Ballynahinch Olympic F.C.
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| Full name | Ballynahinch Olympic Football Club | |
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| Nickname | Olympic | |
| Founded | 1973 | |
| Ground | Kilmore Playing Fields, Kilmore | |
| Chairman | Martin Sloan | |
| Manager | Liam Sloan and Barry Reid | |
| League | NAFL Division 1A | |
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Ballynahinch Olympic Football Club is a Northern Irish, intermediate football club based in Ballynahinch, County Down, playing its matches at Kilmore Playing Fields, Crossgar.[1] They play in Division 1A of the Northern Amateur Football League. Club colours are Claret and Blue.[2]
Ballynahinch Olympic was formed in 1973 as a community based club to cater for the increased demand for soccer in the Ballynahinch area. Some of the founding members include Brendan McAllister, Brian Sloan, Sean Murnin, Jim Dornan and Barney Brown.
The idea came initially from Barney Brown in a work tea hut and it grew from there through the first training session and into the game. That first ever game was against a Plessey team and not surprisingly Olympic were beaten easily. The first pitch was in Magheralone and the first strip ever worn was red and white stripes. It was donated by a team in Belfast that were in the process of changing their strip.
Newcastle League (1973-2009)
Ballynahinch won its first trophy in 1976/77 with the Newcastle League Division 2 title. A seconds team was formed the following season, while the first team completed an unbeaten campaign in Division 1.
From 1978 to 1990, Tom Potter led a period of sustained development, during which the club won the Division 2 and Harry Clarke Cup double and established its youth system.
In 1991/92, under Norman McCullough, the first team reached the Harry Clarke Cup semi-finals and the Junior Shield final, while the seconds won the Binian Cup under Eamon Wilson. In 1994 the club retired its No 11 shirt following the death of young first team player Mark Quinn.
Ballynahinch won the Bobby Dalzell Cup for the first time in 1997/98 under Damien Travers. After relegation in 2001/02, a new management team of Paul Sloan, Francie McGoran and later Steven Ward oversaw a major revival. The club won every league match in 2002/03, taking the Division 1 title and the Purdy Cup, then won the Premier Division in 2003/04 and retained it in 2004/05. The side also reached both major local cup finals in 2004/05, winning the Harry Clarke Cup.
Across this period, the seconds, thirds and youth teams played a central role in developing players and sustaining the club’s progress.
