North Down Hockey Club
Encyclopedia
| Address | The Green, Castle Lane, Comber, Co Down |
| Website | www.northdownhc.co.uk |
| Secretary 2006-2007 | Jim Patterson |
| Sports | Men's & Ladies Hockey |
| Branch | Ulster Branch of the IHA Ulster Hockey Union The Ulster Hockey Union is the administrative arm of the Irish Hockey Association with responsibility for men's hockey throughout the province of Ulster.... Ulster Women's Hockey Union |
| Founded | 1896 |
| Club Colours | White & Navy |
North Down Hockey Club is a field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
club affiliated to the Ulster Branch
Ulster Hockey Union
The Ulster Hockey Union is the administrative arm of the Irish Hockey Association with responsibility for men's hockey throughout the province of Ulster....
of the Irish Hockey Association
Irish Hockey Association
The Irish Hockey Association is the governing body for the game of hockey throughout the island of Ireland.The Association was formed in 2000 with the merger of the Unions that managed the men's and women's game separately. These Unions had governed the sport of hockey since the late 19th...
. The club was founded in 1896.
The men's section fields five adult teams, with the First Team competing in One Premier League of the Ulster Senior League
Ulster Senior League (Men's Hockey)
The Ulster Senior League is a league competition for the first teams of men's hockey clubs affiliated to the Ulster Hockey Union of the Irish Hockey Association.-Formation:...
. There are boys youth teams at under-12, under-13 and under-15 levels.
The ladies section field five adult teams, a veterans team and an under-14 youth team.
Grounds
North Down Hockey Club is based at The Green in ComberComber
Comber is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies 5 miles south of Newtownards, at the northern end of Strangford Lough. It had a population of 8,933 people in the 2001 Census. Comber is part of the Borough of Ards...
, home of North Down Cricket Club
North Down Cricket Club
North Down Cricket Club is an Irish cricket club based in Comber, County Down, Northern Ireland, playing in the NCU Premier League. It was founded in 1857...
. The first hockey pitch was at the Castle Lane side of the ground on the cricket outfield. A celebration game against Cliftonville as part of the Centenary was played on this same pitch.
The next ten years saw the completion of two new Council shale pitches in Comber
In 1994 the decision was taken to play all first team games on the artificial turf
Artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
pitch at Glenford Park, Newtownards
Newtownards
Newtownards is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. Newtownards is the largest town in the Borough of Ards. According to the 2001 Census, it has a population of 27,821 people in...
. Later, the team returned to Comber and now play at Comber Leisure Centre.
Formation
The club was formed by members of North Down Cricket Club in 1896 and is one of the founder-members of the Ulster Hockey UnionUlster Hockey Union
The Ulster Hockey Union is the administrative arm of the Irish Hockey Association with responsibility for men's hockey throughout the province of Ulster....
. The first reported Club match in Ulster was played in Comber
Comber
Comber is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies 5 miles south of Newtownards, at the northern end of Strangford Lough. It had a population of 8,933 people in the 2001 Census. Comber is part of the Borough of Ards...
against Cliftonville
Cliftonville Hockey Club
Cliftonville Hockey Club is a hockey club based at C.I.Y.M.S. Sports Club, Circular Road, Belfast. Home fixtures are played on a sand-filled artificial surface. The club was founded in 1896 and was one of the founding members of the Ulster Hockey Union. The 1st XI currently plays in Section One of...
on 7 November 1896, with North Down winning 8-0.
In 1899-00 North Down won their first two trophies. In the only year when the Keightley Cup for the Ulster Senior League
Ulster Senior League (Men's Hockey)
The Ulster Senior League is a league competition for the first teams of men's hockey clubs affiliated to the Ulster Hockey Union of the Irish Hockey Association.-Formation:...
was played for on a knock-out basis, Antrim were defeated 3-2 in the final and in the Kirk Cup
Kirk Cup
The Kirk Cup is the oldest hockey tournament in Ulster and the oldest provincial hockey trophy in Ireland. It has become a tradition since the 1966-67 season for the final to be played on Boxing Day, a date previously reserved for the Anderson Cup Final. The final attracts the largest crowd of the...
Final Cliftonville were beaten 4-2.
1930s successes
During the 1930s North Down won the Ulster Senior LeagueUlster Senior League (Men's Hockey)
The Ulster Senior League is a league competition for the first teams of men's hockey clubs affiliated to the Ulster Hockey Union of the Irish Hockey Association.-Formation:...
title five times in a six year period. The Kirk Cup
Kirk Cup
The Kirk Cup is the oldest hockey tournament in Ulster and the oldest provincial hockey trophy in Ireland. It has become a tradition since the 1966-67 season for the final to be played on Boxing Day, a date previously reserved for the Anderson Cup Final. The final attracts the largest crowd of the...
was won twice in 1935-36 and 1936-37.
The 1935-36 Season was the zenith for North Down's achievements. JLO Andrews was elected President of the Ulster Branch
Ulster Hockey Union
The Ulster Hockey Union is the administrative arm of the Irish Hockey Association with responsibility for men's hockey throughout the province of Ulster....
, and James MacDonald was selected as Captain of Ireland for the first time. The Club responded to these off the field honours by winning the Kirk Cup
Kirk Cup
The Kirk Cup is the oldest hockey tournament in Ulster and the oldest provincial hockey trophy in Ireland. It has become a tradition since the 1966-67 season for the final to be played on Boxing Day, a date previously reserved for the Anderson Cup Final. The final attracts the largest crowd of the...
and the Ulster Senior League
Ulster Senior League (Men's Hockey)
The Ulster Senior League is a league competition for the first teams of men's hockey clubs affiliated to the Ulster Hockey Union of the Irish Hockey Association.-Formation:...
and they were beaten finalists in the Irish Senior Cup
Irish Senior Cup (Men's Hockey)
The Irish Senior Cup is the premier knock-out trophy played for by the best men's hockey clubs in Ireland. It is one of the oldest hockey tournaments in the world.-Historical format:...
Final in Dublin.
Post war decline
When competitive fixtures after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, North Down won the Kirk Cup for the eighth and last time to date by beating Banbridge
Banbridge Hockey Club
Banbridge Hockey Club is a hockey club based in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. The club currently plays in the Premier League of the Ulster Senior League. The club was formed in 1897.-Grounds:...
3-1 after two periods of extra time.
However the 1950s saw a gradual decline in playing standards and North Down lost their place in the top section of the Ulster Senior League
Ulster Senior League (Men's Hockey)
The Ulster Senior League is a league competition for the first teams of men's hockey clubs affiliated to the Ulster Hockey Union of the Irish Hockey Association.-Formation:...
at the end of the 1957-58 season.
Recent achievements
A renewed youth policy in the early 1990s saw a younger age profile for the first team. This change led to North Down regaining a place in the top section of the Ulster Senior LeagueUlster Senior League (Men's Hockey)
The Ulster Senior League is a league competition for the first teams of men's hockey clubs affiliated to the Ulster Hockey Union of the Irish Hockey Association.-Formation:...
, after an interlude of 42 years. Two years in the top section ended when relegation was suffered after the 2000-01 season, when Section 1 was renamed as the Premier League and was reduced from ten teams to eight teams.
North Down briefly regained top flight status for one year in 2005-06, the season ending with relegation back to Senior League One.
In 2008/09 season North Down won the first ever Irish hockey trophey and regained promotion back to the top flight of Ulster hockey.
Notable players
- James MacDonald, played 25 times for Ireland including a period as captain.
- Andrew Coates, in 2007/08 season he became the first player at the club in 52 years to represent Ulster at Senior Level.
Honours
- Ulster Senior LeagueUlster Senior League (Men's Hockey)The Ulster Senior League is a league competition for the first teams of men's hockey clubs affiliated to the Ulster Hockey Union of the Irish Hockey Association.-Formation:...
- 1899-00, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37.
- Kirk CupKirk CupThe Kirk Cup is the oldest hockey tournament in Ulster and the oldest provincial hockey trophy in Ireland. It has become a tradition since the 1966-67 season for the final to be played on Boxing Day, a date previously reserved for the Anderson Cup Final. The final attracts the largest crowd of the...
- 1899-00, 1901–02, 1920–21, 1928–29, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1943-44.
- Irish Hockey Trophy
- 2008-09