Irish United FC

Irish United FC is a football club based in Charles Town. It currently plays as an amateur team in the second division of the Hogeberg-Liga, but it was formerly a professional team in the Second League (Charlestown FC is considered a sort of successor to the professional team).

History
Irish United FC was first founded in 1957 by Irish Brunanter residents of Charles Town, as the first football club in Charles Town. The club's early years were spent mostly in the Hogeberg-Liga, although Irish United FC played in the 1962-63, 1963-64 and 1966-67 Second Leagues. This incarnation of the club was notorious for fan hooliganism and its ties to the Charles Town Mob and gambling. In 1966, opposition players were pelted with stones during a match, and in 1968 five spectators were killed in an attack believed to be orchestrated by the Montesini family. The club ultimately folded in 1971.

In 1980, Irish United FC was revived, and began playing in the Hogeberg-Liga again. From 1982 to 1986, the team played in the Second League, but never finished above 7th. They were not promoted to the Second League again until the 1991-92 Second League, where they finished 10th (last) but managed to win their relegation playoff. Next season, they did slightly better and finished 9th, but lost their relegation playoff. They were next promoted to the Second League for the 2001-02 season, where they finished 7th. They then finished 6th for two consecutive seasons, before slipping to 9th in the 2004-05 Second League, winning their relegation playoff only after a penalty shootout.

In the other relegation playoff, however, the Second League team did lose, and in the 2005-06 Second League, there was actually a Charles Town derby (the only season there has been such a derby in either of the nationwide leagues), as Summer Hill United were promoted to the Second League. In the Charles Town derby, both teams won their respective home matches. However, neither of the Charles Town teams did very well in the 2005-06 season, as Irish United FC finished 8th and Summer Hill United finished 10th and were immediately relegated again.

In the 2006-07 Second League, Irish United FC finished their best result of 5th place, though they did lose 8-0 to Grijzestad University S.C.. In the 2007-08 Second League, Irish United FC faced financial difficulties. The team managed to finish 8th, clear of the relegation playoffs, but the team went bankrupt and had to disband. Charlestown FC, which were founded earlier in 2008, were allowed to take their place in the Second League (they would finish 2nd in the league in the next season, becoming the first team from Charles Town to reach the First League). Some of Irish United FC's players transferred to Charlestown FC.

In late 2008, Irish United FC was reformed by fans and the former management as an amateur club, with some members of the former team joining again. Since then, the team has played in the second division of the Hogeberg-Liga.