Ards FC

Founded: 1902 (or before)
Names: Ards (1900-1921); Ards Town (1921-1923); Ards (1923-date)
Ground History: Recreation Grounds (1900-1914); Fair Grounds (1914-1923); Castlereagh Park (1923-2000); Solitude, Belfast (2000-2001); Castlereagh Park (2001-2002); Taylor’s Avenue, Carrickfergus (2002-2003); Clandeboye Park, Bangor (2003-2008); Dixon Park, Ballyclare (2008-date).
Main Colours: Red and Blue
Club Website: ardsfc.co.uk

Managerial History: (from ardsfc.co.uk)

1935 only Tom Adamson 1937-39* Sam Patton 1947-48 Ronnie Dellow 1949-50 Harry Walker 1950-51 John Reid 1951-53 Isaac McDowell 1953-59 George Eastham 1959 Jimmy Tucker 1959-60 Len Graham 1960-63 Tommy Ewing 1963-64 Johnny Neilson 1964-70 George Eastham 1970-78 Billy Humphries 1978-79 Joe Kincaid 1979-80 Billy Nixon 1980-82 Billy Humphries 1983-85 Lawrence Walker

1985-87 Jimmy Todd 1987 John Reaney 1988-89 Jimmy Todd 1989-90 Peter Dornan 1990-91 Bertie McMinn 1991-92 Roy Coyle 1992-93 Paul Malone 1993-97 Roy Coyle 1997 George Bowden 1997-99 Tommy Cassidy 1999-01 Trevor Anderson 2001-03 Frankie Parks 2003-05 Shane Reddish 2005-06 George Neill 2006 Gary Hillis & Ray Morrison 2006-10 Tommy Kincaid 2010 Justin McBride

League History:
Irish Junior League 1901/02-1914/15; Belfast Combination 1920/21-1922/23; Irish League 1923/24-1994/95; Premier Division 1995/96-1997/98; First Division 1998/99-2000/01; Premier Division 2001/02-2002/03; Premier League 2003/04-2005/06; First Division 2006/07-2007/08; IFA Championship 2008/09-date.

Club Honours:
(Senior)
Irish League Champions (1) 1957/58
First Division Champions (1) 2000/01
Irish Cup Winners (4) 1926/27, 1951/52, 1968/69, 1973/74, Runners-Up (2) 1959/60, 1922/93
Irish League Cup Winners (1) 1994/95, Runner-Up 1990/91
Irish League Floodlit Cup Runners-Up (1) 1993/94
Gold Cup Winners (2) 1953/54, 1973/74, Runners-Up (3) 1928/29, 1967/68, 1971/72
City Cup Runner-Up (1) 1971/72
Ulster Cup Winners (1) 1973/74; Runners-Up (3) 1948/49, 1992/93, 1998/99
Co. Antrim Shield Winners (3) 1955/56, 1971/72, 1993/94, Runners-Up (4) 1927/28, 1933/34, 1969/70, 2003/04
Mid Ulster Cup Runners-Up (1) 1998/99
North Down Cup Winners (2) 2003, 2005 (shared), Runners-Up (1) 2004
Blaxnit All-Ireland Cup Winners (1) 1973/74
Carlsberg Cup Runners-Up (2) 1972/73, 1973/74
Soccer Sixes Winners (1) 1992
(Intermediate)
Intermediate Cup Winners (1) 1957/58*, Runners-Up (1) 2007/08
Steel & Sons Cup Winners (1) 2008/09, Runners-Up (3) 1959/60*, 1966/67*, 1976/77*
George Wilson Cup Winners (2) 1957/58*, 1982/83*
McElroy Challenge Cup Winners (1) 1940/41
Clements Little Challenge Cup Winner (2) 1941/42, 1942/43, Runners-Up (1) 1946/47
* Honours won by Ards II

European Record:
European Cup 1958/59 (Preliminary Round)
Cup Winners’ Cup 1969/70 (First Round), 1974/75 (First Round)
UEFA Cup 1973/74 (First Round)
Intertoto Cup 1997/98 (First Round)

..

Award Winning Players:

Ulster Footballer of the Year
1969 Billy McAvoy

1970 Billy Humphries

1972 Billy Humphries

Football Writers' Player of the Year
1972 Billy Humphries

1987 Damien Byrne

PFA Player of the Year
1978 Tom Armstrong

1983 Jim Campbell

Irish League Top Goalscorers

1962 Mick Lynch (20)

1979 Tom Armstrong (21)

1983 Jim Campbell (15)

1994 Darren Erskine (22) joint
...
Notable Players: (work in progress)

Player	Era	Full Caps	U21 / U23 / B	Amateur	Youth/ School/ Junior	Other Rep.	Inter-League
Samuel Allen	1930			1
Tom Armstrong	1970						1
Joe Bambrick	1920	(11)		(1)	(X)		(12)
Stephen Baxter	1980						1(2)
S. Bierne	1920						1(2)
Andy Bothwell	1920	5					5
Alexander Boyd	1950						2
“Tosher” Burns	1920-30	(1)					(1)
Damien Byrne	1980						1
Jim Campbell	1980						1
N. Case	1940						1
Mark Caughey	1980	(2)				(X)	(1)
James Conkey	1950			1
Ronnie Cromie	1970				(X)	X	1
George Crothers	1960-70			3
Jackie Cummings	1950			3
Alan Davidson	1920			1
John Doherty	1930	(1)		3 (7)
Alan Dornan	1980						1(2)
George Eastham Sr	1950	(1 Eng)				Eng XI
George Eastham Jr	1950	(19 Eng)				Eng XI	3
Joe Elwood	1960		(1B/1U23)		(X)
Darren Erskine	1990
S.D. Ewing	1960						1
Lee Feeney	1990-00		(8 U21)		(X)
Warren Feeney Sr	1960	(1)
Glenn Ferguson	1980	(5)	(2 B)				(4)
Alan Fettis	1990	(25)	(3 B)			X	1
Thomas Forde	1950-60	4				X	7
Jack Garrett	1920	(1)					(2)
Ronald Giffen	1950			(4)	(8 Schl) (9 Yth)
John Gorman	1950			1
Bill Gowdy	1920	(6)					2(4)
Len Graham	1950	(14)				(X)
Paul Gray	1990		(1 U21)		(X)
Sammy Hatton	1960	(2)	(2)				(1)
Thomas Hamill	1950					X	1(15)
Joseph Hedley	1950			1
Billy Humphries	1950-70	1(14)		3		(X)	12
Desmond Hunter	1950					(X)	1
James Jordan	1950			1
Dennis Kennedy	1970						1
Ray Keogh	1960						1
L. Kinsler	1920						1
Paul Kee	1980-90	2(9)	(1 U21)			(X)
Mickey Keenan	1990					(X)	(7)
David Lawther	1950			4(6)
Ralph Lynas	1920	(1)		(2)			1
Robert Lynn	1930			1
Mick Lynch	1960
Norman Lockhart	1950	(8)				(X)
Hugh Lowry	1950
R. Magee	1920						1
J. Matthews	1950						3
Samuel Maze	1950			1(2)
Billy McAvoy	1960-70		1 U23	6		X	1
Harry McCourt	1990
David McCoy	1970			2		X	1
Billy McCullough	1960			1(11)		X	(10)
A. McDonald	1930						2
Martin McGaughey	1990	(1)				(X)	(5)
Sam McGregor	1920	(1)					(3)
Ralph McGuickan	1950						1
E. McGuire	1920						1
James McGurk	1960			1
T.A. McKeown	1930						1
J. McKerley	1930						1
S. McMullan	1920						3
Archie McQuilken	1950			1
Hugh Meek	1920	(1)				(X)	(1)
Paul Millar	2000		(1 B/1 U21/ 1 U23)
Dave Miskelly	1960			1
Thomas Moffatt	1950			(1)
James Moore	1950			3
William Moore	1920	(1)			(X)	(X)
Ray Morrison	1990						(4)
Ronnie Moss	1950			2
Ray Mowat	1960-70			9
William Murphy	1990						(1)
Rab Newberry	1950			2			1
William Nixon	1960						4
George O’Boyle	2000	(13)	(4 B)		(X)		(2)
M. O’Connell	1950						1
Colin O’Neill	1980-90	(3)					(1)
Jackie Patterson	1960			6			1
M. Patton	1970						1
Peter Rafferty	1980	(1)					(2)
William Reid	1920			2
Ronnie Reynolds	1960			2
George Richardson	1950						1
Richard Sands	1960			2(3)
Billy Smyth	1950	(4)					(13+4RL)
Alfie Snape	1920	(1)
William Stewart	1970			3
Trevor Thompson	1950						(6)
T. Walker	1950						1
Eric Welsh	1970

Era roughly corresponds to decades in which a player featured with the club. Representative honours earned with club followed by totals in brackets. NI unless otherwise stated.

References:
Red and Blue Heaven: A Comprehensive History of Ards Football Club