A couple of simple points, finbar.
First, "turn it over" has to mean spin it, not crank it. You shouldn't expect a spark below a couple of hundred RPM. Second, before concluding that the apparatus isn't working, you should try it without a spark plug or with a known good spark plug (and these days, a new one is not a "known good" one - there is a decent sprinkling of non-functional new plugs). Just clamp the wire so that the plug's metal connector is about 0.030" from the cylinder head, and see if it sparks from connector to head. The spark should be blue, not red, and appear regularly every second revolution of the engine.
Second, what gap did you set the points to?
Third, what gap did you set between the coil and flywheel?
