Warrenpoint Town F.C.

Coordinates: 54°7′4.318″N 6°15′48.186″W / 54.11786611°N 6.26338500°W / 54.11786611; -6.26338500
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Warrenpoint Town
Full nameWarrenpoint Town Football Club
Nickname(s)The Point
Founded1987; 37 years ago (1987)
GroundMilltown, Warrenpoint
Capacity1,450 (150 seated)
ChairmanAndrew Talbot
ManagerGary Boyle
LeagueNIFL Premier Intermediate League
2022-232nd NIFL Championship (Relegated due to a licencing issue)
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Warrenpoint Town Football Club is an intermediate Northern Irish football club that plays in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League. [1]

History

The club was formed in 1987, and for the first 23 years of its existence played at regional league level. After being crowned champions of the Mid-Ulster Football League Intermediate A division in the 2009–10 season, the club was elected to Championship 2 for the first time by the Championship Committee. During their first season, they defeated Cliftonville 3–1 on penalties at Solitude in the fifth round of the 2010–11 Irish Cup – at the time, the biggest result in the club's history. It went on to become a very successful season for the club, as they adapted to the step-up to Championship 2 emphatically, winning the division by nine points and losing only one of the 30 games in the process. This secured their second consecutive promotion, elevating them to Championship 1, the second tier of Northern Irish football.

In their first season in Championship 1 they found the next step up more difficult to adapt to but still avoided relegation, finishing in 12th place – nine points clear of the relegation zone. At the start of the 2012–13 season the demise of Newry City allowed the club to inherit some of Newry's players – strengthening their squad substantially.[2] They eventually finished as runners-up, and qualified for the promotion play-off against Donegal Celtic, who had finished second-bottom in the Premiership. Warrenpoint won the tie on the away goals rule after it ended 2–2 on aggregate, to reach the top flight for the first time in the club's history.[3] This rounded off a very successful few years for the club, going from the Mid Ulster Football League Intermediate A division to the Premiership in only four seasons.

In their first season in the top flight, when many had expected the club to go straight back down, the club played their home fixtures at Dungannon Swifts' ground, Stangmore Park, until 30 November 2013 because their home ground did not meet Premiership criteria.[4] During this period the ground was upgraded to top flight standard and the club managed to survive that season.

In 2014–15, the Point did not have an overall good season, finishing in 11th position and suffered a difficult time against Bangor in the Relegation Play-Off losing 2–0 in the first league at Clandeboye Park before winning 2–0 at Milltown and beating the Seasiders on penalties.

In 2015–16, Warrenpoint Town suffered a poor start to their season, being bottom of the table with just four points at Christmas. Following the sale of star striker Daniel Hughes to Cliftonville, the club received Martin Murray and Johnny McMurray from

NIFL Championship 1
. Mid-season the following year, manager Barry Gray took the decision to step down and help the club with board matters and made the decision to appoint first team coach
NIFL Championship 1 by Christmas time and had remarkably beaten Glenavon 3–1 in the Mid-Ulster Cup to reach their first ever Mid-Ulster Cup final. The club sealed their return to the NIFL Premiership with a 3–2 win over Institute
in April 2017.

The club made their championship return following a 12th placed finish in the NIFL Premiership in April 2022. [5] The club in the 2022-23 season finished second in the

Irish FA. [6]

Manager Barry Gray, in his second spell at the club following his first managerial stint from 2006-2016, departed the club in January 2024, amid speculation of his appointment at Newry City. [7]

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 Lewis Deane
2 DF Republic of Ireland IRL Ray O’Sullivan
4 DF Northern Ireland NIR Evan McEnteggart
5 DF Northern Ireland NIR John Boyle
6 MF Northern Ireland NIR James Walker
7 MF Northern Ireland NIR Jim O’Hanlon
8 MF Northern Ireland NIR Rory Powell
9 FW Republic of Ireland IRL Dauda Shotayo
11 FW Northern Ireland NIR John Savage
12 FW Republic of Ireland IRL James McElligott
14 MF Northern Ireland NIR Shane Haughey
16 FW Republic of Ireland IRL Colm Carney
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 FW Northern Ireland NIR Niall Lennon
20 GK Northern Ireland NIR Oisin McStay
21 MF Northern Ireland NIR CJ McMahon
22 MF Northern Ireland NIR Stuart Hutchinson
24 FW Northern Ireland NIR Declan Loye
32 DF Republic of Ireland IRL Joe Gorman
33 DF Republic of Ireland IRL Jeff Nwodo
39 MF Republic of Ireland IRL Aaron Corish
44 DF Northern Ireland NIR Jamie O'Flaherty
TBA FW Northern Ireland NIR Diarmuid O'Hanlon
TBA DF Republic of Ireland IRL Ciaran O'Reilly

Honours

Senior honours

Intermediate honours

References

  1. ^ "Warrenpoint Town:Club set to be relegated to expanded PIL". BBC Sport NI. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Newry old boys out to make point". Belfast Telegraph. 12 January 2013. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  3. ^ "Warrenpoint Town overcome Donegal Celtic in Premiership play-off". BBC Sport. BBC. 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 19 June 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  4. ^ "Irish Premiership: Warrenpoint Town 2–1 Coleraine". BBC Sport. 30 November 2013. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  5. ^ "Irish Premiership: Linfield and Cliftonville win as Warrenpoint relegated". BBC Sport NI. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Update on Football Licence". Warrenpoint Town FC. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Warrenpoint manager Barry Gray departs amid Newry speculation". BBC Sport NI. Archived from the original on 1 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.

External links

54°7′4.318″N 6°15′48.186″W / 54.11786611°N 6.26338500°W / 54.11786611; -6.26338500

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