Alton United F.C (Northern Ireland)
Northen
Ireland is a country that has lost clubs over the years, who mostly where
unsuccessful, and really didn’t win much in their existence. Northern Ireland
football has been dominated by a cluster of clubs, Linfield, Glentoran,
Cliftonville, and Forgotten Football Club, Belfast Celtic. Whilst there are
other clubs to add to that list, this club in this chapter is one that hailed
from Belfast but were made famous by partaking in the FAI Cup, south of the
boarder. They, alongside Derry City, are one of two clubs that have won the
FSAI Cup outside of the Republic of Ireland. This is the story of Alton United
FC.
Alton
United were founded to accommodate the catholic residents of the Falls Road
area of Belfast. They played their home games at Shauns Park and occasionally
Celtic Park, whom they shared with Belfast Celtic.
The
club never participated in the Irish League due to their concerns of safety and
that most catholic affiliated clubs in Belfast were not treated as fairly by
the IFA, which was seen as a pro-protestant organisation. Instead, the club
participated in the Falls District League, a league affiliated to the Dublin
based, Football Association of Ireland (FAI). During the 1920’s, when the War
of Independence had broken out, many catholic clubs including, Belfast Celtic,
who left the Irish League in 1920, saw their players play for clubs in the
Falls District league, including Alton United. Despite this, Alton united never
won the league title, however, they did win a major trophy.
Being
a apart of the Falls District league meant that Alton united were able to enter
the FAI Cup, or the Irish Free State Cup as it was known in 1922-23. It was the
second edition of the competition. Alton United were the second Belfast club to
so in the history of the competition, with West Ham, a club also from Belfast
competing in the competition the year before. They didn’t progress past the
first round, eventually losing to Shelbourne FC in a replay, 2-1, holding the
Dublin side, 0-0, in the first game in Belfast.
Alton
United faired better than their Belfast counterparts, winning their first-round
tie against Dublin side, Midland Athletic, 4-0, on January 6th,
1923.The history books have been changed since, with the Belfast side being
recorded as winning the game, 5-0.
It
set-up a second round tie with Shelbourne United on January 20th,1923.
The first match ended 1-1 in Dublin, with a replay scheduled a week later up in
Belfast. Alton united won the tie, 2-0, progressing to the semi-finals, where
they met Cork based side, Fordsons. It was the first non-Dublin tie to be
played in the FAI Cup and it meant that their would be at least one club not
from Dublin playing in the final of the tournament. The semi-final was played
at a neutral venue, Dalymount Park on February17th, 1923. It turned out to be a
classic, with both sides entertaining the crowd, producing six goals in total.
But it was the Belfast side that came out on top, winning the game, 4-2, with a
hat-trick from Ward and a penalty from Brennan. Fordsons Ireland International,
Harry Buckle, scored their two goals.
The
final was to be played on March 17th, 1923, at Dalymount Park in
front of 14,000 football fans. Alton United’s opposition was Shelbourne FC, who
were the huge favourites going into the game. So much so that bookmakers had
stop taking bets on the Dublin side lifting the trophy. But Alton United had
clearly not read the script and in the second ever final of the Free State Cup,
they shocked everyone when McSherry put the ball in the Shelbourne net. It was
the only goal scored in the game, and it meant the trophy was heading up north.
It
would prove to Alton United’s only trophy win as they were disbanded shortly
after, as the Falls District League was also disbanded due to FIFA letting the
FAI join them in 1923, on the condition that they confine themselves to the
Irish Free State (Republic of Ireland). It meant that Alton united never got a
chance to defend their title, but they are still to this day, the only Belfast
club to win the famous trophy.