Tobermore United F.C.
{{short description|Association football club in Northern Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2020}}
{{more references|date=March 2025}}
{{Football club infobox
| clubname = Tobermore United
| image = Tobermore United F.C. logo.png
| fullname = Tobermore United Football Club
| nickname = "The Reds"
| founded = 1965
| ground = Fortwilliam Park, Tobermore
| coordinates = {{coord|54.8173|-6.7012|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| capacity = {{approx|1,500}}{{cite web|url = https://uk.soccerway.com/teams/northern-ireland/tobermore-united-fc/4968/ | title = Tobermore United FC | website = uk.soccerway.com | accessdate = 15 April 2025 }}
| manager =
| league = NIFL Premier Intermediate League
| season = 2023–24
| position = NIFL Premier Intermediate League, 13th of 14
| pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=_blackhorizontal|pattern_ra1=
| leftarm1=FF0000|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FF0000|shorts1=000000|socks1=000000
| pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
| leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=FFFFFF|socks2=FFFFFF
}}
Tobermore United Football Club is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League.
History
The club, founded in 1965, is based in Tobermore, near Magherafelt, County Londonderry. The club's main colours are red and black.{{cite web|url = http://www.tobermoreunitedfc.co.uk/history/ | website = tobermoreunitedfc.co.uk| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20190629022505/http://www.tobermoreunitedfc.co.uk/history/ | archivedate = 29 June 2019 | title = Tobermore United FC - History }}
Tobermore United is the only football club in Northern Ireland that George Best ever played competitively for. However, it was only for one match, on 11 February 1984, after many years of his decline, and Tobermore lost 7–0 to Ballymena United.
The club has a youth development scheme and it was awarded official Football Development Centre (FDC) status by the IFA. It has teams at under-11, under-12, under-14 and under-16 level.{{fact|date=March 2025}}
In the 2010/11 season, the club gained promotion to IFA Championship 1 by finishing 2nd in IFA Championship 2, but were relegated again two-years later.
In the 2016/17 season, the IFA Championship 2 was changed to the NIFL Premier Intermediate League. In its inaugural season, Tobermore finished 5th.
In the 2018/19 season, Tobermore finished in 3rd place in the Premier Intermediate League.
Following the curtailed 2019–20 Premier Intermediate League season, Tobermore finished 11th and technically bottom of the league however weren't relegated due to no appropriate promotion candidates, and given the league had already lost Lurgan Celtic who had withdrawn.
Due to Covid-19, the 2020/21 season wasn't played, and the Premier Intermediate League began again in the 2021/22 season. Tobermore finished bottom once again, but were not relegated as there were 11 teams in the league when there were meant to be 12 (Ballymacash Rangers F.C. were promoted to the Premier Intermediate League and nobody was relegated to allow a 12-team league for the following season).
In the 2022/23 season, Tobermore finished 6th in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League, making it into the top section of the split but finishing bottom of it.
Ground
File:Fortwilliam Park, Tobermore (Geograph 1676612).jpg
The club plays its home matches at Fortwilliam Park outside Tobermore village. It has capacity for approximately 1,500 spectators. In 1984, it hosted a crowd of approximately 4,000 when George Best played his only competitive club match in Northern Ireland.{{cite web|url = https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/football/the-day-manchester-united-icon-george-best-played-for-tobermore-united-1057945 | website = The Newsletter | title = The day Manchester United icon George Best played for Tobermore United | date = 9 January 2018 | accessdate = 27 April 2025 | quote = Cars lined the road to Maghera outside Fortwilliam Park in Tobermore as hundreds of supporters finally got the chance to see soccer legend George Best turnout for the local side back in 1984 [..] few in the 4,000 strong attendance were too concerned as they concentrated attention on the real crowd-puller of the day, George Best }} The match, an Irish Cup tie between Tobermore United and Ballymena United, ended 0-7 to Ballymena.{{cite news|last=Luney |first=Graham |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/northern-ireland/the-best-is-yet-to-come-for-tobermore-in-irish-cup-30891010.html |title=The best is yet to come for Tobermore in Irish cup |website=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk |date= 8 January 2015|accessdate=2017-01-25}}
Honours
=Senior honours=
- North West Senior Cup: 3
- 1980–81,{{fact|date=April 2025}} 1989–90, 2006–07
=Intermediate honours=
- IFA Intermediate League Second Division: 1
- 2004–05
- Craig Memorial Cup: 6
- 1980–81, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1997–98, 2005–06, 2009–10
- Northern Ireland Intermediate League: 3
- 1978–79, 1981–82, 1982–83
- Northern Ireland Intermediate League Cup: 2
- 1978–79, 1981–82
- North West Intermediate Cup Winners: 2
- 1989–90, 2005–06
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.nifootballleague.com/all-clubs/tobermore-united/ Tobermore United (on nifootballleague.com)]
{{Football in Northern Ireland}}
{{NIFL league}}
Category:Association football clubs established in 1965
Category:Association football clubs in Northern Ireland
Category:Association football clubs in County Londonderry