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| Full name | Immaculata Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname | The Mac |
| Founded | 1944 |
| Ground | Grosvenor Recreation Centre,Belfast |
| Chairman | Jim McKee |
| Manager | Brian McCaul |
| League | NAFL Premier Division |
| 2022–23 | NAFL Premier Division, 5th |
Immaculata Football Club is an intermediatefootball club based in westBelfast and playing in the Premier Division of theNorthern Amateur Football League. The club plays in sky blue[1] and plays home games at Grosvenor Recreation Centre (The Cage) on the Grosvenor Road in West Belfast close to theWestlink.[2] Immaculata FC is currently managed by Brian McCaul.
The club was established in 1944 by theLegion of Mary as a football andboxing club. Although they were initially most noted for their youth teams Immaculata's seniors also played initially in the now defunct Lisburn League and then in the Dunmurry League (now the Belfast & District League).[1]
They play in the Northern Amateur Football League (NAFL), and have spent most of their time in the league's lower divisions. However, in 2008–09 the club won the NAFL's Division 2C, the first of what was five back to back title wins and resultant promotions. They won 2B the following year and clinched the 2A title, and promotion from thejunior to intermediate grade in 2010–11. This was followed by victory in Division 1C in 2011–12[3] before they secured the Division 1B title in 2012–13.[4] They were promoted again the following season, finishing as runners-up in Division 1A for a sixth consecutive promotion.[5]
The club qualified for theIrish Cup for the first time in2011–12, reaching the fourth round by overcomingBourneview Young Men,Magherafelt Sky Blues andCrumlin Star before losing toBanbridge Town.[6] They made the fifth round the following year, losing toArds, having earlier defeatedMarkethill Swifts in the first round,Newbuildings United in the second round, Dunmurry Recreation in the third andArds Rangers in the fourth.[7]
In 2015–16 Immaculata won the NAFL Premier Division. Under manager Kevin Lawlor the club won 23 of their 26 league games to finish seven points clear of closest challengers Ards Rangers.[8]
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