Bryansburn Rangers Football Club is a Northern Irish, intermediate football club playing in Division 1B of the Northern Amateur Football League.
The club originates from the Bryansburn Area of Bangor, County Down and play their home matches at Ballywooley Park on the Crawfordsburn Road. The club was founded in 1974 and began playing their games at Stricklands Glen in the west of the town, before morning to their current home ground only a few kilometers away. The club joined the Amateur League in 1984 and have played their ever since.[1]
Bryansburn currently field 3 senior teams in total, along with a number of youth teams, ranging from 2019/20s to 2012s. Both the first team, and second team play in Northern Amateur Football League Division 1B, and 3D, along with a 3rd team that compete in the Down Area League, Division 2. The first team were promoted to Division 1A at the end of 2009–10 season, however 2 back to back relegation's left the team in 1C. After a number of years in 1C, the 1st team gained promotion once again to 1B in the 17/18 season, finishing runners up to 18th Newtownabbey Old Boys F.C. They have been in 1B ever since, recording a best finish of 3rd in the 2018/18 season, losing out on promotion to Grove United F.C. and Dromara Village F.C.
The club competes in a number of cup competitions in Northern Ireland, such as the Steel & Sons Cup, the Irish Cup, the Irish Intermediate Cup, the Clarence Cup and the Border Cup.
In January 2010 the club reached the 5th round of the Irish Cup, hoping for a draw vs one of the big Irish league clubs, they drew fellow Amateur league side Nortel F.C. who at the time were in the Premier Division of the Northern Amateur Football League. The game finished 2-2 on the night, with Nortel winning 5-4 on penalties and booking their place in the round of 16, they would subsequently lose 6-0 to NIFL Premiership side Coleraine.
The club appointed former player Andy Thompson as their new manager on the 22nd June 2023. Thompson made 425 competitive appearances for the club between 1998 and 2017 and is now in his second full season of management.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
On Sunday 29 March 2015, in the lead up to the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier between Northern Ireland national football team and Finland national football team, Bryansburns home ground 'Ballywooley' was used as a venue for the fans game between the Northern Ireland and Finland fans teams. Former Northern Ireland international Keith Gillespie who made a guest appearance for the Northern Ireland fans team, along with Finnish Legend Jari Litmanen for the Finland fans team. Northern Ireland ran out eventual 3–1 winners.
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Josh Magennis, international professional footballer from Northern Ireland, currently playing for Exeter City F.C. in the EFL League One division.
