Omagh Town F.C.

Omagh Town F.C. is a Northern Ireland football club playing in the Irish Football League. The club, formed in 1962, hail from Omagh, County Tyrone and play their home matches at St. Julians Road Stadium. Club colours are red, black, and white and they go by the nickname "The Town". The current manager is Johnny Speak.

History

Omagh Town Football and Athletic Club were formed in August 1962 by Aines McGeehan, who wanted to start a team for young players from the Derry Road area of the town Omagh. The team was called Omagh Celtic Football Club and started off with maroon shirts with blue shorts. The team with its working class members (Catholic and Protestant) played at Quarry Field Mullaghmena in Omagh.

In 1969 the club changed its name name to Omagh Town Football and Athletic Club and also changed their accommodation to the Military Holm for three years, moving to the Omagh Showgrounds afterwards. Following 1974 the kit also changed again, this time to white shirts and black shorts. This combination would change several more time before coming to the curently used combonitation of red, black, and white.

In 1990 Omagh Town moved to the current St Julians Road Stadium, a site that was a Council Dump. Omagh leased the land and developed a football stadium. The stadium has a natural grass pitch, with a capacity of 5000 with 30 VIP places, 250 covered seats, 3220 covered standing places and 1500 uncovered standing places.

Supporters of Omagh Town call the club "The Town". The club also supports darts, womens football and poolmembers. In total the club has about 470 members, of which 180 are youth members. Support for the club derives mainly from the cities of Omagh, Castlederg, Dromore and Ballygawley. Omagh Towns main rivalry is with northwest derby rivals Coleraine FC as well as with Glentoran FC.

The club were promoted Premier League for the first time in the season 1990/1991 and would remain in the top flight for the next five years. In 1994/1995, a change in makeup of the league, droping the number of teams in the top flight to 8, caused Omagh to be relgated after finishing 9th. Though by the 1997/1998 season Omagh returned to the top flight after the league incresaed the number of top flight teams. Omagh would remain in the Premier division for the next two years finishing 9th and 10th respectively. Since the 2000/2001 season Omagh Town has been in the Premier division, and has met with relative success on the pitch.

Although the club has peen in the top flight for the past several years, attdence has still been low with most matches averaging about 200 people.

Honours

• First division Champions: 1999/00

External Link

• Omagh Town F.C. on irishpremierleague.com