Ballyclare Comrades F.C.

Ballyclare Comrades

Full name	Ballyclare Comrades Football Club
Founded	February 1919
Ground	Dixon Park, Ballyclare, County Antrim
Capacity	2,398 (538 seated) [1]
Chairman	James Kirk
Manager	Stephen Small
League	NIFL Championship
2022–23	NIFL Championship, 6th
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Ballyclare Comrades Football Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the NIFL Championship. The club hails from Ballyclare, County Antrim and plays its home matches at Dixon Park. Club colours are red and white. The club's rivals are Carrick Rangers and Larne and games between the three clubs are referred to as "The East Antrim Derbies".

History

The club was founded in 1919 by veterans of the First World War, most of them from "C" Company of the 12th Royal Irish Rifles – a battalion made up entirely of East Antrim men, who fought at the Somme and in many other famous First World War battles. From 1990 until 2003, the club enjoyed senior status, but reverted to intermediate status when the Irish Premier League was established and the number of senior clubs was reduced.

The club's reserve team play in the NIFL Development League for under 20s. The club also has a partnership with local youth club Ballyclare Colts, whose sides (from under 11 to under 15) provide players to progress to Comrades' own youth sides at under-17 and under-18 level. The under-18 side play in the IFA Youth League.

The club was relegated to IFA Championship 2 in the 2010–11 season and finished in 6th place in the 2011–12 season, but the following season brought promotion back to Championship 1 after finishing as runners-up behind Championship 2 winners Knockbreda. One of the club's most famous products was Northern Ireland and Sunderland defender Paddy McNair who attends games when possible. Gareth McAuley, now of Rangers, and Michael Smith (Hearts) both played for the Comrades before switching to professional football.

The club finished an impressive third in the 2016–17 season, losing out in a promotion playoff to Institute. The club continues with the ambition of getting back into the NIFL Premiership.

Current squad

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK   NIR Declan Breen(On loan from Cliftonville) 2 DF   NIR Caomhan McGuiness 3 DF   NIR Lee McCune 4 DF   NIR Owen McConville 6 MF   NIR Conall McGrandles 7 MF   NIR Liam Hassin 8 MF   NIR Cillian Gilmour 9 FW   NIR Darius Roohi 10 FW   NIR Callum Ferris 12 DF   NIR Harry Wylie 13 GK   NIR Robbie Mather 14 FW   NIR Conal McWilliams-Small

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 MF   NIR Tomas Gilmour 16 FW   NIR Brian Healy(On loan from Newry City) 17 MF   NIR Caolan Donnelly(On loan from Larne) 18 FW   NIR Michael Morgan(On loan from Cliftonville) 19 GK   NIR Gerard Walker 20 DF   NIR Ronan McAleer 22 DF   NIR Bobby Higgins 23 FW   NIR Lee McGreevy 24 MF   NIR Gary Donnelly(Captain) 25 MF   NIR Alan McMurtry 28 FW   IRL Cathal Farren

Honours

Senior honours

• Ulster Cup: 1
  • 1997–98

Intermediate honours

• Irish League B Division: 6
  • 1960–61, 1962–63, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1988–89
• IFA Intermediate League Second Division: 1
  • 2006–07
• Irish Intermediate Cup: 9
  • 1925–26, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1953–54, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1989–90
• B Division Knock-out Cup: 2
  • 1983–84, 1988–89
• George Wilson Cup: 4
  • 1955–56, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1993–94†
• Steel & Sons Cup: 6
  • 1943–44, 1960–61, 1974–75, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1986–87
• McElroy Cup: 1
  • 1941–42
• Clarence Cup: 3
  • 1980–81†, 1982–83†, 1983–84†

† Won by reserve team ^[2]

References

1. "Dixon Park". Ballyclare Comrades. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
2. "Honours". Ballyclare Comrades FC Website. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.

External links

• Ballyclare Comrades F.C. Website
• Irish Football Club Project
• nifootball.co.uk (fixtures, results and tables of all leagues)