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.
[edit] Castlereagh Park
Ards FC 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. Sadly 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 has been delayed, and they are still the nomads of Northern Irish football. During the time since Ards left Castleragh Park, they have shared football grounds at Cliftonville's Solitude and Carrick Rangers' Taylors Avenue, their rivals Bangor's ground Clandeboye Park and now Ballyclare Comrades' ground Dixon Park.
[edit] Londonderry Park - Bring Ards Home
Plans are 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.[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 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.
[edit] Honours
[edit] Senior honours
[edit] Intermediate honours
† Won by Ards II (reserve team)
[edit] Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. |
|
Position |
Player |
| 1 |
 |
GK |
Graeme McKibbin |
| 2 |
|
DF |
Rab Young |
| 3 |
|
DF |
Kris Pike |
| 4 |
|
DF |
Gary Spence |
| 5 |
|
DF |
Darren Nixon |
| 12 |
|
DF |
David Cully |
| 14 |
|
DF |
James Cully |
| 16 |
|
DF |
Ciaran Boyd |
| 6 |
|
MF |
Ryan Berry |
| 7 |
|
MF |
Kyle McDowell |
| 8 |
|
MF |
Sammy Devine |
|
|
| No. |
|
Position |
Player |
|
|
MF |
Craig McMillen |
| 11 |
|
MF |
Aaron McKee |
| 15 |
|
MF |
Gareth Corey |
| 17 |
|
MF |
Jimmy McIlhagga |
| 19 |
|
MF |
Mark Picking |
| 21 |
|
MF |
Adam Arthurs |
| 9 |
|
FW |
Nathan McConnell |
| 10 |
|
FW |
Ross Arthurs |
| # |
|
FW |
Joe Finlay |
| # |
|
MF |
David Magee (on loan from Glenavon) |
|
- Chairman: Brian Adams
- Treasurer: Jim Bailie
- Company Secretary: Mark Jackson
- Manager: Niall Currie
- Assistant Manager: Michael McKeown
- First-team: Coach: Jay Willis
- First-team Scout: David Bryson
- 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
[edit] Representatives
- Rep. to IFA Championship: Brian Adams
- Rep. to Irish Football Association: Brian Adams
[edit] 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
[edit] Managers
[edit] External links
[edit] References
