Perhaps that's not surprising, when you consider the organisation's modus operandi: heading into some of the most disadvantaged areas in Greater Manchester and using football as a tool to engage and inspire some of its most vulnerable children.
But Irwin is talking about something else: the challenges and complexities of getting a new charity off the ground. Back in those early days, when the legendary former full-back was a trustee, he attended the quarterly meetings, took part in the key discussions, and fought at the coal face to make a difference. There was plenty of pressure.
“It was a learning curve,” he explains.