Lisburn Distillery F.C.

History

Distillery Football Club was formed in November 1880 after members of V. R. Distillery Cricket Club decided to form a football team to stay active during the winter months. The directors of Dunville's Whiskey Distillery filled in a waste pond at the back of the distillery for the team. They remained at this ground, called Daisy Hill, until 1882 when they moved to a larger ground called Broadway, based adjacent to Celtic Park. They remained there until 1887 when they moved to Grosvenor Park, based at Distillery Street off the Grosvenor Road, close to their old Daisy Hill ground and spiritual home.

In 1920, Dunville's decided the sell the Grosvenor Park ground, and while Distillery were able to play there during the 1920–21 season, during 1921–22 the club played all of its games away from home. For the start of the 1922–23 season, they secured a new ground called York Park on the Shore Road, Belfast, where they remained until 1927 when they returned to Grosvenor Park after Dunville's agreed to let them play there again, having not found the ground fit for their purposes. Distillery had been forced to look for a new ground after strong winds had blown down the main stand of their York Park ground.

On 30 December 1952, the first full match played under floodlights, anywhere in Ireland, took place at Grosvenor Park. Distillery's opposition were English team Burnley. The first officially approved competitive match under floodlights in the British Isles took place at Grosvenor Park on 25 March 1953 when Distillery Seconds played Ballymena United Reserves in the George Wilson Cup and the first floodlight league game in the British Isles took place at Grosvenor Park on 24 December 1953 when Distillery played Coleraine.

Distillery remained at Grosvenor Park until 1971, when the Troubles directly affected the club. The area around the ground was situated in a flashpoint area, creating a security risk which had already caused the club to play matches elsewhere, but the deciding factor for the club to finally leave the area was the burning down of its money-making social club in August 1971.

After sharing Skegoneill Avenue (Brantwood) and Seaview (Crusaders) for some years, the club moved in 1980 to a permanent new home at New Grosvenor Stadium, Ballyskeagh, County Antrim, on the southern outskirts of Belfast. The main stand at New Grosvenor Park is named after legendary player Bertie McMinn.

The club was known simply as Distillery from its foundation until 1999, when it changed its official name to 'Lisburn Distillery' to associate itself more closely with its adopted borough (now city) of Lisburn. However, the club is still colloquially referred to as "Distillery". The club colour is white. A founder member of the Irish League in 1890, the club remained at the top until 1995.

European record

Current squad

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

Former players

Curtis Allen

Stephen Baxter

Bobby Brennan

Billy Campbell

Billy Crone

Bob Crone

David Cushley

Derek Dougan

Willie Fagan

Jimmy Ferris

Tom Finney

Tommy Forde

Billy Hamilton

Bryan Hamilton

Felix Healy

Ted Hinton

Andy Hunter

Glenn Hunter

Samuel Johnston

Sammy Jones

George Kay

John Kennedy

Norman Lockhart

Josh Magennis

Jim Magilton

Peter McCann

Bill McCracken

Gerry McElhinney

Jimmy McIntosh

Allen McKnight

Managerial history

Neil Harris (1932–34)

Michael Hamill (24 July 1934 to 31 March 1935)

Bob Preston (19 April 1935 to 6 January 1937)

Joe McCleery (4 March 1937 to 14 August 1937)

William McDevitt (25 January 1938 to 20 Mar 1939)

Alf Peachey (3 May 1940 to 29 March 1945)

Gordon Clark (18 February 1949 to 12 January 1950)

Eddie Lonsdale (16 January 1950 to 11 August 1950)

Robert Gunning (12 August 1950 to 7 September 1951)

Jimmy McIntosh (20 June 1952 to 17 February 1955)

Maurice Tadman (30 June 1955 to 16 December 1958)

George Eastham Sr. (16 June 1959 to 12 March 1964)

Tommy Casey (25 January 1967 to 12 October 1968)

Jimmy McAlinden (5 February 1969 to 12 May 1975)

Roy Welsh (29 September 1975 to 31 October 1977)

Gibby MacKenzie (31 October 1977 to 19 December 1979)

Bertie Neill (20 December 1979 to 5 February 1981)

Tommy Lowrie (13 February 1981 to 6 September 1981)

Honours

Senior honours

Irish League (tier 1): 6 (inc. 1 shared)

1895–96, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1902–03, 1905–06 (shared), 1962–63

Irish League First Division (tier 2): 2

1998–99, 2001–02

Irish Cup: 12

1883–84, 1884–85, 1885–86, 1888–89, 1893–94, 1895–96, 1902–03, 1904–05, 1909–10, 1924–25, 1955–56, 1970–71

Irish League Cup: 1

2010–11

County Antrim Shield: 14

1888–89, 1892–93, 1895–96, 1896–97, 1899–1900, 1902–03, 1904–05, 1914–15, 1918–19, 1919–20, 1945–46, 1953–54, 1963–64, 1985–86

Gold Cup: 5

1913–14, 1919–20, 1924–25, 1929–30, 1993–94

City Cup: 5

1904–05, 1912–13, 1933–34, 1959–60, 1962–63

Ulster Cup: 2

1957–58, 1998–99

Belfast Charity Cup: 5

1899–1900, 1915–16, 1920–21, 1928–29, 1930–31

Dublin and Belfast Inter-City Cup: 1

1947–48 (shared)

Intermediate honours

Irish Intermediate Cup: 3

1892–93†, 1902–03†, 1947–48‡

Steel & Sons Cup: 1

1900–01ƒ

George Wilson Cup: 3

1956–57‡, 1981–82‡, 1987–88‡

McElroy Cup: 2

1918–19‡, 1920–21‡

† Won by Distillery Rovers (reserve team)

‡ Won by Distillery II (reserve team)

ƒ Won by Distillery West End (reserve team)

Junior honours

Irish Junior League: 3

1890–91‡, 1892–93‡, 1902–03‡

Irish Junior Cup: 1

1887–88‡

‡ Won by Distillery II (reserve team)