Newry City Football Club was a Northern Irish football club founded in 1918 and dissolved in 2012. It was based in Newry, County Down and played its home matches at the Showgrounds. Club colours were blue and white. The club was relegated from the IFA Premiership in the 2010–11 season, and after narrowly missing out on promotion back to the top tier the following season, was dissolved in September 2012, when a winding up petition brought against the club by former player and manager Gerry Flynn was granted, and the club decided not to appeal the decision.
The formation of a new club called Newry City AFC was finalised in March 2013, with the club starting life in the Mid-Ulster Football League for the 2013–14 season, reaching the NIFL Championship for the 2017–18 season.
History
The club was originally known as Newry Town – it was renamed in 2004, two years after Newry obtained city status.
The club was formed in the autumn of 1918 and played its first season in the Newry and District League, winning its first trophy in May 1919 by beating Damolly Rovers in the final of the Newell Cup. The following season, Newry finished second in the league and joined the 'more competitive and higher standard' Portadown and District League in 1921. In 1923, the club applied to join the Irish League and on 20 July 1923 the club was admitted on a unanimous vote, thus acquiring senior status.
The club played originally at the Marshes until the 1946–47 season, when a factory was built on the site and the club was compensated with £5,000. The club used this money to develop a new ground – the Showgrounds – adjacent to the Marshes, which opened at the start of the 1948–49 season. Newry played instead in the Irish Intermediate League until 1954, when the league folded due to the loss of members to the Irish League B Division. Newry, along with Dundela and Carrick Rangers failed to be accepted as B Division members and instead joined the Irish Alliance League. Newry were Alliance champions for the following three seasons, before eventually securing admission to the B Division in 1957.
Dissolution
In early 2012, former manager Gerry Flynn took legal action against the club for wrongful dismissal and breach of contract regarding his sacking in 2011. The court found in his favour and ordered the club to pay Flynn £25,050 in damages. However, on 10 August 2012, the club (Newry City FC Ltd) was the subject of a winding up petition brought by Flynn, after he had not received settlement. As a result, the IFA postponed the club's opening fixture of the 2012–13 IFA Championship season, but after the club gave assurances to the IFA, the governing body allowed Newry to fulfil the upcoming fixtures. However, on 21 September 2012, the winding up petition was granted at a High Court hearing.