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Revision as of 20:35, 16 July 2011

Ards
Full nameArds Football Club
Nickname(s)The Red & Blues
Gegründet1900
GroundDixon Park, Ballyclare
Co. Antrim
Capacity5,333 (safe capacity 1,800)[1]
ChairmanBrian Adams
ManagerJustin McBride
LeagueIFA Championship 1
2010/117th

Ards F.C. is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 1. The club, founded in 1900, is from Newtownards, but plays its home matches at Dixon Park in Ballyclare, which it shares with Ballyclare Comrades. Club colours are red and blue.


Castlereagh Park

Ards FC were forced to sell their Castlereagh Park home in 1998 to try and reduce their crippling debts. The stadium remained well tended for another three years while ambitious plans for a new ground further down the road were developed. Sadly in 2002 Castlereagh Park was demolished, as planned. Ards hope to play at a new community-owned site, a stone's throw from Castlereagh Park that is due to be developed in 2010 by the local council. As for Ards, they are still the nomads of Northern Irish football. During the time when Ards left Castleragh Park, they shared football grounds with Cliftonville's ground Solitude. Carrick Rangers' ground Taylors Avenue. Their rivals Bangor's ground Clandeboye Park and now Ballyclare Comrades' ground Dixon Park.

Londonderry Park - Bring Ards Home

Plans are under-way to develop Londonderry Park as the new grounds for the team. Planning officials have Ards Borough Council the go-ahead on the £3.8 million plan in October of 2010.[2]

In 2009, supporters launched a campaign, 'Bring Ards FC Home', in which they publicised the need in the media and had discussions with politicians. Back as far as November 2008, the Council had discussed the need for a new Ards stadium. It was decided in April 2009 that Londonderry Park, on the Portaferry Road in Newtownards, was the best option and the Ards Council accepted the tender for redevelopment of the site in September of 2010.[3]

Plans include upgrades to the existing grass surfaces and the addition of new synthetic surfaces, and to allow for the possibility of future upgrading to meet regulations should the need arise. The ground will also continue to provide facilities for hockey and cricket.

Honours

Senior honours

Intermediate honours

† Won by Ards II (reserve team)

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
— GK   Graeme McKibbin
2 DF   Darren Nixon
3 DF   Kris Pike
4 DF   Gary Spence
5 FW   Gareth Corey
6 DF   David Cully
7 MF   Jimmy McIlhagga
8 MF   Mark Picking
9 FW   Stephen Doyle
11 MF   Aaron McKee
12 MF   Chris Kingsberry
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 FW   Ross Arthurs
15 DF   Rab Young
16 MF   James Wright
17 DF   Darren Devine
18 FW Northern Ireland NIR Paul McKnight
19 MF   Sammy Devine
- DF   Scott Collins
- GK   Sammy Maxwell
- FW   Ethan Boylan
- FW   Nathan McConnell

Staff

  • Chairman: Brian Adams
  • Treasurer: Jim Bailie
  • Company Secretary: Mark Jackson
  • Manager: Justin McBride
  • Assistant Manager: Paul McKnight
  • Goalkeeping Coach: Paul Kee
  • First-team Physiotherapist: Joe Crawford
  • First-team Attendant: Malcolm Lindsay
  • First-team Attendant: Barry Edgar
  • Football Secretary: Brian Adams
  • Directors: Brian Adams, Jim Bailie, Tom Graham, Ivor Edgar, Ronnie Bailie, Timmy Clarke, Tom Beggs
  • PA Announcer: Ivor Edgar
  • Website Editor: Andrew McCullough
  • Programme Editor: Adrian Monaghan

Representatives

  • Rep. to IFA Championship: Brian Adams
  • Rep. to Irish Football Association: Brian Adams

International Players

  • Andy Bothwell, 5 caps (Northern Ireland), 1925-27
  • Tommy Forde, 4 caps (Northern Ireland), 1958-60
  • William Humphries, 1 cap (Northern Ireland), 1962
  • Paul Kee, 2 caps (Northern Ireland), 1994

Managers

Tenure Manager
1935 Tom Adamson
1937-39 Sam Patton
1947-48 Ronnie Dellow
1949-50 Harry Walker
1950-51 John Reid
1951-53 Isaac McDowell
1953-59 George Eastham Snr
1959 Jimmy Tucker
1959-60 Len Graham
1960-63 Tom Ewing
1963-64 Johnny Neilson
1964-70 George Eastham Snr
1970-78 Billy Humphries
1978-79 Joe Kincaid
1979-80 Billy Nixon
1980-82 Billy Humphries
1983-85 Lawrence Walker
1985-87 Jimmy Todd
1987 John Reaney
1988-89 Jimmy Todd
1989-90 Peter Dornan
1990-91 Bertie Mcminn
1991-92 Roy Coyle
1992-93 Paul Malone
1993-97 Roy Coyle
1997 George Bowden (Temporary)
1997-99 Tommy Cassidy
1999-01 Trevor Anderson
2001-03 Frankie Parks
2003-05 Shane Reddish
2005-06 George Neill
2006 Gary Hillis & Raymond Morrison
2006-10 Tommy Kincaid
2010- Justin McBride

References

  1. ^ Northern Ireland Assembly Answer to Written Question AQW1178/11
  2. ^ Ards FC website New stadium gets go ahead
  3. ^ Ards FC website Bring Ards FC Home Campaign
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