{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox football club | clubname = Ulster F.C. | image = | fullname = Ulster Football Club | nickname = the Red Hand<ref>Belfast News-Letter, 5 January 1892</ref>| founded = {{start date and age|1877}} | ground = Prospect 1877-79<br>Ulster Cricket Ground 1879-1930s| capacity = | chairman = | manager = | league = Irish Football League | season = | position = | | pattern_la1=_black_hoops|pattern_b1=_blackhoops|pattern_ra1=_black_hoops| leftarm1=FF0000|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FF0000|shorts1=000000|socks1=FF0000 }}
'''Ulster Football Club''' is a defunct Irish association football club that was based in Ballynafeigh, Belfast.
==History==
It was initially founded in 1877 as a rugby club, but later switched codes to association football. It was subsequently a founding member of the Irish Football League in 1890. The club later switched back to rugby and continued playing into the 1930s.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}
The club was founded by members of Ulster Cricket Club and played its home games at the Ulster Cricket Ground. It is listed as a rugby club in Richard M. Peter's ''Irish Football Annual 1880'' and during the 1879–80 season it played 24 games, taking on, among others, local rivals North of Ireland and Queen's College, Belfast.<ref>Neal Garnham ''The Origins and Development of Football in Ireland''. Ulster Historical Foundation, 1999. {{ISBN|0-901905-93-3}}</ref>
On October 24, 1878, the club hosted a demonstration game between two Scottish association football teams, Queen's Park and Caledonian. This game is recognised as the earliest organised association football match played in Ireland.<ref>Neal Garnham ''The Origins and Development of Football in Ireland''. Ulster Historical Foundation, 1999. {{ISBN|0-901905-93-3}}</ref> Ulster duly played a game in April 1879 to Association rules against Queen's College at Ormeau Road, the sides drawing 3–3, Ulster's goals coming from a scrimmage, C. Thompson, and A. Murray;<ref>{{cite journal |title=Ulster v Queen's College (Scottish Association rules) |journal=Northern Whig |date=7 April 1879 |page=8}}</ref> but otherwise the club continued playing rugby, before switching to association football for the 1882–83 season.
During the 1880s and early 1890s, both Ulster and its home ground played a prominent role in the early history of association football in Ireland. Ulster reached the Irish Cup final on three occasions, winning the competition in 1887 after defeating Cliftonville 3–0 in the final.<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nilcuphist.html Northern Ireland - Cup Finals]</ref> They were also founder members of the Irish Football League and finished as runners-up during its first two seasons, 1890–91 and 1891–92. The club was a member of the League for six seasons in total: four between 1890 and 1894 and two from 1901 to 1903.<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nilhist.html Northern Ireland - Final League Tables 1890-1998]</ref> In between times, the club reverted to rugby, playing in the Ulster Senior League from 1894 to 1901.<ref>Belfast News-Letter, 24 July 1894</ref> During the 1880s, Ballynafeigh also hosted several Irish Cup finals and Ireland international games.<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/eng-intres1872.html England - International Results 1872-1899]</ref><ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/scot-intres1890.html Scotland - International Matches 1881-1890]</ref>
==Colours==
The club played in black and red.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Ulster v Black Watch |journal=Belfast News-Letter |date=24 November 1888 |page=3}}</ref>
==Honours== *'''Irish Cup''' 1: **1886–87
==Notable former players== ===Ireland internationals=== Twelve Ulster F.C. players represented Ireland at international level, winning 44 caps between them.<ref>[https://nifootball.blogspot.com/2006/12/club-by-club.html Northern Ireland’s Footballing Greats]</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weltfussball.de/spieler_profil/fred-mckee/ |title = Fred McKee |publisher = weltfussball.de |language=de |access-date = 22 Aug 2014}}</ref> Reynolds also went on to play for England.
{| |- style="vertical-align:top" || * Bill Cunningham * William Fox * Jack Hastings * Jack Henderson * William McCabe * Alec McCartney || * Fred McKee * Bob Moore * Jack Reid * Jack Reynolds * Jimmy Watson * James Williams |}
==See also== *Ulster Cricket Club
==References== {{Reflist}} {{Former Irish League senior clubs}}
Category:Ulster F.C. Category:Rugby clubs established in 1877 Category:Association football clubs established in 1877 Category:Defunct rugby union teams in Ireland Category:Defunct rugby union teams in Northern Ireland Category:Defunct association football clubs in Northern Ireland Category:Defunct Irish Football League clubs Category:Association football clubs in Belfast Category:1877 establishments in Ireland Category:Former senior Irish Football League clubs Category:Rugby union teams in County Antrim