23rd position at the time of his appointment.

Simpson turned the club's form around and after five wins from seven matches across the month of March, Simpson was nominated for the league's Manager of the Month award, losing out to Bristol Rovers' Joey Barton, a team that Simpson's side had beaten at the end of the month.

On April 27, 2022, having confirmed Carlisle's League Two status for the following season, Simpson signed a permanent three-year contract with the club and today that paid off in spades.