Newry City A.F.C.

Newry City A.F.C.
Full name Newry City Athletic Football Club
Nickname(s) City
Founded 2013
Ground The Showgrounds, Newry
Ground Capacity 7,949 (safe capacity 2,275, 1,080 seated)[1]
Chairman Martin McLoughlin
Manager Darren Mullen
League NIFL Championship
2016–17 2nd (Promoted via play-off)

Newry City Athletic Football Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the NIFL Championship. It is based in Newry, County Down and plays at the Showgrounds. The club's colours are blue and white.

The club was created in 2013 after the former club, Newry City F.C. was dissolved in September 2012, when a winding-up petition brought against the club by former player and manager Gerry Flynn was granted, and the club decided not to appeal the decision.[2][3][4] This led to the majority of Newry City's players leaving for Warrenpoint Town.[5] The new club, wearing the same colours and having the same home as its predecessor, is regarded as a Phoenix club, but legally has no connection to the former club.

History

After the winding-up of Newry City F.C., discussions to form a new club began in December 2012. In February 2013, it was clarified that Newry City A.F.C. would be a new club and would not be liable for any debt owed by Newry City F.C.[6] There were discussions for the club to join the Republic of Ireland's League of Ireland, however the Irish Football Association said that they would block any attempt for Newry City to join the League of Ireland.[7] Newry City A.F.C. uses the old club's stadium, the Showgrounds, which is owned by Newry City F.C.'s season-ticket holders.[7] This meant that it was not sold when Newry City F.C. was wound up.[7]

Despite initial plans for the club to be named "Newry City 2012",[8] Newry City A.F.C. was officially launched by former Newry Town player Ollie Ralph on 7 March 2013, and it was announced that they would seek to join the Irish Football Association,[4] and play in the Intermediate B division of the Mid-Ulster Football League in the 2013–14 season.[9][10] Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill was originally scheduled to take part in the club's launch, but was unable to attend.[11]

In July 2013, the club was accepted as a member of the Mid-Ulster Football League Intermediate B division for the 2013–14 season - the fifth tier of football in Northern Ireland.[12] They won the division in their first season, gaining immediate promotion to Intermediate A (the fourth tier), which in turn they won in 2015-16 after two seasons, earning promotion to the NIFL Premier Intermediate League (the third tier).[13] In their first season in their division, the club were runners up, qualifying for the NIFL Championship Play-Off. OVer two legs, the team beat Armagh City 7-2 on aggregate to earn promotion to the NIFL Championship for the 2017-2018 season, a third promotion in four years, and ensuring the return of senior league football to the city for the first time since 2012.


Honours

Intermediate honours

Current Squad

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

No. Position Player
Northern Ireland GK Stephen Maguire
Northern Ireland DF John Boyle
Northern Ireland DF Mark Hughes
Northern Ireland DF Conor McCaul
Northern Ireland DF Ian Curran
Republic of Ireland DF Nathan Murphy
Northern Ireland DF Darren King
Northern Ireland DF Ruari Cunningham
Northern Ireland MF Chris McMahon
No. Position Player
Northern Ireland MF Jake Redpath
Northern Ireland MF Kevin McArdle
Northern Ireland FW Stephen McCabe
Northern Ireland FW Stephen Hughes
Northern Ireland FW Timmy Grant
Northern Ireland FW Mark McCabe
Northern Ireland FW Declan Carville
Northern Ireland FW Marty Havern

Women's team

The women's team played its first season in 2011.[14][15] They won the Division 4 in 2011 and the Division 3 in 2012.[16] The won the Division 1 title in 2013.[17] The women's team was promoted to the Women's Premier League in 2014, after winning the Championship.[18] In their 2015 Premier League season they only had 2 defeats and were second place going into the final matchday. After Linfield only drew with Glentoran United and Newry City won the team took first place and won the Premier League title.[19]

They also reached the Irish Cup final in 2014 but lost on penalties.

References

  1. ↑ Northern Ireland Assembly Answer to Written Question AQW1178/11
  2. ↑ "Newry City 0-4 Glenavon". BBC Sport. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "Irish FA suspends Newry City after club is wound up". BBC Sport. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Newry City's membership of the IFA is terminated". BBC Sport. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  5. ↑ "Newry old boys out to make point". Belfast Telegraph. 12 January 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  6. ↑ "Newry City FC to be relaunched". Destination Newry. 25 February 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 "What does future hold for football in Newry?". BBC Sport. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  8. ↑ "Newry City poised to make comeback after being wound-up". BBC Sport. 4 December 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  9. ↑ "Newry launches new football club". UTV. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  10. ↑ "Delight as Newry City AFC officially launched". Newry Times. 9 March 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  11. ↑ "Official NCAFC Launch this Thursday". newrycityafc.co.uk. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  12. ↑ "City accepted into Mid Ulster Intermediate B league". newrycityafc.co.uk. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  13. ↑ Newry Democrat
  14. ↑ http://www.irishfa.com/news/item/6453/newry-city-girls-flying-high/
  15. ↑ http://www.shekicks.net/news/view/2483
  16. ↑ http://www.shekicks.net/news/view/6423
  17. ↑ http://www.newrycityafc.co.uk/?p=1708
  18. ↑ http://women.soccerway.com/national/northern-ireland/championship/2014/regular-season/r24348/
  19. ↑ http://women.soccerway.com/national/northern-ireland/premier-league/2015/regular-season/r31178/
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