Ards F.C.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Short description{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox football club with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| alt | American | body1 | body2 | body3 | capacity | caption | chairman | chrtitle | clubname | coach | coordinates | current | dissolved | founded | fullname | ground | image | image_size | kit_alt1 | kit_alt2 | kit_alt3 | league | leftarm1 | leftarm2 | leftarm3 | manager | mgrtitle | nickname | owner | owntitle | pattern_b1 | pattern_b2 | pattern_b3 | pattern_la1 | pattern_la2 | pattern_la3 | pattern_name1 | pattern_name2 | pattern_name3 | pattern_ra1 | pattern_ra2 | pattern_ra3 | pattern_sh1 | pattern_sh2 | pattern_sh3 | pattern_so1 | pattern_so2 | pattern_so3 | position | rightarm1 | rightarm2 | rightarm3 | season | shortname | short name | shorts1 | shorts2 | shorts3 | socks1 | socks2 | socks3 | stadium | title | upright | website }}{{#if:| }}{{#if:| }}

Ards Football Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in NIFL Championship. The club is based in Newtownards, but plays its home matches at Clandeboye Park in Bangor, which it rents from rivals Bangor to play home games. The club colours are red and blue.

History

Castlereagh Park

Ards were forced to sell their Castlereagh Park home in 1998 to try to 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. In 2002 Castlereagh Park was demolished, as planned. Ards hoped to play at a new community-owned site, a stone's throw from Castlereagh Park that was due to be developed in 2010 by the local council. This plan has since been shelved, and they are still the nomads of Northern Irish football. During the time since Ards left Castlereagh Park, they have shared football grounds at Cliftonville's Solitude and Carrick Rangers' Taylors Avenue, their rivals Bangor's ground, Clandeboye Park and Ballyclare Comrades' ground, Dixon Park.

First top-flight return: 2013–14

For the 2012–13 season they played their home games at Clandeboye Park and were promoted to the NIFL Premiership for the 2013–14 season and went straight back down that season. Ards 2014–15 season was a season of change, with many players coming and going from the club and the season ultimately ended in disappointment with them finishing 3rd. The 2015–16 was a better one with Ards reaching the league cup final by knocking out premiership sides Ballinamallard United and Coleraine before losing 3–0 in the final to Cliftonville at Solitude. Ards kept a comfortable hold at the top of the table before becoming league champions on the last day of the season beating Loughgall to secure their promotion back to the Premiership after a two-year absence.

Second top-flight return: 2016–17

Amidst proposed new plans for a stadium to be built on the grounds of Movilla High School,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ards returned to the top-flight once more under the stewardship of Niall Currie, who sought to bolster his squad with no less than 15 new signings. These included experienced Premiership players such as Ballymena United centre-back Johnny Taylor, and former Glenavon striker Gary Liggett. Other recruitments included defender Stuart McMullan and French striker Guillaume Keke, both signed from Larne. Ards started the season with a credible 2–2 draw with Cliftonville and went on to win their next three games in a row to become early leaders at the top of the league table. Following Niall Currie's move to manage hometown club Portadown the club appointed Glentoran legend Colin Nixon as his replacement.

Londonderry Park

Plans were under-way to develop Londonderry Park as the new grounds for the team. Planning officials gave Ards Borough Council the go-ahead on the £3.8 million plan in October 2010.<ref>Ards FC website New stadium gets go ahead Template:Webarchive</ref>

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 2010.<ref>Ards FC website Bring Ards FC Home Campaign Template:Webarchive</ref> Plans included 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 would have also continued to provide facilities for hockey and cricket.

However, in August 2012 it was announced that Ards Borough Council would not be proceeding with the new stadium, and the plans were shelved.<ref>Ards FC Website Stadium meeting next week Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Ards FC Website Statement from the Chairman Template:Webarchive</ref>

European record

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Overview

Competition Matches W D L GF GA
European Cup check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
UEFA Cup check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
European Cup Winners' Cup check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
UEFA Intertoto Cup check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
TOTAL check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}

Matches

Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Aggregate
1958–59 European Cup PR Template:Flagicon Stade Reims 1–4 2–6 3–10
1969–70 European Cup Winners' Cup 1R Template:Flagicon Roma 0–0 1–3 1–3
1973–74 UEFA Cup 1R Template:Flagicon Standard Liège 3–2 1–6 4–8
1974–75 European Cup Winners' Cup 1R Template:Flagicon PSV Eindhoven 1–4 0–10 1–14
1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup Group 3 Template:Flagicon Royal Antwerp 0–1 style="text-align:center;" Template:N/a 5th
Template:Flagicon Nea Salamis style="text-align:center;" Template:N/a 1–4
Template:Flagicon Auxerre 0–3 style="text-align:center;" Template:N/a
Template:Flagicon Lausanne Sports style="text-align:center;" Template:N/a 0–6

Current squad

Template:Updated<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Number Name Nationality
1 Marc Matthews (GK) Template:Flag
2 Max Greer Template:Flag
3 Connor Maxwell Template:Flag
4 Caolan Loughran (On loan from Ballymena United) Template:Flag
5 Ryan Arthur Template:Flag
6 Michael Ruddy Template:Flag
7 Eamon Scannell Template:Flag
8 Patrick Cafolla (Captain) Template:Flag
9 Zach Barr Template:Flag
10 Ciaran Dobbin Template:Flag
11 Gary Donnelly Template:Flag
12 Kielan Reid Template:Flag
14 Ethan Simpson (On loan from Larne) Template:Flag
15 Jamie Browne Template:Flag
16 Caolan Donnelly Template:Flag
17 Connor Scannell Template:Flag
18 Paul Donnelly Template:Flag
19 Darius Roohi Template:Flag
20 Steven Gordon Template:Flag
21 Mark Carson Template:Flag
22 George Tipton Template:Flag
23 Jack Reilly Template:Flag
26 William Francey Template:Flag
30 Adam Ritchie (GK) Template:Flag
32 James Taylor (GK) Template:Flag

Managerial history

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 Sr.
1959 Jimmy Tucker
1959–60 Len Graham
1960–63 Tommy Ewing <ref>Template:NeilBrownPlayers</ref>
1963–64 Johnny Neilson
1964–70 George Eastham Sr.
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
2010–11 Justin McBride
2011–16 Niall Currie
2017–2019 Colin Nixon
2019 Warren Feeney
2019–2022 John Bailie
2022–2023 Matthew Tipton
2024-Present John Bailie

Honours

Senior honours

Intermediate honours

Clements Lyttle Cup

    • 1941-42, 1942-43††

† Won by Ards II †† Won by Ards playing as Ards II during war years

International players

Number of caps listed are those gained whilst contracted to Ards FC.

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Football in Northern Ireland Template:NIFL league Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Ards_F.C.&oldid=768101"