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Ballymacash Rangers F.C.

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Ballymacash Rangers F.C.
Full nameBallymacash Rangers Football Club
Nickname(s)The Cash
Founded1984
GroundThe Bluebell Stadium
Lisburn, County Antrim
ManagerLee Forsythe
LeagueNIFL Premier Intermediate League
2023–24NIFL Premier Intermediate League, 3rd of 14

Ballymacash Rangers Football Club is an intermediate-level football club who play in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League. The club is based in the Lisburn area and play their home games at The Bluebell Stadium.[1] The club also has a senior reserve side, senior swifts side, senior women's side and a youth academy.


History

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Ballymacash Rangers won the top tier (Intermediate A) of the Mid-Ulster Football League in the 2003/04 season.[2] Following this the club had a trophy barren spell up until the 2012/13 season when following a relegation from Intermediate A, the club found themselves in Intermediate B. A successful 2012/13 campaign saw them lift the Intermediate B title[citation needed] which was followed up by winning the Mid-Ulster Football League Alan Wilson Cup to make it a double winning season.[citation needed]

Ballymacash Rangers went the entire calendar year of 2014 without defeat in a league fixture, winning all of their league games bar two.[citation needed] The club never won the Mid-Ulster Football League Intermediate A in either season that 2014 covered, coming second in 2013/14[citation needed] and third in 2014/15. [citation needed]

In 2019, the club announced their aspirations to gain promotion to the Northern Ireland Football League[citation needed] alongside plans to complete a million pound renovation of The Bluebell Stadium,[citation needed] the ground where Ballymacash play their home games.

In 2020, the club completed the first phase of their ground renovavations as they opened a state of the art full sized 3G pitch with floodlights.[citation needed] This was a community funded project.[citation needed] Future phases are proposed to include developing a new social club with onsite gym and expanding car parking facilities.[citation needed] In July 2021, the club finished work on its first ever pitchside stand, with the 100-seater structure sitting behind the goal at the Drumard Grange end.

Manager Lee Forsythe won Intermediate A at his first attempt, winning it in the 2021/22 season. His Ballymacash side played thirty league games, winning twenty-five, drawing four and losing just once. They finished the season with 126 goals scored and only 24 conceded. The 2021/22 season Mid-Ulster Football League also saw Ballymacash's 1st team, Reserves and Swifts teams all winning their respective leagues. This was the first time in Mid-Ulster Football League history that one club had won three league titles in the same season.[3]

Lee Forsythe, current Manager of Ballymacash Rangers

On Tuesday 23 August 2022, Ballymacash made history when they won their first ever Northern Ireland Football League fixture, winning 3–0 away to Portstewart F.C. in the Premier Intermediate League.

Another piece of history was made at The Bluebell Stadium on Tuesday 25 October 2022, as Ballymacash's home game against Lisburn Distillery F.C. was the Northern Ireland Football League's first ever live streamed YouTube game. The stream had over 8000 views, with the match itself finishing in a 2–2 draw.

Promotion

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Ballymacash Rangers gained promotion to the third tier of Northern Irish football for the first time in their history in May 2022.[4] Having won the Mid-Ulster Football League Intermediate A division, they were eligible for a promotion playoff to try and reach the NIFL Premier Intermediate League. The only other eligible league winner was St James' Swifts F.C. who won the Ballymena & Provincial Football League, which meant Ballymacash had to meet St James in a two legged playoff for promotion.

The 1st leg of the playoff between Ballymacash and St James took place on Tuesday 17 May 2022 at The Bluebell Stadium, which ended 3–0 to Ballymacash Rangers.[5]

The 2nd leg took place on Saturday 21 May 2022 at Donegal Celtic Park. The game finished 2-2,[6] which gave Ballymacash Rangers a 5-2 aggregate victory, securing their place in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League.

Management History

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Michael Gault was appointed manager in June 2019.[7] He resigned from his managerial role on 3 October 2020 to take up a role at Linfield. On 11 October 2020, Ballymacash appointed former Ards Rangers and Knockbreda manager[8] Lee Forsythe as new manager.[9]

Current squad

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Northern Ireland NIR Brian Neeson
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Curtis Woods
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Jordan Morrison (Captain)
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Matthew Parker
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Thomas McComb
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Mark Drysdale
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Stephen Glasgow
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Ryan Deans
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Ryan Newberry
— FW England ENG Benny Igiehon
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Owen McKeown
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Eddie Shaw
— FW Northern Ireland NIR Karl Devine
No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Andy McGrory
— DF Scotland SCO Jake Willis (On loan from Portadown)
— FW France FRA Guillaume Keke
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Liam Toman
— DF Northern Ireland NIR William Faulkner
— FW Northern Ireland NIR Anto Burns
— FW Northern Ireland NIR Adam Neale (On loan from Bangor)
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Scott Adams
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Stuart Clarke
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Dylan Davidson
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Gareth Tommons
— FW Northern Ireland NIR Kyle Beggs
— FW Northern Ireland NIR Dylan Sinnerton

Intermediate Honours

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Intermediate level of senior football

Since becoming an Intermediate level club, Ballymacash Rangers have won six Intermediate honours:

Junior Honours

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Junior level of senior football (non-Intermediate)

Prior to becoming an Intermediate level club at 1st team level, the Cash had success at Junior level from their founding in 1984. In the modern day, Ballymacash have a Reserve (2nds) and Swifts (3rds) team who continue to play at Junior level:

Women's Football

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In December 2020, Ballymacash Rangers welcomed a senior women's team into the club for the first time in their history. They are known as "Ballymacash Rangers Ladies" and amalgamated into the club from Ballymacash Young Ladies, another local side in the area.

They were in NIWFA Division One when they joined the club for the 2021 season, and with a positive first season in that division, they were able to gain promotion to the NIWFA Championship for the 2022 season. The NIWFA Championship is the top tier of NIWFA football. Only one division in women's football ranks higher in Northern Ireland, which is the Northern Ireland Football League Women's Premiership.

Notable players

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Michael Gault, ex Northern Ireland International who managed Ballymacash Rangers from 2019 to 2020

Northern Ireland Senior Internationals

Northern Ireland U21 Internationals

League position

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All standings are taken from the Mid-Ulster Football League archive section which dates back to 2008/09 season

  • 2008/09 - Intermediate A - 6th
  • 2009/10 - Intermediate A - 12th
  • 2010/11 - Intermediate B - 5th
  • 2011/12 - Intermediate B - 5th
  • 2012/13 - Intermediate B - 1st
  • 2013/14 - Intermediate A - 3rd
  • 2014/15 - Intermediate A - 2nd
  • 2015/16 - Intermediate A - 8th
  • 2016/17 - Intermediate A - 11th
  • 2017/18 - Intermediate A - 10th
  • 2018/19 - Intermediate A - 9th
  • 2019/20 - Intermediate A - 2nd*
  • 2020/21 - SEASON NULL & VOID**
  • 2021/22 - Intermediate A - 1st
    • 2019/20 season was cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic and the table was determined by a points-per-game formula
    • 2020/21 season was declared null and void due to COVID-19 lockdowns meaning the league was unplayable

References

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  1. ^ "The Bluebell Stadium at Ballymacash". pitchbooking.com. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Mid Ulster Football League".
  3. ^ "Mid Ulster Football League".
  4. ^ "Ballymacash Rangers create history with PIL play-off success". 21 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Soccer: St James' Swifts have it all to do in second leg against 'The Cash'".
  6. ^ "Soccer: Ballymacash Rangers see it out to gain promotion at expense of St James' Swifts".
  7. ^ "Ballymacash Rangers name Michael Gault as new first team manager". 9 June 2019.
  8. ^ "Lee Forsythe still keen on management despite Knockbreda exit". 6 November 2019.
  9. ^ "Ballymacash Rangers appoint Lee Forsythe as new manager". 13 October 2020.
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