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The County Antrim & District Football Association (also known as the North East Ulster Football Association but more commonly as the Co. Antrim FA) is the largest of the four regional football associations within Northern Ireland and affiliated to the Irish FA, the others being the Mid-Ulster FA, the North-West of Ireland FA and the Fermanagh & Western FA. ==History== The Co. Antrim FA held its inaugural meeting on 23 April 1888 at the Commercial Hotel, Donegall Street, Belfast. The founding seven member clubs were Belfast Athletics, Cliftonville, Clarence, Distillery, YMCA, Oldpark and Whiteabbey. These clubs were joined shortly thereafter by Ballyclare, Linfield Athletics, Mountcollyer and Beechmount. In the intervening years the membership has grown from these eleven clubs to in excess of 500.〔The 100 Year History of the County Antrim FA (Page 10)〕 In 1896, the jurisdiction of the Association was extended beyond County Antrim to include all clubs within the Parliamentary boundaries of Belfast, thus including some within County Down.〔Ireland's Saturday Night, 2 May 1896〕 Aided by a grant from the Irish FA, the Co. Antrim FA set about organising a competition for its members, the County Antrim Senior Challenge Shield, for which the first round draw was made in November 1888. Also organised were a fund raising match, held between Cliftonville and "The Rest", and a first representative fixture, lost 6-2 to a touring side from Canada. In the first few years of its existence Co. Antrim FA XIs also faced teams representing Co. Londonderry, Mid-Ulster and the Irish FA.〔The 100 Year History of the County Antrim FA (Page 15)〕 Continued expansion of football in the region permitted the Co. Antrim FA to found further competitions, the Steel & Sons Cup in 1895 and the County Antrim Junior Shield in 1900.〔The 100 Year History of the County Antrim FA (Page 17)〕 Regular representative fixtures continued until the 1950s when financial losses incurred on trips to face the Sheffield and Hallamshire FA proved too much for the Association to bear.〔The 100 Year History of the County Antrim FA (Page 23)〕 In 1988, to celebrate the Co. Antrim FA's centenary a special competition was organised - The County Antrim FA Centenary Chalice. The specially produced crystal trophy was won by Glentoran who defeated Ballymena United 4-2 in the final at Windsor Park, Belfast.〔Glentoran: A Complete Record by Roy France (Page 419)〕 That same season a County Antrim Select lost 6-2 to a Combined Mid-Ulster/North-West Select in a commemorative match at Windsor Park.〔Northern Ireland Soccer Yearbook 1988/89 ed. Malcolm Brodie (Page 61)〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「County Antrim & District F.A.」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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