The Derry and District League is an amateur football league in Derry

Derry

Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...

. The league includes youth and senior football teams. The Senior Sunday League

Sunday league football

Sunday league football is a term used in the United Kingdom to describe those association football leagues which play on Sunday, as opposed to the more usual Saturday. These leagues tend to be lower standard amateur competitions, whose players may have less ability, or less time to devote to...

 has two divisions, the Premier and the First Division. The Youth Leagues have one league for each age group, from under-10 up to under-17. Teams such as Don Bosco's and Tristar Boys have numerous teams competing at every level. Other senior teams include Brandywell Harps, Trojans

Trojans F.C.

Trojans Football Club is a football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland, currently playing in the Northern Ireland Intermediate League. The club was founded in 1938 by Edmund Carton and is based in the Creggan area of Derry...

 and, in the First Division, Lisahally. The league has witnessed a rise in popularity in recent years, and youth teams, such as Foyle Harps and the Derry and District Youth Select have competed on an international level both in China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 and Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 respectively. There is also a Saturday Morning League operating in Derry. The League also sends youth teams to the Foyle Cup

Foyle Cup

The Foyle Cup is a youth soccer tournament held every year in Derry City. Along with the Milk Cup, which takes place around the same time, The Foyle Cup is one of Ireland and indeed Europe's premier youth tournaments.-History:...

 and in 2005 the under-16 team finished runners up in the competition, losing out to Ferencvaros

Ferencváros

Ferencváros is the 9th district of Budapest , Hungary.- Name :The southern suburb of Pest was named after King Francis I on 4 December 1792 when he was crowned king of Hungary.- History :The development of Ferencváros began in the late 18th century....

. Many of the players in that team have since signed professional contracts. Kevin Deery, Barry Molloy and Patrick McCourt

Patrick McCourt

Patrick James "Paddy" McCourt is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a left winger for Scottish Premier League club Celtic and the Northern Ireland national football team....

 are now Derry City

Derry City F.C.

Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...

 players, after playing youth football in the league.

Northside Albion are currently in the First Division of the Northwest Saturday Morning league. This team consists of a great bunch of lads and is currently run by none other, than Big Shaun. NAFC actually made a few new signings recently with Midfielder Daithi O'Mianain first to come through tough negotiations. Next on the list was a trio of young talent, Paddy Boyle, Paul Morrison and Michael Crumlish. Daithi is an all-round good footballer. He has the ball control, the strength and the vision of a good attacking midfield player. With the speed of young Paul, the finishing of Paddy and the arial threat and long range shooting ability of Michael Northside should be well on their way to the Premier Division. Rumour has it that Lionel Messi has been seen having talks with Big Shaun, so a bright future is inevitable for NAFC.

Northwest Saturday Morning League

The Northwest Saturday Morning League features two divisions, (Premier Division and First Division). Matches are played on Saturday mornings.

Premier Division

• Cliftonvilla F.C.
• Phoenix Swifts F.C.
• Brandywell Celtic F.C.
• Bohemians F.C.
• Mourne Harps F.C.
• Newton Heath F.C.
• Magee College F.C.
• Cloony YC F.C.
• Gransha F.C.
• Corinthians F.C.

First Division

• Tamnaherin Celtic F.C.
• Du Pont F.C.
• Abercorn F.C.
• Oxford Utd F.C.
• Foyle Harps F.C.
• Benbradagh Colts F.C.
• St. Columb's College F.C.
• Northside Albion F.C.
• Foyle Athletic F.C.
• Drumahoe YCMA F.C.
• West Galliagh F.C.
• Westbank Utd F.C.

Senior Sunday Morning League

The Senior Sunday League of the Derry and District League features two divisions (Premier Division and First Division). The leagues include a number of sporting establishments, clubs and groups, including pub teams. In the past, the Derry and District FA had three divisions. Matches are played, as suggested on Sunday mornings.

Premier Division

• Oxford United
  Oxford United Stars F.C.
  Oxford United Stars F.C. is a Northern Ireland football club, founded in 1937, based in Derry. It currently competes in the Northern Ireland Intermediate League. They are known as the U2's in reference to Oxford United's nickname 'The U's'...
  
   (Reserve Team)
• Don Bosco's F.C.
• Top of the Hill Celtic F.C.
• Abercorn F.C.
• Porters F.C.
• Dungloe
• Brandywell Harps F.C.
• Celtic Swifts F.C.
• Three Flowers F.C.
• The Beechtree
• Bluebell Celtic

First Division

• Oxford Colts
  Oxford United Stars F.C.
  Oxford United Stars F.C. is a Northern Ireland football club, founded in 1937, based in Derry. It currently competes in the Northern Ireland Intermediate League. They are known as the U2's in reference to Oxford United's nickname 'The U's'...
  
   (Youth Team)
• Bogside Inn F.C.
• Don Bosco's F.C.
• Downey's F.C.
• Carraig Bar F.C.
• City Harps F.C.
• Lisahally F.C.
• Culmore F.C.
• Tristar Boys F.C.
• Phoenix F.C.
• Crescent F.C.
• Currynierin F.C.
• Maydown F.C.
• Ballymoor F.C.

Youth Leagues

The Derry and District League's youth leagues feature countless teams from age groups Under-10 up until Under-17. The leagues are held in high regard by many who are associated with sport in Derry. Each year, a Derry and District League Select (in which the best players are selected from each team) appears in a number of different tournaments for example, the Foyle Cup

Foyle Cup

The Foyle Cup is a youth soccer tournament held every year in Derry City. Along with the Milk Cup, which takes place around the same time, The Foyle Cup is one of Ireland and indeed Europe's premier youth tournaments.-History:...

. They also travel abroad to compete in tournaments across the globe, for example, in Spain, Denmark, Italy and England. In 2005, the youth team finished third in the Tivoli Cup in Denmark. In 2006 the Derry and District under-14 team travelled to Barcelona

Barcelona

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...

 to challenge in the prestigious Copa Catalunya International Youth Tournament. They finished runners up. Foyle Harps travelled to China on an international relations trip. There, they visited places of cultural significance and played football against some of China's top youth teams. In 2004-5, Derry City

Derry City F.C.

Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...

 pioneered an 'Academy' which was primarily made up of players from the Derry and District League.

Youth Teams

The following is a list of teams who either have youth football teams or operate solely as a youth team.

• Bright Stars F.C.
• Ballymoor F.C.
• Culmore F.C.
• Don Bosco's F.C.
• Eglinton Eagles F.C.
• Foyle Harps Y.F.C.
• Newtown Y.F.C.
• Top of the Hill Celtic F.C.
• Tristar Boys F.C.
• Sion Swifts F.C
• Trojans F.C.
  Trojans F.C.
  Trojans Football Club is a football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland, currently playing in the Northern Ireland Intermediate League. The club was founded in 1938 by Edmund Carton and is based in the Creggan area of Derry...
  
  
• Petrie Wanderers
• Oxford United Stars Youth

Players to have played in the League

• Seamus Browne
  Seamus Browne
  Seamus Brown is a footballer currently without a senior club..Hailing from Shantallow in Derry, Northern Ireland, Brown was invited to England to play for Rochdale A.F.C. as a youth. It was here where he fostered a new friendship with fellow Shantallow man, Patrick McCourt...
  
  
• David Campbell
  David Campbell (footballer)
  David Anthony Campbell is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played in the midfield position....
  
  
• Liam Coyle
  Liam Coyle
  Liam Coyle is a former Northern Irish footballer who plied his trade with Derry City F.C. from 1988 until 2003. Born in Derry, Northern Ireland, he is remembered for scoring a hat-trick on his Derry City debut against Cobh Ramblers on 6 November, 1988.-Club career:After playing for Finn Harps F.C...
  
  
• Kevin Deery
• Matt Doherty Jr.
  Matt Doherty Jr.
  Matt Doherty, Jr. is a former Northern Irish professional association football player, for the Derry City FC. He is the son of Matt Doherty, Sr., who also played for the Derry club.-Career:...
  
  
• Gary Fleming
  Gary Fleming
  Gary Fleming is a retired footballer from Derry, Northern Ireland. He started his career as a youth at Tristar Boys F.C. and later signed for Derry Athletic under the tutelage of coach Jim O'Hea. There, he caught the eye of Nottingham Forest and in 1983 he signed a contract with them. His debut...
  
  
• Darron Gibson
  Darron Gibson
  Darron Thomas Daniel Gibson is an Irish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Manchester United and the Republic of Ireland national team...
  
  
• Paul Kelly
  Paul Kelly
  Paul Kelly may refer to:* Paul Kelly , United States criminal and founder of the Five Points Gang* Paul Kelly , US stage and screen actor* Paul Kelly , US soul singer-songwriter...
  
  
• Peter File
• Ruaidhri Higgins
  Ruaidhri Higgins
  Ruaidhri Higgins is a midfielder playing with Derry City.-Career:Higgins, who was born in Limavady, Northern Ireland, began his career at the youth club, Newtown Y.F.C. before being signed by Coventry City F.C. in 1998. Higgins signed for Derry after being released by Coventry City F.C....
  
  
• Rick O'Shea
  Rick O'Shea
  Rick O'Shea is an Irish radio personality. He was born in Drimnagh, Dublin 12 and attended and later University College Dublin . He is a DJ on RTÉ 2fm.-Radio:...
  
  
• Jimmy Kelly
  Jimmy Kelly (Irish footballer)
  Jimmy Kelly was an Irish footballer who played for, among others, Derry City, Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk. Kelly was one of the most prolific goalscorers ever to play in the Irish League, scoring 218 goals in the league between 1928 and 1952...
  
  
• Sean Hargan
  Sean Hargan
  Sean Hargan is a defender, currently unattached. One of the veterans of the Derry City 1996-97 league-winning side, Hargan continued to play an integral part for the Candystripes and had his testimonial year in 2005, before moving to Crusaders at the end of 2008.-Career:As a youngster Sean played...
  
  
• Patrick McCourt
  Patrick McCourt
  Patrick James "Paddy" McCourt is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a left winger for Scottish Premier League club Celtic and the Northern Ireland national football team....
  
  
• Barry Molloy
• Sam Morrow
  Sam Morrow
  Samuel Morrow , aka Sam Morrow or Sammy Morrow, is a professional football player currently playing for Scottish First Division side Ross County. Morrow, who was raised in Limavady, started as a youth at Institute FC before beginning his career at Ipswich Town were he made his debut as an 18 year...
  
  
• David Ogilby
  David Ogilby
  David Ogilby is a Northern Irish footballer currently playing for Coleraine F.C. Ogilby, born in Derry, Northern Ireland, is renowned for his exceptional height and presence in the box...
  
  
• Michael McCrudden
  Michael McCrudden
  Michael McCrudden is a footballer from Northern Ireland, who currently plays for Derry City.-Early career:Michael McCrudden signed for Newcastle United in 2007...
  
  
• Shane Duffy
  Shane Duffy
  Shane Duffy is a Gaelic football player from County Monaghan in Ireland. He plays for the Magheracloone Mitchells club team and for the Monaghan senior football team. He was a very important figure in Magheracloone's capture of the Monaghan Football Championship in 2004 andin Monaghan's 2005 N.F.L...
  
  

External links

• http://www.nifootball.co.uk/league/viewleague/northwestsm.html Saturday Morning League]