Donegal Celtic
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| Donegal Celtic F.C. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Donegal Celtic Football and Sports Club |
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| Nickname(s) | "DC", The (wee) Hoops, The Celts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1970 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Donegal Celtic Park Belfast |
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| Capacity | 3000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Raymond Bonner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Paddy Kelly | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Irish Premier League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006/07 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Donegal Celtic is a football club playing in the Irish Premier League in Northern Ireland. The club, founded in 1970, hails from Belfast and plays its home matches at Donegal Celtic Park. Club colours are green and white in Celtic-style hoops. The current manager is Paddy Kelly.
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[edit] History
Donegal Celtic was formed in 1970 when a group of young men who had a huge interest in football decided to form a team in the Lenadoon district of west Belfast.
With no facilities, kits, pitch or equipment the first few years were spent playing friendlies and entering local summer competitions, which helped to enhance and promote their reputation and name. They registered their chosen name with the Irish Football League, taking the name from the area in which they were based, Lenadoon, Gweedore, Glenveagh are all local areas named after towns in County Donegal, with the Celtic part being taken on due to the massive local following for Scotland's Celtic F.C. and the legacy of the old Belfast Celtic.
Donegal Celtic has been noted as having one of the best youth set-ups in Northern Ireland and is currently responsible for boys aged from U10 - U18. The club also has a girl’s set-up at U14 with five U16 internationals in the squad. Donegal Celtic has a well-structured Ladies senior side that won the most prestigious 'Belfast Cup' in 2004.
Donegal Celtic senior men’s team has a chequered and colourful history. After continually applying for Irish League entry they were denied on several occasions and forced to play amateur football, along with County Armagh team Lurgan Celtic. With accusations of a sectarian selection process and with the threat of court action looming both clubs finally gained entry into the Irish League 2nd Division for the season 2002-2003.
The club managed to finish in 6th place in their first year in the Irish League proper, which due to a league shake-up was enough to earn promotion to the First Division. The club's second season in Irish League football was marred by poor home form and an inability to cope with the change in standard finishing in 8th place.
Donegal Celtic finished the 2004-05 season in 3rd place losing out on a promotional play-off place to Lurgan team Glenavon and also lost the Intermediate Cup final on penalties at Stangmore Park, Dungannon, to the same team. The current management structure of Paddy Kelly, Marty McKiernan and Gerard Loughran has solidly improved and the team and in season 2005/06 finished 2nd to Crusaders earning the right to play over two legs for a place in the Premier Leauge, which they achieved on 10 May with a 3-1 victory of Institute over 2 legs. The team also managed to capture the Intermediate Cup defeating Coagh United 2-0 in the final, it was the only cup in junior football the team was yet to win. but
[edit] Men's Senior Squad 2005-06
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[edit] Honours
- Intermediate Cup: 1
- 2005/06
- Steel & Sons Cup 1:
- 2003/04
- Intermediate League: 8
- 1989/90, 1990/91, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1994/95, 1998/99, 1999/00; 2001/02
- Intermediate League Cup: 7
- 1988/89, 1989/90, 1991/92, 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2001/02
- Intermediate League Challenge Cup: 6
- 1988/89, 1989/90, 1992/93, 1994/95, 1998/99, 2001/02
[edit] See also
- Irish Football League Cup
- Irish Cup
- Irish First Division
- Irish Second Division
- County Antrim Shield
- Northern Ireland football league system
[edit] External links
- DonegalCeltic.net - Recently updated Unofficial News, Info, Fixtures & Results
- DC Ladies
- Unofficial Supporters Site
- Fixtures & Results
- Donegal Celtic U-10's
- Irish Premier League Website
- Irish Football Club Project
- Irish FA Website
- Irish League Forums
| Irish League 2006-2007 | ||
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| Irish Premier League
Armagh City | Ballymena United | Cliftonville | Crusaders | Coleraine | Donegal Celtic | Dungannon Swifts | Glenavon | Glentoran | Larne | Limavady United | Linfield | Lisburn Distillery | Loughgall | Newry City | Portadown | |
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| Irish First Division
Ards | Ballinamallard United | Banbridge Town | Bangor | Carrick Rangers | Coagh United | Dundela | Institute | Harland & Wolff Welders | Moyola Park | Portstewart | Tobermore United | |
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| Irish Second Division
Annagh United | Ballyclare Comrades | Ballymoney United | Brantwood | Chimney Corner | Dergview | Glebe Rangers | Lurgan Celtic | Oxford United Stars | PSNI | Queen's University | Wakehurst | |
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