Shamrock F.C.
{{about||teams with similar names|Shamrock (disambiguation)#Sports|and|Shamrock Rovers F.C.}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Shamrock F.C.
| caption =
| nickname = Shamrock
| founded = 2006
| ground = Marrowbone Millennium Park
| capacity = 180
| league = Northern Amateur Football League
}}
Shamrock Football Club, referred to simply as Shamrock, is an intermediate football club playing in the Northern Amateur Football League.{{Cite news |date=2022-12-19 |title=We’ll take nothing for granted, insists Shamrock chief Conor Stiobhard |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/well-take-nothing-for-granted-insists-shamrock-chief-conor-stiobhard/42230324.html |access-date=2025-02-11 |work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}{{Cite web |title=fonaCAB Junior Cup R2 draw |url=https://www.irishfa.com/news/2022/september/fonacab-junior-cup-r2-draw |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=IFA |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=fonaCAB Junior Cup - First Round draw |url=https://www.irishfa.com/news/2018/august/fonacab-junior-cup-first-round-draw |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=IFA |language=en}} They are based in Ardoyne, Belfast, Northern Ireland.{{Cite web |title=Northern Amateur Football League :: Shamrock FC |url=https://www.thenafl.co.uk/teams/id/209 |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=www.thenafl.co.uk}} Shamrock were established 2006, and play their home games at Marrowbone Millennium Park, on Oldpark Road.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Ryan |date=2015-10-05 |title=Councillor hits out after North Belfast play park vandalised |url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/councillor-hits-out-after-north-10197828 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Belfast Live |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Shamrock FC NICVA |url=https://www.communityni.org/organisation/shamrock-fc |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=CommunityNI |language=EN}} They share the ground with Crumlin Star F.C.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-05 |title=The new state-of-the-art Marrowbone Millennium Park opens for business |url=https://www.irishnews.com/sport/the-new-state-of-the-art-marrowbone-millennium-park-opens-for-business-V5HAAK2HN5GL5IGNYHSNRASLRM/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=The Irish News |language=en}} Shamrock F.C. play in the Irish Cup.
History
Shamrock Football Club were established in 2006, and entered into the Belfast and District Football League up until 2014, when they joined the Northern Amateur Football League.{{Cite web |title=Shamrock Football Club {{!}} Localgiving |url=https://localgiving.org/charity/shamrockfc |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=localgiving.org}}{{Cite web |title=Northern Amateur Football League :: News Detail :: News from the Management Committee |url=https://www.thenafl.co.uk/newsdetail/ID/275 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=www.thenafl.co.uk}}
In 2014, Shamrock established a women's football team, Shamrock Ladies.{{Cite web |last=Fullerton |first=Gareth |date=2018-06-21 |title=Shamrock Ladies are on cloud nine following emphatic win |url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/shamrock-ladies-cloud-nine-following-14810572 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Belfast Live |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Fullerton |first=Gareth |date=2024-05-07 |title=Portadown FC Ladies' Shamrock Park return further evidence of club's ambition |url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/portadown-fc-ladies-shamrock-park-29125720 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Belfast Live |language=en}}
In July 2023, a pre-season friendly match again Ballysillan's Mossley F.C. was cancelled following sectarian threats prior to the match taking place at Ballysillan Leisure Centre.{{Cite web |title=Ardoyne football club's match cancelled after sinister social media threats |url=https://belfastmedia.com/shamrock-fc-cancelled-match |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Belfast Media Group |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-07-11 |title=Fixture scrapped after 'threat' to north Belfast soccer club |url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2023/07/11/news/fixture_scraped_after_threat_to_north_belfast_soccer_club-3424481/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=The Irish News |language=en}}
In February 2024, Shamrock Football Club moved to an upgraded Marrowbone Millennium Park. The stadium cost £4.3 million, funded by funded by the Executive Office Urban Villages Initiative, Department for Communities and Belfast City Council. SDLP's Nichola Mallon helped the club secure this facility, including turnstiles following a 15-year wait and cut the tape at the opening.{{Cite web |title=The Northern Ireland Assembly |url=https://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/officialreport/report.aspx?&eveDate=2024/04/29&docID=398864 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=www.niassembly.gov.uk |language=en-GB}}
Colours and badge
Shamrock represents Irish Catholics that live in Ardoyne, and others from the Catholic community in Belfast.{{Cite web |title=Good old Bhoys do their bit in Ardoyne |url=https://belfastmedia.com/good-old-bhoys-do-their-bit-in-ardoyne |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Belfast Media Group |language=en}} Shamrock Football Club play in traditional Celtic colours, green and white, adopting it from other Celtic football clubs, including Belfast Celtic, Lurgan Celtic and Glasgow Celtic.{{Cite news |date=2019-10-20 |title=Amateur team Shamrock dismiss rumours of Jay Donnelly signing |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/amateur-team-shamrock-dismiss-rumours-of-jay-donnelly-signing/38611657.html |access-date=2025-02-12 |work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}
The badge features an Irish clover leaf. The words "Ard Eoin" translates to the Irish origin name of Ardyone, "Eoin's Height", the west Belfast location of the club's origin.{{Cite web |last=P&P |date=2021-11-13 |title=Ardoyne - The Story of a Village |url=https://www.belfastentries.com/places/ardoyne/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Belfast Entries |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=History, photographs and films of old Belfast districts, Ardoyne Shankill, Falls, etc. |url=http://oldbelfastdistricts.rushlightmagazine.com/ardoyne.html |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=oldbelfastdistricts.rushlightmagazine.com}} Also on the badge, the words "cumann peile na seamroige" translates to "the shamrock football association" from Irish.
References
External links
{{Northern Amateur Football League}}
{{Football in Northern Ireland}}
Category:Association football clubs in Northern Ireland
Category:Association football clubs established in 2006
Category:Association football clubs in County Antrim