4th Newtownabbey Fc

With pre season done and dusted and the season kick off next week the boys had a Jolly boys outing yesterday. And what a day it was.

The wee squad has landed in the Port!!!!!

🔴⚫ PRE-SEASON WRAP UP ⚫🔴

Pre-season fixtures have now come to an end for both our First and Second Teams, with all attention now turning towards the start of the competitive season next Saturday.

The First Team finish pre-season undefeated, recording an impressive 4 wins and 2 draws, while finding the back of the net 36 times along the way. Plenty of positives to take from the summer as the lads look to carry that form and momentum into the competitive campaign.

The Second Team have also enjoyed a positive pre-season, finishing their schedule with 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat as the squad continues to build ahead of the new season.

A lot of hard work has been put in across both squads over the past number of weeks, with valuable minutes in the legs and preparations now complete.

Both teams turn their attention to the provisional opening three fixtures of the season, with the competitive action getting underway next Saturday.

All Support Welcome ❤️🖤

✍🏻 NEW SIGNING | ROBBIE LEE CRAWFORD 🔴⚫

4th Newtownabbey are delighted to welcome back Robbie Lee Crawford ahead of the new season.

Robbie was previously part of the 4th squad during the 2024/25 season before departing to join Mossley last season, where he linked up with Andy Green.

The pair are certainly no strangers to each other having shared pitch at senior level with 18th Newtownabbey and Mossley.

A tenacious defender who can also operate effectively in midfield, Robbie brings a wealth of experience and will be a fantastic asset to the squad. He has featured for a number of intermediate clubs throughout his career, as well as making appearances for Larne and Carrick Rangers at NIFL level during his younger days.

Robbie had started pre-season with Ballynure, and we would like to thank them for their assistance in getting the transfer completed so quickly. 👏🏻

Everyone at the 4th is delighted to see Robbie back at the club and we wish him every success in a 4th jersey for the season ahead.

Welcome back, Robbie! ❤️🖤

✍🏻 NEW SIGNING | BRIAN MCQUILLAN ❤️🖤

4th Newtownabbey are delighted to welcome Brian McQuillan to the club.

Brian joins the 4th after a spell away from the game and has already featured in a couple of pre-season games for the club, linking up with his brother Jack.

A vastly experienced player, Brian has previously featured in the Premier Division of the NAFL with Ards Rangers, having also played for Orangefield and, most recently, Barn United.

A composed holding midfielder, Brian brings a calm head to the team. His ability on the ball, along with his reading of the game, will be valuable assets to the club for the season ahead.

Everyone at the 4th is delighted to welcome Brian to the club and we wish him every success in the Red & Black.

Welcome to the 4th, Brian! ❤️🖤

2026/27 HOME KITS REVEALED ❤️🖤

We’re delighted to officially reveal our First Team and Second Team home kits for the 2026/27 season.

A huge thank you goes to our two new kit sponsors, BMD Builders and Express & Designs Belfast, for coming on board and supporting the club for the season ahead.

The continued backing of local businesses is massively important to us as we keep working to grow 4th Newtownabbey FC both on and off the pitch, and we’re extremely grateful to both sponsors for putting their support behind the club.

🔴⚫️ First Team — proudly sponsored by BMD Builders

🔴⚫️ Second Team — proudly sponsored by Express & designs Belfast.

We can’t wait to see both teams wearing them competitively this season.

Thank you again to BMD Builders and Express & Designs Belfast for your support. ❤️🖤

🔴⚫️ MEET THE COMMITTEE | 2026/27 ⚫️🔴

We’ve reached the final post in our introduction to the 4th Newtownabbey FC Committee for the 2026/27 season, and there really is only one person we could finish with and that is Club Chairman, Brian Dickson.

Brian’s association with the 4th stretches all the way back to 1988, the club’s founding year, making him our longest-serving member and someone who has quite literally been part of the club’s journey from the very beginning.

Brian played for the First Team throughout the club’s years in the Old Boys League, as the 4th steadily worked its way through the divisions from Division 7 all the way to Division 1, before making the move into the Northern Amateur Football League.

During a long playing career, Brian would go on to captain the First Team, before taking his contribution off the pitch and serving as Club Secretary.

Management would follow, with Brian eventually taking charge of the First Team and adding another successful chapter to his 4th story.

An old newspaper article from his time as manager perhaps sums up his connection to the club better than anything. Approaching the club’s 20th anniversary, Brian spoke of his determination to mark the occasion by delivering the Division 2C title, having set himself the personal goal of taking the club into 2B as champions.

Under Brian, the First Team won Division 2C and promotion to 2B, before continuing their progress and earning another promotion into Division 2A.

After his time in management, Brian would eventually take on the role of Club Chairman, a position he continues to hold today.

Over 38 years, Brian has been a player, captain, secretary, manager and chairman. Generations of players have come and gone during that time, leagues have changed and the club has continued to evolve, but one constant throughout has been Brian.

His knowledge of the club is unrivalled, his commitment has never wavered and his passion for seeing the 4th continue to progress is every bit as strong today as it was when he first pulled on the shirt in 1988.

Quite simply, Mr 4th Newtownabbey.

A massive thank you to everyone who has liked, commented, shared and interacted with the posts over the last few weeks. It’s been brilliant to look back at the stories of the people who give up their time to keep the club moving forward and to see so many former players, friends and supporters getting involved along the way.

MTFBWY. ❤️🖤

Next draw will be 5th September.
NO DRAW NEXT WEEKEND

🔴⚫️ MEET THE COMMITTEE | 2026/27 ⚫️🔴

Next up in our introduction to the 4th Newtownabbey FC Committee for the 2026/27 season is Club Treasurer, Dee McNeilly.

Dee joined the 4th in 1993 following spells with Linfield and Carrick Rangers, bringing plenty of experience with him and quickly becoming an important figure within the club.

He would go on to enjoy a long playing career with the 4th, including captaining the First Team and establishing himself as one of the most respected players around the club.

When injuries eventually forced Dee to call time on his playing days, his involvement certainly didn’t stop there. He moved into the role of Assistant Manager, continuing to give his time and experience to the First Team from the sidelines.

These days, Dee plays an equally important role off the pitch as Club Treasurer.

While much of that work goes unseen, Dee puts countless hours in behind the scenes helping to keep the club moving in the right direction. From managing the finances to helping secure sponsorships, fundraising opportunities and support for the club, he is heavily involved in making sure the 4th can continue to operate and grow both on and off the pitch.

It’s the sort of work that rarely gets the same attention as a goal on a Saturday afternoon, but is absolutely vital to the running of any football club.

With more than three decades of involvement with the 4th as a player, captain, coach and committee member, Dee has seen just about every side of the club and continues to bring a huge amount of experience, commitment and knowledge to the committee.

A fantastic servant to 4th Newtownabbey FC and someone whose contribution behind the scenes is every bit as valuable as what he gave on the pitch. ❤️🖤

🔴⚫️ MEET THE COMMITTEE | 2026/27 ⚫️🔴

Next up in our introduction to the 4th Newtownabbey FC Committee for the 2026/27 season is Club Secretary, Jamie Ramsey.

Jamie joined the club shortly after turning 17, having spent the previous year out of football through injury while at Crusaders Academy, which as it turned out, was perhaps a sign of things to come in the long relationship between Jamie and the treatment table!

He would go on to represent the 4th across the next decade, apart from a brief half-season spell with Larne Reserves. His standout campaign came under Stevie Robinson, finishing the season as First Team Top Goalscorer and picking up the Players’ Player of the Year award.

Unfortunately, injuries were a recurring theme throughout Jamie’s playing career. A knee injury four years ago led to a lengthy spell on the sidelines and thoughts of an early retirement. Those thoughts were effectively confirmed when, on just his second game back, he suffered a hamstring injury away to 1st Bangor.

With the boots finally hung up, Jamie moved straight into management, taking over as First Team Manager and leading the club during its first season back in NAFL Division 2B in a number of years.

Jamie would spend three seasons as First Team Manager before helping bring Andy Green into the club to take the side forward for the 2026/27 season. He remains heavily involved as part of the newly structured First Team Management Team for the campaign ahead.

Alongside his playing and management roles, Jamie has also served as Club Secretary for the past six years, acting as the club’s main point of contact with both the IFA and NAFL and continuing in that role today.

From player, to manager, to secretary, Jamie has experienced just about every side of life at the 4th and continues to play a major part in the day-to-day running and future direction of the club.

Another example of someone whose involvement has evolved over the years, but whose commitment to 4th Newtownabbey FC has remained constant. ❤️🖤