Crusaders
Full name	Crusaders Football Club
Nickname(s)	"The Hatchetmen", "The Crues"
Founded	1898
Ground	Seaview, Belfast (Capacity 9,049)
Chairman	Jim Semple
Manager	Stephen Baxter
League	Irish Premier League
2006/2007	Irish Premier Division, 6th
Home colours 　 Away colours

Crusaders F. Football club names are a part of the sport 's culture reflecting century-old traditions This is a of lists of the use of Nicknames in football (soccer. Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Seaview is a football Stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Crusaders F Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. The following is a list of Association football stadia. They are ordered by their capacity, that is the maximum number of spectators that the C. is a Northern Ireland football club playing in the Irish Premier League. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The club, founded in 1898, hails from Belfast and plays its home matches at Seaview. Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Seaview is a football Stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Crusaders F Club colours are red and black. The current manager is Stephen Baxter, appointed in 2005, following the sacking of Alan Dornan, who was incidentally the first manager to be sacked in the club's history. Stephen Baxter (born 1 October 1965, in Belfast) is a Northern Irish football manager and ex-player Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Alan Dornan is a retired Northern Irish footballer and manager Crusaders played junior league football until 1949/50, and during this time they became one of the top junior teams in the country. The dramatic withdrawal of Belfast Celtic from the senior ranks in 1949 resulted in Crusaders being elected in their place in time for the start of the 1949/50 season. Belfast Celtic Football Club was a former Irish football club that was founded in 1891, and was one of the most successful teams in Ireland until

History

Pre-1900

Crusaders Football and Athletic Club was formed in the year 1898. The first meeting of the Club is believed to have been held at 182 North Queen Street, Belfast, the home of Thomas Palmer who, along with James McEldowney, John Hume and Thomas Wade, was a member of the original Committee.

Many names were suggested for the Club including Rowan Star, Cultra United, Queen's Rovers, Mervue Wanderers and Lilliputians. Thomas Wade felt that a name of more international significance should be adopted and he suggested 'Crusaders', after the medieval Christian knights.

Initially the Club was only able to undertake friendly fixtures until they were admitted to some of the local junior Alliance Leagues. Players were compelled to pay a match fee of two old pence before they could take the field. It was strictly no pay - no play.

The very first competitive game of which there is any existing record was on the 10th December, 1898. It came in the North Belfast Alliance against opponents named Bedford and reports state that, "after a splendid game Crusaders won by 5 to 2. "

1900-1949

Crusaders went on to compete in the Dunville Alliance, Ormeau Junior Alliance, Alexandra Alliance, Woodvale Alliance and Irish Football Alliance until their election to the Intermediate League in 1921. The Crues became one of the top junior clubs in the country but in spite of winning an impressive collection of junior trophies, including the Intermediate League Championship in 1925/26, all applications for entry to the senior Irish League were turned down. Such was the frustration that consideration was given to making application either to the Scottish Football League or to the League of Ireland. Founding members The Scottish League's first season of competition was in 1890-91. The Football League of Ireland, usually known simply as the League of Ireland or later the eircom League (from the league's sponsorship by Irish telecommunications

The team played at a variety of venues before settling at Seaview in 1921. Seaview is a football Stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Crusaders F Earlier home venues included the Glen (which later became part of Alexandra Park), Cavehill Road, Simpson's Boiler Fields, Shore Road (opposite the Grove) and Rokeby Park. Seaview was officially opened on Saturday, September 3, 1921 by Mr William Grant, M. P. , prior to kick-off in an Intermediate League fixture against Cliftonville Olympic.

World War II meant that there was no football played by the Crues between April 1941-September 1946. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

1949-1976

Belfast Celtic's dramatic withdrawal from the senior ranks in 1949 resulted in Crusaders being elected in their place in time for the start of the 1949-50 season. Belfast Celtic Football Club was a former Irish football club that was founded in 1891, and was one of the most successful teams in Ireland until Their first competitive game as a senior club was on August 20, 1949 and resulted in a 1-0 City Cup win at Portadown. Portadown is a Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Championship. However, the season was tough going for the 'Hatchetmen', as they were known, and they had to apply for re-election after finishing in 11th place out of 12 clubs.

However, as has always been the case, Crusaders never lacked determination. Under the player-managership of Jackie Vernon they recovered to win their first senior trophy in the 1953-54 season by defeating Linfield 2-1 in the final of the Ulster Cup.

The 1950s were not easy in spite of the presence in the side of some excellent individuals and the end of the 1957-58 season saw another application for re-election.

The 1960s brought some much-needed success. The Crues won the Ulster Cup once more and the County Antrim Shield twice but these successes were overshadowed by two unexpected victories in the Irish Cup finals of 1967 and 1968 against the might of Glentoran and Linfield respectively. The County Antrim Shield is a Northern Irish football competition The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. Glentoran FC is a Northern Irish football club playing in East Belfast. The Crues had arrived! So, too, did European competition as a consequence.

There were other significant happenings in the same decade. In July 1966 the original social club, dressing rooms and administration areas were destroyed by fire. They were replaced some four years later by the present bigger and better facilities.

There was more unprecedented success in the 1970s, with the Irish League championship trophy twice finding a home at Seaview, in 1973 and 1976.

1976-2000

The second championship triumph resulted in the never-to-be-forgotten European Cup-tie with Liverpool which saw the brave Cruemen fall to the might of Keegan, Toshack, et al at Anfield by just 2-0. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE (born 14 February 1951 is a former footballer, and former England national team coach who has been manager of various John Benjamin Toshack OBE (born 22 March 1949) is a Welsh football manager and former player The home leg which followed was played before a crowd hanging from the rafters that would undoubtedly give the current health and safety legislators a heart attack.

Although performances in the 1980s were steady, they certainly were not spectacular and the club paid the penalty for not building on earlier successes. Manager Jackie Hutton had no money with which to buy players but he did the club a great service when he somehow completed the deal which brought Roy Walker to Seaview. Robert Wright Walker, known as Roy Walker (born 1957) is a Northern Irish football manager and former player Hutton was quick to recognise the leadership qualities in Walker and saw him as his potential successor.

At the same time, local businessman Harry Corry, pumped some desperately-needed sponsorship money into the club. Harry Corry are a home decor store They have stores located throughout Ireland and Scotland. As the revival began, southern businessman Tony O'Connell also became involved. Tony O'Connell (born in 1942 in Dublin) was an Irish Soccer player during the 1950s 1960s and 1970s It was a partnership that was to produce the most successful spell in the club's history.

Walker took over as player-manager in September 1989, two years after his arrival as a player. One of his first tasks was to apply for re-election as the Crues finished 13th out of 14 clubs.

Walker's sides - he dubbed them "the team with no boots" - went on to win nearly everything in sight whilst wealthier and bigger-supported clubs could only watch and wonder.

There were two further championship titles won (1995 and 1997) whilst Crusaders also finished runners-up in 1993 and 1996. Other trophies won were the County Antrim Shield (1992), Ulster Cup (1993) and Gold Cup (1996). The County Antrim Shield is a Northern Irish football competition

In turn, this meant more expeditions into Europe as the Crues took on teams from Switzerland, Denmark, Lithuania and Georgia within a five-year span. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between

In addition to the first team and the reserves, teams at under-16 and under-18 level were introduced as the club looked to nurture and develop local talent in the area.

Roy Walker resigned as manager in July 1998, just prior to the club's centenary dinner celebrations at Belfast City Hall. Belfast City Hall is the civic building of the Belfast City Council.

Since then, lack of funds has seen the Seaview fortunes decline, with Dublin-based managers Aaron Callaghan and Martin Murray both resigning after one year apiece in charge. This is a disambiguation page Aaron Callaghan may refer to Aaron Callaghan (footballer born 1966 Aaron Callaghan (footballer born 1987 Martin Murray (born 6 October 1958, in Dublin) was an Irish Soccer player

Post-2000

Former player Gary McCartney took over the managerial reins in July 2000. The team retained Premier Division status after a nail-biting play-off success over Lisburn Distillery in May 2001 but McCartney resigned just over twelve months later because of the limited budget at his disposal. Lisburn Distillery is a Northern Ireland football club playing in the IFA Premiership.

Popular veteran defender Alan Dornan was appointed as his successor at the end of June 2002 and the side retained Premier League status that season under his guidance, although the squad was very inexperienced and often included six or seven teenagers. Alan Dornan is a retired Northern Irish footballer and manager The emphasis on youth continued in 2003-04 as the Crues achieved a mid-table finish, their second highest finish in the post-2000 era. (Their best season was 2006-07 when they finished 6th overall. )

Dornan's next season in charge was not as successful. He was sacked just after mid-way through the season, as the Crues lay at the bottom of the table, despite having guided the team to the County Antrim Shield final (although ultimately they lost in the final to Linfield). The County Antrim Shield is a Northern Irish football competition Former striker and fans' favourite Stephen 'Stanley' Baxter was appointed as manager but, despite an improvement in results, he could not keep the club in the Premier League, with the Crues losing out to Glenavon in a relegation play-off. Glenavon FC is a Northern Ireland football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The relegation was the first time Crusaders had ever been relegated from any league, and meant an end to 56 consecutive seasons of senior football. Happily, though, they bounced back the following year under Baxter by winning the Irish First Division, the Intermediate League Cup, and Steel & Sons Cup. The Steel & Sons Cup (also referred to as the Steel Cup) is an intermediate football competition in Northern Ireland run by the North East

Current club president is John Mairs, a regular supporter with wife Alice at all games, home and away. Club chairman and former player Jim Semple is President of the Irish Football League (the first Crusaders official to be elected to the post) and vice-president of the Irish Football Association.

Crusaders has always drawn its support from the working class people of north Belfast. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. From these members it elects its committee and its particular ethos. However, the club's serious financial plight has become very apparent during recent years and in 2002 consideration was given to changing the structure from one of a membership-based organisation to that of a public limited company. In May 2002, members voted at the AGM against such a change.

After their first season back in the top flight after promotion, the Hatchetmen finished in a very creditable 6th place.

In the 2007-2008 season, the Crues finished in 7th position in the League after a somewhat inconsistent start to the season. They appeared in two finals, losing both the County Antrim Shield final, 2-1 to Glentoran F.C., and the League Cup (CIS) final, 3-2 to Linfield F.C.

(with thanks to www. Glentoran FC is a Northern Irish football club playing in East Belfast. crusadersfc. com)

Honours

• Irish Premier Division: 4
  • 1972/73, 1975/76, 1994/95, 1996/97
• Irish Cup: 2
  • 1966/67, 1967/68
• Irish First Division: 1
  • 2005/06
• League Cup: 1
  • 1996/97
• Gold Cup: 2
  • 1985/86, 1995/1996
• Ulster Cup: 3
  • 1953/54, 1963/64, 1993/94
• County Antrim Shield: 5
  • 1959/60, 1964/65, 1968/69, 1973/74, 1991/92'
• Carlsberg Cup: 1
  • 1973/74
• Steel & Sons Cup: 8
  • 1922/23, 1926/27, 1928/29, 1930/31, 1933/34, 1936/37, 1947/48, 2005/06
• Stena Line Trophy Winners: 1
  • 1996/97
• Irish Intermediate League: 9
  • 1922/23, 1925/26, 1926/27, 1928/29, 1930/31, 1932/33, 1937/38, 1938/39, 1948/49
• Intermediate Cup: 3
  • 1926/27, 1937/38, 1938/39
• Intermediate League Cup: 1
  • 2005/06
• McElroy Cup Winners: 3
  • 1929/30, 1931/32, 1947/48
• Irish Football Alliance: 3
  • 1915/16, 1916/17, 1917/18
• Clement Lyttle Trophy: 3
  • 1915/16, 1917/18, 1924/25
• Empire Cup: 1
  • 1905/06
• Polland Cup Winners: 1
  • 1903/04

Current Playing Squad

as of 1 June 2007

No. The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. The Irish League Cup is the third-highest rated competition in domestic Northern Irish football competition after the IFA Premiership and Irish Cup The Gold Cup is a now-defunct cup competition which involved competitors from Ireland and from 1921 onwards just for Northern Ireland. The County Antrim Shield is a Northern Irish football competition Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Position Player GK Aaron Hogg GK Aaron Kerr DF Colin Coates DF Andy Hunter DF David Magowan DF Stephen McBride DF Gary Smyth DF Barry Spence MF Gareth Bond MF Declan Caddell MF Eamon Doherty MF Alain Emerson

No. In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Colin Coates (born October 26, 1985 in Belfast) is a soccer player for the Northern Irish football team Crusaders F In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Stephen McBride (born May 2 1964 in Lurgan, Northern Ireland) is a former Northern Irish footballer In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Gary Smyth (born 20 December 1969 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish footballer currently playing for Crusaders on a season-long loan In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Position Player MF Tony Gorman MF Darren Lockhart MF Eamon McAllister MF Chris Morrow MF Gareth Walsh FW Seamus Brown FW Stephen Coulter FW Stephen Hyndes FW David Larmour FW David Rainey FW Johnny Tumelty FW Ryan Tumelty

Non-playing staff