Linfield F.C.

Linfield

Full name	Linfield Football and Athletic Club
Nickname(s)	"The Blues"
Founded	1886
Ground	Windsor Park, Belfast (Capacity: 14,000)
Chairman	Jim Kerr
Manager	David Jeffrey
League	IFA Premiership
2009–10	1st
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Linfield F.C. (full name Linfield Football & Athletic Club), is a Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team. Linfield play in the IFA Premiership (still popularly referred to as the Irish League)^[1] the second-oldest national league in the world after the Football League in England. Linfield have won the League title a record 49 times, were the first champions of the League in the 1890–1891 season and are one of four clubs, the others being Cliftonville, Glentoran and Lisburn Distillery, who have retained membership of the League since its formation in 1890.

History

Founded in March 1886 in Sandy Row, south Belfast by workers of the Linfield Spinning Mill, the team was originally known as the Linfield Athletic Club and played on ground at the back of the mill known as 'The Meadow'.

Linfield moved to Ulsterville Avenue in 1889. After the purchase of a piece of land known as the 'bog meadows' just off lower Windsor Avenue in 1904, they settled in what has become the permanent home of Linfield FC., Windsor Park. The first game at Windsor was played against Glentoran, the much less successful half of Belfast's "Big Two," on September 2, 1905 – though Belfast Celtic were the club's main rivals at the time.

Linfield's captain Noel Bailie attendant his 1000th appearence for the club when they playing Crusaders F.C The match ended in a draw.

On 27 April 2010, just a couple of days after Noel Bailie's 1000th appearence, Linfield clinched their 49th title after a 1–0 victory against Cliftonville at Windsor Park.^[2]

Windsor Park

Linfield's home ground is Windsor Park, which is located in south Belfast. The governing body of Northern Irish football, the Irish Football Association, leases the ground for use by the Northern Ireland national football team. The club currently receives 15% of Northern Ireland international gate receipts.

European record

As Northern Ireland's most dominant club side, Linfield have been regular campaigners in European football. Their most notable achievement was reaching the quarter-finals of the European Cup in the 1966–1967 season. After beating FC Aris Bonnevoie of Luxembourg and Vålerenga of Norway, they faced CSKA Sofia in the last eight. This resulted in a 2–2 draw at home and 1–0 defeat away.

In the 1984–85 season, after overcoming Shamrock Rovers on away goals, Linfield faced eventual semi-finalists Panathinaikos in the second round. After a 2–1 defeat away, Linfield went 3–0 up in the return leg at Windsor Park only to draw 3–3.

In the 1987–88 campaign Linfield's home game against Lillestrom was marred by missile throwing, resulting in UEFA sanctions which meant that the club had to play their next two home games in European competitions at Welsh club Wrexham in the 1988–89 and 1989–90 seasons.

The 1993–94 UEFA Champions League saw Linfield drawn with Dynamo Tbilisi of Georgia. After losing 3–2 on aggregate, they were reinstated when their opponents were expelled from the competition for alleged match fixing and paying the officials. Linfield faced FC Copenhagen in the first round proper. They won the first leg 3–0, and lost the second leg 4–0 after extra time. This proved costly, as victory would have meant a lucrative financial tie against eventual champions AC Milan in the next round.

European Cups History

Cultural background

It had been "regarded as a protestant club for protestant people"^[3], however it still draws the vast majority of its support from one side of the community but its squad is one of the most diverse in the Irish League^[3]. Not so long ago the notion of Linfield FC having any association, however tenuous, with the GAA ^[4] would have also been held to ridicule. But the Blues have now developed links with the organisation.

Linfield manager David Jeffrey insists that it is the players desire to wear the famous blue shirt, not religious affiliation, which matters most.^[3]

Honours

Senior honours

• Irish League/Irish Premier League: 49
  • 1890/91, 1891/92, 1892/93, 1894/95, 1897/98, 1901/02, 1903/04, 1906/07, 1907/08, 1908/09, 1910/11, 1913/14, 1921/22, 1922/23, 1929/30, 1931/32, 1933/34, 1934/35, 1948/49, 1949/50, 1953/54, 1954/55, 1955/56, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1960/61, 1961/62, 1965/66, 1968/69, 1970/71, 1974/75, 1977/78, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1988/89, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2003/04, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2009/10
• Irish Cup: 40
  • 1890/91, 1891/92, 1892/93, 1894/95, 1897/98, 1898/99, 1901/02, 1903/04, 1911/12, 1912/13, 1914/15, 1915/16, 1918/19, 1921/22, 1922/23, 1929/30, 1930/31, 1933/34, 1935/36, 1938/39, 1941/42, 1944/45, 1945/46, 1947/48, 1949/50, 1952/53, 1959/60, 1961/62, 1962/63, 1969/70, 1977/78, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1993/94, 1994/95, 2001/02, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2009/10
• Irish League Cup: 9
  • 1986/87, 1991/92, 1993/94, 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2001/02, 2005/06, 2007/08
• County Antrim Shield: 43
  • 1898/99, 1903/04, 1905/06, 1906/07, 1907/08, 1912/13, 1913/14, 1916/17, 1921/22, 1922/23, 1927/28, 1928/29, 1929/30, 1931/32, 1932/33, 1933/34, 1934/35, 1937/38, 1941/42, 1946/47, 1948/49†, 1952/53, 1954/55, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1960/61, 1961/62, 1962/63, 1965/66, 1966/67, 1972/73, 1976/77, 1980/81, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1994/95, 1997/98, 2000/01, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06
• City Cup: 24
  • 1894/95,1895/96, 1897/98, 1899/00, 1900/01, 1901/02, 1902/03, 1903/04, 1907/08, 1909/10, 1919/20 1921/22, 1926/27, 1928/29, 1935/36, 1937/38, 1949/50, 1951/52, 1957/58, 1958/59, 961/62, 1963/64, 1967/68, 1973/74
• Gold Cup: 33
  • 1915/16 1917/18, 1918/19, 1920/21, 1921/22, 1923/24, 1926/27, 1927/28, 1928/29, 1930/31, 1935/36, 1936/37, 1948/49, 1949/50, 1950/51, 1955/56, 1957/58, 1959/60, 1961/62, 1963/64, 1965/66, 1967/68, 1968/69, 1970/71, 1971/72, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1983/84, 1984/85, 1987/88, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1996/97
• Ulster Cup: 15
  • 1948/49, 1955/56, 1956/57, 1959/60, 1961/62, 1964/65, 1967/68, 1970/71, 1971/72, 1974/75, 1977/78, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1984/85, 1992/93
• Floodlit Cup: 2
  • 1993/94, 1997/98
• North-South Cup: 1
  • 1961/62
• Blaxnit Cup: 1
  • 1970/71
• Tyler Cup: 1
  • 1980/81
• Setanta Cup: 1
  • 2005
• Top Four Cup: 2
  • 1966/67, 1967/68
• Belfast Charity Cup: 21
  • 1890/91, 1891/92, 1892/93, 1893/94, 1894/95, 1898/99, 1902/03, 1904/05, 1912/13, 1913/14, 1914/15, 1916/17, 1917/18, 1918/19, 1921/22, 1926/27, 1927/28, 1929/30, 1932/33, 1933/34, 1934/35, 1935/36, 1937/38
• Alhambra Cup: 1
  • 1921/22
• Belfast & District League: 2
  • 1915/16, 1917/18
• Northern Regional league: 3
  • 1942/43, 1944/45, 1945/46
• Substitute Gold Cup: 2
  • 1942/43, 1944/45

Intermediate honours

• Irish League B Division/B Division Section 2/Reserve League: 19
  • 1951/52†, 1952/53†, 1975/76†, 1977/78†, 1978/79†, 1979/80†, 1982/83†, 1983/84†, 1984/85†, 1987/88†, 1988/89†, 1990/91†, 1991/92†, 1998/99†, 1999/00†, 2003/04†, 2004/05†, 2008/09†, 2009/10†
• Irish Intermediate Cup: 13
  • 1897/98†, 1899/00†, 1901/02†, 1922/23‡, 1925/26‡, 1929/30†, 1946/47†, 1949/50†, 1956/57†, 1957/58†, 1971/72†, 2001/02†, 2003/04†
• Steel & Sons Cup: 9
  • 1895/96†, 1898/99†, 1915/16†, 1939/40†, 1946/47†, 1948/49†, 1972/73†, 1983/84†, 1997/98†
• George Wilson Cup: 8
  • 1953/54†, 1961/62†, 1976/77†, 1980/81†, 1983/84†, 1984/85†, 1988/89†, 1998/99†

† Won by Linfield Swifts (reserve team) ‡ Won by Linfield Rangers (reserve team)

Junior honours

• Irish Junior Cup: 3
  • 1890/91†, 1893/94‡, 1905/06ƒ
• County Antrim Junior Shield: 2
  • 1904/05ƒ, 1914/15#

† Won by Linfield II (reserve team)

‡ Won by Linfield Swifts (reserve team)

ƒ Won by Linfield Pirates (reserve team)

# Won by Linfield Rangers (reserve team)

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Alan Blayney 2 DF Steven Douglas 3 DF David Armstrong 4 MF Michael Gault 5 DF William Murphy 6 DF Kris Lindsay 7 MF Damien Curran 8 MF Philip Lowry 9 FW Peter Thompson 10 FW Michael Carvill 11 DF Noel Bailie (captain) 12 DF Billy Joe Burns 14 DF Aaron Burns

No. Position Player 16 MF Aidan O'Kane 17 FW Curtis Allen 18 GK Stuart Addis 19 MF Jamie Tomelty 20 MF Robert Garrett 21 DF Jim Ervin 22 MF Jamie Mulgrew 23 FW Paul Munster 24 MF Brian McCaul 25 FW Mark McAllister 26 MF Marcus Kane 27 DF J.P Gallagher 28 DF Chris Casement

A public mural in Belfast depicting Linfield's contribution to the Northern Ireland football team, featuring Tommy Dickson, Joe Bambrick and Elisha Scott

References

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/8475748.stm

External links

• South Stand Says
• Linfield FC Website
• Hatchets and Hammers
• Linfield at The Irish Football Club Project
• Club Captain