Sport & Leisure Swifts F.C.

Sport & Leisure Swifts
Full name Sport & Leisure Swifts Football Club
Founded 1978
Ground Glen Road Heights, Belfast
Chairman John Connolly
Manager Pat McAllister
League NIFL Championship 2
2013–14 15th

Sport & Leisure Swifts Football Club is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in NIFL Championship 2. The club hails from Belfast and plays their home games at Glen Road Heights which is in the west of the city. It was founded in 1978 and played in the County Down Premier League and the Dunmurry League, before joining the Northern Amateur League in 1990.[1]

The club joined the IFA Championship in 2009. It shared Larne's Inver Park ground while its own home at Glen Road was improved to Championship standard.[2]

History

Sport & Leisure F.C. was founded in 1978 when a group of players approached a local Belfast businessman to provide a kit for their new team and he agreed, with the proviso that his company name, Ulster Sport & Leisure Club, appeared on the shirts. The club adopted the name "Sport & Leisure", which remains to this day, despite the disappearance of the original business. The name "Swifts" was added when a number of players from Dunmurry League side Belfast Swifts F.C. left to join Sport & Leisure.[3]

Admittance to the Amateur League was dependent the club having its own pitch, and this was achieved in 1990, when they secured a pitch at Allen Park, Antrim. The club acquired the use of Larkfield High School's ground in Belfast in 1991, before opening its own ground at Glen Road Heights in 2001.[4]

In 2003, intermediate status was achieved.[5]

Honours

Intermediate honours

2007-08 NAFL Division 1B Champions

External links

References

  1. H. Johnstone & G. Hamilton (n.d.) A Memorable Milestone: 75 Years of the Northern Amateur Football League, p. 218
  2. Club details
  3. "Swiftly Does It", NI Football, p.38, Issue 16, Winter 2010. Belfast:Irish Football Association
  4. "Swiftly Does It", NI Football, p.38, Issue 16, Winter 2010. Belfast:Irish Football Association
  5. "Swiftly Does It", NI Football, p.38, Issue 16, Winter 2010. Belfast:Irish Football Association