Background

Saintfield United is a cross-community football club which was founded in 1972, originally playing in the Newcastle and District Amateur Football League (NADAFL). The Club joined the Northern Amateur Football League (NAFL) in 1986, and gained intermediate status in 1987. The Club currently fields two adult teams in the NAFL; the 1st XI compete in Division 1C, and the 2nd XI in Division 3C. Due to a recent increase in membership, the Club entered a 3rd XI in Division 2 of the NADAFL in 2016/17.

In addition, the Club's Junior Section fields four teams for youths between the ages of 11 and 17, and also operates a Mini-Soccer scheme for children of primary school age.

Due to a lack of public football facilities in Saintfield, only our 1st XI and 2nd XI currently play their competitive football in the village, renting a pitch from the local Education Authority. The remainder of our senior and youth teams are forced to avail of public facilities outside the village. It has therefore been a long-term ambition of the Club to develop our own full-size soccer pitch within the village of Saintfield.

Redevelopment

In late 2017, Saintfield United Football Club received full planning permission for the complete redevelopment of our Comber Road base, which will be developed in a number of phases:

Phase 1 - The construction of a full size soccer pitch. community garden, and associated car-parking

Phase 2 - The extension of our club house and new storage facilities

Phase 3 - The construction of a floodlit training area and new mini-soccer junior pitch.

The development will allow the Club to provide further training, match-day and community activities, to support our growing Club Membership.

The Club is delighted to have secured significant offers of funding from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, and the Alpha Programme administered by Ground Work NI, to assist with the costs associated with Phase 1. These offers of funding partially covered the costs of Phase 1 of the redevelopment, which commenced in early 2018, and are due to be completed in October 2019.

In order to fund the remaining cost of the redevelopment work, the Club has undertaken a series of fundraising initiatives. In June 2018, a team of volunteers, led by Chairman Andrew Bishop, cycled 300 miles around Northern Ireland over the course of three days.

This year, on Saturday 15 June, over 20 volunteers from the Club will be taking part in a relay event which will see them cumulatively run 100 kilometres through the Mourne Mountains. Ten teams will run 10 KM each, starting in Clough, reaching Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor, before returning to Clough. Each of the 10K stages are listed below in sequence.

Stage 1- Clough Eurospar to Castle Park, Newcastle

Stage 2 - Castle Park Newcastle to Trassey Car Park, Trassey Road

Stage 3 - Trassey Car Park to Spelga Pass

Stage 4 - Spelga Pass to Leitrim Lodge Car Park

Stage 5 - Leitrim Lodge Car Park to Kilbroney Park, Rostrevor

Stage 6 - Kilbroney Park to Leitrim Lodge Car Park

Stage 7 - Leitrim Lodge Car Park to Spelga Pass

Stage 8 - Spelga Pass to Trassey Car Park

Stage 9 - Trassey Car Park to Castle Park, Newcastle

Stage 10 - Castle Park Newcastle to Clough Eurospar

We would be grateful for any sponsorship that you can offer towards this fundraising event. If you have any questions, or would prefer to make an offline donation, please contact a member of our Committee. Alternatively, please email any inquiries to saintfieldunitedfc@gmail.com