Ulster FC (Northern Ireland)
Another
football club from Northen Ireland that has fallen into obscurity is another
that was also the founding member of the Irish Football League in 1890. It does
seem to be that the older the club the less chance it has of surviving,
especially if they are from Northern Ireland, however there are still quite a
few from there that have survived the test of time. Unfortunately, Ulster FC
were not one of them. While they didn’t completely disappear from the sporting
world, continuing as a rugby club, which is what they were originally before
switching to association football, they did disappear from the footballing
world. But before they did, they at least left their mark, winning one major
trophy in their history. This is the story of Ulster FC.
Founded
in 1877 as a rugby club, they later switched to association football and later
became founding members of the Irish Football league in 1890 alongside, seven
other clubs. Clarence, Cliftonville, Distillery, Glentoran, Linfield, Old Park
made up the rest of the Belfast clubs, whilst Milford was the only club outside
of Belfast to compete in the first Irish Football league season. The club wore
black and red and played their home games at Prospect and the Ulster Cricket
Ground.
Before
any competitive football was introduced in Northern Ireland, friendlies and
exhibition matches were played, alongside the Irish Cup. Ulster FC wouldn’t
enter that competition until the third edition which took place in 1882-83. It
was reported that in 1878, the club hosted an exhibition match, between two
Scottish clubs, Queens Park and Caledonian, a game that many see as one of the
earliest organised football matches played in Northern Ireland.
By
1887, Ulster FC had already lifted their first piece of major silverware when
they won the Irish Cup in the 1886-87 edition. Their first-round victory came
easily with a 6-0 win against Clifton Park, while their second-round match was
an even bigger hammering, as they beat Hilden, 9-0. The club got a bye in the
third round and in the fourth round they finally conceded a goal. In fact, they
conceded two, however they also scored two in a 2-2 draw with YMCA. The game
went to a replay, one that Ulster FC won 3-2. However, after YMCA protested the
result due to ineligible players being played by Ulster FC, the IFA ordered the
match to be replayed. YMCA may have wished they didn’t bother with the protest
as they were humbled I the third game, 6-0.
The
semi-final was played against Glentoran, and Ulster FC won the game, 2-1,
setting up a final against Cliftonville. The game was played on February 12th,
1887, in front of 4,000 people at the Broadway Ground in Belfast. The game
ended 3-1 to Ulster FC and they got to lift the Irish Cup in its 7th
edition. They would go on to play in two more finals in the irish Cup, but lost
both, meaning their Irish Cup victory in 1887 was the only time they got their
hands on the trophy.
A
few years later the Irish Football League was formed, and Ulster FC were a part
of it. Linfield were the first champions of the Irish Football League but just
four points behind them in second place where Ulster FC.
A
third-place finish followed in the 1891-92 season, whilst five clubs from that
season withdrew from the league, including the runners-up, Lancashire
Fusiliers. The other four clubs to withdraw where Milford, Oldpark, Ligoniel
and YMCA. It meant the next season only consisted of five clubs, with Ulster FC
finishing a disappointing fourth. By the end of the 1893-94 season the club had
withdrawn from the Irish Football league after finishing 5th out of
six clubs that season. During their time away from the Irish Football League
the club returned to playing rugby, joining the Ulster Senior League.
They
would return to playing association football and the Irish Football league in
1901, however their return was less than glamourous, finishing 7th
out of the eight clubs that competed that season. The 1902 season got even
worse for the club on the field as they finished bottom of the pile and
eventually withdrawing from the league for the second time in their history.
That would the last season Ulster FC competed in the Irish Football League and
the club reverted to rugby once again.
In
total, twelve players represented the Irish Football team whilst having played
for Ulster FC, while Jack Reynolds played for Ulster FC in the 1900-01 season.
He was a FA cup winner with West Brom and Aston Villa. He was also a League
title winner with Aston Villa on three occasions represented both Ireland and
England, the first man to do so, a record only broken by Declan Rice. He still
hold the record of being the only man to have scored for both Ireland and
England national teams, barring own goals of course.