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2002–03 Irish League Cup
The 2002–03 Irish League Cup (known as the CIS Insurance Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 17th edition of the Irish League Cup, Northern Ireland's secondary football knock-out cup competition. It concluded on 3 December 2002 with the final. Linfield were the defending champions after their seventh League Cup win last season; a 3–1 victory over Glentoran Glentoran Football Club is a professional football club that plays in the NIFL Premiership. The club was founded in 1882. History Early history In 1914, Glentoran won the Vienna Cup, becoming the first United Kingdom team to win a European t ... in the previous final. This season both clubs met in the final again but this time Glentoran defeated Linfield 2–0 in the final to win their fourth League Cup overall, and second in three years. This was the fourth time in six years that the two clubs had met in the final, with Linfield coming out on top on all three of the previous occasions. The twenty clubs taking pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Irish League Cup
The Northern Ireland Football League Cup (BetMcLean League Cup for sponsorship purposes), also known colloquially as the Irish League Cup, is a national football knock-out cup competition in Northern Ireland open to all member clubs of the Northern Ireland Football League. It is the third-most prestigious competition in domestic Northern Irish football after the NIFL Premiership and Irish Cup. It should not be confused with the Irish League Floodlit Cup which ran from 1987–88 to 1997–98. Unlike the Irish Cup, the League Cup does not have a berth for UEFA Europa Conference League qualification. The cup has been operated by the Northern Ireland Football League since the 2013–14 season when it took over the administration from the Irish Football Association (IFA), after which the cup was renamed to the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) Cup. Since the 2017–18 season, the Cup has been sponsored by McLean Bookmakers. The competition's previous sponsors are JBE (2015– ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ballymena United F
Ballymena ( ; from ga, an Baile Meánach , meaning 'the middle townland') is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is part of the Borough of Mid and East Antrim. The town is built on land given to the Adair family by King Charles I in 1626, with a right to hold two annual fairs and a free Saturday market in perpetuity. , the Saturday market still runs. Ballymena is a shopping hub within Northern Ireland, and is home to Ballymena United F.C. Ballymena incorporates an area of and includes large villages such as Cullybackey, Galgorm, Ahoghill and Broughshane. It had a population of 29,551 people at the 2011 Census, making it the eighth largest town in Northern Ireland by population. History Early history The recorded history of the Ballymena area dates to the Early Christian period from the fifth to the seventh centuries. Ringforts are found in the townland of Ballykeel and a site known as Camphill Fort in the townland of Ballee may also have been of this type. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom and the second-largest in Ireland. It had a population of 345,418 . By the early 19th century, Belfast was a major port. It played an important role in the Industrial Revolution in Ireland, briefly becoming the biggest linen-producer in the world, earning it the nickname "Linenopolis". By the time it was granted city status in 1888, it was a major centre of Irish linen production, tobacco-processing and rope-making. Shipbuilding was also a key industry; the Harland and Wolff shipyard, which built the , was the world's largest shipyard. Industrialisation, and the resulting inward migration, made Belfast one of Ireland's biggest cities. Following the partition of Ireland in 1921, Belfast became the seat of government for Northern Ireland ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Windsor Park
Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Linfield F.C. who own the land the stadium is built on, while the Irish Football Association own and operate the stadium and pay Linfield an annual rental fee for the use of the land on behalf of the Northern Ireland national football team. The stadium is usually where the Irish Cup final is played. History Named after the district in south Belfast in which it is located, Windsor Park was first opened in 1905, with a match between Linfield and Glentoran. The first major development of the stadium took place in the 1930s, to a design made by the Scottish architect Archibald Leitch. It had one main seated stand - the Grandstand, later known as the South Stand - with "reserved" terracing in front, and a large open terrace behind the goal to the west called the Spion Kop. To the north, there was a long covered terrace – the "unreserved" terracing – and behind the eastern goal at the Ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gary Smyth
Gary Smyth (born 20 December 1969 in Belfast), nicknamed Smickers is a Northern Irish former footballer and manager. He played as a centre back for Glentoran, Glenavon, Ballymena and Crusaders. He previously managed Glentoran in 2019 and had two spells managing H&W Welders, first from 2013–2018 and the second spell from 2019–2022. Playing career Smyth signed for Glentoran from Holywood in 1988, winning numerous trophies and remaining there until 1995, when he signed for Glenavon, where he enjoyed more success, before returning to The Oval in 2000. He was named as the Ulster Footballer of the Year for the 2002/03 season. In 2007, he joined Crusaders, initially on loan, and later on a permanent transfer. He won four Irish Cup winners' medals, with Glentoran in 2004, Glenavon in 1997, and Crusaders in 2009. He retired on 9 May 2009 following the Irish Cup final. Management career H&W Welders (2013–2018) Smyth was manager of H&W Welders between 2013 and 2018, proving a suc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Halliday (footballer)
Michael Halliday (born 28 May 1979) is a footballer from Northern Ireland who plays in the NIFL Championship for Knockbreda. Halliday is from East Belfast and started his career at Glentoran (of whom he is a lifelong supporter), where he played for 11 years and won many trophies. Due to his loyalty the club, he was offered a testimonial in 2009. On 15 May 2010, Halliday signed a 3-year contract with North Belfast club Crusaders. He arrived on a free transfer after being released from Glentoran by new manager Scott Young at the end of the 2009/2010 season. He had the perfect start to this Crues career, scoring on his league debut against Donegal Celtic, and on 2 October 2010, Halliday scored the winning goal against his old side Glentoran to close the gap on the leaders. He also scored in the Irish Cup semi final against Portadown, to put the Crues into their second final in 3 years. Halliday and Crusaders team-mate Ryan McCann joined Lisburn Distillery in the summer of 2012 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Armagh City F
Armagh ( ; ga, Ard Mhacha, , "Macha's height") is the county town of County Armagh and a city in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All Ireland for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland. In ancient times, nearby Navan Fort (''Eamhain Mhacha'') was a pagan ceremonial site and one of the great royal capitals of Gaelic Ireland. Today, Armagh is home to two cathedrals (both named after Saint Patrick) and the Armagh Observatory, and is known for its Georgian architecture. Although classed as a medium-sized town, Armagh was given city status in 1994 and Lord Mayoralty status in 2012, both by Queen Elizabeth II. It had a population of 14,777 people in the 2011 Census. History Foundation ''Eamhain Mhacha'' (or Navan Fort), at the western edge of Armagh, was an ancient pagan ritual or ceremonial site. According to Irish mythology it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Newry City F
Newry (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland, divided by the Clanrye river in counties Armagh and Down, from Belfast and from Dublin. It had a population of 26,967 in 2011. Newry was founded in 1144 alongside a Cistercian monastery, although there are references to earlier settlements in the area, and is one of Ireland's oldest towns. The city is an entry to the " Gap of the North", from the border with the Republic of Ireland. It grew as a market town and a garrison and became a port in 1742 when it was linked to Lough Neagh by the first summit-level canal built in Ireland or Great Britain. A cathedral city, it is the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dromore. In 2002, as part of Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee celebrations, Newry was granted city status along with Lisburn. Name The name Newry is an anglicization of ''An Iúraigh'', an oblique form of ''An Iúrach'', which means "the grove of yew trees". The modern Irish name for Newry is ''An tIúr'' (), wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dungannon Swifts F
Dungannon () is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 14,340 at the 2011 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council had its headquarters in the town, though since 2015 it has been covered by Mid-Ulster District Council. For centuries, it was the 'capital' of the O'Neill dynasty of Tír Eoghain, who dominated most of Ulster and built a castle on the hill. After the O'Neills' defeat in the Nine Years' War, the English founded a plantation town on the site, which grew into what is now Dungannon. Dungannon has won Ulster in Bloom's Best Kept Town Award five times. It currently has the highest percentage of immigrants of any town in Northern Ireland. History For centuries, Dungannon's fortunes were closely tied to that of the O'Neill dynasty which ruled a large part of Ulster until the 17th century. Dungannon was the clan's main stronghold. The traditional site of inauguration ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Glenavon F
Glenavon Football Club is a Northern Irish semi-professional football club that competes in the NIFL Premiership. Founded in 1889, the club hails from Lurgan and plays its home matches at Mourneview Park. Club colours are blue and white. Gary Hamilton has been player-manager of the Lurgan Blues since December 2011 following the resignation of Marty Quinn. Glenavon's bitter rivals are Portadown, with their matches known as the "Mid-Ulster Derby". History Glenavon was the first provincial club to win the Irish League title (1951–52) and also the first provincial club to do the league and cup double (1956–57). The latter triumph also made them the first Northern Irish team to enter the European Cup. Glenavon has had a number of talented and famous players, none more so than Wilbur Cush and Jimmy Jones, who were to the fore in "the glory years" of the Fifties. The success of the 1950s is still the benchmark at the club – the closest the club have come to achieving a le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Portadown F
Portadown () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about southwest of Belfast. It is in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area and had a population of about 22,000 at the 2011 Census. For some purposes, Portadown is treated as part of the "Craigavon Urban Area", alongside Craigavon and Lurgan. Although Portadown can trace its origins to the early 17th century Plantation of Ulster, it was not until the Victorian era and the arrival of the railway that it became a major town. It earned the nickname "hub of the North" due to it being a major railway junction; where the Great Northern Railway's line diverged for Belfast, Dublin, Armagh and Derry. In the 19th and 20th centuries Portadown was also a major centre for the production of textiles (mainly linen). Portadown is the site of the long-running Drumcree dispute, over yearly marches by the Protestant Orange Order through the Catholic pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Limavady United F
Limavady (; ) is a market town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, with Binevenagh as a backdrop. Lying east of Derry and southwest of Coleraine, Limavady had a population of 12,032 people at the 2011 Census. In the 40 years between 1971 and 2011, Limavady's population nearly doubled. Limavady is within Causeway Coast and Glens Borough. From 1988 to 2004, a total of 1,332 dwellings were built in the town, mainly at Bovally along the southeastern edge of the town. The large industrial estate at Aghanloo is 2 miles (3 km) north of the town. History Limavady and its surrounding settlements derive from Celtic roots, although no-one is sure about the exact date of Limavady's origins. Estimates date from around 5 CE. Early records tell of Saint Columba, who presided over a meeting of the Kings at Mullagh Hill near Limavady in 575 CE, a location which is now part of the Roe Park Resort. Gaelic Ireland was divided into kingdoms, each ruled by its own family or cl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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