FOLLOWING a long and protracted saga, Sport and Leisure Swifts have had their application to change their name to Belfast Celtic approved by the Irish Football Association ahead of the 2019/20 season.
The decision means that the club will end their Intermediate Premier League campaign this season before embarking on a new journey as Belfast Celtic from August onwards.
The club had hoped to begin the current season as Belfast Celtic, but they had already been registered as Sport and Leisure Swifts so a decision was deferred.
At its December meeting, the board of the IFA passed the name change having consulted with the Northern Ireland Football League, the Co Antrim FA and the Belfast Celtic Society.
Following the decision, the society reiterated their position in a statement which read: “Our Society notes the decision of Sport and Leisure Swifts FC to change their name. We would reiterate our Society has no part in this decision and will have no involvement with Sport and Leisure FC going forward.”
However, Sport and Leisure chairman, Jim Gillen wants the new venture will unite the West Belfast football community and hopes those who are opposed to the change will come round to the idea in time.
“The name of Belfast Celtic has been placed in safe hands,” said Gillen.
“It will be treated with all the care, courtesy and respect that’s needed. We’ll move forward and, hopefully, the people who voiced their opinion against it will come on board.
“I would love them to, but it is something we have no influence over.
“We’ve asked, on a number of occasions, to meet with them (the Belfast Celtic Society) and they refused.”
He added: “I was always confident we would get it passed – there was no reason not to. All they had to do was look at the plan we have in place, look at the reputation of the club, our experience – 40 years we’ve been here.
“We are working hard to get all the plans in place so we are ready to go for the start of next season.”
Gillen is also confident that the new name will help attract a higher calibre of player to Glen Road Heights having recently signed midfielder, Stephen McAlorum from Ballymena United.
“Absolutely, we are looking at bringing some new players in, hopefully by the end of January,” said the Sport and Leisure chairman.
“If not, hopefully they will be with us for the start of next season.”
Unfortunately, last weekend’s news was overshadowed somewhat by the ugly scenes which resulted in the abandonment of Sport and Leisure’s league game at Portstewart last Saturday afternoon.
Swifts claim McAlorum was head-butted in an incident which sparked a mass brawl with a fan running onto the pitch to join in.
The home side was leading 2-1 at the time the referee called a halt to proceedings on 70 minutes.
Portstewart said they “unequivocally condemn the spectator going onto the pitch and attacking a player, it was very unsavoury and should not have happened.”
The NIFL said: “We are aware of the abandonment of the Premier Intermediate League game between Portstewart and Sport and Leisure Swifts, but we are currently awaiting the submission of the referee's report regarding the match.
“This will require, in the first instance, consideration from the Irish FA Disciplinary Committee under Article 23, before any further action from the NI Football League.”
Gillen, who was at the game, described the scenes as “horrific” and called on Portstewart to review their stewarding to ensure such incidents aren’t repeated.
“A few scuffles on the pitch very quickly deteriorated with Portstewart supporters coming on to the pitch,” stated Gillen.
“It was a horrific scene. Our players were attacked - it was awful. One incident led to a mass brawl. We were in the main stand on the far side and I couldn’t believe how many of their fans went onto the pitch. It was badly stewarded on the other side.
“Pretty much from the first whistle, our players were subjected to verbal abuse. We had two players who received fairly serious injuries.
“We didn’t go to Portstewart to be abused; we didn’t go to Portstewart to be attacked by supporters; and we didn’t go to Portstewart to have the police escort us out the gate.”
