Ards Youth F.C. History [17 May @ 9:39pm]

Now into its 20th year, Ards Youth was previously known as Ards Rangers Juniors up to the end of the 2002/03 season. The general feeling at the AGM that year was that the new name would benefit everyone at the club and as we continue to broaden our outlook for the coming years. The name change would be a positive move. Ards Rangers Juniors was founded in 1990 by Billy McKeown; his Under 12s did the double in the local league. The next year he entered the Dundonald League, then one of the strongest in Northern Ireland, thereby setting the standard that the club has maintained, of playing in the best leagues against the strongest possible opposition. In 1994 came the “Diddymen” catering for 6-9 year olds which were renamed the Dynamos in 2005. Their importance to the club is immense; Ards Youth Under 10 teams have won the league three out of the last seven years. Proof that like all top clubs right up to the Premiership, a youth policy works. Never standing still, in 1999, the club introduced a Girls section for girls up to 14, and now caters for girls from 12 up to 16. Success on the pitch has been gained at all levels in leagues and cups and even abroad. In 2000, the U13s brought home the “Blackpool Cup” and in 2001 the U11s, U13s and U14s all went to Holland and all three came home “Champions”, a remarkable achievement. In 2009, the Under 15s came back from Belgium with the Europa Cup. Currently 3 teams compete in the NIBFA National League. Two teams compete in the Lisburn Junior Invitational League, an equally challenging league in Northern Ireland. The Under 10 team competes in the George Best Castlereagh League and the remaining four teams compete in the South Belfast Youth League. In 2001 the club gained Junior Clubmark status , a quality standard awarded by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland. Currently only a handful of clubs in Northern Ireland hold this award, the latest achievement from a forward looking club always striving to improve facilities for its 300+ members. In June 2005 an agreement was reached to become the youth section of Ards FC to raise the profile once more and provide a step into the Irish League for our players. Ards Youth has been successful in securing funding from the Awards For All Lottery Fund. The main aim of this program is to fund projects which involve people in their community, bringing them together to enjoy a wide range of arts, sport, heritage, charitable and/or community, educational, environmental and helath related activities. We are grateful for all the help, support and assistance given to Ards Youth by the Awards For All staff. They can be assured that the Club will make them very proud of their investment. All of this can only be achieved through the sterling efforts of the team managers, qualified coaches, many helpers and enthusiastic parents and of course the hard working committee led by chairman John Taylor.