Excitement is perhaps the word that best encapsulates the goings-on across the past week at Bangor. On the men’s end, pre-season is back in swing and with Larne in town on Tuesday night, it was a testing but enjoyable return to action for Lee Feeney’s group that brought about a healthy crowd for a June clash of champions.
Meanwhile, the fixture list for the senior men’s side was unveiled, with a difficult opening to proceedings that equally very much presents the opportunity to get points on the board. With derby days and long away dates on the horizon, plans are very much in the pipeline as far as the upcoming campaign goes, while the women’s crusade – one nearing its summer break – continues to roll on with a latest success secured in the week. All that and more comes under the spotlight with the new term now just around the corner.
Men’s pre-season returns with clash of champions
Firstly, Bangor’s senior men kicked off their pre-season schedule at home to Larne on Tuesday night as the team build up to the commencement of the new Playr-Fit Championship campaign.
Being the Premiership champions, a tough test is to be anticipated irrespective of which side they will field out, but Inver Reds boss Tiernan Lynch deployed a squad full of first names on his team sheet in anticipation of their Champions League First Qualifying Round tie against Finnish titans HJK Helsinki next month.
And following on from wins over Finn Harps, Harland and Wolff Welders and Haverfordwest County, the east Antrim club continued that winning vein after hitting the Seasiders for six at Clandeboye Park.
Top-flight Player of the Season Leroy Millar recorded a hat-trick to add to a brace by Paul O’Neill and a header from new boy Craig Farquhar, and though the hosts had chances early on to make inroads on their old red-shirted rivals, presentable opportunities from Ben Arthurs, Lewis Harrison and Jordan Hughes were unable to be put away as Larne kept a shut-out.
A visiting panel that included a couple of fresh faces in Farquhar – one of the Irish League’s outstanding young defenders with Ballymena United – and Ali Omar, Lynch introduced the two defenders alongside familiar aces in the pack like Millar, O’Neill, Scottish goalkeeper supreme Rohan Ferguson, his countryman line-leader Andy Ryan and distinguished right-back captain Tomás Cosgrove.
As for Yellows chief Lee Feeney’s side, two trialists were fielded in an altered line-up from what many fans were familiar with last term.
Midfielder Karl Devine received his first minutes of any description since mid-February after a long rehabilitation process from an ankle blow, while Harrison, Arthurs and Reece Neale – all of whom signed two-year professional contracts in the off-season – were in a selection which also comprised Dylan O’Kane, David Hume and Jamie Glover.
As facets of the outfit that clinched the Premier Intermediate League title by 10 points are continually tied down, the north Down clan will keep taking shape as pre-season endures.
16-year-old front-man Sonny Redford, who impressed in two senior appearances at the tail end of last season, featured from the bench during Bangor’s 6-0 pre-season defeat at the hands of Premiership champions Larne. Image from Sarah Harkness.
Furthermore, 16-year-olds Ross Ferguson and Sonny Redford were in receipt of game time as Feeney continues to assess his options on and off the pitch.
The Kilkeel boss – who himself extended his association with the famous yellow and blue until 2025 – left with feelings of satisfaction following this first affair in the summer itinerary.
“I thought we were disciplined in our shape and our work ethic was everything you ask for at this stage of pre-season”
Bangor supremo Lee Feeney took heart from the sense of organisation about his group against Larne
“I actually came away from the game pleased,” he told Rory McKee in this week’s County Down Spectator after the match.
“Because I thought we were disciplined in our shape and our work ethic was everything you ask for at this stage of pre-season.
The quotes section:
“I actually came away from the game pleased, because I thought we were disciplined in our shape and our work ethic was everything you ask for at this stage of pre-season. Some of the goals were a bit unlucky on our behalf, and others maybe a bit amateurish with it being the first game back. But I always say that the first game is the worst we’ll be because you only hope to get fitter, stronger and better. If that’s the worst we will be this pre-season then I’m happy with that” – Bangor manager Lee Feeney was content with various aspects of his team’s play on Tuesday night. Image from Sarah Harkness.
“Some of the goals were a bit unlucky on our behalf, and others maybe a bit amateurish with it being the first game back.
“But I always say that the first game is the worst we’ll be because you only hope to get fitter, stronger and better. If that’s the worst we will be this pre-season then I’m happy with that.
“We had one or two chances, but we’ll learn from that. When you play against these sorts of teams, you don’t get many opportunities and the ones that you do get, you have to take them.
“I always say that the first game is the worst we’ll be because you only hope to get fitter, stronger and better”
Bangor boss Lee Feeney took positives from the level of application his players put on display on Tuesday night
“Since I came in three years ago, I have seen a big improvement in the team and I can see the boys are far fitter and more hungry because they’ve won trophies, so I’m looking forward to next season.”
Larne, who since Kenny Bruce’s takeover have risen from the bottom end of the second-tier to become Premiership victors in the space of just five and a half years, are one part of a fixture list that is jam-packed with tantalising contests.
With fellow European representatives Glentoran and Linfield on the agenda in July, as well as a mouth-watering duel versus Rangers ‘B’ in the middle of the month, there is an assortment of appealing encounters that will whet the faithful’s appetite and stand Feeney’s charges in good stead going into an exciting next adventure.
With one out of 10 of Bangor’s pre-season fixtures now fulfilled, the attentions turn this weekend to the match-up against East Belfast at Clandeboye Park (1pm kick-off) this Saturday. The standard is once again expected to increase as the month of July extends. Image from Bangor FC Social Media.
Upcoming this weekend is another home match, where Amateur League Premier Division side East Belfast will be Bangor’s opposition.
It will also see a return to Clandeboye Park for a handful of former Seasiders now equipped in red and black stripes, including focal point line-leader and new arrival Kyle Woods, the multi-faceted Matty Johnston, William Bingham and Karl Rossborough.
Kick-off against the Inverary outfit this Saturday afternoon, June 29, is at 1pm.
Ladies stay on victory trail with Comber success
Elsewhere this week, Bangor FC Ladies were on the league trail on Wednesday night and stocked up their points tally with another win.
10 days on from a nail-biting extra-time triumph over Lisburn Distillery Ladies in Round One of the Electric Ireland Women’s Challenge Cup, NIWFA Championship adversaries Comber Rec made the brief traverse to Clandeboye Park hopeful of going one better in the league.
But the Yellows proved too strong for the Peninsula institution, with strikes either side of half-time by Lydia Clarke and Amber Dempster proving to be enough to despatch them.
The returning Dempster, who had hitherto not featured on the pitch since she suffered a hamstring injury a few weeks prior, hit the mark five minutes post the interval, doubling up the Seasider goal count with Clarke having opened the scoring just eight minutes in.
Player spotlight:
Following a handful of weeks on the sidelines through injury, it was a not-atypical goalscoring return to action for Amber Dempster, who netted a clinching second goal in the midweek victory over Comber Rec. She is the top markswoman for Ethan Boylan’s team this season and continues to thrive in the spotlight. Image from Joe McEwan.
Following the postponement of the scheduled league encounter against Lisburn Rangers seven days prior, it was the first fixture Ethan Boylan had overseen in the second-flight since a 2-2 draw with St James’ Swifts on the last day of May.
There were not too many signs of rust, though, given the Seagulls seared to a fourth three-point haul in the division.
The opener was a good way to set their stall with not much time undertaken in proceedings. Toni Stewart scooped the ball over the heads of the Rec rearguard, and Clarke was ready at the back stick to direct home from just a few yards out from the goalline, leaving Boylan satisfied indeed that good play was rewarded.
24-year-old Clarke, who also converted during the first meeting of the teams at Parkway back in May, registered a second goalscoring game in succession after stroking home the extra-time winner against Distillery in that Sunday affair.
Player spotlight:
Not for the first time, it was Lydia Clarke who delivered an important strike for Bangor FC Ladies. She converted a crucial extra-winner against Lisburn Distillery Ladies, and then backed that up with the opening strike in Wednesday night’s duel with Comber Rec. Image from Sarah Harkness.
Dempster’s expert second was a sublime low finish from a well-placed delivery across the goal-face by Leah Robinson. The attacker was released in her stride by returning midfielder Janine Jess – the former Glentoran teen was substituted following an ankle blow in the Whites clash but, in a boost, returned to the reckoning when it was ruled not to be a serious blow – before drilling a cross from the right-hand byline and finding the striker, who picked out the bottom left with a high degree of precision.
Those finishes were to go unresponded and put the seal on a much-welcomed clean-sheet success.
Next week will be a double-game helping in what is the final matchday action before the summer break.
Firstly, a trip to St Oliver Plunkett is on the agenda, with a tantalising chance of progression in the PwC Super Cup on the cards when the Seasiders make their way to Sally Gardens in west Belfast (7:30pm kick-off). It is then a return to the league front a couple of days later on Wednesday, where Bangor will face Ballyclare Comrades in the final game for 21 days at V36 Valley Leisure Centre (7:30pm kick-off). Any and all support is welcome.
Bangor FC Ladies manager and long-time club favourite Ethan Boylan has enjoyed a bright start to life in the dugout, and will hope to secure progression for the Seasiders both on the league and cup front. A top-three finish is being actively pursued in the NIWFA Championship, while a place in Round Four of the PwC Super Cup is also being looked at as an objective. Image from Sarah Harkness.
Sticking with the Ladies, the last-16 draw of the Women’s Challenge Cup has pitted the Yellows against one of their league-mates.
A home duel with Lisburn Rangers beckons at the end of July for the right of progression.
In the last-16 of the Electric Ireland Women’s Challenge Cup, Bangor will face off against fellow NIWFA Championship outfit Lisburn Rangers. The league leaders, whose men’s team are managed by a title-winning Bangor manager in Hugh Sinclair, will visit Clandeboye Park in a tie that will call on Ethan Boylan’s players to present the best version of themselves. Image from Sarah Harkness.
The NIWFA Championship leaders promise to ask a stern question of Boylan and his set-up – indeed, the Stanley Park club were 6-0 victors on the opening day of the league season – but with a quarter-final place on the line in this distinguished competition, the forecast is for an added fire to be within the players’ hearts.
With the 10 Premiership sides entering the fray at this stage, a glamour date likely awaits in Round Three should Bangor make it to that level.
The second-stage fixtures are lined up for July 28, shortly after the return from the three-week summer break.
And among the Academy sector, the Under-10s took part in a tournament hosted by St Kelvin Youth at Olympia Leisure Centre on Sunday.
With the help of first-teamers Leah Robinson and Giulia McLaughlin, everybody had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed themselves in lovely weather conditions and showcased their skills and abilities under the sun.
Fixture reveal sets wheels in motion for season ahead
Bangor have found out who they will face in the Playr-Fit Championship next season with the release of the official fixture schedule.
It is a tough start in August – three of the 2022/23 second-tier term’s top six plus the demoted side from the Premiership – with a visit to Dixon Park awaiting the Seagulls on August 5.
That traverse to play Ballyclare Comrades kick-starts a quartet of games that includes a North Down Derby against Ards, a home duel against Dundela and a trip to Shamrock Park to play Portadown.
Away days to Ballinamallard and Dergview await in September, while Institute is in the third week of October on that long-planned foray to the Maiden City. A run of five matches out of six at Clandeboye Park, starting with a home date with Ballyclare on December 2 and ending with the New Year’s Day visit of Annagh United, then precedes a run of four away days in the immediate half a dozen match-ups that follow.
Newington, who the Yellows would have faced at Solitude when the clubs pitted their wits against each other in the PIL, will play in Larne from next term on, so supporters will twice be headed to Inver Park for away days against a club from the north Belfast heartlands.
Ards will be the nominal ‘hosts’ for Boxing Day, though the yellow and blue side of the divide retains the right of homesters on February 10. The pre-split closes out with a second trek to Niall Currie’s Portadown.
What will happen in the post-split is anyone’s guess. But there is certainly a lot of football to be played before that is determined.
Season tickets on sale ahead of bright new step
Season tickets are available to be purchased in advance of the new 2023/24 campaign.
With an increase in the number of guaranteed fixtures, the cost of tickets has naturally gone up, rising to £130 for adults and £80 for concession.
But that cost will also include a bonus season-long membership of the Bangor FC Social Club, while those under the age of 16 will remain free of charge with an accompanying paying adult. A payment plan across the months of June and July is an available option.
All post-split fixtures, as well as all Reserves matches, are covered in the price. Domestic cup competitions such as the Irish Cup, Co Antrim Shield and BetMcLean Cup are not applicable.
Vice-Chairman Jim Russell stated: “Season ticket pricing remains at the forefront of our thinking for the 2023/24 Championship season.
“We also wanted to recognise loyalty and with that in mind, season ticket holders will now become automatic members of the Bangor FC Social Club”
Bangor supporters who purchase season tickets for this upcoming season will gain membership to the Social Club as well, as confirmed by the club’s Vice-Chairman Jim Russell
“We appreciate these are not easy times for anyone financially. However, prices have risen in line with promotion into the Championship and the increase in home league matches to a minimum of 18 games. But we also wanted to recognise loyalty and with that in mind, season ticket holders will now become automatic members of the Bangor FC Social Club. That is an extra saving for our dedicated supporters.
“Thanks once again to McKeown’s Fish and Poultry shop for sponsoring our season tickets for the sixth successive season. Community involvement with local businesses is vital at Bangor FC, as the club progresses club to the top level of Irish League football.”
The quotes section:
“Season ticket pricing remains at the forefront of our thinking for the 2023/24 Championship season. We appreciate these are not easy times for anyone financially. However, prices have risen in line with promotion into the Championship and the increase in home league matches to a minimum of 18 games. But we also wanted to recognise loyalty and with that in mind, season ticket holders will now become automatic members of the Bangor FC Social Club. That is an extra saving for our dedicated supporters” – Bangor Vice-Chairman Jim Russell outlines the thinking behind the season ticket pricing and what is included in the package that rewards loyalty and makes it a worthwhile investment. Image from Bangor FC website.
Season ticket sales have risen in volume each and every year since 2017, with in excess of 100 holders in last term’s momentous double-winning crusade. To see that number keep trending with the team’s upward trajectory would be a satisfying sight for all at the club.
They will be on sale from the press box throughout the pre-season schedule, and one can also order a ticket by contacting media@bangorfc.com where you will be able to seal one.
The club is proud to retain the support of McKeown’s Fish and Poultry, whose premises are located on High Street in Bangor, for a sixth year in succession.
Company proprietor Sean McKeown said: “As a local business, I am delighted to continue my support for the city’s football club. Especially after winning the PIL league and Steel and Sons Cup double. I’m pleased to give something back to the local community and I’m proud to be associated with Bangor FC.
“The club is back into senior Irish league football and I am confident they will continue to progress during the new campaign.
“I will be following the team throughout the season and I wish the Seasiders every continued success both on and off the field.”
“As a local business, I am delighted to continue my support for the city’s football club. Especially after winning the PIL league and Steel and Sons Cup double”
McKeown’s Fish and Poultry proprietor Sean McKeown is glad to continue supporting Bangor through season ticket sponsorship
Your support, as ever, would be greatly appreciated going into the long-awaited return to senior football for this upcoming term.
Meanwhile, Chaplain Gary Faulkner and supporter William Gilpin visited lifelong fan Alan McKinney at his nursing home this week.
Alan, better known as Pipe, has supported Bangor for over 50 years and despite his ill health was able to recount some memories of the club from years gone by.
Bangor supporter William Gilpin is pictured with Alan McKinney, who beamed as he got his hands on the Steel and Sons Cup in the week. Image from Bangor FC Social Media.
He was thrilled to get his hands on the Steel and Sons Cup and told tales of his many happy and distinguished memories following the Seasiders. The hope, of course, is that there are chapters still to be written in the coming years to celebrate too.
Featured image from Sarah Harkness.
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