Winter Sports - Football


I


t’s a football club with a colourful and somewhat dramatic history but Crusaders Football Club in North Belfast is currently flying. The energetic club is currently sitting at the top of the Northern Ireland Football League Premiership and is being tipped to win the league, even by opposing team managers; such is the quality of play from the team. Home for Crusaders FC is the well known Seaview Park sited in a quiet residential area a short distance away from the Belfast Docks. The stadium is located just two miles north of Belfast City Centre, sandwiched in a thin wedge of land between the A2 Shore Road and the Belfast to Larne railway line. With a seating capacity of just under 3,400, Seaview Park is a popular venue and has big plans to expand.


The club has around 1,500 season ticket holders who all seem to come out and cheer


the ‘Crues’, as they are more commonly known, on to victory.


Whilst the club may be steeped in tradition, the pitch at Seaview Park is far from traditional. Back in 2009, Crusaders FC took the decision to install a 3G pitch which, at the time, was a real talking point, not only for the club but amongst the Northern Ireland league players and managers Even though it wasn’t the first 3G pitch installed at a football ground in Northern Ireland, it was the first of its type to be installed in an Irish League team ground. Seaview Park was transformed for the better, although it did take some getting used to by the groundsman and the players. The club works closely with the local community and hosts a number of schools and other groups that use the facilities. Local youth team Newington Youth Football Club is just one of the organisations that play


regularly at Seaview Park.


As mentioned, this club is steeped in history. Looking back, Crusaders Football and Athletic Club was formed over 120 years ago in 1896. The first meeting of the club is believed to have been held at 182 North Queen Street, Belfast, the home of Thomas Palmer who, along with James McEldowney, John Hume and Thomas Wade, was a member of the original committee. At the time of formation, it was proving very difficult to decide on the name of the club. Many names were suggested including Rowan Star, Cultra United, Queen's Rovers, Mervue Wanderers and Lilliputians. Committee member Thomas Wade felt that a name of more international significance should be adopted and it was he who suggested ‘Crusaders’ after the medieval Christian knights.


During the first years, the club was only PC APRIL/MAY 2018 I 55


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