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==Honours==
==Honours==
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Revision as of 12:26, 25 July 2010

Linfield
Full nameLinfield Football and Athletic Club
Nickname(s)"The Blues"
Founded1886
GroundWindsor Park, Belfast
Capacity14,000
ChairmanJim Kerr
ManagerDavid Jeffrey
LeagueIFA Premiership
2009–101st

Linfield F.C. (full name Linfield Football & Athletic Club), is a Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international Football Team. Linfield play in the IFA Premiership (still popularly referred to as The Irish League)[1] the second oldest national league in the world after the Football League in England. Linfield have won the League title a record 49 times, were the first Champions of the League in the 1890–1891 season and are one of four clubs, the others being Cliftonville, Glentoran and Lisburn Distillery, who have retained membership of the League since its formation in 1890.

History

Founded in March 1886 in Sandy Row, South Belfast by workers of the Lindfield Spinning Mill, the team was originally known as the Lindfield Athletic Club and played on ground at the back of the mill known as 'The Meadow'.

Lindfield moved to Ulsterville Avenue in 1889. After the purchase of a piece of land known as the 'bog meadows' just off lower Windsor Avenue in 1904, they settled in what has become the permanent home of Lindfield FC., Windsor Park. The first game at Windsor was played against Glentoran, the bigger half of Belfast's "Big Two," on September 2, 1905 – though Belfast Celtic were the club's main rivals at the time.

On 27 April 2010, Linfield clinched their 49th title after a 1–0 victory against Cliftonville at Windsor Park.[2]

Windsor Park

Linfield's home ground is Windsor Park, which is located in south Belfast. The governing body of Northern Irish football, the Irish Football Association, leases the ground for use by the Northern Ireland national football team. The club currently receives 15% of Northern Ireland international gate receipts. However due to capacity concerns, the IFA no longer consider Windsor Park a suitable international venue, and are currently trying to break the contract negotiated in the 1980s.[citation needed]

In 2009, plans were dropped for the National stadium at the former Maze prison, and plans were drawn up by Linfield for long and short-term fixes for Windsor Park, involving the building of new South and Railway stands at a cost of £3million, with capacity unchanged.

Another proposal would be to bring capacity up to 20,000 with both new Railway and South stands, renovation work to the current North Stand, and minor upgrades to the existing Kop Stand, new floodlights, and a new pitch, at a cost of just under £20million

The latter proposal has been recommended by the Irish Football Association, who will be asking Linfield F.C. to renegotiate their lease contract regarding the use of Windsor Park for International football and major local cup finals, which still has 87 years to run.

European record

As the province's most dominant club side, Linfield have been regular campaigners in European football. Their most notable achievement was reaching the quarter-finals of the European Cup in the 1966–1967 season. After beating FC Aris Bonnevoie of Luxembourg and Vålerenga of Norway, they faced CSKA Sofia in the last eight. This resulted in a 2–2 draw at home and 1–0 defeat away.

In the 1984–85 season, after overcoming Shamrock Rovers on away goals, Linfield faced eventual semi-finalists Panathinaikos in the second round. After a 2–1 defeat away, Linfield went 3–0 up in the return leg at Windsor Park only to draw 3–3.

In the 1987–88 campaign Linfield's home game against Lillestrom was marred by missile throwing, resulting in UEFA sanctions which meant that the club had to play their next two home games in European competitions at Welsh club Wrexham in the 1988–89 and 1989–90 seasons.

The 1993–94 UEFA Champions League saw Linfield drawn with Dynamo Tbilisi of Georgia. After losing 3–2 on aggregate, they were reinstated when their opponents were expelled from the competition for alleged match fixing and paying the officials. Linfield faced FC Copenhagen in the first round proper. They won the first leg 3–0, and lost the second leg 4–0 after extra time. This proved costly, as victory would have meant a lucrative financial tie against eventual champions AC Milan in the next round.

Sectarianism

The management of Linfield has spent recent years attempting to overcome a perception that the club is closely identified with the Protestant community,[3] has been "regarded as a protestant club for protestant people", however it still draws the vast majority of its support from one side of the community but its squad is one of the most diverse in the Irish League. Not so long ago the notion of Linfield FC having any association, however tenuous, with the GAA would have also been held to ridicule. But the Blues have now developed links with the organisation.

Linfield manager David Jeffrey insists that it is the players desire to wear the famous blue shirt, not religious affiliation, which matters most. [4]

Honours

Senior honours

  • Irish League/Irish Premier League: 49
    • 1890/91, 1891/92, 1892/93, 1894/95, 1897/98, 1901/02, 1903/04, 1906/07, 1907/08, 1908/09, 1910/11, 1913/14, 1921/22, 1922/23, 1929/30, 1931/32, 1933/34, 1934/35, 1948/49, 1949/50, 1953/54, 1954/55, 1955/56, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1960/61, 1961/62, 1965/66, 1968/69, 1970/71, 1974/75, 1977/78, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1988/89, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2003/04, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2009/10
  • Irish Cup: 40
    • 1890/91, 1891/92, 1892/93, 1894/95, 1897/98, 1898/99, 1901/02, 1903/04, 1911/12, 1912/13, 1914/15, 1915/16, 1918/19, 1921/22, 1922/23, 1929/30, 1930/31, 1933/34, 1935/36, 1938/39, 1941/42, 1944/45, 1945/46, 1947/48, 1949/50, 1952/53, 1959/60, 1961/62, 1962/63, 1969/70, 1977/78, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1993/94, 1994/95, 2001/02, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2009/10
  • Irish League Cup: 9
    • 1986/87, 1991/92, 1993/94, 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2001/02, 2005/06, 2007/08
  • County Antrim Shield: 43
    • 1898/99, 1903/04, 1905/06, 1906/07, 1907/08, 1912/13, 1913/14, 1916/17, 1921/22, 1922/23, 1927/28, 1928/29, 1929/30, 1931/32, 1932/33, 1933/34, 1934/35, 1937/38, 1941/42, 1946/47, 1948/49†, 1952/53, 1954/55, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1960/61, 1961/62, 1962/63, 1965/66, 1966/67, 1972/73, 1976/77, 1980/81, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1994/95, 1997/98, 2000/01, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06
  • City Cup: 24
    • 1894/95,1895/96, 1897/98, 1899/00, 1900/01, 1901/02, 1902/03, 1903/04, 1907/08, 1909/10, 1919/20 1921/22, 1926/27, 1928/29, 1935/36, 1937/38, 1949/50, 1951/52, 1957/58, 1958/59, 961/62, 1963/64, 1967/68, 1973/74
  • Gold Cup: 33
    • 1915/16, 1920/21, 1921/22, 1923/24, 1926/27, 1927/28, 1928/29, 1930/31, 1935/36, 1936/37, 1942/43, 1946/47, 1948/49, 1949/50, 1950/51, 1955/56, 1957/58, 1959/60, 1961/62, 1963/64, 1965/66, 1967/68, 1968/69, 1970/71, 1971/72, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1983/84, 1984/85, 1987/88, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1996/97
  • Ulster Cup: 15
    • 1948/49, 1955/56, 1956/57, 1959/60, 1961/62, 1964/65, 1967/68, 1970/71, 1971/72, 1974/75, 1977/78, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1984/85, 1992/93
  • Floodlit Cup: 2
    • 1993/94, 1997/98
  • North-South Cup: 1
    • 1961/62
  • Blaxnit Cup: 1
    • 1970/71
  • Tyler Cup: 1
    • 1980/81
  • Setanta Cup: 1
    • 2005
  • Top Four Cup: 3
    • 1961/62, 1966/67, 1967/68
  • Belfast Charity Cup: 21
    • 1890/91, 1891/92, 1892/93, 1893/94, 1894/95, 1898/99, 1902/03, 1904/05, 1912/13, 1913/14, 1914/15, 1916/17, 1917/18, 1918/19, 1921/22, 1926/27, 1927/28, 1929/30, 1932/33, 1933/34, 1934/35, 1935/36, 1937/38
  • Alhambra Cup: 1
    • 1921/22
  • Belfast & District League: 2
    • 1915/16, 1917/18
  • Northern Regional league: 3
    • 1942/43, 1944/45, 1945/46

Intermediate honours

  • Irish League B Division/B Division Section 2/Reserve League: 19
    • 1951/52†, 1952/53†, 1975/76†, 1977/78†, 1978/79†, 1979/80†, 1982/83†, 1983/84†, 1984/85†, 1987/88†, 1988/89†, 1990/91†, 1991/92†, 1998/99†, 1999/00†, 2003/04†, 2004/05†, 2008/09†, 2009/10†
  • Irish Intermediate Cup: 13
    • 1897/98†, 1899/00†, 1901/02†, 1922/23‡, 1925/26‡, 1929/30†, 1946/47†, 1949/50†, 1956/57†, 1957/58†, 1971/72†, 2001/02†, 2003/04†
  • Steel & Sons Cup: 9
    • 1895/96†, 1898/99†, 1915/16†, 1939/40†, 1946/47†, 1948/49†, 1972/73†, 1983/84†, 1997/98†
  • George Wilson Cup: 8
    • 1953/54†, 1961/62†, 1976/77†, 1980/81†, 1983/84†, 1984/85†, 1988/89†, 1998/99†

† Won by Linfield Swifts (reserve team) ‡ Won by Linfield Rangers (reserve team)

Junior honours

  • Irish Junior Cup: 3
    • 1890/91†, 1893/94‡, 1905/06ƒ
  • County Antrim Junior Shield: 2
    • 1904/05ƒ, 1914/15#

† Won by Linfield II (reserve team)

‡ Won by Linfield Swifts (reserve team)

ƒ Won by Linfield Pirates (reserve team)

# Won by Linfield Rangers (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
1 GK Northern Ireland NIR Alan Blayney
2 DF Northern Ireland NIR Steven Douglas
4 MF Northern Ireland NIR Michael Gault
5 DF Northern Ireland NIR William Murphy
6 DF Northern Ireland NIR Kris Lindsay
7 MF Northern Ireland NIR Damien Curran
8 MF Northern Ireland NIR Philip Lowry
9 FW Northern Ireland NIR Peter Thompson
10 FW Northern Ireland NIR Michael Carvill
11 DF Northern Ireland NIR Noel Bailie (captain)
12 DF Northern Ireland NIR Billy Joe Burns
14 DF Northern Ireland NIR Aaron Burns
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 MF Northern Ireland NIR Aidan O'Kane
17 FW Northern Ireland NIR Curtis Allen
18 GK Northern Ireland NIR Stuart Addis
19 MF Northern Ireland NIR Jamie Tomelty
20 MF Northern Ireland NIR Robert Garrett
21 DF Northern Ireland NIR Jim Ervin
22 MF Northern Ireland NIR Jamie Mulgrew
23 FW Northern Ireland NIR Paul Munster
24 MF Northern Ireland NIR Brian McCaul
25 FW Northern Ireland NIR Mark McAllister
27 DF Northern Ireland NIR J.P Gallagher
File:Ireland-Linfield Mural.jpg
A public mural in Belfast depicting Linfield's contribution to the Northern Ireland football team, featuring Tommy Dickson, Joe Bambrick and Elisha Scott

References

  1. ^ "NI Football". Retrieved 2010-02-05.
  2. ^ "Linfield 1–0 Cliftonville". BBC Sport. BBC. 2010-04-27. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  3. ^ Armstrong, Gary; Giulianotti, Richard (2001). Fear and loathing in world football. Berg Publishers. p. 47. ISBN 1859734634, 9781859734636. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
  4. ^ {{cite web | title=The history of Linfield – Part 1 | url=http://www.u.tv/sport/The-history-of-Linfield-Part-1/0554b264-a544-4c01-8a58-571096e19f9c | date=2009-09-14 | accessdate=2010-03-23 | publisher=UTV News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/8475748.stm

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