In the summer of 2002, two visionaries — Eamon Traynor and Tommy Gray — planted the seeds of something special… and now they need help to make a safe and sustainable permanent home.
The foresighted pair founded Lisdrum Youth Football Club on the outskirts of Newry with a simple but powerful belief that “sport could shape lives”.
Their dream was to give the young people of Lisdrumliska and surrounding areas of Newry a “place to grow—not just in fitness and skill, but in friendship, purpose, and pride”.
However, within that period of two decades their teams have had to beg, steal and borrow pitches across the city. They never had a place to call their own.
Despite this the “spirit of Lisdrum” never wavered and now – at last – they have a home!
The team have managed to secure the long-term lease of Lisdrumliska Pitch at Glen Hill.
Speaking proudly of their new facility, a spokesperson for the club explained all it represents, saying: “This isn’t just a pitch. It’s a promise. A promise to our youth, our community, and our founders: that Lisdrum will always be more than a club. It will be a home.”
Their teams and programmes are run entirely by dedicated volunteers who all share a vision of creating a “safe, quality space where young people can play, grow, and belong”.
The club have now launched a Crowd Funding effort to help bring their new grounds up to par.
Aiming to raise a total of £23,906 for works, the clubs explains: “These improvements will create a lasting sports hub—somewhere our children can train, compete, and dream, and where local families can gather with pride.
“Backed by the Sport NI Olympic Legacy Fund, this project isn’t just about football—it’s about legacy, opportunity, and giving every young player the chance to shine on their own field.”
Works will include drainage repairs along Watson’s Road to prevent water accumulation on the pitch following rainfall; pitch restoration involving levelling and re-seeding; ball stop installation at the hill to replace the previous structure that was lost during last year’s storm; senior portable goalposts to host matches for older age groups; the purchase of maintenance equipment including a ride-on mower and two strimmers.
For Lisdrum, the project is about more than sport — “it’s about leaving a legacy for generations to come”.
By upgrading Glen Hill, they hope to welcome more children and young people into football — particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Those attending programmes should expect to build fitness, friendship, confidence, and resilience and through an expansion of their new facility they hope to safe further their structured activities to better promote both physical and mental wellbeing.
The facility will also be used in partnership with St Moninna’s Primary School who will enjoy the space for PE and school sports days.
The club has already raised just over £4,000 with the invaluable help of their community and continue to gratefully accept contributions.
You can make a donation to Lisdrum Youth Football Club’s new home here.
