History
Distillery Football Club was formed in November 1880 after members of V. R. Distillery Cricket Club decided to form a football team to stay active during the winter months. The directors of Dunville's Whiskey Distillery filled in a waste pond at the back of the distillery for the team. They remained at this ground, called Daisy Hill, until 1882 when they moved to a larger ground called Broadway, based adjacent to Celtic Park. They remained there until 1887 when they moved to Grosvenor Park, based at Distillery Street off the Grosvenor Road, close to their old Daisy Hill ground and spiritual home. [1] [2]
In 1920, Dunville's decided the sell the Grosvenor Park ground, and while Distillery were able to play there during the 1920–21 season, during 1921–22 the club played all of its games away from home. For the start of the 1922–23 season, they secured a new ground called York Park on the Shore Road, Belfast, where they remained until 1927 when they returned to Grosvenor Park after Dunville's agreed to let them play there again, having not found the ground fit for their purposes. Distillery had been forced to look for a new ground after strong winds had blown down the main stand of their York Park ground. [3]
On 30 December 1952, the first full match played under floodlights, anywhere in Ireland, took place at Grosvenor Park. Distillery's opposition were English team Burnley. The first officially approved competitive match under floodlights in the British Isles took place at Grosvenor Park on 25 March 1953 when Distillery Seconds played Ballymena United Reserves in the George Wilson Cup and the first floodlight league game in the British Isles took place at Grosvenor Park on 24 December 1953 when Distillery played Coleraine. [4]
Distillery remained at Grosvenor Park until 1971, when the Troubles directly affected the club. The area around the ground was situated in a flashpoint area, creating a security risk which had already caused the club to play matches elsewhere, but the deciding factor for the club to finally leave the area was the burning down of its money-making social club in August 1971. [2]
After sharing Skegoneill Avenue (Brantwood) and Seaview (Crusaders) for some years, the club moved in 1980 to a permanent new home at New Grosvenor Stadium, Ballyskeagh, County Antrim, on the southern outskirts of Belfast. The main stand at New Grosvenor Park is named after legendary player Bertie McMinn.
The club was known simply as Distillery from its foundation until 1999, when it changed its official name to 'Lisburn Distillery' to associate itself more closely with its adopted borough (now city) of Lisburn. However, the club is still colloquially referred to as "Distillery". The club colour is white. A founder member of the Irish League in 1890, the club remained at the top until 1995.
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