Willowfield F.C. is a defunct intermediate football club which existed in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

during the inter-war years.

History

The Willowfield club, associated with and funded by the Willowfield Unionist Club, existed from at least 1889, and it turned senior in 1918.Jim Weir and Alan Higgins, ''A History of Willowfield Football'' (Belfast: Jim Weir and Alan Higgins, 2021), p. 17 In the 1927–28 season, it became the first from outside the Irish League to win 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 ...

since the League's formation in 1890. It defeated

Larne Larne (, , the name of a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic territory)Larne/Latharna
Placenames Database of Ireland. is a to ...

1–0 in a replay at

Windsor Park The National Football Stadium at Windsor Park (officially the Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park for sponsorship reasons), or the National Football Stadium, also known as Windsor Park is a association football, football stadium in B ...

, the Willows having held the lead in the first game from the 40th to the 85th minute. Willowfield had previously reached the Irish Cup final in 1923–24, when it lost 1–0 to

Queen's Island Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a large-scale waterfront regeneration, comprising historic maritime landmarks, film studios, education facilities, apartments, a riverside entertainment district, and the world's largest Titanic- ...

(again at Windsor Park), the winning goal coming as early as the 2nd minute. The club played in the Irish Intermediate League from 1921. However the club struggled with finance through the 1920s and folded in 1930. A new amateur club with the same name was founded in 1932 and its greatest success was winning the Clarence Cup in 1935–36, beating Malone R.C. 3–0 in the final.

Colours

The club wore dark blue shirts, white shorts, and dark blue socks.

Grounds

The club played from 1918 to 1926 at the Cregagh Recreation Grounds (home of

Cregagh Cricket Club Cregagh Cricket Club is a cricket club in Belfast, Northern Ireland, playing in Section 1 of the NCU Senior League.Clarence J Hiles (2003), A History of Senior Cricket in Ulster, Hilltop Publications, p. 164 It shares a ground with Orangefield ...

), and then at the Willowfield Recreation Grounds (now Gibson Park Avenue), which was opened on 4 September 1926. It is now the home of Malone Rugby Club, who acquired it in 1935.

Honours

Senior honours

: 1 **1927–28

Intermediate honours

Irish Intermediate League The Irish Intermediate League was a Northern Irish football competition for teams of intermediate status, which also included reserve sides of senior teams. The league ran from 1915 until 1954. History It began in 1915 after the amalgamation of ...

: 1 **1927–28 *

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 ...

: 2 **1923–24, 1927–28 *

Steel & Sons Cup The Steel & Sons Cup (also referred to as the Steel Cup) is an intermediate football competition in Northern Ireland run by the North East Ulster Football Association (also known as the County Antrim & District Football Association). The compe ...

: 1 **1927–28

Willowfield Junior honours

*Irish Junior Cup: 2 **1906–07, 1907–08 *Beattie Cup: 3 **1914–15, 1915–16, 1922–23 *County Antrim Junior Shield: 1 **1916–17† † Won by Willowfield II

References

Defunct association football clubs in Northern Ireland Association football clubs established in 1889 Association football clubs disestablished in 1930 Association football clubs in Belfast 1889 establishments in Ireland 1930 disestablishments in Northern Ireland {{NorthernIreland-footyclub-stub