Minister for Social Development, Mervyn Storey MLA and members of the club s Academy at the official opening of the new facility at Lurgan Town Arena

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1 Minister for Social Development, Mervyn Storey MLA and members of the club s Academy at the official opening of the new facility at Lurgan Town Arena Minister for Social Development, Mervyn Storey MLA, has officially opened a new 513,000 sports and community facility at Lurgan Town Football Club. The new facility includes a clubhouse and a 3G youth football pitch, with upgraded lights and car parking facilities. It will be used both by the Club and also by schools, youth clubs, sporting, voluntary and community organisations within the Lurgan and Brownlow Neighbourhood Renewal areas. Minister Storey said: Lurgan Town Football Club is an excellent example of a sporting organisation which is at the heart of its community. It provides opportunities for young people regardless of their background or ability. With 400 members and 40 volunteers, Lurgan Town Football Club is a key player in the local community and these new facilities will enable them to continue to deliver even more programmes to improve social and community regeneration. Since March 2007 the Department has invested over 8.7million in a range of projects and programmes in the Lurgan and Brownlow Neighbourhood Renewal area to help enhance the physical Continued on Page 2 Lurgan Town Arena, 83 Glenavon Lane, Lurgan, Co Armagh, BT66 8TN

2 NEWS IN BRIEF ARENA OFFICIALLY OPENED Continued from Page 1 environment, and also improve the health, education and employability of its residents. The Minister added: I fully appreciate the importance of sport in our community and the role it has to play in helping to address disadvantage. The links between sporting activity and improved health and well-being are clear, but there are also other benefits which help create structure and discipline for those who might otherwise become disengaged from society. Sport helps contribute to community pride and promotes and nurtures volunteering; something which has been exemplified by Lurgan Town Football Club and their community partners. GIRLS ACADEMY As numbers continue to grow at the Lurgan Town Girls Academy and with girls coming back from holidays and numbers expecting to get bigger, we are currently looking for coaches and volunteers who would like to come and give a hand so we can coach the girls in their different age groups. Anyone interested in getting involved please send a private message to the Lurgan Town Facebook page or info@lurgantownfc.com. Any new players that are interested joining it is currently for 5 years old up to the age of 14. We train from 6pm to 7pm every Thursday at the Lurgan Town Arena. AUGUST RESULTS 31st August 2015 U16 NL 3-1 Ballymena Utd (Ryan Finlay, Adam Loughran, Nathan Hamilton) 29th August st Team 5-1 St Marys (Geoff Greenaway) 28th August 2015 U19 MU 11-0 Bournview Mill (Philip Bingham x5, Adam Wing, Scott Wilshire, Josh Law, Sid Tavares, Eamon Coleman, Harry Wilson) U13 NL 1-7 Ballymena Utd (Rhys Emerson) 26th August 2015 U19 MU 7-0 Tandragee Youth (Philip Bingham x3, Tom Brown x2, Matthew Hagan, Jake Kerr) 22nd August st Team 0-1 Wellington Rec U19 MU 2-5 Cookstown Youth (Philip Bingham, Matthew Hagan) 19th August st Team 1-1 Oxford Sunnyside (Matt Irvine) 15th August st Team 5-0 Laurelvale (Matt Irvine x2, Andrew Houston, Sammy Wright, David Hamilton) 11th August st Team 4-0 Seagoe (Nathan Crozier, Kyle Cousins, Matt Irvine, Andrew Houston) 8th August st Team 1-1 Markethill Swifts (Sammy Wright) SENIOR MATCH SPONSORS 1s Team v St Marys - Gilford Tae Kwon Do 1st Team v Wellington Rec - Nigels School of Motoring 1st Team v Oxford Sunnside - DM Laser Fab Ltd 1st Team v Laurelvale - Lurgan Darts Distributions 1st Team v Seagoe - 1st Team v Markethill Swifts - Want to sponsor a game? Get in touch. 20 per match. info@lurgantownfc.com

3 McDONALDS REGIONAL AWARD The year of 2015 just gets better for Lurgan Town FC as we recently found out we are to receive the award for McDonalds Regional IFA Accredited Community Club of Year. Lurgan Town FC representatives received their award from Northern Ireland legend and McDonalds Ambassador Pat Jennings on Friday 7th August. This is an award everyone connected to the club can be proud of from committee, volunteers, players and parents, said club secretary Philip McKinley. The desire of the committee to make Lurgan Town FC a club for the community and wider areas is very much number one on the list. We have a commitment to provide a service that everyone can feel a part of and we also strive to provide facilities that shows the club s ambition to keep moving forward. We would also like to thank McDonalds for this award in which it gives the club a feeling that things are being done the right way. The club will now go up against all other Northern Ireland regional winners later in the year to find out if we will be named the National winners.

4 MILK CUP REVIEW Milk Cup Junior Squad: Tyler Boyce (GK), Ben Davison (right of GK), Darragh Gray (front left), John Lee McAfee (front row 2nd from right) Junior Results Group Games Swindon Town 1-3 Co. Armagh Co. Tyrone 2-1 Co. Armagh Co. Armagh 0-0 Right to Dream Dale Farm Bowl Semi Final GPS FC Bayern 1-1 Co Armagh (5-4 Pens) Dale Farm Bowl 3rd/4th Place Play Off Co Armagh 0-2 North Dublin SL Senior Results Group Games Real Sociedad 1-0 Co. Armagh Co. Armagh 2-1 Alset Colombia Co. Armagh 2-0 Otago Academy Dale Farm Vase Semi Final Co Armagh 0-0 Motherwell (5-4 Pens) Dale Farm Vase Final Co Armagh 1-6 Right To Dream Congratulations to Ben Davison, Tyler Boyce, Darragh Gray, Declan O'Neill (Junior Squad) and Tiarnan Judge (Senior Squad) on their selection to the Co Armagh Milk Cup Squads. The boys have taken time out to answer a few questions for WIE about their experience in Northern Irelands most prestigious youth football tournament. WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? Ben Davidson: At the final trial I was told by the manager and coaches I had made the squad. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing against the most? BD: Right to dream. WIE: What was it like to play in the tournament? BD: A fantastic experience, living like a professional footballer for the week. WIE: What was your favourite game? BD: Swindon Town - it was a great win and a good start to the tournament. WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the tournament? BD: The challenge of playing against footballers from all over the world. WIE: As a player what did you learn? BD: That you have to give 100% for every second of every match. New signing John Lee McAfee also answered a few questions. WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? JLM: There were 24 players in the changing room and they called 6 out to let them know they didn't make the squad, then they came into Us and told us we made the final 18. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing against the most? JLM: Right to Dream because they were unbeaten in 32 games. WIE: What was it like to play in the tournament? It was such an experience. We were treated like professionals, getting a massage before a match an a ice bath after the match, kids asking us for our autographs and getting photos taken, it was just unreal. WIE: What was your favourite game? JLM: Has to be Swindon town as I got a goal and played well. WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the tournament? JLM: The experience and meeting loads of new people. WIE: What did you learn as a player during the week? JLM: I learnt a lot of things but the main one has to be, when you work as a team you will achieve.

5 MIK CUP REVIEW WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? Tiarnan Judge in orange Tiarnan Judge: We where sat in the changing rooms and they called out each player that was getting cut which was pretty scary. Then the coaches came in and told us we had made the squad. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing against the most? TJ: Real Sociedad because they are a massive club around the world and were going to be a great footballing side. WIE: What was it like to play in the tournament? TJ: It was a great experience and I got to play against some of the best players in the world at my age group. WIE: What was your favourite game? TJ: Motherwell - it was played at a high intensity and winning on penalties was a great feeling. WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the tournament? TJ: Seeing where you stand compared to the professional players around the world at your age. WIE: As a player what did you learn? TJ: The way in which different cultures player their football and how important it wad to adapt to playing against these different cultures. WIE: Tiarnan has recently joined Portadown FC following 3 years at the club including his debut season with the senior side. We would like to wish him all the best in this new challenge. WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? Darragh Gray: It was very nerve-wracking, after training they called us in 1 by 1 to tell us if we had been selected, then the next Saturday we were given a letter confirming this. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing against the most? DG: After the draw had been made I think the whole squad were looking forward to playing against Right to Dream who were from Ghana. They are a football academy who scout over 20,000 players a year from across the African continent. WIE: What was it like to play in the tournament? DG: It was brilliant, the best experience of my life so far. WIE: What was your favourite game? DG: Drawing with Right to Dream, as everyone knew how good they were. They had played in 2 previous tournaments before arriving at the milk cup winning both (defeating Arsenal in one final and Benfica in the other). So not to get beat by them in front of a huge crowd at the Coleraine Showgrounds was amazing. WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the tournament? DG: The best thing was scoring the opening goal in the first match against Swindon Town and having good craic with the other lads. WIE: As a player what did you learn? DG: That playing 5 matches in 5 days wrecks you!! WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? Tyler Boyce: We were all in the changing room and basically whoever was called out didn't make it and gladly I wasn't called out. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing be against the most? TB: Probably Right to Dream because I had heard all about their success before the Milk Cup and I was confident looking forward to the challenge. WIE: What was it like to play in the tournament? TB: It was such a good experience to play in the at all tournament and I met some great people so it was a good week. WIE: What was your favourite game? TB: My favourite game was times on our first against Swindon, simply because we were brilliant and it was a great result for us. WIE: What would you say was the best the pitch thing about playing in the tournament? TB: The best thing about playing in the Milk Cup is how professional the tournament set up Tyler Boyce is and the overall experience of playing in it. WIE: As a player what did you learn? TB: I learnt a few things over the week but the main thing I learnt was to be confident in my own ability and to be confident at all times on the pitch.

6 LURGAN TOWN CUP Over 3 consecutive Saturdays in August, we hosted the Lurgan Town Cup at the Arena. Designed for U9, U10, U12 and U16 teams all 3 days where a great success with some fantastic players representing their teams and some fantastic goals scored. Of the 15 trophies on offer, Lurgan Town won 6 of them including at least one trophy from each age group. U9 Winners Lurgan Town Vapors - Plate Lurgan Town Predators - Plaque Windmill Stars - Shield Sion Swifts - Cup U10 Winners Lurgan Town Vapors - Plate East Coast Strikers - Plaque Portadown Youth - Shield Lurgan Town Predators - Cup U12 Winners Glenavon Academy - Plaque Lurgan Town - Shield Greenisland - Cup Above: Under 10 Vapors - Plate Winners. Right: Under 9 Vapors - Plate Winners. Below: Under 12 - Shield Winners U16 Winners Lurgan Town National - Plate North Belfast - Plaque Carrick Rangers - Shield St Oliver Plunkett - Cup Below: Under 10 Predators - Cup Winners. Bottom Left: Under 16 National - Plate Winners. Bottom Right: Under 9 Predators - Plaque Winners

7 MALLUSK FUN DAY On Saturday 22nd August our U8, U9, U10 and U11 sides travelled to Mallusk to play in some fun filled games. The boys (and coaches) got to meet former Arsenal player Martin Keown and Northern Ireland legend Pat Jennings. Under 11: Played 6. Won 6 Under 9 Vapors: Played 5. Won 1, Drew 1. Lost 5. Under 10 Predators: Played 6. Won 5. Drew 1. Under 8: Played 6. Won 2. Lost 4 Under 10 Vapors: Played 6. Won 3, Drew 2, Lost 1 Under 9 Predators: Played 6. Won 2. Drew 1. Lost 3

8 IN FRIENDSHIP: EAST BELFAST AND LURGAN TOWN League team won 4-2 with East Belfast over coming the Mid Ulster team 7-2. A great day was had by players, coaches and parents and we would like to thank East Belfast for their hospitality. We will look forward to seeing them next year at the Lurgan Town Arena. 3. Pic 1: Our Lisburn League side and East Belfast National League side. Pic 2: Our Mid Ulster League side and East Belfast s South Belfast League side. Pic 3: Captains from all four sides exchanging commemorative trophies from the games. The Lurgan Town U15s made the trip today (Saturday 29th August) to East Belfast for their annual Pre Season friendly where our Lisburn League team played their National League team and our Mid Ulster team played their South Belfast League team. In two exciting and quality games our Lisburn