Greystones United A.F.C.
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| Full name | Greystones United Association Football Club | |
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| Nickname | The Seahorses | |
| Founded | 1924 (as Greystones A.F.C.) 1969 (as Greystones United) | |
| Ground | Archfield, Greystones Woodlands, Greystones | |
| League | Leinster Senior League Wicklow & District Football League Women's Under 17 National League | |
| Website | www | |
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Greystones United Association Football Club is an Irish football club located in Greystones, County Wicklow. The club's teams compete in the Dublin District Schoolboys/girls League (DDSL), Wicklow District Football League (WDFL),[1] and Leinster Senior League (LSL).
A successor entity to former football clubs Greystones A.F.C. and Greystones United, the club previously qualified for the FAI Cup in 2002, 2011 and 2017.[2]
History
Foundation
Greystones United A.F.C. can trace its origins back to 1923 when a group of local teenagers met in North Beach to form the town's first association football team, Greystones A.F.C. Founding members included Tom Quinn, Larry Byrne, Frankie Ward and Henry Lawless, who hosted the meeting. By 1924, the club had entered a team into the Dublin Boys Realm League in the Phoenix Park.[3]
Early years
Although Greystones A.F.C. would join the Wicklow League in 1947, the club experienced a period of decline in the 1960s. However, demand at underage level continued to grow and another club, Greystones United, was founded in 1969.[4][5] Greystones Schoolboys was set up in 1981 by Brendan Walsh and John Dunne and, in 1987, these two clubs merged to form Greystones United F.C. Starting with four youth teams playing at Darcy’s Field, the club grew steadily under the leadership of their volunteers and, by 2008, it had ten schoolboy teams in the Wicklow League and a senior team in the Leinster Senior League.[3]
Merger
In 2012, Greystones United withdrew from the Wicklow & District League due to their inability to field a team.[6] 2015 saw the amalgamation of Greystones United F.C. and town neighbours Greystones A.F.C. The United name was kept and applied to the team competing in the top division of the Leinster Senior League. The club retained their traditional colours of green and white, with red and black as their alternative colour.[7][3]
Post-amalgamation
The club qualified for the preliminary round of the 2017 FAI Cup, losing 0–3 at home to Sheriff YC.[2] In 2018, Greystones became one of the founding clubs of the Women's Under-17 National League.[8] In 2019, the club was featured in an episode of Liverpool F.C.'s Training S.O.S.[9] The programme, in which Jason McAteer attempts to help amateur teams, was a two-part documentary released on Liverpool's Youtube channel.[10]
In 2022, Greystones United AFC entered into a partnership with Bray Wanderers for the Women’s League of Ireland. The partnership enables Greystones to field women's Under-17 and Under-19 teams in the LOI Academy leagues. In 2024, the partnership with Bray Wanderers was extended to Greystones' schoolboys teams as well.[11]
Grounds
The club's senior men's team play their Leinster Senior League games at Archfield.[12] Before the two clubs merged, Greystones A.F.C. played at Archfield, a pitch colloquially known as "The Bog" for its soft ground. Greystones United played at Darcy’s Field, where the club built its youth reputation.[3]
In 2003, a new home was secured at Woodlands. Preparatory work began in 2005, and the first match was played there in May 2006. Woodlands is the main base of the club, featuring a full-size all-weather pitch, modern clubhouse and multiple playing fields. Archfield still supports training and matches.[3]
Rivalries
Until the merger of the clubs in 2015, Greystones United had a rivalry with town neighbours Greystones A.F.C.
The Women's U17 team have a rivalry with Bray Wanderers.
Within the Wicklow League, Greystones have a rivalry with Newtown United.
Notable former players
Internationals
- Republic of Ireland internationals
- Republic of Ireland under-21 internationals
Other
References
- ↑ "Greystones grab two Wicklow and District League points". Irish Independent. 16 February 2025. Archived from the original on 8 May 2026. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
- 1 2 "Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup Qualifying Round draw". www.fai.ie. Football Association of Ireland. 15 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "The History of Greystones United A.F.C." www.guafc.ie. Archived from the original on 23 March 2026. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ↑ "Greystones United earn Club Mark Entry Award". www.fai.ie. 14 July 2022. Archived from the original on 5 April 2026. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
- ↑ Paul Byrne (30 July 2021). Patsy Greene on Greystones AFC's Beginnings GGTV FRI30JULY21. Retrieved 27 October 2025 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Greystones Utd forced to bow out of league". Irish Independent. 10 October 2012. Archived from the original on 8 May 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ "Greystones United Soccer Club to shack up with Greystones AFC". Greystones Guide. 10 June 2015. Archived from the original on 15 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ↑ "Women's Under 17 National League launched - Continental Tyres Womens National League". wnl.fai.ie. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ Cahill, Cormac (28 April 2019). "Watch: Liverpool turn around the fortunes of local Wicklow club". Extra.ie. Archived from the original on 25 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ↑ Shaw, Chris (27 April 2019). "Video: McAteer and Barnes take on new BetVictor 'Training S.O.S.'". Liverpool FC. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ "Bray Wanderers Partnership | Greystones United A.F.C." www.guafc.ie. Archived from the original on 23 March 2026. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
- ↑ "Greystones United slip up against Kilbarrack in Leinster Senior League encounter". Irish Independent. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2025.