- Ards F.C.
Football club infobox
clubname = Ards
fullname = Ards Football Club
nickname = The Red & Blues
founded = 1902
ground =Dixon Park ,Ballyclare
Co. Antrim
capacity = 4,000 (660 seats)
chairman = Brian Adams
manager =Tommy Kincaid
league =IFA Championship
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leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=000000|socks2=FFFFFFArds F.C. is a Northern Irish football club playing in the
IFA Championship . The club, founded in 1902, is fromNewtownards , but plays its home matches atDixon Park inBallyclare , which it shares with Ballyclare Comrades. The current manager is Tommy Kincaid, who was a cult figure at Castlereagh Park during his playing days. Club colours are red and blue.The club has suffered severe financial problems in the last ten years. This resulted in the club having to sell its ground,
Castlereagh Park , to property developers. The club has shared grounds withCliftonville F.C. ,Carrick Rangers ,Bangor F.C. and nowBallyclare Comrades . Plans for a new ground in Newtownards are stalled at the planning stage with no sign of progress. Relegation out of senior football in 2006 has meant a struggle for this historic football club, with the loss of players and lower attendances.Castlereagh Park
Ards FC were forced to sell their Castlereagh Park home in 1998 to try and 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. The new stadium was supposed to have been ready in time for the demolition but in 2007 it remains a wasteland. As for Ards, they are now the nomads of
Northern Irish football.Honours
enior honours
*Irish League: 1
**1957/58
*Irish Cup : 4
**1926/27, 1951/52, 1968/69, 1973/74
*Irish Football League Cup : 1
**1994/95
*Gold Cup: 2
**1953/54, 1973/74
*Ulster Cup : 1
**1973/74
*Irish League First Division: 1
**2000/01
*County Antrim Shield : 3
**1955/56, 1971/72, 1993/94
*Blaxnit Cup : 1
**1973/74Intermediate honours
*Irish League B Division: 1
**1957/58†
*Irish Intermediate Cup : 1
**1970/71†† Won by Ards II (reserve team)
Staff
*Life Patron:
Lady Mairi Bury
*Chairman: Brian Adams
*Treasurer: J Bailie
*Company Secretary: Mark Jackson
*Manager: Tommy Kincaid
*Assistant Manager: Justin McBride
*First-team Coach: Andy Harwood
*First-team Attendant: Alan Gregg
*Under 18 Manager: Lee Forsythe
*Football Secretary: Brian Adams
*Directors: Brian Adams, Jim Bailie, Tom Graham, Billy McCully, Ronnie Bailie, Jenny Graham, Tom Beggs, John Black
*PA Announcer:Ivor Edgar
*Website Editor: Andrew McCullough
*Programme Editor: Adrian MonaghanRepresentatives
*Rep. to Irish Premier League Brian Adams
*Rep. to Irish Football Association Brian Adams
*Rep. to County Antrim Football Association Tom Graham
*Rep. to Youth League Keith Bailie aka BishManagers
External links
* [http://www.ardsfc.co.uk/ Ards FC Website]
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