Lurgan Town Arena, 83 Glenavon Lane, Lurgan, Co Armagh, BT66 8TN

Minister for Social Development, Mervyn Storey MLA

and members of the club’s Academy at the official

opening of the new facility at Lurgan Town Arena

Minister for Social Development, Mervyn Storey MLA, has officially opened a new £513,000 sports and

community facility at Lurgan Town Football Club. The new facility includes a clubhouse and a 3G youth

football pitch, with upgraded lights and car parking facilities. It will be used both by the Club and also by

schools, youth clubs, sporting, voluntary and community organisations within the Lurgan and Brownlow

Neighbourhood Renewal areas.

Minister Storey said: “Lurgan Town Football Club is an excellent example of a sporting organisation which

is at the heart of its community. It provides opportunities for young people regardless of their background

or ability. With 400 members and 40 volunteers, Lurgan Town Football Club is a key player in the local

community and these new facilities will enable them to continue to deliver even more programmes to

improve social and community regeneration.”

Since March 2007 the Department has invested over £8.7million in a range of projects and programmes in

the Lurgan and Brownlow Neighbourhood Renewal area to help enhance the physical… Continued on Page 2

ARENA OFFICIALLY OPENED

Continued from Page 1… environment, and also improve the health,

education and employability of its residents.

The Minister added: “I fully appreciate the importance of sport in

our community and the role it has to play in helping to address

disadvantage. The links between sporting activity and improved

health and well-being are clear, but there are also other benefits

which help create structure and discipline for those who might

otherwise become disengaged from society.

“Sport helps contribute to community pride and promotes and

nurtures volunteering; something which has been exemplified by

Lurgan Town Football Club and their community partners.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

SENIOR MATCH SPONSORS

1s Team v St Marys - Gilford Tae Kwon Do

1st Team v Wellington Rec - Nigels School of Motoring

1st Team v Oxford Sunnside - DM Laser Fab Ltd

1st Team v Laurelvale - Lurgan Darts Distributions

1st Team v Seagoe - www.anfieldtrophies.co.uk

1st Team v Markethill Swifts - www.thebeautifulgame.eu

Want to sponsor a game? Get in touch. £20 per match.

Email info@lurgantownfc.com

GIRLS ACADEMY

As numbers continue to grow at the Lurgan Town Girls Academy

and with girls coming back from holidays and numbers expecting

to get bigger, we are currently looking for coaches and volunteers

who would like to come and give a hand so we can coach the girls

in their different age groups. Anyone interested in getting

involved please send a private message to the Lurgan Town

Facebook page or email info@lurgantownfc.com.

Any new players that are interested joining it is currently for 5

years old up to the age of 14. We train from 6pm to 7pm every

Thursday at the Lurgan Town Arena.

AUGUST RESULTS

31st August 2015

U16 NL 3-1 Ballymena Utd (Ryan Finlay, Adam

Loughran, Nathan Hamilton)

29th August 2015

1st Team 5-1 St Marys (Geoff Greenaway)

28th August 2015

U19 MU 11-0 Bournview Mill (Philip Bingham

x5, Adam Wing, Scott Wilshire, Josh Law, Sid

Tavares, Eamon Coleman, Harry Wilson)

U13 NL 1-7 Ballymena Utd (Rhys Emerson)

26th August 2015

U19 MU 7-0 Tandragee Youth (Philip Bingham

x3, Tom Brown x2, Matthew Hagan, Jake Kerr)

22nd August 2015

1st Team 0-1 Wellington Rec

U19 MU 2-5 Cookstown Youth (Philip

Bingham, Matthew Hagan)

19th August 2015

1st Team 1-1 Oxford Sunnyside (Matt Irvine)

15th August 2015

1st Team 5-0 Laurelvale (Matt Irvine x2,

Andrew Houston, Sammy Wright, David

Hamilton)

11th August 2015

1st Team 4-0 Seagoe (Nathan Crozier, Kyle

Cousins, Matt Irvine, Andrew Houston)

8th August 2015

1st Team 1-1 Markethill Swifts (Sammy

Wright)

The year of 2015 just gets better for Lurgan Town FC as we

recently found out we are to receive the award for McDonalds

Regional IFA Accredited Community Club of Year. Lurgan Town FC

representatives received their award from Northern Ireland legend

and McDonalds Ambassador Pat Jennings on Friday 7th August.

“This is an award everyone connected to the club can be proud of

from committee, volunteers, players and parents,” said club

secretary Philip McKinley. “The desire of the committee to make

Lurgan Town FC a club for the community and wider areas is very

much number one on the list. We have a commitment to provide a

service that everyone can feel a part of and we also strive to

provide facilities that shows the club’s ambition to keep moving

forward. We would also like to thank McDonalds for this award in

which it gives the club a feeling that things are being done the

right way.”

The club will now go up against all other Northern Ireland regional

winners later in the year to find out if we will be named the

National winners.

McDONALDS REGIONAL AWARD

Congratulations to Ben Davison, Tyler Boyce, Darragh Gray, Declan

O'Neill (Junior Squad) and Tiarnan Judge (Senior Squad) on their

selection to the Co Armagh Milk Cup Squads. The boys have taken time

out to answer a few questions for WIE about their experience in

Northern Irelands most prestigious youth football tournament.

WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? Ben Davidson: At

the final trial I was told by the manager and coaches I had made the

squad. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing against

the most? BD: Right to dream. WIE: What was it like to play in the

tournament? BD: A fantastic experience, living like a professional

footballer for the week. WIE: What was your favourite game? BD:

Swindon Town - it was a great win and a good start to the tournament.

WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the

tournament? BD: The challenge of playing against footballers from all

over the world. WIE: As a player what did you learn? BD: That you have

to give 100% for every second of every match.

New signing John Lee McAfee also answered a few questions. WIE:

How did you find out you had made the squad? JLM: There were 24

players in the changing room and they called 6 out to let them know

they didn't make the squad, then they came into Us and told us we made the final 18. WIE: What team where

you looking forward to playing against the most? JLM: Right to Dream because they were unbeaten in 32

games. WIE: What was it like to play in the tournament? It was such an experience. We were treated like pro-

fessionals, getting a massage before a match an a ice bath after the match, kids asking us for our autographs

and getting photos taken, it was just unreal. WIE: What was your favourite game? JLM: Has to be Swindon

town as I got a goal and played well. WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the tourna-

ment? JLM: The experience and meeting loads of new people. WIE: What did you learn as a player during the

week ? JLM: I learnt a lot of things but the main one has to be, when you work as a team you will achieve.

MILK CUP REVIEW

Junior Results

Group Games

Swindon Town 1-3 Co. Armagh

Co. Tyrone 2-1 Co. Armagh

Co. Armagh 0-0 Right to Dream

Dale Farm Bowl Semi Final

GPS FC Bayern 1-1 Co Armagh (5-4 Pens)

Dale Farm Bowl 3rd/4th Place Play Off

Co Armagh 0-2 North Dublin SL

Senior Results

Group Games

Real Sociedad 1-0 Co. Armagh

Co. Armagh 2-1 Alset Colombia

Co. Armagh 2-0 Otago Academy

Dale Farm Vase Semi Final

Co Armagh 0-0 Motherwell (5-4 Pens)

Dale Farm Vase Final

Co Armagh 1-6 Right To Dream

Milk Cup Junior Squad: Tyler Boyce (GK), Ben Davison (right of GK), Darragh Gray (front left), John Lee McAfee (front row 2nd from right)

WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad?

Tiarnan Judge: We where sat in the changing rooms and

they called out each player that was getting cut which

was pretty scary. Then the coaches came in and told us

we had made the squad. WIE: What team where you

looking forward to playing against the most? TJ: Real

Sociedad because they are a massive club around the

world and were going to be a great footballing side. WIE:

What was it like to play in the tournament? TJ: It was a

great experience and I got to play against some of the

best players in the world at my age group. WIE: What was

your favourite game? TJ: Motherwell - it was played at a

high intensity and winning on penalties was a great feel-

ing. WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the tournament? TJ:

Seeing where you stand compared to the professional players around the world at your age. WIE: As a player

what did you learn? TJ: The way in which different cultures player their football and how important it wad to

adapt to playing against these different cultures. WIE: Tiarnan has recently joined Portadown FC following 3

years at the club including his debut season with the senior side. We would like to wish him all the best in this

new challenge.

WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? Darragh Gray: It was very nerve-wracking, after training

they called us in 1 by 1 to tell us if we had been selected, then the next Saturday we were given a letter

confirming this. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing against the most? DG: After the draw

had been made I think the whole squad were looking forward to playing against Right to Dream who were

from Ghana. They are a football academy who scout over 20,000 players a year from across the African

continent. WIE: What was it like to play in the tournament? DG: It was brilliant, the best experience of my life

so far. WIE: What was your favourite game? DG: Drawing with Right to Dream, as everyone knew how good

they were. They had played in 2 previous tournaments before arriving at the milk cup winning both (defeating

Arsenal in one final and Benfica in the other). So not to get beat by them in front of a huge crowd at the

Coleraine Showgrounds was amazing. WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the

tournament? DG: The best thing was scoring the opening goal in the first match against Swindon Town and

having good craic with the other lads. WIE: As a player what did you learn? DG: That playing 5 matches in 5

days wrecks you!!

WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? Tyler Boyce: We were all in the changing room and

basically whoever was called out didn't make it and gladly I wasn't

called out. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing

against the most? TB: Probably Right to Dream because I had

heard all about their success before the Milk Cup and I was

looking forward to the challenge. WIE: What was it like to play in

the tournament? TB: It was such a good experience to play in the

tournament and I met some great people so it was a good week.

WIE: What was your favourite game? TB: My favourite game was

our first against Swindon, simply because we were brilliant and it

was a great result for us. WIE: What would you say was the best

thing about playing in the tournament? TB: The best thing about

playing in the Milk Cup is how professional the tournament set up

is and the overall experience of playing in it. WIE: As a player

what did you learn? TB: I learnt a few things over the week but

the main thing I learnt was to be confident in my own ability and

to be confident at all times on the pitch.

MIK CUP REVIEW

Tiarnan Judge in orange

“… be

confident

at all

times on

the pitch”

Tyler Boyce

Over 3 consecutive Saturdays in August, we hosted the Lurgan Town Cup at

the Arena. Designed for U9, U10, U12 and U16 teams all 3 days where a great

success with some fantastic players representing their teams and some

fantastic goals scored. Of the 15 trophies on offer, Lurgan Town won 6 of

them including at least one trophy from each age group.

LURGAN TOWN CUP

U9 Winners

Lurgan Town Vapors - Plate

Lurgan Town Predators - Plaque

Windmill Stars - Shield

Sion Swifts - Cup

U10 Winners

Lurgan Town Vapors - Plate

East Coast Strikers - Plaque

Portadown Youth - Shield

Lurgan Town Predators - Cup

U12 Winners

Glenavon Academy - Plaque

Lurgan Town - Shield

Greenisland - Cup

U16 Winners

Lurgan Town National - Plate

North Belfast - Plaque

Carrick Rangers - Shield

St Oliver Plunkett - Cup

Above: Under 10 Vapors - Plate Winners. Right: Under 9 Vapors - Plate

Winners. Below: Under 12 - Shield Winners

Below: Under 10 Predators - Cup Winners. Bottom

Left: Under 16 National - Plate Winners. Bottom Right:

Under 9 Predators - Plaque Winners

On Saturday 22nd August our U8, U9, U10 and U11 sides travelled to Mallusk to play in some fun filled games. The boys

(and coaches) got to meet former Arsenal player Martin Keown and Northern Ireland legend Pat Jennings.

MALLUSK FUN DAY

Under 11: Played 6. Won 6

Under 8: Played 6. Won 2. Lost 4 Under 10 Predators: Played 6. Won 5. Drew 1.

Under 9 Vapors: Played 5. Won 1, Drew 1. Lost 5.

Under 10 Vapors: Played 6. Won 3, Drew 2, Lost 1

Under 9 Predators: Played 6. Won 2. Drew 1. Lost 3

The Lurgan Town U15s made

the trip today (Saturday 29th

August) to East Belfast for their

annual Pre Season friendly

where our Lisburn League team

played their National League

team and our Mid Ulster team

played their South Belfast

League team. In two exciting

and quality games our Lisburn

League team won 4-2 with East Belfast over coming the

Mid Ulster team 7-2. A great day was had by players,

coaches and parents and we would like to thank East

Belfast for their hospitality. We will look forward to

seeing them next year at the Lurgan Town Arena.

Pic 1: Our Lisburn League side and East Belfast National

League side.

Pic 2: Our Mid Ulster League side and East Belfast’s South

Belfast League side.

Pic 3: Captains from all four sides exchanging

commemorative trophies from the games.

IN FRIENDSHIP: EAST BELFAST AND LURGAN TOWN

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