GREENISLAND Women may only have been in existence for four years but already they are writing another chapter in the success story of the long established Co Antrtim parent club.
Greenisland FC are renowned for producing top players in the men’s game, most notably top pros and NI internationals Jonny Evans, brother Corry Evans, Craig Cathcart, Michael Smith, Charlie Allen and Dale Taylor.
Now the women’s sides are creating their own niche in the club’s proud history.
Initially, league promotions have been a hallmark of those first four seasons since women’s football was introduced to Greenisland by club stalwart and first women’s team manager, Laurence McGilloway.
After promotion last season, the firsts are newly crowned champions in Division 1 of the NIWFA and looking forward to next season’s debut in the Championship.
Meanwhile, the Reserves, founded this year, have hit the ground running with a league and cup double this season in the NIWFA Division 6.
And there’s much more growth to come, promises current firsts manager Robert Gilliland who took over from founding father McGilloway in a seamless transition, reflecting the spirit of togetherness that has bonded the women’s section since day one.
“We are a team, on and off the pitch,” Robert insists. “Whoever wears the Greenisland badge, be they aged six or 60, we support them as one.
“It was Laurence who first recognised the potential for a women’s section at the club. But then Covid struck and we had to wait a year to put his plan into action. Our youth and mens sides were going from strength to strength in terms of numbers but while there was a demand for organised women’s football in the area, there was no outlet and Laurence saw to it that Greenisland filled that vacuum.
“Laurence did the heavy lifting to get a women’s team up and running but he is also heavily committed to Disability football and Sport in the Community and, having established a first team, he handed over the reins to myself and Colin Sewell, a talented lead coach with Irish League experience.”
Greenisland’s rapid progress, extending to the formation of the reserve side, is the result of a team effort right across the club, Robert stresses.
“Our new chair, Stuart McLean, and director of football, Mark Gamble, have been hugely supportive and our secretary, Roisin Kerby, is top drawer,” he insisted.
The Greenisland women have full use of the club’s impressive Glenkeen Avenue facilities. The main pitch is a large floodlight state-of-the-art 3G Astro Pitch, with a 124-seater stand, with disability access. There are also two grass pitches, changing rooms, a smaller floodlight 3G training pitch, a modern and well-equipped clubhouse, Strength & Conditioning suite and a ‘wellness portacabin’.
But with just two teams and nearly 40 players registered, how do the coaches keep them all happy and involved?
“It’s not difficult,” Robert explains. “Across our age groups, there are various school, university and work commitments so we need the numbers to make sure we can field full strength teams.”
Robert’s coaching creed has also helped attract and keep players.
“We, as a group of coaches, tell players we don’t see gender, we see footballers and that if they apply themselves and, with our experience, we will try and make them the best players they can be,” he relates.
Responding to their coach’s motivation, lead scorer Saskia Love has 27 goals to her credit while captain Yasmin Craig leads by example with Aoife Burgess and Rachel Jamison, two stalwarts who have been there from the beginning, Robert says.
Two new players, Rachel Patterson and Erin McAuley, have come in from Ballyclare and quickly settled.
And, keeping the success story in the family, reserves captain, Becky Smith, is the sister of NI international Michael who went on from Greenisland to Ballymena United, Bristol Rovers, Peterborough, Hearts and currently Yeovil Town.
Greenisland Women even have a hashtag, #The Journey Continues, and with that in mind they go is search of more silverware in our own Local Women Sport SuperCup final against Ballymoney Ladies on Saturday, September 14, at Blanchflower stadium in east Belfast, kick off 7.30pm. See you there!
