CK United F.C.

{{short description|Soccer club in Kilkenny, Ireland}} {{more citations needed|date=October 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox football club | clubname = CK United F.C. | image = CK United logo.png | upright = | caption = | fullname = | nickname = | founded = 2017 (as Carlow Kilkenny Football Club) | ground = The Watershed, Bohernatounish Rd, Gallowshill, Kilkenny, Ireland | chairman = Peter Harvey | mgrtitle = Shane Dunphy - Director of Football | manager = | league = League of Ireland EA Sports Underage National League | season = | position = | website = {{URL|https://ckunited.ie/}} }}

'''CK United Football Club''' is an [[association football]] club based in [[Kilkenny]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. The club was formed in 2017.

== History == Originally called Carlow-Kilkenny Football Club, CK United was formed in 2017 when the Carlow & District Juveniles League and the Kilkenny District League entered a joint under-15 team in the [[League of Ireland|League of Ireland's]] Under-15 Division.<ref name="club our_history" /> A committee was elected by the two leagues with the Carlow Juveniles chairman, Peter Harvey, chairing the club committee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CARLOW JUVENILES LEAGUE ACADEMY SECTION YOUR CLUB - CONTACTS |url=http://www.carlowjuvenilesleagueacademysection.yourclub.ie/contacts |access-date=2025-12-19 |website=www.carlowjuvenilesleagueacademysection.yourclub.ie}}</ref><ref name="club_chairman Peter_Harvey">{{Cite web |title=Peter Harvey |url=https://ckunited.ie/personnel/peter-harvey/ |access-date=2025-12-19 |website=CK United FC |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251223010339/https://ckunited.ie/personnel/peter-harvey/|archive-date=2025-12-23|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="club FAQs">{{Cite web |title=CK United FAQ |url=https://ckunited.ie/faq/ |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=CK United FC |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250710131510/https://ckunited.ie/faq/|archive-date=2025-07-10|url-status=live}}</ref> Both league organisations saw this as an opportunity for their young players to continue their soccer careers after the [[SFAI Kennedy Cup|Under-14 Kennedy Cup]], without having to travel to Dublin to do so.<ref name="club our_history">{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://ckunited.ie/our-history/ |access-date=2025-12-19 |website=CK United FC |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251224091119/https://ckunited.ie/our-history/|archive-date=2025-12-24|url-status=live}}</ref>

The club entered the National League in 2018 and has since expanded with teams entered at Men's Under 14s, 15s and 17s levels.{{fact|date=September 2025}} The club also entered Under 17 and 19s teams in the [[Women's National League (Ireland)|Women’s National Leagues]].{{fact|date=September 2025}} In November 2018, the club was accepted into the Southern Elite Division of the [[League of Ireland U17 Division|Under-17 National League]] after being awarded a licence for the 2019 season.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Spillane |first=Trevor |date=29 November 2018 |title=Soccer: Carlow Kilkenny FC awarded Under-17 National League licence |url=https://www.carlowlive.ie/news/home/350443/soccer-carlow-kilkenny-fc-awarded-under-17-national-league-licence.html |accessdate=22 March 2019 |work=Carlow Live |publisher=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322192022/https://www.carlowlive.ie/news/home/350443/soccer-carlow-kilkenny-fc-awarded-under-17-national-league-licence.html|archive-date=2019-03-22|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2019 MU17 League Tables & Results & Stats {{!}} extratime.com - The Home of Irish Football |url=https://extratime.com/competition/2031/579/2019/ |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=extratime.com}}</ref>

On 22 November 2022, the club was renamed from 'Carlow-Kilkenny FC' to 'CK United Football Club'.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Farewell to Carlow Kilkenny FC, hello CK United as club complete rebrand|url=https://scoreline.ie/farewell-to-carlow-kilkenny-fc-hello-ck-united-as-club-complete-rebrand/ |publisher=Carlow Live |date=29 November 2018 |accessdate=22 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128172401/https://scoreline.ie/farewell-to-carlow-kilkenny-fc-hello-ck-united-as-club-complete-rebrand/|archive-date=2022-11-28|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="club FAQs" /> In advance of the 2023 season, CK United entered a [[League of Ireland]] academy men's team at [[League of Ireland U19 Division|Under-19]] level.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=EA Sports extends sponsorship of LOI Academy Development Programme for further three years {{!}} League of Ireland |url=https://www.leagueofireland.ie/news/ea-sports-extends-sponsorship-loi-academy-development-programme-further-three-years/ |access-date=2025-09-29 |website=www.leagueofireland.ie |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251222235116/https://www.leagueofireland.ie/news/ea-sports-extends-sponsorship-loi-academy-development-programme-further-three-years/|archive-date=2025-12-22|url-status=live}}</ref>

In December 2025, the FAI announced that the club's application to the upcoming [[FAI National League|National League]] had been accepted. CK United later purchased [[Buckley Park]] to use as their home ground.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McAuley |first=Cahal |date=2026-01-24 |title=‘We want to create a legacy’: CK United, a new era of Kilkenny football and the return of Buckley Park |url=https://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/soccer/1997216/we-want-to-create-a-legacy-ck-united-a-new-era-of-kilkenny-football-and-the-return-of-buckley-park.html |access-date=2026-04-04 |website=www.kilkennypeople.ie |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260124162334/https://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/soccer/1997216/we-want-to-create-a-legacy-ck-united-a-new-era-of-kilkenny-football-and-the-return-of-buckley-park.html|archive-date=2026-01-24|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Association football clubs in County Kilkenny]] [[Category:Kilkenny (city)]] [[Category:2017 establishments in Ireland]]