Hillsborough Boys F.C.

Last updated
Hillsborough Boys
Hillsborough Boys FC.png
Full nameHillsborough Boys Junior Football Club
Founded1969
GroundLaurelhill Sports Zone
League Mid-Ulster Football League
Website hillsboroughboys.com

Hillsborough Boys Junior Football Club, referred to as Hillsborough Boys, are an intermediate football club that they play in Division 1 of the Mid-Ulster Football League in Northern Ireland. Hillsborough Boys are based in Lisburn. [1] [2] Hillsborough Boys F.C. was established in 1969 by Brian Ogle. The club, which plays in the Irish Cup, [3] forms part of the Mid-Ulster Football Association.

Contents

Hillsborough Boys holds the Irish FA's Advanced Club Mark, which is the highest accreditation available to clubs not competing in the Northern Ireland Football League licensing system. [4]

History

Hillsborough Boys Junior Football Club were established in 1969 by founder Brian Ogle. Originally a village team, they were one of the founders of a regional league known as the Dundonald Junior League. [5] In 1977, Hillsborough Boys won all 33 games in the league, completing a league and cup double.

The Hillsborough Boys Learning Disability Football Team finished third place in the Disability Sports Team of the Year category at the 2022 Draynes Farm Sports Personality of the Year Awards. [6]

The club has played in various European tournaments and cup competitions. These includes competitions in Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Italy. The youth teams compete in the Verona Cup, a tournament held in Lake Garda, Italy. They won the competition in 2013 and 2024. [7]

Club badge, ground and colours

Hillsborough Boys play at Laurelhill Sports Zone, and they play in red and black stripes. [8] The training session takes place at Hillsborough Boys' Football Factory. [9]

In June 2025, a new 3G pitch facility opened at Laurelhill sports zone after the Lisburn City and Castlereagh Council approved the plans for the £1.7 million investment. The construction was carried out by John McQuillan Contracts, which started in 2024. [10] [11]

Academy

Hillsborough Boys FC has 26 youth teams, which allow boys and girls to take part between the ages of 11–19. These youth sides train on a weekly basis. They also host summer camps for children. [12]

A number of players within the league have gone on to play professionally. These include Northern Ireland internationals, such as Neil Lennon and Gerry Taggart. [13] [14]

Vivian Campbell, the guitarist currently with Def Leppard and formerly of Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy, played football for Hillsborough Boys youth side in the early 1970s. [15] [16]

Media

The Hillsborough Boys Podcast features Director of Football Justin Sheppard discussing the club's history and its future. Founder Brian Ogle also featured on the first episode. [17] [18]

Honours

Irish Football Association

Mid-Ulster Football League

Dundonald Junior League

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council

European Youth Tournaments

References

  1. ↑ "Mid Ulster Football League". www.midulsterfootballleague.co.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  2. ↑ "Trophies brought to club". NorthernIrelandWorld. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  3. ↑ "fonaCAB Craig Stanfield Junior Cup - Round One draw". IFA. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  4. ↑ "Hillsborough Boys awarded McDonald's Advanced Club Mark". IFA. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  5. ↑ "Football: Boys are set for 30-year party". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 5 November 1998. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  6. ↑ "Lisburn's sporting talent is celebrated at prestigious awards ceremony". NorthernIrelandWorld. 27 October 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  7. ↑ "Verona Cup 2024 - Highlights and winners". Verona Cup. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  8. ↑ "A council director has told a councillor he can see legal advice amid a court case on a suspected pit bull dog". NorthernIrelandWorld. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  9. ↑ "Seniors Team | Hillsborough JFC" . Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  10. ↑ "New 3G pitch opens at Laurelhill sports zone". lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  11. ↑ "Laurelhill Sports Zone - LeisurePlex". www.theleisureplex.com. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  12. ↑ "Summer Camps | Hillsborough JFC" . Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  13. ↑ "Hillsborough Boys | Lisburn.com". lisburn.com. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  14. ↑ "Celtic manager Neil Lennon rises above sectarianism". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 10 January 2011. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  15. ↑ "Hillsborough Boys look to return to former glory". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 9 September 2013. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  16. ↑ "Which of these lads went on to become a Def Leppard legend of rock?". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 1 March 2011. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  17. ↑ "Series 1 | Hillsborough JFC" . Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  18. ↑ "Hillsborough JFC Podcast". Buzzsprout. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.