History of Ladies Football

The RUC ladies football team were formed in 1989, when Deanna Strawbridge and Marie Hayes organised a couple of successful trial sessions and as a result the RUC ladies applied and were accepted for entry into the NIWFA 2nd Division in the 1989 / 90 season. The Station Football League kindly donated one of their representative kits along with other items of soccer equipment to help them on their way that season. During the first season, the team comprised of serving RUC personnel with one permitted associate member.

The ladies involved in the inaugural season of the RUC ladies football team were: - Diane Conway, Eleanor Drysdale, Andrea Lillie, Deanna Strawbridge, Susan Harkness, Cindy Armstrong, Bea Ogilvie, Paddy Dunbar, Marie Hayes, Carol Mulligan, Kate Hadnett, Carol Kane, Karen Shaw & Heather Thompson. Assisting as backroom staff that season were David Mulligan, Alan Love & Sam Howlett.

The first year was quite a successful one for a novice team. The team finished third in the NIWFA 2nd Division and won the 2nd Division Knockout Competition for the Carryduff Trophy, played at the Danny Blanchflower stadium, Sydenham on the 6th September 1990, beating the NI Supporters Club 1-0.

The team discovered in the second year that there was a real difficulty in getting personnel of duty to play. Some civilians had approached the team with a view to joining the team so a decision was taken to change the name to Kilroot Ladies and allow them to play. This team included players such as Bernie Cowan, Pat Black, Erica Wray, Karen Glover, Diane Shaw, Mary Clarke, Elaine McLaughlin, Noleen Mullan & Jackie Montgomery. The Kilroot Ladies team did very well later winning the CarryDuff Trophy in 1995 and also winning the 2nd Division and gaining promotion to the 1st Division.

It was around this time that the Police Federation decided to sell off the club at Kilroot and a decision was made to move the following season to the team's new home at Newforge Country Club. Although they had no choice but to find this suitable ground, the team ceased to compete in football during the following season due to numerous reasons such as duty commitments, location and a lack off quality players.