Limavady United Football Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the NIFL Championship. The club comes from Limavady, County Londonderry, and plays home matches at the Showgrounds. Club colours are royal blue shirts with white trim, blue socks and royal blue shorts. Away colours are all yellow. The current manager is Paul Owens.
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| Full name | Limavady United Football & Athletic Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | "The Roesiders"', '"The Lims" | ||
| Founded | c. 1955 | ||
| Ground | The Showgrounds, Limavady County Londonderry | ||
| Capacity | 1,500 (274 seated) | ||
| Manager | Paul Owens | ||
| League | NIFL Championship | ||
| 2023–24 | NIFL Premier Intermediate League, 1st of 14 (champions; promoted) | ||
| Website | http://www.limavadyunitedfc.com/ | ||
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History
editThere have been many football clubs in Limavady, dating back to 1880, when Alexander, a founding member of the Irish Football Association was formed by the Alexander Cricket Club. Alexander merged with another local club, Wanderers, in 1884 to form Limavady F.C.[1] Club historian David Brewster, however, dates the current Limavady club's formation to 1955.[2]
After a long time as a junior team, the club joined the senior Irish Football League in 1997–98, and reached its first Irish Cup semi-final in over a century in 2003–04. In 2008, the club lost its senior status when it failed to gain admission to the new IFA Premiership.
In April 2013, three players received suspensions after being found guilty of breaching IFA betting rules on one of the club's league matches.[3]
The club won the NIFL Championship 2 in the 2015–2016 season but were denied promotion to NIFL Championship 1 as they were unsuccessful in applying for a licence. However they were promoted as winners of the Premier Intermediate League in 2016–2017. They would be relegated at the end of the 2018/19 season.
Following a stay in the PIL, the club would make their NIFL Championship return following a 3–0 win away to Lisburn Distillery, also securing the league trophy.[4]
Carlos Tevez loan
editIn September 2011, the club vice chairman David Brewster issued a fax to Manchester City, offering to take Argentinian International Carlos Tevez on loan after the player had refused to go on as a substitute in a UEFA Champions League fixture. The club offer suggested that they would ensure Tevez stayed match fit and would avoid being cup tied, but asked that City continued to pay his reported £200,000 per week wages, a figure higher than Limavady's entire turnover for a year.
The offer, although meant as tongue in cheek became global headline news with some news agencies believing the offer to be a serious one. The story gained the club brief worldwide recognition although Manchester City themselves did not respond.[5]
Current squad
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Honours
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Senior honours
edit- County Londonderry Cup/North West Senior Cup: 7
- 1993–94, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2023–24
Intermediate honours
edit- Irish League B Division: 2
- 1983–84, 1992–93
- NIFL Championship 2: 1
- NIFL Premier Intermediate League: 2
- Irish Intermediate Cup: 3
- 1973–74, 1995–96, 2016–17
- George Wilson Cup: 1
- 1975–76
- Craig Memorial Cup: 10
- 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2023–24
- B Division Knock-out Cup: 2
- 1992–93, 1995–96
Junior honours
edit- Irish Junior Cup: 1
- 1963–64
- North West City Cup: 2
- 1960–61, 1966–67
- North West Junior League: 1
- 1968–69
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ Northern Whig, 8 December 1884; Belfast Newsletter, 12 October 1880
- ^ David Brewster (2017), Up the Lims, Chapter Five and 'Limavady United F.C. Family Tree'.
- ^ "Three Limavady United players banned over betting scandal". BBC Sport. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
- ^ "Roesiders Sweep to Title Clinching Victory". NIFL Website. 23 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ "Limavady United's loan offer to Manchester City's Carlos Tevez". BBC News. 28 September 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2013.