Queen's Island F.C. (1881)

The club was formed on 22 August 1881 out of a cricket club run by engineers at the Queen's Island works in Belfast. Most of the initial members were Scots and "hopes [were] entertained for a very successful season".[2]

The club's first game against external opposition followed in October 1881, against the Avoniel club, and was a 3–3 draw.[3] The club did not have a home ground ready until February 1882, so had to play its initial games away from home, including its first Irish Cup tie with Oldpark. Playing away did not prove a disadvantage as the club won by 5 goals to 0.[4]

In the second round of the Cup, the club was drawn to visit the holders Moyola Park; Queen's won 2–1 in a replay at Bloomfield, in front of 500 spectators, helped by an injury to one of Moyola's forwards, which forced him to play in goal for part of the game.[5] After walking over Castlederg in the semi-final, Queen's beat Cliftonville in the final, at Ulster F.C.'s Ormeau Road ground,[6] by the only goal of the game.[7]

The club was not beaten in the 1882–83 season until going down 3–0 at home in a friendly against Hamilton Academical,[8] and reached the semi-finals of the Irish Cup. However the creation of more clubs and the rising popularity of football increased the level of competition and Queen's Island, as a works side, was unable to recruit widely enough. The club was without 8 of its regular players for a friendly match in December 1883 against the Y.M.C.A.,[9] and, after losing to Wellington Park in the second round of the 1883–84 Irish Cup, the only fixture recorded is a benefit match against Distillery for a Queen's Island shipbuilding employee.[10]

In January 1886, there was a one-off revival of a "Queen's Island" team, again to play Distillery in a friendly to raise funds for a worker who was suing Harland & Wolff for injuries during his employment.[11] There are two fixtures recorded for a Queen's Island in 1888 and 1889 (both at Templepatrick)[12] but these almost certainly relate to another team. A later club of the same name was formed in 1920 and was a member of the Irish Football League from 1921 to 1929.

The club did not originally have a home ground; from February 1882 it was able to use Bloomfield, the ground of Knock F.C., and Queen's christened it with a 10–0 win over Distillery on 4 February 1882.[13]

For its final season, the club moved to Ashfield Park.[14]