Club Honours
League Championships
NIFL Championship 2003/04, 2007/08, 2009/10, 2022/23
Irish League B Division 1994/95, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1997/98
Mid Ulster Premier League 1988/89
Mid Ulster Division 1 1974/75, 1976/77, 1977/78, 1978/79, 1979/80
Lonsdale League 1971/72, 1972/73
Greystone League 1967, 1968
Cup Competitions
Mid Ulster Cup 2003/04, 2007/08, 2019/20
Intermediate Cup 1997/98, 2007/08
Bob Radcliffe Cup 1979/80, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04,2007/08; 2008/09, 2009/10, 2012/13, 2014/15
Carnegie League Cup 2007/08
Premier Cup 1988/89, 1989/90
Bass Bowl 1990/91
Alan Wilson Memorial Cup 1982/83
Alexander Cup 1977/78
Foster Cup 1972/73
Lonsdale Cup 1970
John M Wilson Cup 1971/72
Elliot Challenge Cup 1970
Armstrong Cup 1969
Sportsman Cup 1969
McQueen Cup 1969
History
Club History
Football has been played in Loughgall since 1885 however Loughgall Football Club was formed in 1967 by a group of local men. The team entered a number of local summer leagues and cup competitions. Under the management of Noel Willis now the Club President the club won The Greystone League in its first Two Seasons before moving to the Lonsdale League with Jimmy Walker taking over as Manager. They also won the Lonsdale League two years in a row. The club also won a number of cup competitions in those early years. In the early years the team played its home matches on a field owned by the Department of Agriculture on the site of the current Lakeview Park. The team changed in a garage owned by Tommy Rountree.
The club was then accepted into the Mid Ulster League Division Two in 1973 with George Willis now manager. The team won promotion in its first season and then went on to win the First Division the next year unbeaten. Sam Robinson took over as manager in 1977 and the club won four successive Division One titles. In 1979 Loughgall were able to buy the pitch from Armagh Council. The club also won the prestigious Bob Radcliffe Cup for the first time in 1980 with Jackson Nesbitt and Alan Robinson scoring in a 2-1 win over Shamrock Rovers. In 1981 the club opened its clubhouse with a friendly against Ballymena United
Alfie Wylie took over as manager in 1986. In 1989 the clubhouse had to be rebuilt after being destroyed in an IRA attack on Loughgall Police Station. The club then moved into Irish League Football in 1991 when it was accepted into the B Division. Manager Alfie Wylie assembled a very impressive squad and managed to win the B Division four times in a row between 1995 and 1998. In 1995 the club became the first Mid Ulster Club to win the B Division in over forty years.
The 1996/97 season was one of the most memorable at the club with Loughgall beating Premier League side Cliftonville in the League Cup. The club then beat Armagh City 5-0 in the Bob Radcliffe Cup final on Boxing Day with Nicky Griffin, Stephen Barnes, John Johnston and two from Jim Gardiner sealing the win. The team then made the Semi Finals of the Irish Cup in 1997 with impressive wins over Dungannon Swifts and Premier League leaders Coleraine along the way beforing losing 3-1 to Cliftonville in the Semi Final. In 1998 Loughgall won the Intermediate Cup for the first time with Gary Henderson scoring in a 1-0 win over Harland and Wolff Welders. Despite winning the B Division four times in a row this was not enough for The Irish League to grant Loughgall promotion to the First Division with the club passed over in favour of teams further down the league table. Alfie Wylie left the club in 1999 after thirteen years in charge making him the clubs longest serving manager.
Alfie’s assistant Ronnie Cromie took over and was manager until 2001 when former player Jim Gardiner took over. Jim managed to win the Bob Radcliffe Cup in each of his first two seasons. The club eventually did achieve promotion in 2003 when a restructuring of the Irish League meant that the top eight teams in the Second Division would be promoted. Amazingly Loughgall won the First Division at the first time of asking in 2004. Manager Jimmy Gardiner lead the club to a treble. Goals from Brian Adair and Steven Coulter in a 2-0 win against Armagh City meant Loughgall won the Bob Radcliffe Cup for the third year in a row. Loughgall then added the Mid Ulster Cup for the first time in their history with a win over Newry City. Loughgall then entered the Premier League for the first time in 2004 and managed to win their first game against Ballymena United. The club stayed in the Premier League for three seasons before eventually being relegated in 2007.
Niall Currie then took over as manager and guided the club to its most successful ever season in 2007/08. The team won the First Division alongside the Bob Radcliffe Cup, Mid Ulster Cup, Intermediate Cup and Carnegie League Cup. Current Manager Dean Smith scored in all four cup finals. Despite winning the league the club remained in the First Division. The following season the club came third in the league but managed to win the Bob Radcliffe Cup. 2009/10 was also a very successful season as Niall Currie guided the team to the League Title for the second time in three years and won the Bob Radcliffe cup for the third time in a row although the club suffered heartbreak after losing in both the Mid Ulster Cup Final and Intermediate Cup Final. Niall Currie departed the club the next season after winning eight trophies in three years.
Colin Malone then took over in manager and guided the team to the Bob Radcliffe Final in 2012 narrowly losing 1-0 to Lurgan Celtic however the club gained revenge the next season when they played the same opponents in the Bob Radcliffe Final winning 3-1. Colin Malone left the following season and the club went through a number of managers in a short space of time. Gary McKinstry took temporary charge before Brian Adair was appointed in January 2014. Brain then guided the team to the Bob Radcliffe Final winning the competition for a twelfth time on Boxing Day 2014 with a 3-1 win over Annagh United, Brain departed the club shortly after and Noel Mitchell took over helping the club avoid relegation.
Dean Smith took over as manager in October 2016 and immediately fortunes improved with the team moving up the league table. The club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017 with a Gala Dinner, former managers Alfie Wylie, Jimmy Gardiner and Niall Currie were all in attendance. The following season Dean equalled Alfie Wylie’s achievement in reaching the Semi Finals of the Irish Cupfor the only the second time in the clubs history. Loughgall beat Premier League sides Ards with a 90th minute winner from Ricky Copeland and Glenavon with goals from Dale Montgomery and Gary Liggett in a 2-1 win at Mourneview Park before losing 4-1 to Cliftonville in the Semi Final.
Dean secured his first trophy as Loughgall manager in January 2020 when a 3-2 win over Glenavon saw the club lift the Mid Ulster Cup.
Dean guided the club to the NIFL Championship title in 2022/23 securing promotion back to the Premiership.
