Anniversary time

Anniversary time

25 January 2012 - by CHARLIE McSTAY

PLAYERS and officials at Downpatrick FC are getting ready for party time.

2012 marks the tenth anniversary of the club which was founded in 2002 when Downpatrick Hospitals and Downpatrick Celtic joined forces.

The club intends marking the occasion with a special evening reception on May 12 at Downpatrick racecourse.

Downpatrick FC has come a long way since the start of the Millennium and event organiser Tony McShane is hopeful of another few successful decades.

“ I think that it is pretty poignant that we have recently appointed Donal Bell as the new club manager, given his connections with the famous Downpatrick Rec team of the 1970s and ‘80s.

“I, and everyone at the club, hope things go well for him as he joins us in strengthening the foundations of the club. We are hoping that the 10th anniversary celebrations will entice former members back to the fold.

“The club would like to show their appreciation to all members, supporters and players, past and present, for all their hard work and support in the last 10 years and would like to extend an open invitation to all such people to attend their celebrations.”

The evening will also look back over the club’s numerous triumphs in recent years. Having begun its campaign in Division 2A of the Amateur league in 2001-02 the club found itself in the top flight of local football just three years later after winning back-to-back promotions.

The season of 2007/08 was undoubtedly the club’s best year with the annexing of the Premier Section as well as reaching the last 16 of the Irish Cup.

In that same year the club’s second team won division 3D of the Amateur League. In the next season the first team very nearly made it two titles in a row, but narrowly lost out to Newington by a single point on the last day of the season.

Heart-breaking defeats also came in the finals of the Junior Shield, Border Cup, Clarence Cup and Steel and Sons Cup, but they are all now just blips on the landscape as the club looks to the future.

In recent times, the club has also created a ladies’ team which in 2010 won the League Cup and promotion to the Irish League Championship. The club has joined forces with Celtic Bhoys FC in Downpatrick to create a youth system for players ranging from 8-19 years of age.

The evening will also include a meal and presentation ceremony followed by live music. There will also be a charity auction on the night for Cancer Research as well as the NI Chest Heart & Stroke Association.

Anyone who is interested in attending should contact Tony McShane on 07716 853990.