Category: Womens

Newry City Ladies Meet the Players: Lauren Redpath

Name: Lauren Redpath

Age: 23

Occupation: Student

Position: Preferably Centre Half

Previous Clubs: Banbridge Town Ladies FC

Honours: Division 3 and 2 with Banbridge Town Ladies FC. With Newry I’ve won division 1, the championship and the premiership. League Cup Winner and Irish Cup Runner Up.

Footballing Hero: George Best or Gareth Bale

What is the best ground you have played in? Newry Showgrounds and Seaview.

Who is the joker of the team? The McMaster double act!

Apart from yourself who is the best player on the team? Aoife Lennon! The highest work ethic I’ve ever seen on and off the pitch from any player.

Who is the laziest player in the team? Not me!!

Who has the worst dress sense? The socks and sandals ladies.

Your toughest opponent? Kirsty McGuinness or Lauren Brennan.

Who is the best player you have ever played with? Kate Flood

If u had a super power what would it be? To fly, so I could take off for Ibiza, America, the Maldives, anywhere hot for free!

What are your interests outside of football? Netball, any sport really and a good night out.

What is your goal at Newry? This year, to get fitter and have a chance of playing in the champions league qualifiers but overall to keep getting better as a player and to win, whether it be leagues or cups!

Good luck Newry City Ladies

With just one game to go in the league, Newry City Ladies and Linfield are equal on points.

The Newry Ladies will take on Mid Ulster Ladies in their final league fixture of the season on September 9th. The same evening, Linfield are away to Glentoran.

This is the closest run title race in many years, and it all boils down to the last game. Get down to the Showgrounds on September 9th to cheer the ladies on!!!

Also, next Thursday, September 3rd, The Ladies will face Mid Ulster Ladies in the final of the Mid Ulster Cup at Stangmore park in Dungannon. KO 7.30pm.

Good luck from everybody at the club!

Newry City Ladies complete Historic Double

The Newry City Ladies team capped off a fantastic season earlier this month at Holm Park in Armagh when a hat trick from Captain Aoife Lennon eased them to a 3-1 win over Sion Swifts in the final of the Championship League Cup. This completed a remarkable double for the Ladies team after they won all but one of their league games to help them to a fourth successive league title in as many years. The Ladies were also very unlucky not to make a clean sweep of all trophies when they lost out on penalties to Linfield Ladies in the final of the Irish Cup.

Newry City Ladies Manager James Feehan told newrycityafc.co.uk he is delighted with how the season went and looks forward to the challenges that lie ahead.

Newry City Ladies Manager James Feehan and Captain Aoife Lennon are pictured here with the Concentrix Championship League Cup
Newry City Ladies Manager James Feehan and Captain Aoife Lennon are pictured here with the Concentrix Championship League Cup trophy

“Our goal when we started off in Division four in 2010 was to one day play in the Premiership and we are delighted to have achieved this in such a short space of time. The girls also did great to reach the final of the Irish Cup this year – it was a great experience for them. It was a cruel way to lose out on penalties but it will make the girls even more determined next season.

“We’d obviously love to win the Premiership at some stage but our main aim next season is to finish as high in the table as we can and build on it the following year. Anything else is a bonus. In our cup matches with Premiership sides in the past couple of seasons we have shown that we can more than hold our own with them so they know that we will be no walkover”.

James is pleased with the team’s progress but equally he would like to see support for the girls continue to grow.

“We have a loyal band of supporters but new faces are always welcome down to the Showgrounds. We are hoping that local people will come out in force next season to cheer the girls on in their first season in the Premiership. Most of our squad are also playing international football which means we can offer a high standard of football. All of our league matches are free entry also so it is a great opportunity for people to come down and cheer on their local club at no expense”.

The Feehan family
The Feehan family with the Concentrix Championship League Cup trophy

Newry City AFC Chairman Martin McLoughlin said that the Club are proud of the girls’ achievements to date.

“It’s great to see Newry City Ladies progressing so well – it’s been a dream season for them this year”, Martin told newrycityafc.co.uk

“They were also very unlucky to lose out on penalties in the Irish Cup final. Everybody at the club is very proud of their achievements thus far and we wish them well in their new league campaign next season”.

Newry Men’s Senior Team Manager Darren Mullen echoed Martin’s sentiments.

“It’s been another terrific year for James and The ladies team who are going from strength to strength. Anyone who has seen them play this year could not help but be impressed by the standard of football that they play. To win a league and cup double is never easy and great credit must go to all involved. They have done the club proud this season”.

Newry City AFC recognised at Sports awards

Newry City AFC may be barely a year in existence, but the remarkable progress of the club was highlighted last Thursday evening at the Newry & Mourne Sports awards in the Canal Court Hotel, where they received nominations in two categories, while Senior team manager Darren Mullen was the recipient of a special achievement award for his services to Sport in the Newry & Mourne area.

Newry City Ladies team received a nomination for the Jimmy Davis Soccer award.   Newry City AFC Special Olympics bowling club and Newry City AFC Special Olympics Club were both nominated for the Athletes with Learning disabilities award.

Newry City AFC Special Olympics Club

Newrycityafc.co.uk spoke with Special Olympics Club manager Esther King after the awards ceremony, who told us she was “proud to be local and proud to be part of the Newry City AFC Special Olympics team.”

Esther said the team enjoyed great success in the regional games in 2013 and look forward to competing in the All-Ireland games in 2014.

Newry City AFC Special Olympics athletes Katrina, Rebecca and Fergal
Newry City AFC Special Olympics athletes Katrina, Rebecca and Fergal

“Newry City Special Olympics club are very honoured to have 18 local athletes , four coaches plus three Head Coaches selected to represent Team Ulster for the 2014 All-Ireland Special Olympics Games. Having already qualified for selection through the Regional Finals in 2013, these athletes, who range from 10 to 65 years of age, will take part in Aquatics, Football and Bowling. Our clubs have over 60 athletes training every week in these sports as well as gymnastics. ”

Esther continued, “The athletes show true determination and dedication in their sport, overcoming many physical and mental challenges to participate to the best of their abilities.  It only takes belief in them by their coaches and encouragement to believe in themselves, to allow them to reach their true potential.”

Newry City AFC Special Olympics motto is – Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.

Newry City Ladies football team

There’s just no stopping Newry City Ladies football team. The girls have achieved phenomenal success since their formation in 2009. Last year the girls won the Northern Ireland Women’s Football Association Division one league – the fourth year running that the girls have won their league and achieved promotion!  Incredibly, the girls have done this without losing a single league game.

Newry City Ladies Football team
Newry City Ladies Football team

When you look at the strength in depth they have in their squad, it’s easy to see why Newry City Ladies are such a successful outfit. The team boasts many international players, including: Captain Aoife Lennon, Ciara Mulvena, Aimee Mackin, Lisa McCann, Blaithin Mackin and Aoibheen Jones, Natasha Daryaie and Moya Feehan. Moya, who is the daughter of assistant manager John, has been the leading goal scorer every season for Newry since the club formed. Moya, still only 18, and now a full international with Northern Ireland, scored the winning goal against England during the 2013 U17 European Championships.

Ladies team manager James Feehan believes there’s much more to come from the girls over the next couple of seasons.

“Last season we were promoted to the Championship. We’ve played teams from the Championship before on a number of occasions and done really well against them so come the end of next season we hope to be up there going for another league title.

“We have added to the squad with new signings Julie Robins, Alison McMaster, Emma McMaster, Leanne Domican, Charlene Troughton and Laura Hegan – so we have plenty of strength in depth.

“Our number one aim is to be playing Premiership football. This is the league above the Championship, the highest division you can reach in Northern Ireland Ladies football. If you win the Premiership then you can enter the Champions League, where you play against the top sides in Europe. This is the standard we want to be playing at.

“At the moment though we are just focusing on the hurdles we have to overcome this season, starting with our first league game at home to Valley Rangers on Thursday 24th April.”

Darren Mullen

Darren, who was a youth coach at  the club for over five years, was a key driving force in helping the club back on its feet after it was dissolved in September 2012.

When  Newry City Athletic Football Club was officially launched in March 2013, it was announced that Darren would be leading the club in its new era as first team manager. He has since assembled a squad made up entirely of players from the locality. The team has exceeded all expectations of supporters, currently sitting at the top of the Mid Ulster Intermediate B league, with 12 wins from 14 games.

Darren (centre) is pictured here at the Newry & Mourne awards ceremony with Club Chairman Martin McLoughlin (left) and Club secretary Kevin Lyons
Darren (centre) is pictured here at the Newry & Mourne awards ceremony with Newry City AFC Chairman Martin McLoughlin (left) and Club secretary Kevin Lyons (right) Photo: Noel Moan

“I’m delighted to receive the individual award but it is more a reflection of the progress that the club has made in the past year”, Darren told newrycityafc.co.uk.

“It’s hard to believe that we are reformed a year. A lot of hard work has been carried out both on and off the field.

“The Club has evolved into a very well run set up made up of local people willing to give up their time and effort. The committee has done terrific work in ensuring things run as smoothly as possible and are continually looking to improve the club in all aspects. They deserve great credit for picking up the pieces and providing the assistance required to allow us to prosper on the field.”

Darren also spoke of the great strides the youth development at the club has been making, ensuring there will be a supply of talent right up to the first team squad for years to come.

“The youth coaching staff throughout the club have been working tirelessly. Our Youth Academy Manager Conlon Morrison deserves credit for overseeing the process. Our new skills school has also got off to a great start with 120 kids joining on the first night. In Paul Evans we have a coach who has great expertise in this area with the emphasis being on fun as well as development.”

Darren is pleased with the progress that the first team are making but with 12 league games remaining he knows there is still everything to play for.

“The Senior Team had another terrific win at the weekend over promotion rivals Dungannon Tigers, with our third 5-0 win in a row. The players all know the importance of promotion at the club and are maintaining a high standard, both in games and at training. Raymie, Micky and Jervis are continuously reminding them of the commitment required to finish the season in the right manner and we hope to achieve our goal of promotion.”

He added, “Finally I would also like to congratulate the Special Olympic and Ladies squads on being recognised at the Sports Awards. They represented the club through our rebirth in a terrific manner and deserve great credit.”