Immaculata Football Club is an intermediate

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club based in west

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

and playing in the Premier Division of the

Northern Amateur Football League The Northern Amateur Football League, also known as the Northern Amateur League and often simply as the Amateur League, is an association football league in Northern Ireland. It contains 13 divisions. These comprise four intermediate sections: ...

. The club plays in sky blue Immaculata F.C.
/ref> and plays home games at Grosvenor Recreation Centre (The Cage) on the Grosvenor Road in West Belfast close to the Westlink. Immaculata FC is currently managed by Brian McCaul.

History

The club was established in 1944 by the

Legion of Mary The Legion of Mary (, post-nominal letters, postnominal abbreviation L.O.M.) is an international association of members of the Catholic Church who serve on a Voluntary association, voluntary basis. It was founded in Dublin, as a Roman Catholic ...

as a football and

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

club. Although they were initially most noted for their youth teams Immaculata's seniors also played initially in the now defunct Lisburn League and then in the Dunmurry League (now the Belfast & District League). They play in the Northern Amateur Football League (NAFL), and have spent most of their time in the league's lower divisions. However, in 2008–09 the club won the NAFL's Division 2C, the first of what was five back to back title wins and resultant promotions. They won 2B the following year and clinched the 2A title, and promotion from the junior to intermediate grade in 2010–11. This was followed by victory in Division 1C in 2011–12 before they secured the Division 1B title in 2012–13. They were promoted again the following season, finishing as runners-up in Division 1A for a sixth consecutive promotion. The club qualified for the

Irish Cup The Irish Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly referred to as the Irish Cup (currently known as the Clearer Water Irish Cup for sponsorship purposes) is the primary Association football, football single elimination, knockout cup compet ...

for the first time in 2011–12, reaching the fourth round by overcoming Bourneview Young Men, Magherafelt Sky Blues and Crumlin Star before losing to Banbridge Town. They made the fifth round the following year, losing to

Ards Ards (or ARDS, ARDs) may refer to: Medical * ARDS, Acute respiratory distress syndrome * ARDs, age-related diseases Places * Ards Peninsula, Northern Ireland ** Ards (territory), several historical territorial divisions on the Ards Peninsula ...

, having earlier defeated Markethill Swifts in the first round, Newbuildings United in the second round, Dunmurry Recreation in the third and Ards Rangers in the fourth. In 2015–16 Immaculata won the NAFL Premier Division. Under manager Kevin Lawlor the club won 23 of their 26 league games to finish seven points clear of closest challengers Ards Rangers.Immaculata are just champion as they overcome Ards Rangers on final day
''

Belfast Telegraph The ''Belfast Telegraph'' is a daily newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Independent News & Media, which also publishes the Irish Independent, the Sunday Independent and various other newspapers and magazines in Ireland. Its e ...

Honours

Intermediate honours

Irish Intermediate Cup The Irish Intermediate Cup is a Northern Irish football competition for teams of intermediate status, including NIFL Premiership reserve sides. It is a straight knock-out tournament and is currently sponsored by McCombs Coach Travel. The cu ...

: 1 **2023-24 *

: 1 **2015-16 * Clarence Cup: 5 **2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17

Junior honours

*Irish Junior Cup: 3 **2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 *County Antrim Junior Shield: 2 **1994–95, 2008–09

Notes

External links

Club web site

nifootball.co.uk
- (For fixtures, results and tables of all Northern Ireland amateur football leagues) {{Football in Northern Ireland Association football clubs in Northern Ireland Northern Amateur Football League clubs Association football clubs in Belfast