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The one about the Englishman, the Irishman and the Scotsman has worked for Glentoran before.
Eleven years ago Yorkshire-man Pete Batey, Glasgow native Scott Young and Tim McCann, born and bred in Belfast, came together in the Glens line-up and had the Oval faithful laughing all the way to the league title.
And there have been smiles on the faces of Glenmen everywhere since the start of this season.
Five wins and one draw from their opening six league games have put Glentoran on top of the Carling Premiership and earned Young the first Carling Manager of the Month prize of the campaign.
While Young is the boss — and as well as taking the plaudits when things go well he’ll carry the can when fortunes take a turn for the worse — the relative success the Glens are enjoying right now is as much a team effort off the pitch as it is on it.
“Myself, Pete and Tim know what the demands of playing for Glentoran are,” said Young, as he looks to at least consolidate the four point lead the east-Belfast men hold at the top of the table when they face Dungannon Swifts tomorrow afternoon.
“It was important for us when we came in and during pre-season to put our ideas across and instill into the players how we want the game to be played.
“The players have worked hard since pre-season, they are rolling with the good times, but we have to be prepared to deal with the hard times when they come, because inevitably they will.
“What we have is a squad who have been drilled on the expectations and demands at Glentoran and they will fight tooth and nail for each other.”
The biggest compliment that can be paid to Young is that already his team is being compared to the one that he stepped into when he arrived at the Oval from Dunfermline 11 years ago.
It was a team that had solidity at the back, with captain John Devine outstanding in what turned out to be his final season at the club. It also had a great blend of strength and creativity in midfield with Young and Batey hitting it off immediately and becoming great friends off the pitch as well — hence why the Scot brought the Englishman onto his staff as soon as he got the job.
It was as an attacking force, however, that they really came to the fore. In the likes of McCann, Stuart Elliott — who left for Motherwell a year later — Justin McBride, David Rainey, Rory Hamill and Andy Kirk — before he joined Hearts — they had a front line that scared the life out of opponents.
They had pace, power and a sharp cutting edge that delivered 74 goals in 36 games.
The present day side bears a striking resemblance to their predecessors.
Both teams started the season in blistering form and if the current crop of players can keep the momentum rolling like the class of ‘99 then they have every chance of emulating their success.
“The 1999 team was the best Glentoran team that I played in,” said Young.
“We had class right the way through and guys who went across the water and ended up playing for Northern Ireland in Stuart Elliott and Andy Kirk.
“If a team of mine can be anywhere close to being as good as that I’ll be happy.”
The way things are going, the smiles on the faces around the Oval could last until May.
