Bray Wanderers A.F.C. is an Irish football club playing in the Football League of Ireland. The club, founded in 1942 and elected to the League in 1985, hails from Bray and play their home matches at the Carlisle Grounds. Club colours are Green and White, and it goes by the nickname Seagulls. The current manager is Eddie Gormley and the General Manager is Jack O'Neill.
History
Bray Wanderers were originally established in 1922. They won the Miller Cup, which at the time was one of the most prestigious junior cups in the country, in 1927/28. Through the 1930 and 1940s, however, Bray Unknowns were the leading team in the town, playing in the National League from 1924 until the mid-1940s. Wanderers were reformed in 1942/43 and entered the Athletic Union League (AUL) Division 3 for the season 1943/44. In 1950/51 Wanderers won the FAI Junior Cup, defeating Drogheda United 2-1. Wanderers also reached the Leinster Junior Final that season, but were defeated by Rathfarnham in the final. Wanderers won the Junior Cup again in 1953-54, defeating Ierne 1-0 in the Final. The following season Wanderers left the AUL and join the Leinster Senior league (LSL). Wanderers' goalkeeper at that time, Alan Kelly, was later to represent Ireland 47 times at senior level and is the father of Irish international goalkeepers Alan (junior) and Gary. In 1955/56 Wanderers won the Intermediate Cup, defeating Workmens Club 2-1 in the final. They won it again two years later defeating Chapelizod 2-1 in the final. In 1958/59, Wanderers clinched the Leinster Senior League, setting a new club and LSL record for the highest number of goals scored in a season. Wanderers went on to win three League titles in a row. In 1960-61 Wanderers withdrew from the LSL and returned to the AUL. From 1963, however, they once again went into decline. By 1973, Bray Unknowns were playing in the LSL and the management changed the name to Bray Wanderers in a partially successful effort to amalgamate the two. In 1975/76 the new Wanderers won the Metropolitan Cup for the first time since 1924. Bray Wanderers were elected to the National League when it expanded to two Divisions for the 1985/86 season, and secured promotion by winning the 2nd Division Championship that year. Bray have had difficulty maintaining a long-term membership of the top flight, now known as the Premier Division, and have been promoted or relegated in eleven of their 21 seasons in the League. Twice FAI Cup winners under long-serving manager Pat Devlin, the first team is now (June 2006) under the supervision of Eddie Gormley.
- Source [1], compiled by Michael Duffy incorporating material by Jim Tobin; updated 2006 by Mícheál Ó hUanacháin
Current first team squad
Club Honours
- FAI Cups: 2
- First Division Championships: 3
- 1985/6, 1995/6, 1999/2000
- Shield Winners: 1
- Enda McGuill Under-21 Cup Winners: 1
External links
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