soccer

Linfield’s Glorious Dead

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“1st south Belfast LSC [Fb] remembers. Lest we forget.” “To the glory of God and in honourable memory of the former players from Linfield Football Club who laid down the glory of their youth upon the altar of freedom during the Great War of 1914 – 1918.

The main part of this new board in the Village shows the Linfield memorial at Bertrancourt, France. The memorial was unveiled in 2022 (BBC). The BBC article explains the reference to “Rifleman Walker” in the poem by Johnny Jamison at the centre of the memorial: Walker had been a Linfield player before joining the Royal Irish Rifles and dying on May 6th, 1916. Jamison recites his poem in this Fb video. In the background is the familiar Ulster Tower.

Broadway, the Village, south Belfast. For the small boards above, see Village Team On Tour and I Would Rather Be An Ulsterman.

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Gormley

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Cliftonville striker Joe Gormley has been honoured with a new mural in his native Ardoyne. He is Cliftonville’s all-time leading goal-scorer, with more than 300 goals. He has recently signed for the forthcoming (2026-2027) season, which he says will be his last (BBC).

Velsheda Court, Ardoyne. There was previously a board to Joe The Goal in Berwick Road.

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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The Swifts

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St James’s Swifts (web) are a west Belfast club playing intermediate level soccer with Donegal Celtic Park on the Suffolk Road as a home ground.

The three pieces shown here are in St James’s Crescent, at the Park Centre on Donegall Road, and St James’s Road. The mural in progress (shown last) is in St Katherine’s Road

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Anti-Racism World Cup

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The date of the next Anti-Racism World Cup, a soccer tournament at Donegal Celtic contested by international youth teams, has been announced as July 25th, 2026 (ARWC Fb). The banner above includes the flags of antifa, Catalonia, Lebanon, Cuba, Ireland, Sudan, the Basque Country, Palestine.

Andersonstown Road, west Belfast

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Small Community, Big Heart

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This is a kids/community/mental-health mural on the sub-station in Edgarstown. The art was painted by young people from the area, organised by Edgarstown Residents’ Association in the summer of 2024 (Fb).

For more images of the Rangers mural, see Red Hand, Red Lion from 2024.

Also included is a pair of boards of the fence around Hayes Park. For close-ups (of an identical board a stone’s throw away), see In Deo Speramus.

Union Street, Edgarstown, Portadown

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Divis Youth

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This mural in the lower Falls celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Frank Gillen Centre (Fb) and the 70th anniversary of Immaculata FC (Fb). The figure on the right is Cliftonville player Liam Boyce who grew up in the area and played for Immaculata as a youth. The team’s logo appears to the right of Boyce’s outstretched hand. (If you know the local player on the left, please leave a comment or send an e-mail.)

The piece was painted by Mickey Doherty and Lucas Quigley.

Albert Street, lower Falls, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
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Pride Of Lower Falls

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This is a painted tribute to Jim McKee, who was known as “Mr Immaculata” for his long-time support of Immaculata FC (Fb). McKee died in August when he was hit by a car near the Grosvenor community centre (BBC).

See also: Come On, The Mac, which is a stone’s throw further down Albert Street.

Servia Street, lower Falls, west Belfast

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Newington Football Club

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“NFC – representing our community with pride”. Newington Football Club [Fb], also known as “the swans”, is an NIFL team from north Belfast. The club was “est[ablished] 1979” as Jubilee Olympic FC, and was later Newington Youth Club, before becoming Newington FC c. 2018. A full list of its honours can be found on the club’s WP page.

Atlantic Avenue, Newington, north Belfast

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Village Team On Tour

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“Loyalist Village, south Belfast – Village team on tour.” This is a new printed board at the eastern edge of the Village in south Belfast. The association with the Northern Ireland soccer team (governed by the Irish Football Association) is perhaps an attempt to rehabilitate the name from the graffiti that appeared in 2015 (Welcome To Hell) and 2016 (Taigs Will Be Dealt With).

There is a “Linfield” version of this board, in red, white, and blue, in Tavanagh Street.

The/An “I am not an Ulsterman …” board was originally in Kilburn Street – see the Seosamh Mac Coılle Collection.

For the Linfield/Northern Ireland mural in better days, see For Club And Country.

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Alex McDonald Loyal

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The new Rangers supporters club in Donegall Pass is named after Alex “Doddie” MacDonald, who played midfield for Rangers from 1968 to 1980, which included the team’s victory in the European Cup-Winners’ Cup in 1972. (A full biography can be found on the Rangers web site.)

The new board announces the “Alex MacDonald Loyal RSC (Donegall Pass)” and the photographs show various high-points in MacDonald’s career: “Signed for Rangers 19 November 1968”, “Hampden Park on 25 October 1975 when MacDonald scored the winner in the Old Firm League Cup final”, “Rangers hall of fame”.

Also included beneath the main board are the crests of “Southbank True Blues” and “Kirkintilloch RSC” (Fb).

Pine Street, Donegall Pass, south Belfast. Launched on September 13th – Facebook.

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