Shankill United Predators Football Club is a women's association football club based in Belfast, Northern Ireland and play at Hammer Park. They were founded in the 1990s as Predators F.C. and have undergone a number of name changes since foundation. They currently play in the Women's Championship after being relegated from the Women's Premier League in 2014.

History

Predators F.C. was founded in the 1990s by Sandy Shaw after becoming a coach. Realizing that the club could have an advantage by affiliating with established men's clubs, she negotiated a partnership with

Lisburn Distillery F.C. Lisburn Distillery Football Club is a Northern Irish intermediate football club who are based in Ballyskeagh, County Down. A founder member of the Irish League, they currently play in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League, the third tier of the ...

for Predators to become their women's team. The team was renamed Lisburn Distillery Predators as a result. Between 1999 and 2002, Lisburn Distillery Predators won the

NIWFA The Northern Ireland Women's Football Association (NIWFA) is the governing body of women's association football in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1977. History Prior to 1977, there was no organizing body for women's football in Northern Ire ...

Premier League three times and also became the first Northern Irish team to play in the UEFA Women's Cup. In 2006, the partnership with Lisburn Distillery was ended and the club were renamed Newbridge Predators. During this time, they left

Lisburn Lisburn (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with ...

and moved to Hammer Park in Belfast. In 2013, Newbridge Predators finished bottom of the Women's Premier League. However they were not relegated as Fermanagh Mallards were ejected from the league by the

Northern Ireland Women's Football Association The Northern Ireland Women's Football Association (NIWFA) is the governing body of women's association football in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1977. History Prior to 1977, there was no organizing body for women's football in Northern Ire ...

due to failing to fulfil league fixtures negating a need for relegation. In 2014, Newbridge Predators became affiliated with

Shankill United F.C. Shankill United Football Club is a Northern Irish, intermediate football club playing in the Premier Division of the Northern Amateur Football League. They play their home matches at the Hammer pitch on Agnes Street in the Shankill area of Belf ...

and were renamed as Shankill United Predators. During this season, they were relegated from the Women's Premier League for the first time after finishing 7th and lost the promotion/relegation play-off against Sion Swifts 6-1 on aggregate.

References

Women's association football clubs in Northern Ireland Association football clubs in Belfast Sports clubs and teams established in the 1990s {{NorthernIreland-footyclub-stub