Belfast grassroots football club lands big summer friendly with Celtic

A West Belfast grassroots football club will head to Glasgow this summer after landing a massive friendly date with Celtic.

Newhill FC only launched a senior ladies' team four weeks ago, but they already have a burgeoning squad of 25 players due to the popularity of the game in the local community.

Their manager is Liam Conlon, a former Celtic forward who also played in the Irish League.

Read more: NI Women's Premiership lands major broadcasting deal with DAZN

Read more: Irish Cup Final: Everything fans need to know ahead of Windsor Park showpiece

He used his contacts at Parkhead to score the glamour friendly against Celtic Women's senior squad. It is expected to take place in July or August at Barrowfield, the Hoops' training facility in Glasgow.

"It's crazy the way things have happened so quickly. It is something I was looking to do down the line," Conlon told Belfast Live.

"I sent them a tentative message and they came back saying 'Let's do it'. So I thought they might invite us over to play the Under 17s or something, but they called me back and said it would be their first-team. They are waiting to confirm some other friendly dates with English teams, but they are going to fit us in.

"So this will be one of Celtic's pre-season games, which is unbelievable. It will probably be around the end of July or start of August. It will be over at their training ground."

He added: "Our girls are so excited. There is a massive buzz around the whole community, never mind the club. People have been coming up to me and saying it's mad we are going to play Celtic.

"I have never heard of a team from Belfast going over to play Celtic Women. It is a first for me, anyway. So it is a big thing."

Conlon is hoping to set up a strategic partnership between Newhill and Celtic, which would see some of the Belfast club's youth teams heading over to Glasgow each season to take part in games and training sessions with the Scottish Women's Premier League club.

"I am all for developing the players and giving them experiences. We are actually looking at setting up an official partnership with Celtic. So I will be bringing over a couple of teams each year to Celtic," he said.

"They will play and train with Celtic at their academy, which will be brilliant. And it will raise the profile of Newhill FC. We are just a small grassroots football club from West Belfast, so this is brilliant."

Conlon - who hails from the Falls Road - linked up with Shankill coach Taylor Dalton to set up a girls' academy at Newhill four years ago. That has grown from strength to strength and now caters for over 60 youngsters every week.

The one thing missing was a senior team, and a pathway for those academy youngsters to follow once they reached their mid-teens.

But now Newhill - based at the Whiterock Road - can boast a first-team that will enter league football next year.

"Things snowballed and the opportunity came about to have a senior team. A couple of girls came to me saying there was nothing for their age group. So I said if there were players interested then I would set it up for them," Conlon added.

"We now have 25 players in the space of four weeks. We will go into a league next season, but for the time being we have arranged a lot of friendlies to keep the girls busy and interested.

"And that's why the Celtic game was important as it gives the girls something to look forward to. They are are loving the training, but it is nice to give them games.

"They need an end goal when they are training. They are a great bunch."

Conlon says he "loves" coaching, and developing the youngsters that come through Newhill's ranks.

He said: "I love it a lot more than playing, to be fair. It sort of came about by accident, as I was initially just bringing my daughter along and then I got roped into some coaching.

"And now I can't get out!

"We will go into a league next year, so that is one long-term plan. We want to climb the leagues, and the ultimate ambition would be to have a team in the Women's Premiership. I don't see why it can't happen.

"We have a brilliant girls' academy here. And we want to keep producing young talent who can progress and improve. And enjoy their football."

Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox