Lurgan Town Arena, 83 Glenavon Lane, Lurgan, Co Armagh, BT66 8TN
Minister for Social Development, Mervyn Storey MLA
and members of the club’s Academy at the official
opening of the new facility at Lurgan Town Arena
Minister for Social Development, Mervyn Storey MLA, has officially opened a new £513,000 sports and
community facility at Lurgan Town Football Club. The new facility includes a clubhouse and a 3G youth
football pitch, with upgraded lights and car parking facilities. It will be used both by the Club and also by
schools, youth clubs, sporting, voluntary and community organisations within the Lurgan and Brownlow
Neighbourhood Renewal areas.
Minister Storey said: “Lurgan Town Football Club is an excellent example of a sporting organisation which
is at the heart of its community. It provides opportunities for young people regardless of their background
or ability. With 400 members and 40 volunteers, Lurgan Town Football Club is a key player in the local
community and these new facilities will enable them to continue to deliver even more programmes to
improve social and community regeneration.”
Since March 2007 the Department has invested over £8.7million in a range of projects and programmes in
the Lurgan and Brownlow Neighbourhood Renewal area to help enhance the physical… Continued on Page 2
ARENA OFFICIALLY OPENED
Continued from Page 1… environment, and also improve the health,
education and employability of its residents.
The Minister added: “I fully appreciate the importance of sport in
our community and the role it has to play in helping to address
disadvantage. The links between sporting activity and improved
health and well-being are clear, but there are also other benefits
which help create structure and discipline for those who might
otherwise become disengaged from society.
“Sport helps contribute to community pride and promotes and
nurtures volunteering; something which has been exemplified by
Lurgan Town Football Club and their community partners.”
NEWS IN BRIEF
SENIOR MATCH SPONSORS
1s Team v St Marys - Gilford Tae Kwon Do
1st Team v Wellington Rec - Nigels School of Motoring
1st Team v Oxford Sunnside - DM Laser Fab Ltd
1st Team v Laurelvale - Lurgan Darts Distributions
1st Team v Seagoe - www.anfieldtrophies.co.uk
1st Team v Markethill Swifts - www.thebeautifulgame.eu
Want to sponsor a game? Get in touch. £20 per match.
Email [email protected]
GIRLS ACADEMY
As numbers continue to grow at the Lurgan Town Girls Academy
and with girls coming back from holidays and numbers expecting
to get bigger, we are currently looking for coaches and volunteers
who would like to come and give a hand so we can coach the girls
in their different age groups. Anyone interested in getting
involved please send a private message to the Lurgan Town
Facebook page or email [email protected].
Any new players that are interested joining it is currently for 5
years old up to the age of 14. We train from 6pm to 7pm every
Thursday at the Lurgan Town Arena.
AUGUST RESULTS
31st August 2015
U16 NL 3-1 Ballymena Utd (Ryan Finlay, Adam
Loughran, Nathan Hamilton)
29th August 2015
1st Team 5-1 St Marys (Geoff Greenaway)
28th August 2015
U19 MU 11-0 Bournview Mill (Philip Bingham
x5, Adam Wing, Scott Wilshire, Josh Law, Sid
Tavares, Eamon Coleman, Harry Wilson)
U13 NL 1-7 Ballymena Utd (Rhys Emerson)
26th August 2015
U19 MU 7-0 Tandragee Youth (Philip Bingham
x3, Tom Brown x2, Matthew Hagan, Jake Kerr)
22nd August 2015
1st Team 0-1 Wellington Rec
U19 MU 2-5 Cookstown Youth (Philip
Bingham, Matthew Hagan)
19th August 2015
1st Team 1-1 Oxford Sunnyside (Matt Irvine)
15th August 2015
1st Team 5-0 Laurelvale (Matt Irvine x2,
Andrew Houston, Sammy Wright, David
Hamilton)
11th August 2015
1st Team 4-0 Seagoe (Nathan Crozier, Kyle
Cousins, Matt Irvine, Andrew Houston)
8th August 2015
1st Team 1-1 Markethill Swifts (Sammy
Wright)
The year of 2015 just gets better for Lurgan Town FC as we
recently found out we are to receive the award for McDonalds
Regional IFA Accredited Community Club of Year. Lurgan Town FC
representatives received their award from Northern Ireland legend
and McDonalds Ambassador Pat Jennings on Friday 7th August.
“This is an award everyone connected to the club can be proud of
from committee, volunteers, players and parents,” said club
secretary Philip McKinley. “The desire of the committee to make
Lurgan Town FC a club for the community and wider areas is very
much number one on the list. We have a commitment to provide a
service that everyone can feel a part of and we also strive to
provide facilities that shows the club’s ambition to keep moving
forward. We would also like to thank McDonalds for this award in
which it gives the club a feeling that things are being done the
right way.”
The club will now go up against all other Northern Ireland regional
winners later in the year to find out if we will be named the
National winners.
McDONALDS REGIONAL AWARD
Congratulations to Ben Davison, Tyler Boyce, Darragh Gray, Declan
O'Neill (Junior Squad) and Tiarnan Judge (Senior Squad) on their
selection to the Co Armagh Milk Cup Squads. The boys have taken time
out to answer a few questions for WIE about their experience in
Northern Irelands most prestigious youth football tournament.
WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? Ben Davidson: At
the final trial I was told by the manager and coaches I had made the
squad. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing against
the most? BD: Right to dream. WIE: What was it like to play in the
tournament? BD: A fantastic experience, living like a professional
footballer for the week. WIE: What was your favourite game? BD:
Swindon Town - it was a great win and a good start to the tournament.
WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the
tournament? BD: The challenge of playing against footballers from all
over the world. WIE: As a player what did you learn? BD: That you have
to give 100% for every second of every match.
New signing John Lee McAfee also answered a few questions. WIE:
How did you find out you had made the squad? JLM: There were 24
players in the changing room and they called 6 out to let them know
they didn't make the squad, then they came into Us and told us we made the final 18. WIE: What team where
you looking forward to playing against the most? JLM: Right to Dream because they were unbeaten in 32
games. WIE: What was it like to play in the tournament? It was such an experience. We were treated like pro-
fessionals, getting a massage before a match an a ice bath after the match, kids asking us for our autographs
and getting photos taken, it was just unreal. WIE: What was your favourite game? JLM: Has to be Swindon
town as I got a goal and played well. WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the tourna-
ment? JLM: The experience and meeting loads of new people. WIE: What did you learn as a player during the
week ? JLM: I learnt a lot of things but the main one has to be, when you work as a team you will achieve.
MILK CUP REVIEW
Junior Results
Group Games
Swindon Town 1-3 Co. Armagh
Co. Tyrone 2-1 Co. Armagh
Co. Armagh 0-0 Right to Dream
Dale Farm Bowl Semi Final
GPS FC Bayern 1-1 Co Armagh (5-4 Pens)
Dale Farm Bowl 3rd/4th Place Play Off
Co Armagh 0-2 North Dublin SL
Senior Results
Group Games
Real Sociedad 1-0 Co. Armagh
Co. Armagh 2-1 Alset Colombia
Co. Armagh 2-0 Otago Academy
Dale Farm Vase Semi Final
Co Armagh 0-0 Motherwell (5-4 Pens)
Dale Farm Vase Final
Co Armagh 1-6 Right To Dream
Milk Cup Junior Squad: Tyler Boyce (GK), Ben Davison (right of GK), Darragh Gray (front left), John Lee McAfee (front row 2nd from right)
WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad?
Tiarnan Judge: We where sat in the changing rooms and
they called out each player that was getting cut which
was pretty scary. Then the coaches came in and told us
we had made the squad. WIE: What team where you
looking forward to playing against the most? TJ: Real
Sociedad because they are a massive club around the
world and were going to be a great footballing side. WIE:
What was it like to play in the tournament? TJ: It was a
great experience and I got to play against some of the
best players in the world at my age group. WIE: What was
your favourite game? TJ: Motherwell - it was played at a
high intensity and winning on penalties was a great feel-
ing. WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the tournament? TJ:
Seeing where you stand compared to the professional players around the world at your age. WIE: As a player
what did you learn? TJ: The way in which different cultures player their football and how important it wad to
adapt to playing against these different cultures. WIE: Tiarnan has recently joined Portadown FC following 3
years at the club including his debut season with the senior side. We would like to wish him all the best in this
new challenge.
WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? Darragh Gray: It was very nerve-wracking, after training
they called us in 1 by 1 to tell us if we had been selected, then the next Saturday we were given a letter
confirming this. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing against the most? DG: After the draw
had been made I think the whole squad were looking forward to playing against Right to Dream who were
from Ghana. They are a football academy who scout over 20,000 players a year from across the African
continent. WIE: What was it like to play in the tournament? DG: It was brilliant, the best experience of my life
so far. WIE: What was your favourite game? DG: Drawing with Right to Dream, as everyone knew how good
they were. They had played in 2 previous tournaments before arriving at the milk cup winning both (defeating
Arsenal in one final and Benfica in the other). So not to get beat by them in front of a huge crowd at the
Coleraine Showgrounds was amazing. WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the
tournament? DG: The best thing was scoring the opening goal in the first match against Swindon Town and
having good craic with the other lads. WIE: As a player what did you learn? DG: That playing 5 matches in 5
days wrecks you!!
WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? Tyler Boyce: We were all in the changing room and
basically whoever was called out didn't make it and gladly I wasn't
called out. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing
against the most? TB: Probably Right to Dream because I had
heard all about their success before the Milk Cup and I was
looking forward to the challenge. WIE: What was it like to play in
the tournament? TB: It was such a good experience to play in the
tournament and I met some great people so it was a good week.
WIE: What was your favourite game? TB: My favourite game was
our first against Swindon, simply because we were brilliant and it
was a great result for us. WIE: What would you say was the best
thing about playing in the tournament? TB: The best thing about
playing in the Milk Cup is how professional the tournament set up
is and the overall experience of playing in it. WIE: As a player
what did you learn? TB: I learnt a few things over the week but
the main thing I learnt was to be confident in my own ability and
to be confident at all times on the pitch.
MIK CUP REVIEW
Tiarnan Judge in orange
“… be
confident
at all
times on
the pitch”
Tyler Boyce
Over 3 consecutive Saturdays in August, we hosted the Lurgan Town Cup at
the Arena. Designed for U9, U10, U12 and U16 teams all 3 days where a great
success with some fantastic players representing their teams and some
fantastic goals scored. Of the 15 trophies on offer, Lurgan Town won 6 of
them including at least one trophy from each age group.
LURGAN TOWN CUP
U9 Winners
Lurgan Town Vapors - Plate
Lurgan Town Predators - Plaque
Windmill Stars - Shield
Sion Swifts - Cup
U10 Winners
Lurgan Town Vapors - Plate
East Coast Strikers - Plaque
Portadown Youth - Shield
Lurgan Town Predators - Cup
U12 Winners
Glenavon Academy - Plaque
Lurgan Town - Shield
Greenisland - Cup
U16 Winners
Lurgan Town National - Plate
North Belfast - Plaque
Carrick Rangers - Shield
St Oliver Plunkett - Cup
Above: Under 10 Vapors - Plate Winners. Right: Under 9 Vapors - Plate
Winners. Below: Under 12 - Shield Winners
Below: Under 10 Predators - Cup Winners. Bottom
Left: Under 16 National - Plate Winners. Bottom Right:
Under 9 Predators - Plaque Winners
On Saturday 22nd August our U8, U9, U10 and U11 sides travelled to Mallusk to play in some fun filled games. The boys
(and coaches) got to meet former Arsenal player Martin Keown and Northern Ireland legend Pat Jennings.
MALLUSK FUN DAY
Under 11: Played 6. Won 6
Under 8: Played 6. Won 2. Lost 4 Under 10 Predators: Played 6. Won 5. Drew 1.
Under 9 Vapors: Played 5. Won 1, Drew 1. Lost 5.
Under 10 Vapors: Played 6. Won 3, Drew 2, Lost 1
Under 9 Predators: Played 6. Won 2. Drew 1. Lost 3
The Lurgan Town U15s made
the trip today (Saturday 29th
August) to East Belfast for their
annual Pre Season friendly
where our Lisburn League team
played their National League
team and our Mid Ulster team
played their South Belfast
League team. In two exciting
and quality games our Lisburn
League team won 4-2 with East Belfast over coming the
Mid Ulster team 7-2. A great day was had by players,
coaches and parents and we would like to thank East
Belfast for their hospitality. We will look forward to
seeing them next year at the Lurgan Town Arena.
Pic 1: Our Lisburn League side and East Belfast National
League side.
Pic 2: Our Mid Ulster League side and East Belfast’s South
Belfast League side.
Pic 3: Captains from all four sides exchanging
commemorative trophies from the games.
IN FRIENDSHIP: EAST BELFAST AND LURGAN TOWN
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