St Teresa’s FC is planning for the future

PREPARING for tomorrow is the current focus at St Teresa’s FC as the West Belfast club looks to attract new members and new ideas.

Founded in 1973, St Teresa’s has been part of the sporting fabric of the west of the city and as it begins its second half-century, growing the club is high on the list of priorities.

Like all clubs, players come and go and St Teresa’s have seen a number of departures over the summer. It’s not exactly panic stations though, as club members continue to line up and will do so, but creating new connections to bring in fresh talent and also encouraging new voices in the boardroom is what counts that is needed at this time.

They are far from disappointed as the first team reside in Division 2A of the Northern Amateur Football League (NAFL) – the highest level they can reach as a junior outfit – and have an established location in Whiterock, with training taking place on the Pitch 4G at Falls Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so they don’t suffer from a nomadic existence either. The Seconds are currently in Division 3F of the NAFL.

“We were promoted the year before and then in the semi-final of the Cochrane Corry Cup, but in the summer we lost a good part of the squad,” explained Gareth Brennan, club secretary.

“We’ve relied on the second team and over 35 years to complete the squads and we’re now at the stage where we need to freshen things up. Not just in terms of the players but also the volunteers at the club, where the committee or coaches just to get new ideas.”

There is plenty of room for development as one of a different kind has brought new people to the area.

The Glenmona housing development will eventually result in 653 new homes near the Monagh Bypass and with so many new families, the message is that the doors at St Teresa’s FC are open to all as a club on their doorstep.

In the past, a link with St Teresa’s Youth Center helped players through, but this is no longer the case and so thinking outside the box is required to find those pathways that other clubs have created.

“We’ve always relied on people we knew to come and play, but now we’re at the stage where it’s difficult,” added Brennan.

“In the mid-2010s, we stopped being part of the (St. Theresa’s) youth center, so we don’t have that natural path to the club.

“I would like to see my son playing for us in the years to come and for the club to prosper 10 or 20 years from now. We have players from North Belfast, Glengormley, Shankill, South Belfast so it’s a club that welcomes everyone.

“The players we have will stay and help, but it’s just thinking about the future. Players come and go from every club but we just need to get some new ideas to sustain and grow further.
“This is a club on the doorstep for a lot of people and open to new members as it could be a pathway to senior football, which has been the case for some players in the past.”

For anyone interested in joining the club, training is held at the Falls Park 4G pitch in Falls 4G on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6.45-8pm.

For more information contact Gareth at [email protected] or the club’s social media pages on Facebook, Instagram or X.