Lisburn Distillery (Northern Ireland)

Lisburn Distillery is a Northern Irish semi-professional football club based in Lisburn, County Down that was founded as Distillery FC in West Belfast in 1880 by Robert Baxter, a keen cricketer who became friendly with some of the employees of the nearby Royal Irish Distillery.  

Between them they formed the V.R. Distillery Cricket Club under his captaincy. To keep active in the winter months they decided to stay active, so they formed a new football club and so Distillery were born.

Distillery started out life playing at Daisy Hill before moving to a larger site at Broadway. The directors of the Dunville Distillery were keen on the club from the start and James Barr payed for facilities to be built at a new Grosvenor Park home on Grosvenor Road.

They moved to York Park for a while as it looked as though the distillery were about to sell the ground, but they later returned after receiving very generous terms. Before long, the club soon set their mark in Irish football.

The Irish Cup was lifted on three consecutive occasions between 1883-84 and 1885-86 as Wellington Park were defeated 5-0 before Limavady were defeated twice: 3-0 and then 1-0. After defeat to Cliftonville in the 1887-88 final, Distillery returned to lift the cup a year later when YMCA were beaten 5-4.

A fifth Cup triumph followed with a 3-2 replay win against Linfield in 1893-94 prior to a 3-1 victory against Glentoran in 1895-96 final. The win coincided with Distillery’s first Irish League title after finishing runners-up the previous campaign.

This proved to be a golden period for ‘The Whites’ as further Irish League titles were added in 1898-99 and 1900-01. The following season saw Distillery well beaten by Linfield in the Irish Cup final before returning twelve months later to defeat Bohemians 3-1 as well as completing the double when the league title was lifted.

The team ended second in the league in 1903-04 prior to lifting the Irish Cup for an eighth time in 1904-05 as Shelbourne were beaten 3-0. The Irish League title was shared with Cliftonville in 1905-06.

Distillery won the 1909-10 Irish Cup with a solitary goal victory against Cliftonville before the honours began to dry up. However, the team finished as league runners-up in 1911-12, 1912-13, 1919-20 and 1923-24.

Irish Cup number ten was delivered in 1924-25 when Glentoran were seen off 2-1. The 1932-33 campaign saw double disappointment with a league runners-up place as well as going down 3-1 in a second replay in the final of the Irish Cup to Glentoran.

Distillery were also twice beaten finalists to Linfield after losing 3-0 in the 1945-46 and then 2-1 in the 1949-50 finals. It was also second place in the 1951-52 league season. A young Derek Dougan was part of the team in 1956 before moving on at the start of a stellar career.

The goals of Joe Meldrum helped the team to a sixth Irish League title in the 1962-63 season in which the double was denied with defeat to Linfield in the Cup final under the management of George Eastham, Sr.

The club's finest hour in European competitions was the 3-3 draw at home in 1963 against Benfica who went on to lose that seasons final against AC Milan at Wembley. Former England International Tom Finney came out of retirement to play for Distillery, which was the only time that he played in the European Cup in his illustrious career.

Jimmy McAlinden managed the Distillery side that lifted their twelfth Irish Cup in 1970-71 with Martin O’Neill in the team prior to his move to Nottingham Forest while the goals of Peter Watson cheered the Grosvenor Park faithful.

Distillery suffered terribly during ‘The Troubles’ which plagued the province from the late 1960’s. A firebomb destroyed much of Grosvenor Park in 1971, forcing the club to vacate the ground, also destroying the club records.

For the following decade, Distillery shared grounds with Crusaders at Seaview and Brantwood FC’s Skegoneill Avenue home. Eventually the Whites moved to a new ground, the greyhound stadium at Ballyskeagh Road in the borough of Lisburn in 1980.

Inevitably the nomadic years affected form as the team as bottom place in the league table was accrued on four occasions. Gradually performances improved as Distillery grew into their new surroundings.

Following three successive last places, former international Billy Hamilton was appointed as player-manager in 1989, taking his side to fifth place in 1992-93. Hamilton departed in 1995 when the league was split into two divisions, with Distillery being placed in the second tier First Division.

The Whites won the title in 1998-99 to go up to the Premier Division while also changing their name to Lisburn Distillery to associate themselves with their location. The change of title did not bring immediate luck as the team was relegated twelve months later.

In 2000-01 the side missed out on promotion as they went down in the play-offs to Crusaders before winning the First Division title the following season. This time the club retained their status before finishing third in the Premier Division season of 2003-04.

Distillery continued to return creditable performances, finishing fourth in 2007-08 which was replicated the following season in the streamlined IFA Premiership as Curtis Allen led the league scoring chart. The 2009-10 season the club had three managers with the chairman and two directors resigning with the club bottom of the Premiership.

An eleven game unbeaten run under the management of former international goalkeeper, Tommy Wright, saved Distillery from relegation. In 2011-12 the team escaped the drop with a play-off victory against Newry City as Gary Liggett became a regular scorer at New Grosvenor Stadium.

However, Distillery were not to be saved in 2012-13 as they went down to the second tier NIFL Championship 1. Worse was to follow for the Whites as they were relegated in final place to the NIFL Premier Intermediate League at the end of the 2015-16 campaign.

Colin McIlwaine and George O'Boyle took over as joint managers in the quest to return the club to their previous status. There was a gradual improvement with a couple of fourth place finishes prior to the appointment of new manager Stephen Hatfield in 2019.

Distillery were in sixth place when the 2019-20 season was abandoned owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lisburn Distillery FC will play in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

I was in Ulster for a few days of going to grounds and watching a couple of matches. The weather was cold, but brightening up as I left Lurgan on Wednesday 3rd February 2010. I knew that Lisburn Distillery would be a ground I knew could be difficult to reach, but I went on regardless. 

It was now only raining after all! I alighted at Derriaghy station and progressed through an estate lit up with unionist murals. I could see the home of Lisburn Distillery across a valley and McIlroy Park, named after Burnley legend Jimmy McIlroy who was brought up nearby.

The stadium is shared with a greyhound company who call it Drumbo Park, whilst Distillery call it New Grosvenor Stadium. Both companies have separate facilities at separate sides of the stadium.

Before I headed to the stadium I saw an enclosed ground on a slope above me that needed investigating. This was home to amateur club Derriaghy CC and was tidy with a rail around the pitch, a clubhouse and dugouts. I then went on my way to the closed stadium up the hill. 

I had already seen inside it, as I guess some of you may have done as it was the venue featured in the film, The Mighty Celt. I pressed the buzzer to the greyhound office and explained what I was doing. The woman on reception turned my request for access down, saying I had to speak to the football club. 

I explained no-one was present but even after asking the general manager I was to be denied. Not even telling them I’d walked all the way from the station worked. I managed to get some views from a bank next to the ground, but I was not impressed from the first piece of obstruction I’d encountered on my mini tour.

The stadium seemed to have quite luxurious facilities on the greyhound side of the stadium with glassed in facilities. The near side which had the Distillery facilities seemed to consist of a seated Main Stand and a covered terrace. I will have to visit again to find out.

I relayed my tale on the Irish League fans message board detailing my adventures a few days after my trip. The fans of all clubs were most helpful, not least those of The Whites who told me to get in touch next time so I could be looked after properly. 

This attitude epitomised the feeling I got from virtually everybody during my visit. I recommend going to football in Northern Ireland to anyone who enjoys 100% effort, good banter and atmosphere and a good drink!

To get a look at Distillery in action from 2008, click here: