Intermediate Cup Final; Crumlin Star v St James’ Swifts 

(Windsor Park, Wednesday, 7.45pm)

FOR a club still in its infancy, St James’ Swifts has made remarkable strides. Back in 2010, a number of local community activists including Damien Lindsay and Joseph McCall helped set up a five-a-side team in an effort to combat anti-social behaviour and give young people a more positive direction.

From that initial idea, the club has grown beyond all expectations with upwards of 25 teams, from the very young to its flagship senior teams for males and females, their Football For All squad and everything in between.

It would be fair to say the buy-in has been absolute in the community and next Wednesday, it will be a night of significant pride when they will decamp en masse to Windsor Park as for the first time, the Swifts will play in the Intermediate Cup final.

The St James’ area has turned into a sea of yellow and black as the flags and bunting hag from the lampposts and houses as they get ready to face Crumlin Star.

Just getting to the final is a dream, but of course, they want to go one further and keep the trophy in the west of the city, having knocked out last year’s winners, Immaculata in the semi-final. 

But there is an unmistakable buzz in the area with the final on everyone’s lips, including committee member Gavin Kelly who beams with pride when thinking of the 15-year journey the club has been on.

“It was diversionary, to keep people off the streets and whatever else,” he said of the club’s origins.

“They’ve done great things since then, over 400 or 500 members within the club, both male, female, young girls, adults. Our ladies are flying at the minute, playing in the Women’s Championship, one below the Premiership with established teams like Cliftonville, Linfield and all that.  And the men are flying in the Ballymena League, second from top with a couple of games in hand.

“What this wee club is doing to provide opportunities for people is just second to none. Just come to Coláiste Feirste on a Tuesday night from 6-7 o’clock and see hundreds of kids off the street and meet new friends - that’s what it’s all about.”

Providing opportunities may have been the initial plan, sport is a competition and the first taste of success developed a hunger for more.

In 2022, Swifts won the Ballymena & Provincial League before coming up short in a playoff against Mid-Ulster champions Ballymacash Rangers for a place in the NIFL Premier Intermediate division.

They would dearly love to be back in that position by the end of the season, but before that, they have the Intermediate final to look forward to.

It has been a great season for the team so far with manager Eamonn McCarthy recruiting some top talent including former Irish League players, Jude Winchester and Garry Breen. 

“Jude is from around the area and we’re trying to promote that,” Kelly noted.

“It’s all local guys we’re trying to get in around this club and give the young people in this area role models to look up to. We’ve a couple of young lads like Michael Feerick and Ciaran Hyland who come from our academy - young lads in their early 20s who are the future of this club.

“Fast forward to where we are: Intermediate cup final. If you talked to me at the start of the season and said we’d be sitting here springtime talking about an Intermediate Cup final, I wouldn’t even have entertained it. It’s unreal for this area to come from a five-a-side team to the Intermediate Cup final - the biggest game we can be in at this level. 

“Just look at the area. Right up St James’ Road, it is covered in yellow and black - everyone has bought into it. We’ve over 800 tickets sold already and that is fantastic.

“Over the years, other clubs from West Belfast have got there. Immaculata did brilliant last year, (St Oliver) Plunkett in the final the year before but were beaten by Crumlin Star and then last year, Star lost to the Mac.

“Crumlin Star is a good side and consistently there when it comes to titles. W we’ve done a wee bit of homework and hopefully we’ll know where we’re at come match day.”

Swifts (in green) have had an excellent season to date
2Gallery

Swifts (in green) have had an excellent season to date

Currently, Swifts play out of Donegal Celtic Park, three miles away, but there is an ambition to one day have their own home patch in the heart of the community.

That is easier said than done with the west of the city densely populated and just where a home venue would be located within walking distance is hard to identify.

However, in the St James’ area, dreams have already become reality with its community farm a hive of activity and of course, the Swifts themselves.

The club has helped cement that local identity and a victory on Wednesday would be something very special, especially for those who have experienced tough times.

“There’s big plans for the club in the next couple of years, but we’re just so focused on Wednesday,” Gavin continued. 

“You want to be sitting in April and May going: ‘We’re in cup finals, we’re pushing for league titles’ and we hope to give this community a good day out next Wednesday.

“We’ve came from a five-a-side football team, the 500 kids in our club, with a senior team in this area who’s competing at the highest level we can in terms of intermediate football. That’s a win for us already.

“There’s people behind this club, faceless people you wouldn’t see that you want to thank. They’re giving us the support we need, and without them, we wouldn’t have success on the pitch and in the community.

“Someone once described St James’ Swifts to me as a movement, and it kind of is. There’s been hardship in this area. Good people live in this area, and good people in this area have come to the fore when they’ve been asked to help their neighbours and whatnot, so it’s just to give these people a wee lift.

“That’s one thing about this place, they’re very resilient. You know, they’ve been knocked a few times in the past and they’ve just picked themselves up, dusted themselves down, and got back onward again. Full credit to them and full credit to everyone related to the club.”