Finn Harps F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Finn Harps Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Harps | |||
| Short name | Finn Harps | |||
| Founded | 1954 | |||
| Ground | Finn Park, Ballybofey, County Donegal |
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| Capacity | 4,458 (351 seated) | |||
| Chairman | Ian Harkin | |||
| Manager | Kevin McHugh | |||
| League | League of Ireland First Division | |||
| 2024 | League of Ireland First Division, 6th of 10 | |||
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Finn Harps Football Club is a football team from Ireland. They play in the League of Ireland First Division. The club started in 1954 and joined the league in 1969.
Their home is Ballybofey in County Donegal. They play their games at Finn Park. The team's colors are blue and white. Their nickname is Harps.
Finn Harps has won some important trophies. They won the FAI Cup in 1973–74. They also won the First Division title in 2004. They played in the 1999 FAI Cup Final but lost after a very close game.
Finn Harps has a big local rivalry with Derry City. Their games are called the Northwest Derby.
Contents
Club History
How Finn Harps Started
Finn Harps began in 1954 as a junior football club. The club's name comes from two things. First, the River Finn flows through Ballybofey. Second, the harp is a traditional Irish symbol.
The club first became well-known by winning the 1968 FAI Junior Cup. This win allowed them to play in the 1969 FAI Intermediate Cup. After this, club leaders Fran Fields and Patsy McGowan decided to join the League of Ireland.
Finn Harps was accepted into the senior league in May 1969. Their first senior game was on August 17, 1969, against Shamrock Rovers. They lost that game 10–2. Even with a tough start, the club became very strong in the 1970s.
The Successful 1970s
Finn Harps won their first senior trophy in 1971–72. They won the Dublin City Cup. A goal from club legend Brendan Bradley helped them beat Cork Hibernians. This win showed everyone that Finn Harps belonged in the league.
Two years later, in 1974, the club won its first and only FAI Cup. Brendan Bradley scored two goals and Charlie Ferry scored one. They beat St Patrick's Athletic in the final.
Finn Harps played in European competitions four times in the 1970s. They played in the UEFA Cup three times. Their opponents included Aberdeen, Derby County, and Everton. They also played once in the European Cup Winners Cup against Turkish Cup winners Bursaspor.
The club also finished second in the League of Ireland Cup finals in 1974 and 1975. Throughout the 1970s, Finn Harps always finished in the top half of the league. They were known for playing exciting, attacking football.
Challenges and Changes
The 1980s were a harder time for the club. They didn't compete as well against the top teams in Ireland. They reached an FAI Cup semi-final in 1981. By 1985, the club was moved down to the new First Division.
Many managers tried to improve the team. Things started to look better in the early 1990s. Patsy McGowan returned as manager in 1992. The team reached the play-offs twice but lost both times.
Finn Harps finally won promotion back to the top division in 1995–96. This ended their 11 years in the First Division. In 1996, the club became a co-operative society. This meant supporters could buy shares and help run the club.
In 1998–99, Finn Harps had a great season. They finished fourth in the Premier Division, just missing out on European football. They reached the 1999 FAI Cup Final but lost to Bray Wanderers after several replays.
After a tough start to the 1999–00 season, manager Charlie McGeever left. Gavin Dykes took over and kept the team in the Premier Division. However, the club faced financial problems. Later, fan-favorite Jonathan Speak became manager. Despite a strong effort, Finn Harps was moved back down to the First Division after five years in the top league.
The 'Yo-Yo' Years
In the early 2000s, Finn Harps often moved between the First Division and the Premier Division. This is why they were called a "yo-yo" team.
Under Jonathan Speak, the team finished second in the First Division in 2001. They reached the play-offs but lost on penalties. The next season, they finished third and lost in the play-off semi-finals.
In 2003, many thought Finn Harps would win the First Division. They started well but had a tough period with many draws. Speak left his job. Noel King became the new manager. The team improved a lot, winning six games in a row. They led the league with four games left. But losses to Bray Wanderers and Dublin City meant they finished second. They won their play-off semi-final but lost the final to local rivals Derry City.
Noel King left after six games in the 2004 season. Felix Healy, a former Derry City player and manager, became the new manager. This was a surprise because of his history with Derry City. But in the club's 50th year, Healy led Finn Harps to win their first First Division title. This meant promotion to the Premier Division.
However, the next season, the team struggled in the Premier Division. Healy was let go. Finn Harps was moved down again. In 2007, the club faced financial difficulties. Despite this, they had a great run and finished second in the First Division. They won their play-off games against Dundalk and Waterford United. This secured their promotion back to the Premier Division.
In 2008, Finn Harps tried to become a full-time professional club. But they were moved down again on the last day of the season. In 2009, they returned to being a semi-professional team. Managers like Paul Hegarty and Peter Hutton led the team in the following years.
The Ollie Horgan Era
On November 25, 2013, Ollie Horgan became the new manager. In his first season, Horgan led the club to an FAI Cup semi-final. This was their first in 15 years.
In 2015, Finn Harps won promotion to the League of Ireland Premier Division. They beat Limerick in a play-off game. Horgan managed to keep them in the Premier Division in 2016. But they were moved down again in 2017. They quickly won promotion back in 2018, again beating Limerick.
In 2019, Harps avoided being moved down by winning a play-off against Drogheda United. The 2020 season was affected by COVID-19. Still, Harps managed to stay in the Premier Division with a win on the last day.
The 2021 season started well. Finn Harps got their first ever away win against Derry City in the league. Ollie Horgan's time as manager ended at the close of the 2022 season. The team was moved down from the Premier Division. Horgan had led the club for six out of seven seasons in the top league.
New Beginnings
On December 2, 2022, Finn Harps announced Dave Rogers as their new full-time manager. Darren Murphy joined as his assistant. After a difficult 2023 season, Finn Harps and Dave Rogers parted ways on September 23. Darren Murphy became the interim manager.
On November 3, 2023, Darren Murphy was named the Head Coach for the upcoming season. The team had a good start to the 2024 season, reaching 2nd place early on. However, they did not make the play-off spots.
The 2025 season started with a loss to Kerry FC. Finn Harps was in 10th place after five games. They had several losses until a big 5-0 home win against Bray Wanderers in Gameweek 6. This was their first win of the 2025 season.
On March 25, 2025, Darren Murphy left the club. Kevin McHugh, Eamon Curry, and Tommy Canning took over temporarily. On April 2, 2025, McHugh was confirmed as the new manager of Finn Harps.
In the first half of the 2025 season, Harps had five wins, eight draws, and ten losses in the league. New players joined the team to make it stronger. Finn Harps signed Saint Kitts & Nevis international Kieran Cooney on July 4.
The club reached the third round of the 2025 FAI Cup by beating UCD 3-0 at home. They will host Bray Wanderers in the next round.
Finn Park Stadium
Finn Harps plays its home games at Finn Park in Ballybofey, County Donegal. The stadium mostly has open standing areas around the football field. In 2005, these areas were updated for safety.
The stadium can hold about 6,000 fans. It has one covered stand with 350 seats. Visiting team supporters usually stand on the terrace opposite the seated stand. The pitch is 110 yards long and 80 yards wide. Finn Park is located near the River Finn. This means the pitch can get waterlogged when there is a lot of rain.
New Stadium Plans
The club has plans to move to a new, covered stadium with 6,600 seats. This new stadium would be across the River Finn in Stranorlar. It would also include a special football development center.
Club shareholders approved the stadium plans in 2005. Planning permission was given in mid-2005. Work on the new stadium started in 2007 with some funding. The club hoped to move into the new stadium by 2013. However, work stopped due to money problems and a lack of funds. Construction did not restart until late 2014.
New plans were shown in May 2022. These plans show a stadium with a capacity of 6,130. All four sides would be covered, and there would be 3,330 seats.
Team Colors and Crests
Finn Harps' traditional colors are blue and white. When they first joined the League of Ireland, they wore white jerseys and blue shorts. Their away kit was all green. Since then, Harps has mainly worn white or blue jerseys. Their away colors have been green, yellow, or white. In some seasons, like 1975/76 and 1983/84, they wore blue and white stripes.
Currently, Joma Sports makes Harps' kits and training gear. The Kernan Group sponsors their jerseys. Letterkenny Medics sponsors the back of the jerseys. The third kit supports The Bluestack Foundation, which is the club's charity partner.
The home kit is a blue jersey with black patterns, blue shorts, and blue socks. The home goalkeeper kit is light green. The away kit is a green jersey with white trim, white shorts, and green socks. The away goalkeeper kit is purple. Harps' third kit mixes blue and purple, with purple shorts and socks. The third goalkeeper kit is black.
Finn Harps has used different crests (logos) over the years. All of them have been mostly round and have featured a harp. The harp is a traditional symbol of Ireland. Footballs have also often been part of the design. The newer crests have the club's name in a Gaelic-style font.
For the club's golden jubilee (50th anniversary) in 2004, they used a special golden crest. This crest looked a lot like their very first one. Blue, green, and white are the most common colors used in their crests.
In 2010, Finn Harps wore an all-white kit for a season. This was because fans liked the all-white kit they wore in 2009 to celebrate 40 years in the League of Ireland. They went back to blue home kits in 2011.
Supporters and Rivalries
Finn Harps supporters have a strong rivalry with their neighbors, Derry City. These two clubs are only about 30 miles apart. Their games are often very exciting. One memorable game was the 2003 relegation play-off. Derry City won that game 2–1 in extra time.
Even though they are rivals, the two clubs have helped each other financially in tough times. Harps also has a rivalry with their southern neighbors, Sligo Rovers. While important, the rivalry with Derry City is seen as the biggest by Harps fans.
Finn Harps has a good relationship with Shamrock Rovers. The clubs have helped each other financially. Their supporters also get along well when the teams play. The club's song, "The Finn Harps Song," mentions that fans come from "Donegal, Derry and Tyrone." This shows that most of their support comes from the North West of Ireland.
Players and Staff
Current Squad
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Technical Staff
| Role | Person |
|---|---|
| Manager | Kevin McHugh |
| Assistant manager | Eamon Curry |
| First-team Coach | Tommy Canning |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Eamon Curry |
| First-team physio | Seamus Bogle |
| Analyst | Eoin Logue |
| Fitness Coach | Gary Wallace |
| Kitman | Shane Elliott |
| Head of Youth Development | Kevin McHugh |
Club Achievements
- FAI Cup
- Winners: 1973–74
- League of Ireland
- Runners-up: 1972–73, 1975–76, 1977–78
- League of Ireland First Division
- Winners: 2004
- Runners-up: 2015, 2018
- Dublin City Cup
- Winners: 1971–72
- Irish News Cup
- Winners: 1998–99
- FAI Junior Cup
- Winners: 1967–68
- First Division Cup
- Winners: 2002–03
Source:
European Games Record
Summary of European Matches
| Competition | Games Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Cup | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 33 |
| European Cup Winners' Cup | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| TOTAL | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 37 |
Details of European Matches
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home Score | Away Score | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973–74 | UEFA Cup | 1st Round |  Aberdeen |
1–3 | 1–4 | 2–7 |
| 1974–75 | European Cup Winners' Cup | 1st Round |  Bursaspor |
0–0 | 2–4 | 2–4 |
| 1976–77 | UEFA Cup | 1st Round |  Derby County |
1–4 | 0–12 | 1–16 |
| 1978–79 | UEFA Cup | 1st Round | Everton |
0–5 | 0–5 | 0–10 |
See also
In Spanish: Finn Harps Football Club para niños
