Sion Swifts Ladies announce new manager and participation in Championship League

by Ciara Maguire

SION Swifts Ladies & Girls FC has confirmed it is entering the Northern Ireland Women's Football Association (NIWFA) Championship League under the management of Christy Barnaby.

It follows last week's news that the north Tyrone side had withdrawn from the Women's Premiership ahead of the new season, the top flight of the ladies game within the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL).

The decision was made following a difficult period for the club after the resignation of long-serving manager Tony McGinley and the loss of a number of senior players.

Swifts says it will now "focus efforts on rebuilding and strengthening the club".

Barnaby brings a wealth of experience and development skills to take the club into a new era.

Looking forward to the year ahead, he said he is hugely excited to be involved with a club of the high calibre of Sion Swifts Ladies and Girls FC.

He said: “I am super excited to be given this fantastic opportunity at Sion Ladies.

"Sion is a club I have known a lot about over the years of following and coaching in women and girls’ football.

"What they have achieved and how they have developed to date is extraordinary and I am pleased to be part of the next stage in their exciting journey.

"The last number of years coaching at Maiden City and gaining two promotions while gathering a strong squad has given me great confidence and belief that I can really achieve something with Sion in their next chapter."

He added: "The club has been so welcoming, and I am really looking forward to getting stuck in and bring my set of skills and expertise to the training ground.

"What I really love about Sion is how community focused it is and the important role everyone associated with the club contributes towards their success.

"I am also very conscious of the significance of the club within the community and that there is a huge sense of pride associated with the team, something I hope to build on and enhance.”

Formed in 2010, the Swifts, who until the end of last season played their home games at Melvin Sports Complex in Strabane, have enjoyed huge success securing numerous pieces of silverware including the Women's Challenge Cup in 2017 and the League Cup in 2022.

They also reached the final of the Irish Cup later that year and the League Cup final last season, finishing fourth in the league.

Swifts also finished second in the Women's Premiership in 2019 after being pipped to the title by Linfield on goal difference, but huge changes within the club has resulted in the decision to depart the league.

Welcoming the appointment of Barnaby, the club said it marks a new era for the club as it enters the NIWFA Championship League.

The spokesperson said: “This is fantastic news for the club, and we are delighted to have someone like Christy with a wealth of experience of developing women and girls football from grassroots level leading the team in the Championship League.

"There is no doubt it has been a challenging time for the club but we are confident that this appointment marks a new beginning for us and a chance to really refocus our efforts on developing the squad.

“Under the management of Christy, we are confident we can achieve a lot this year and that by working positively together we can really strengthen and develop the team.

"Everyone at the club would like to take this opportunity to welcome Christy Barnaby to the Sion family and reassure him he has the support and backing of the club, players, and supporters.

“By working together, we look forward to the continued development of this fantastic club and will do all we can to grow the club and continue to empower women and girls across this district to participate in this fantastic sport."