Knockbreda
Full nameKnockbreda Football Club
Nickname(s)Breda
Founded1947
GroundBreda Park
ChairmanDavid Cain
ManagerJohn Bailie
LeagueNIFL Championship
2022–23NIFL Championship, 12th

Knockbreda Football Club (formerly Knockbreda Parish) is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the NIFL Championship. They hail from Belfast and play their home matches at Breda Park, on the Upper Braniel Road located in the east of the city. The club was formed after the Second World War, c. 1947.[1] and played in the Irish Churches' League before joining the Northern Amateur Football League in 1989.[1] Intermediate status was achieved on promotion to Division 1B in 1997.[1] In 2009, the club was admitted to the IFA Championship

History

Knockbreda Football Club was formed in 1947. Originally Knockbreda Parish, they played their football for 42 years in the Irish Churches' League, before joining the Northern Amateur Football League in 1989. Starting in Division 2C, ‘Breda won promotion of 2A in the first three seasons.

Off the field, the committee realised they would have to make some major changes in order to become an Intermediate Club. In 1996, they acquired the current facilities at Upper Braniel, and after winning 2A, were promoted to 1B that same season. Promotion to 1A soon followed, and the club enjoyed a three-year stint at that level, before joining the Premier Division in 2000. After relegation in 2007, the club spent a year in 1A before promotion to the re-vamped IFA Championship 2 in 2009. During the spell in the NIAL, the club won the Clarence Cup twice, the Border Cup once, but by far the greatest success was the WKD Irish Intermediate Cup in 2009. The early driving force behind the club was one of its founders, Fred Duke who died in 2010. For the last two decades the club's main driving force, beginning in the Churches' League right up the IFA Championship, has been one of the current directors and Secretary, Colin Russell.

After four years in Championship 2, in 2012–13 the club won promotion to Championship 1 for the first time.

In the 2022-23 season, despite finishing bottom of the NIFL Championship, the club would be spared automatic relegation due to Warrenpoint Towns enforced relegation. The club would defeat Ballymacash Rangers 4-2 over two legs in the promotion/relegation play off to retain their Championship status. [2]

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Northern Ireland NIR Ben Fry
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Caleb Crawford (On loan from Ballymena United)
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Peter McDermott
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Callum McVeigh
— DF Scotland SCO Jake Willis (On loan from Portadown)
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Kyle Anderson
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Ronan Kalla
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Ashton McDermott (Captain)
— FW Poland POL Igor Rutkowski (On loan from Portadown)
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Elliott McKim
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW Israel ISR Tamar Atrach
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Brandon Bradshaw
— FW France FRA Guillaume Keke
— FW Northern Ireland NIR Conall Murray
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Connor Quinn
— FW Northern Ireland NIR Conall Murray
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Eddie Shaw
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Matthew Henry
— DF Northern Ireland NIR Ross Murphy
— GK Northern Ireland NIR Marc Matthews (On loan from Glenavon)

Honours

Intermediate honours

54°34′01″N 5°51′13″W / 54.566858°N 5.853529°W / 54.566858; -5.853529

References

  1. 1 2 3 H. Johnstone & G. Hamilton (n.d.) A Memorable Milestone: 75 Years of the Northern Amateur Football League, p. 205
  2. ↑ "Knockbreda retain Championship status". NIFL Website. 3 June 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.


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