Football’s Coming Home…a short history of Lurgan United FC

Lurgan United Football Club was formed in 1976 by a group of friends from around the Lurgan/Craigavon area, who had a common interest in playing football, but who also happened to be supporters of Manchester United Football Club – hence the Club's name! The club then applied to join what was then Division 5 of the Mid Ulster Football League in the same year, and within ten short but very successful years had climbed up the ladder, culminating with a Division One championship.

After a couple of seasons the Club was successful in gaining promotion up the Divisions, and with the membership growing steadily it was decided to enter a Reserve team into the League. Further successes came in subsequent seasons, and the club was able to introduce youth teams to compete in the local underage Leagues. Notable footballers who played for Lurgan United youth teams over the years include Neil Lennon, Gerry Taggart, Pat McGibbon and the current Glenavon Reserves Management team of Gerard McMahon and Sean Collins.

However, during the 1980's and early 1990's the local football environment was gradually changing, and competition for both new and existing talent became much tougher. With the emergence of other local clubs in Lurgan and the surrounding areas, the Club was not able to sustain this growth over the years and had to streamline its structure. Lurgan United FC now operates with a first Team and a Reserve Team, although club plans for extending the scope out into the underage football scene once again are starting to take good shape.

The club has experienced several difficult and testing years, both on and off the pitch, and the net result of these factors ending with the 1st Team being relegated last year to Division 3 of the Mid-Ulster Football League (MUFL). However, under the careful eye of new 1st Team Manager Fintan Kelly and Club Chairman and Assistant Manager Sean O’Neill, the club is slowly trying to re-build another solid foundation for the coming years. With the addition of several new players this season, it is hoped that this will in turn lead to a greater team spirit and camaraderie, as well as a winning mentality and renewed determination, which has sadly been lacking somewhat over the past few seasons.

This year, Lurgan United have returned to their ‘spiritual’ home at Reid’s Bar. After a short stint in the Stables Bar, it was in Reid’s Bar but under its former guise as Hugh News’ (aka The Criterion) Bar that the club really emerged in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. As the club now experiences a minor rebirth, so to speak, the significance of this fact is not lost on Gerard Reid, the former Armagh Senior Football and All-Ireland Winning Player and proprietor of Reid’s Bar, who states “I am more than happy to welcome Lurgan United Football Club back to this bar! We have a strong, sports-oriented clientele base here, and we are committed to supporting the needs of the local community in a variety of different ways, with Lurgan United FC being one of our main ones.”

The club has also recently introduced a brand new website, which can be viewed at http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/lurganunited. This site provides all members and players with a wealth of information on Lurgan United FC, whether it be historical, current or even future / planned events. Several different sponsorship options for the club are available, details of which are outlined on the website. The club would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to all those who have sponsored or supported us this year in any way, because without the generosity of all our sponsors and benefactors we would simply no longer exist... ”Fact!”...to quote a rather famous Premiership football team manager!

Please note that Lurgan United FC, in conjunction with Reid’s Bar and other associated 3rd parties, will be staging a number of charity events and functions throughout the course of the coming season, such as a van pull, monthly table quiz, fancy dress night, etc. We will be supporting a variety of local charitable organisations over the year, and so we would invite all those interested charities to get in touch with the club though the ”Contact Lurgan United FC” feature at the bottom of every page on our new website.

So, the vital question is… Where will this next phase of the club’s history lead to then? Answer: Progression back up the MUFL Divisions once again and new sustainable structures to the club which will facilitate local youth footballers. These are 2 of our key objectives really, but who knows what else will happen!

It’s a bit of an old cliché, but in the minds of a growing number of club players and members there is a new phrase being muted… “Let the red revolution begin!”

Issued by: Sean O’Neill / Paul O’Neill – Lurgan United FC

Issue Date: Sept 2009