| Full name | Gilford Crusaders Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Crues |
| Founded | 1887 |
| Ground | Woodlands Park |
| Chairman | Fergal Anderson |
| Manager | Luke Harrison |
| League | Mid-Ulster Football League |
Gilford Crusaders Football Club, referred to as Gilford Crusaders, is an intermediate football team from Gilford, County Down, Northern Ireland. [1] Gilford Crusaders play in the Mid-Ulster Football League. [2] [3] [4] Gilford Crusaders Reserves play in the Mid-Ulster Football Reserves League. [5] Gilford Crusaders are a member of the Mid-Ulster Football Association.
Founded in 1887, Gilford Crusaders are one of the oldest football clubs in Northern Ireland. The club compete in the Irish Cup. [6]
Gilford Crusaders home colours are red and black. The badge depicts a Christian Crusader with a sword and shield. They play their home games at Woodlands Park. [7]
In 1887, Gilford Crusaders was founded in the village of Gilford, County Down.
In 1921, Gilford Crusaders joined the Portadown and District League 1st Division. [8]
Gilford Crusaders reached the Mid-Ulster Cup final for the first time in 1931, however they would be narrowly beaten by Glenavon F.C. 2–1. [9] In 1932, they reached the Mid-Ulster Cup final for a second consecutive season. Gildford Crusaders would then be beaten again, this time by Portadown F.C. by the same 2–1 score-line. [10]
Gilford Crusaders would then end their Mid-Ulster Cup final drought when in 1935, they went on to win the Mid-Ulster Cup, beating Portadown F.C. 7–2 at Mourneview Park. [11]
In 1940, Gilford Crusaders reached the Alexandra Cup final for the first time and went on to win the silverware. [12]
In the 1948–49 season, Gilford Crusaders reached the Mid-Ulster Shield final, and went on to win it for the first time. Following the Shield success, they reached the Mid-Ulster Cup final for a fourth time, but would be beaten 3–2 by Banbridge Town F.C., missing out on a cup-double. [13]
In May 2012, Gilford Crusaders reached the Foster Cup final. They won the match 4–2 against Stranmillis, clinching their first Foster Cup. [14] [15]
In 2024, the club's community was impacted by the tragedy of former player Conor Molloy, who fell into a coma while living in Australia. A rapid fundraising effort saw almost £30,000 raised in 24 hours to assist the Molloy family with travel expenses from Northern Ireland. [16] [17] Following his death in hospital on 8 November, Gilford Crusaders F.C. released an official tribute to their former player. [18]