Lisburn Distillery F.C.

History

Distillery Football Club was formed in November 1880 after members of V. R. Distillery Cricket Club decided to form a football team to stay active during the winter months. The directors of Dunville's Whiskey Distillery filled in a waste pond at the back of the distillery for the team. They remained at this ground, called Daisy Hill, until 1882 when they moved to a larger ground called Broadway, based adjacent to Celtic Park. They remained there until 1887 when they moved to Grosvenor Park, based at Distillery Street off the Grosvenor Road, close to their old Daisy Hill ground and spiritual home.

In 1920, Dunville's decided the sell the Grosvenor Park ground, and while Distillery were able to play there during the 1920–21 season, during 1921–22 the club played all of its games away from home. For the start of the 1922–23 season, they secured a new ground called York Park on the Shore Road, Belfast, where they remained until 1927 when they returned to Grosvenor Park after Dunville's agreed to let them play there again, having not found the ground fit for their purposes. Distillery had been forced to look for a new ground after strong winds had blown down the main stand of their York Park ground.

On 30 December 1952, the first full match played under floodlights, anywhere in Ireland, took place at Grosvenor Park. Distillery's opposition were English team Burnley. The first officially approved competitive match under floodlights in the British Isles took place at Grosvenor Park on 25 March 1953 when Distillery Seconds played Ballymena United Reserves in the George Wilson Cup and the first floodlight league game in the British Isles took place at Grosvenor Park on 24 December 1953 when Distillery played Coleraine.

Distillery remained at Grosvenor Park until 1971, when the Troubles directly affected the club. The area around the ground was situated in a flashpoint area, creating a security risk which had already caused the club to play matches elsewhere, but the deciding factor for the club to finally leave the area was the burning down of its money-making social club in August 1971.

After sharing Skegoneill Avenue (Brantwood) and Seaview (Crusaders) for some years, the club moved in 1980 to a permanent new home at New Grosvenor Stadium, Ballyskeagh, County Antrim, on the southern outskirts of Belfast. The main stand at New Grosvenor Park is named after legendary player Bertie McMinn.

The club was known simply as Distillery from its foundation until 1999, when it changed its official name to 'Lisburn Distillery' to associate itself more closely with its adopted borough (now city) of Lisburn. However, the club is still colloquially referred to as "Distillery". The club colour is white. A founder member of the Irish League in 1890, the club remained at the top until 1995.

European record

Main article: Northern Irish football clubs in European competitions

Overview

Matches

Current squad

Former players

• NIR Peter McCann
• NIR Bill MacCracken
• NIR Martin O'Neill
• ENG Tom Finney

Managerial history

• SCO Neil Harris (1932–34)
• NIR Michael Hamill (24 July 1934 to 31 March 1935)
• SCO Bob Preston (19 April 1935 to 6 January 1937)
• NIR Joe McCleery (4 March 1937 to 14 August 1937)
• NIR William McDevitt (25 January 1938 to 20 Mar 1939)
• ENG Alf Peachey (3 May 1940 to 29 March 1945)
• ENG Gordon Clark (18 February 1949 to 12 January 1950)
• NIR Eddie Lonsdale (16 January 1950 to 11 August 1950)
• NIR Robert Gunning (12 August 1950 to 7 September 1951)
• SCO Jimmy McIntosh (20 June 1952 to 17 February 1955)
• ENG Maurice Tadman (30 June 1955 to 16 December 1958)
• ENG George Eastham Sr. (16 June 1959 to 12 March 1964)
• NIR Tommy Casey (25 January 1967 to 12 October 1968)
• NIR Jimmy McAlinden (5 February 1969 to 12 May 1975)
• NIR Roy Welsh (29 September 1975 to 31 October 1977)
• SCO Gibby MacKenzie (31 October 1977 to 19 December 1979)
• NIR Bertie Neill (20 December 1979 to 5 February 1981)
• NIR Tommy Lowrie (13 February 1981 to 6 September 1981)
• NIR Jimmy Brown (18 Sep 1981 to 7 December 1981)
• NIR Marty Quinn (September/October 1988 to 18 November 1989)
• NIR Billy Hamilton (16 December 1989 to 16 February 1996)
• NIR Paul Kirk (17 February 1996 to 14 May 2009)
• NIR Jimmy Brown 19 May 2009 to 18 September 2009
• NIR Tommy Wright (26 September 2009 to 2 November 2011)
• NIR John Cunningham (6 November 2011 to 7 May 2012)
• NIR Tim McCann (24 May 2012 to 16 April 2013)
• NIR Tommy Kincaid (2 May 2013 to 12 Oct 2015)
• NIR Sean-Paul Murray (3 November 2015 to 24 May 2016)
• NIR Colin McIlwaine/Colin McIlwaine & George O'Boyle (24 May 2016 to 5 April 2019))
• NIR Stephen Hatfield (23 April 2019 to 8 March 2020)
• NIR Johnny Clapham (17 March 2020 to 22 April 2022)
• NIR Raymond Alexander (12 May 2022 to 15 June 2022)
• NIR Barry Johnston (21 June 2022 to 10 March 2025)
• NIR Stephen Hughes (11 March 2025 - 3rd November 2025)
• NIR Gary Cressey (3rd November 2025 - present)

Honours

Senior honours

• Irish League (tier 1): 6 (inc. 1 shared)
  • 1895–96, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1902–03, 1905–06 (shared), 1962–63
• Irish League First Division (tier 2): 2
  • 1998–99, 2001–02
• Irish Cup: 12
  • 1883–84, 1884–85, 1885–86, 1888–89, 1893–94, 1895–96, 1902–03, 1904–05, 1909–10, 1924–25, 1955–56, 1970–71
• Irish League Cup: 1
  • 2010–11
• County Antrim Shield: 14
  • 1888–89, 1892–93, 1895–96, 1896–97, 1899–1900, 1902–03, 1904–05, 1914–15, 1918–19, 1919–20, 1945–46, 1953–54, 1963–64, 1985–86
• Gold Cup: 5
  • 1913–14, 1919–20, 1924–25, 1929–30, 1993–94
• City Cup: 5
  • 1904–05, 1912–13, 1933–34, 1959–60, 1962–63
• Ulster Cup: 2
  • 1957–58, 1998–99
• Belfast Charity Cup: 5
  • 1899–1900, 1915–16, 1920–21, 1928–29, 1930–31
• Dublin and Belfast Inter-City Cup: 1
  • 1947–48 (shared)

Intermediate honours

• Irish Intermediate Cup: 3
  • 1892–93†, 1902–03†, 1947–48‡
• Steel & Sons Cup: 1
  • 1900–01ƒ
• George Wilson Cup: 3
  • 1956–57‡, 1981–82‡, 1987–88‡
• McElroy Cup: 2
  • 1918–19‡, 1920–21‡

† Won by Distillery Rovers (reserve team)

‡ Won by Distillery II (reserve team)

ƒ Won by Distillery West End (reserve team)

Junior honours

• Irish Junior League: 3
  • 1890–91‡, 1892–93‡, 1902–03‡
• Irish Junior Cup: 1
  • 1887–88‡

‡ Won by Distillery II (reserve team)

References

References

1. "Our favourite team's proud history". Distillery Supporter' Trust.
2. (17 August 1971). "Whites say goodbye to Grosvenor Park". Belfast Telegraph.
3. (27 November 1926). "Grosvenor Park Again, Distillery Return To Old Home". Ireland's Saturday Night.
4. (19 December 2004). "The history of Distillery is brought to book".
5. Sherrard, Chris. (28 August 2019). "Lisburn Distillery manager Hatfield wants players to thrive under promotion pressure this season". Belfast Live.
6. Haughey, Ronnie. (2020-06-23). "New Whites boss Clapham happy to meet players at last".
7. (2022-04-22). "Johnny Clapham".
8. (2022-05-12). "Raymond Alexander".
9. (2022-06-15). "Raymond Alexander".
10. (10 March 2025). "Third Irish League managerial departure in matter of days as former Cliftonville star resigns with immediate effect".