Linfield

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The club was established in the month of March 1886, in the south of Belfast called Sandy Row by workers at the Ulster Spinning Company's Linfield Mill. The club was initially called Linfield Athletic Club, the team began playing on a piece of land situated at the back of the mill, which was owned by the company. It was referred to as the Meadow. The club originally set out to have a policy in place that restricted membership to mill employees only. But, the idea was quickly discarded to create the most formidable team that could be put together which included six of the first eleven players not being employees. Linfield was acknowledged as the one who invented the game of passing in Ireland in a country in which a dribbling-based strategy was the norm up to around 1890. For three seasons in the early days of the club, they participated with the English FA Cup. In the qualifying rounds of 1888-89, they beat Ulster in addition to Bolton Wanderers to reach the fourth round of qualifying, in which they were up against Cliftonville. Following two draw, Cliftonville took the match 7-0 at the second replay that took place on December 25, 1888. It is noteworthy because it was an exclusive FA Cup match ever to be played on Christmas Day.

The win meant that they qualified for the initial round for the first time. They were to face Nottingham Forest in what would prove to be an unpopular tie. Linfield had racked up an impressive draw, 2-2, in Nottingham that led to that they would play again in Belfast. In a glaring cup shock, Linfield then defeated Forest 3-1 at the Ulster Cricket Ground in Ballynafeigh and the huge crowd cheering that Linfield made it into the second round. But, a couple of days later, the Belfast Telegraph revealed that the "replay" was actually only an exercise in friendly. Before the game, Linfield had conceded the match after finding out that they had accidentally played an unqualified player, William Johnston, in the initial match. Both clubs' officials had agreed to divulge this information to the players nor the public prior to the match in order to ensure that they played the game as scheduled. In any event, Linfield would have been unlikely to have taken part in another time in the cup as the expense of travel to Kent for the second round against Chatham on an open field with no gate revenue would be prohibitive. Linfield had their last FA Cup appearance during the first qualifying round in 1890-91 losing 5-4 to Nantwich. This was the final season during which Irish clubs participated in the competition.

The success on the field meant that the club needed to be able to handle larger crowds and an expansion into Ulsterville Avenue in 1889. It was in 1890 that Bob Milne signed for the club from the Gordon Highlanders. The Scot would soon be an integral part of the team as he helped the Blues to win the Irish Cup at the young age of just 20. The club remained in Ulsterville during five seasons until construction of housing on the grounds in 1894 meant the club needed to relocate again. In 1894- 1897 Linfield played every home game on grounds of opponents until the club's president, Robert Gibson - who had donated the Gibson Cup trophy to the Irish League for the championship together with other club members finally obtained a lease for a ground at Myrtlefield within the Balmoral neighborhood in the centre of city. It was, however, a temporary location. The club was there until 1905 when they moved to Windsor Park. The first silverware awarded by the club at Windsor was won during the 1906-07 season which saw the club win the league title as well as the County Antrim Shield. This was the first of three seasons of titles from the league, and 1907-08 and 1908-09 titles to be followed by 1908-09 league titles.

In 1910 the team captain Bob Milne left the club with a name that was one of Linfield's greatest players. He was the winner of 9 Irish Cups, eight league titles, and 27 world championships as a member of Linfield's Ireland national team while with the club. A second Scottish athlete, Marshall McEwan, joined the club in 1911, at the age of 26. McEwan had played previously with English club Blackpool, Bolton Wanderers and Chelsea. McEwan is most likely to be remembered as the player who played in the 1913 Irish Cup final, described by some as the greatest of the year. McEwan quit in 1916 however, he continued to live at Belfast and later established numerous businesses in Belfast. In 1915 McEwan retired in 1915, but the Irish League was shut down due to the First World War. In the place of it, a temporary non-official league dubbed The Belfast & District League was created and ran for four years until when the Irish League in 1919. Because it was an unofficial contest, any wins during this period aren't counted in the Irish League Championships. Linfield was the winner twice in this competition in 1915-16 and winning the Irish Cup, and in 1917-18.

In 1921-22, the club won a complete sweep of every domestic competitions that they participated in - they won the Irish League, Irish Cup, County Antrim Shield, Alhambra Cup, Belfast Charity Cup, Gold Cup and the City Cup. The club followed up in the following season, winning three titles, which included the Irish League, Irish Cup and County Antrim Shield in 1922-23. The year 1927 saw Joe Bambrick signed for the Blues and became an important part of their best goal scorers. In the 1929-29 season, Bambrick scored an impressive score of 94 goals, the record lasted for just one season up until Glentoran's Fred Roberts scored an incredible 96 goals during the subsequent season. At the end of 1930, Bambrick recorded six goals during one match for Ireland in a 7-0 victory against Wales. The 1933-34, 1934-35 and 1931-32 league titles were won by Linfield and then Bambrick quit the club and joined Chelsea in 1935 after scoring 286 league goals in only the 183 games played for Linfield with a record-breaking proportion to 1.56 goal per match. It was reported that the Irish League was once again removed in 1940 due to the outbreak from the Second World War, with an unofficial league being set in its place, dubbed"the Northern Regional League. Linfield was the winner of this league three times: 1942-43, 1944-45 and in 1945-46. The league ran for seven seasons , until when the Irish League once again in 1947.

The year was 1957. Jackie Milburn famously signed for the Blues as a player-manager at Newcastle United, and won the Ulster Footballer of the Year award for his achievements in his first year at the club. Milburn's presence greatly increased the attendance at games as well as The Belfast Telegraph calling it the "signing of the century". Milburn is well-known for scoring Linfield's first goal in European competition. In September of 1959 Milburn scored two goal against IFK Goteborg in a 2-1 Linfield victory in Windsor Park in the first phase of the 1959-60 European Cup preliminary round match - Linfield's European debut. Milburn had also been the Irish league's top goal-scorer twice before departing the club in 1960 for Yiewsley. In 1962, 40 years after Linfield's incredible seven-trophy season, the team did it again during the 1961-62 season under the direction of manager Isaac McDowell. They also won seven more trophies, comprising those of the Irish League, Irish Cup, County Antrim Shield, Gold Cup, City Cup and the Ulster Cup. Also, they won in the North-South Cup final that season however, it was the final game of the competition in 1960-61. The congestion in the fixture resulted in the fact that the final could not be played prior to the close that season and it was moved to be played during this season. An event to commemorate the occasion occurred in April of 2012, to commemorate the 50th and 90th anniversary of the 1921-22 and the 1961-62 seven-trophy winning teams.

After a brief stint during his time in England as a player in England for Sheffield Wednesday and Grimsby Town, Roy Coyle joined the club as the player-manager and took over from the departing director Billy Campbell. After a rough beginning to his management career with the team, Coyle went on to be an extremely successful Linfield manager of all time and was awarded numerous awards during his tenure in charge at Windsor Park. His first season as manager was not awash in silverware. After having been Irish Cup runners-up the previous season, when Coleraine beat the Blues in a 1-0 win after 2 replays Linfield experienced one of the most shocking shocks of Northern Irish football history when B Division club Carrick Rangers defeated the Blues by a score of 2-1 in the season 1975-76 Irish Cup final on 10 April 1976. The massive killing act that saw the junior team defeated an established club at the Irish Cup final had only occurred twice in tournament's history, but not since 1955. The club stood by Coyle however and it was not long before he was able to bring gold to his club. His first honor came during the 1976-77 campaign in as the County Antrim Shield. But the Blues were defeated during the Irish Cup final for the third time in a row in which they fell 4-1 to Coleraine. This season, 1977-1978 saw the Blues win the Irish League, Irish Cup and Ulster Cup treble. They were runners-up in the previous three Irish Cup finals, this time they could not be defeated. A 3-1 win against Ballymena United secured the club's third Irish Cup of the season.

Coyle was let go of his playing duties in the year 1980, but he was still manager. In 1982, the club's future coach David Jeffrey joined the club after a brief stint in the Manchester United youth team and was a player for Coyle in numerous of his trophy victories as captain throughout the time. One of the biggest accomplishments Coyle had as manager was managing the club to win the league's six titles in a row from 1981-82 to 1986-87. He also broke the record for most consecutive championships, that was established in 1947 by Belfast Celtic in 1947-48. In 1986, it was Noel Bailie began what would become an entire 25-year tenure in the league. Although he played as a defender most of his career, Bailie began as a left-handed midfielder.

The last trophy Coyle won in his time as Linfield Manager was the Gold Cup in 1989-90. In his 15 years with the club, he won 10 League titles as well as three Irish Cups, 7 Gold Cups four Ulster Cups, 5 County Antrim Shields and the Irish League Cup, and the Tyler Cup - 31 major distinctions. Coyle quit the club in the month of April in 1990. Eric Bowyer was appointed as Coyle's replacement. However, it was a largely unsuccessful tenure that lasted only two years, before Coyle was fired in 1992. David Jeffrey also leaving the club in the same year for Ards. Following him into the managerial position came Trevor Anderson, who brought additional than silver to the team over the five years he was in the period between 1992-97. He won two Irish League titles and 2 Irish Cups. After he retired as an athlete in 1996 after an one-year stint in Larne, David Jeffrey returned to the club as Anderson's assistant manager. The partnership continued until Anderson quit at the dawn of January 4 1997. Anderson later became the Director of the Football Club for Newry Town.

Jeffrey was in charge of the team in a temporary capacity during a league game against Portadown on the afternoon of that match, and continued as the caretaker manager until the following game with Ballyclare Comrades in the Floodlit Cup on the 7th of January. Jeffrey was appointed officially as manager on permanent basis on the 8th of January 1997. In the first season of his control, he led the team to three awards which included the League Cup, County Antrim Shield and the Floodlit Cup - and narrowly missing the trophy to champions Cliftonville by just four points. Jeffrey was awarded his very first League title during the 1999-2000 season as well as the third consecutive League Cup triumph. The Blues kept the title of league champions the following season, and also took home the Charity Shield and the County Antrim Shield. This season also saw the Blues win two cups, winning two cups: the Irish Cup and the League Cup. in 2005, the launch of the Setanta Cup meant the return of an all-Ireland cup tournament as it was the first time in. The Blues were crowned league champions however, they started the tournament badly, losing 2-1 to Longford Town. They bounced back from the initial loss to reach the semi-finals against Shelbourne in the final, with the Blues having a huge disadvantage when they played against professional full-time League of Ireland opposition. But they fought back against the odds by securing an 2-0 win to be the first winners of the contest. In addition, Linfield were actually the reigning champions of all-Ireland in the era of their victory and had won the final stage in the Tyler Cup in 1980 before the event was canceled.

The 2005-06 season was among the most successful one during Jeffrey's time, with the Blues winning a complete sweep of all four domestic tournaments including they won the Irish Premier League, Irish Cup, Irish League Cup as well as the County Antrim Shield. However, they did not keep their Setanta Cup as defending champions after being defeated 1-0 in Windsor Park in the semi-finals by eventual winners Drogheda United. In April of 2010 the former captain Noel Bailie made his 1,000th appearance for the club as the team played the draw that was 0-0 against Crusaders within the league. In the following days, Linfield won their 49th league title with an 1-0 win at home against Cliftonville. The next year, a historic 50th league title was won in the club's 125th anniversary year. Bailie quit football in April of 2011 at 40 years of age after playing 1,013 times for the club across all competitions since when he first made an appearance against Ballymena United in March 1989. Linfield later removed in the shirt number 11, which was named in honour of his. For the season 2011-12, Linfield won a league and cup double for the third time in a row season, and for the sixth time in the span of seven seasons. He won an unprecedented 51st league championship and the 42nd Irish Cup win, and 23rd all-around double.

It was certainly an unlucky one in the Blues' under the Jeffrey leadership. The Blues did not perform well throughout the league's campaign. Their season was capped off by an away defeat of 3-1 by newly promoted Ballinamallard United in October 2012. Cliftonville were final winners, securing their fourth league title following winning 3-2 against Linfield 3-1 at Solitude on the 13th of April, 2013. Crusaders were runners-up while leaving Cliftonville Blues in third place , just 29 points behind champions. The club was eliminated from the 2013 Setanta Sports Cup after a massive aggregate loss in the quarter-finals. The club also dropped from the League Cup at the semi-final stage, before exiting from the Irish Cup in the fifth round following replay. It was their first Irish Cup defeat in four years was also the first time in the past 16 years that they'd lost their first tie in the competition.

The 2014 Setanta Sports Cup was confirmed in December 2013, the club decided not to take part in the tournament and cited inconvenient fixture timing and a reduction in prize money and the challenges faced by Linfield supporters who want to go to away games as the main reasons for their decision to withdraw. At time of the decision Linfield would not exclude the possibility of a return, but they were not going to enter the competition ever again. The league champions Cliftonville were also excluded from the competition due to similar reasons. The next two teams that were the highest in the league table from the previous season (Ballinamallard united and Coleraine) being selected to replace them. On February 14, Jeffrey declared that he was stepping down at the conclusion of the 2013-14 campaign, ending his trophy-laden tenure after 17 years. In March 2014 the Blues took home the County Antrim Shield for a record 43rd consecutive time after defeating Crusaders 4-1 in penalties following an unfinished 0-0 draw following an extra period in the last. It was a major achievement for Jeffrey the 31st and final award during his tenure as Linfield manager, surpassing his record set by Roy Coyle. Jeffrey was still able to claim an unprecedented 32nd trophy while manager with the league title of 2013-14. Although they topped the league table for a large portion of the season The Blues were forced to settle for a runners-up position, which is just six points ahead of the league champions Cliftonville. Jeffrey's tenure came to an end in a win by securing a 5-2 win over Glenavon on the last game of 2013-14's season of the league.

A former Northern Ireland international Warren Feeney succeeded Jeffrey as Linfield manager. Feeney was the assistant manager of players of English Conference Premier side Salisbury City prior to his appointment. His brother, Lee Feeney, played for Linfield during two stints from 1998 and 1999 and between 2002 and 2003. The former Blackburn Rovers player, Andy Todd was named Feeney's assistant. Feeney's one and only season as the head of the club was not rewarded with silverware. The Blues were in contention to win the league title for the majority of the season but ended up with the runners-up position for the second consecutive season after the champions Crusaders. One of the positives for this season was the team's performance in 4 "Big two" league games against Glentoran and Glentoran, of which the Blues were victorious in three of them and draw one. The low point in the campaign for the Blues was the awe-inspiring defeat of 1-0 against second-tier side Ballyclare Comrades in the second round of the 2014-15 League Cup, while their 2014-15 Irish Cup campaign ended when they fell in the quarter-finals following a loss of the final 3-2 match to runners-up Portadown.

In May of 2015 the Blues were asked to take part at the Setanta Sports Cup scheduled to begin in June of 2015. The Blues declined the invitation again and inconvenient fixture timing continuing to be a major issue. The tournament was eventually ended after suitable date for fixtures were not able to be agreed on. With the Blues at the top of the table after 10 games in the 15-16 NIFL Premiership season, Feeney's time as manager came to an end in the month of October, 2015 and he was forced to become the assistant manager (and later the director) at English Football League Two side Newport County.

A former Northern Ireland striker and the world's record-breaking international goalscorer David Healy was appointed as Feeney's successor. Andy Todd staying on as Healy's assistant manager. However, in January of 2016, Todd left for Newport County. Newport County and reunite with Warren Feeney, who had been promoted to County's manager after the resignation of John Sheridan. Todd was then promoted to Feeney's assistant manager

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From 1905 onwards, Windsor Park in south Belfast has been Linfield's main ground. In the beginning, after the club's formation at the end of 1886 Linfield needed to move grounds numerous times due to various reasons like construction of housing. The frequent changes to the grounds and the desire of the club to find a stable base that would allow them to establish an identity led to purchasing a parcel of land that was dubbed the "bog meadows" off of lower Windsor Avenue on 1 October 1904. Then, it was renamed Windsor Park, this became the permanent home of the club and also it was the site for all international games. The first match at Windsor was played on 29 August 1905, Linfield playing a draw of 0-0 with Distillery as part of a friendly fixture that was held to mark the official construction of the venue. The first game of competitive play in the stadium was played within a couple of days on September 2 1905 and concluded with the score being 1-0 to Linfield over Glentoran - - the other part from the "Big Two" Belfast teams - though Belfast Celtic were Linfield's primary opponents at the time.

Windsor Park is the largest Association football stadium in Northern Ireland, with Glentoran's ground, called the Oval which is next biggest. The body that governs Northern Irish football, the Irish Football Association, manages the stadium however Linfield owns the property. As of 2012 Linfield as well as IFA IFA were in talks to negotiate an extension of the contract to 51 years to use Windsor Park. The club would be paid an annual rental payment to it to pay the IFA for the use of the stadium in the interest of players of the Northern Ireland national football team however, they would not receive a percentage of tickets sold as well as TV rights and commercial rights that come from international games as they did under the previous agreement. The agreement was in force for 51 years beginning in May 2014, with Linfield getting an annual salary of PS200,000, subject to reviewing (being adjusted for inflation , etc.) at every 4 years. The rate was raised to PS214,000 in the year 2018 and is due to increase in 2022. The contract expires in 2065.

In the year 2010, UEFA offered EUR500,000 to fund the major renovation of the stadium to boost capacity and increase security. In the next year was when The Northern Ireland Executive allocated PS138 million to fund a major program of stadium renovation across Northern Ireland, with PS28 million for the renovation of Windsor Park. On June 12, 2012 additional details about the stadium's renovation were made public. The goal was to convert Windsor Park into an 18,000 all-seater stadium , with a sequence of phases originally planned to start in the middle of 2013. The development would comprise the removal of the current East as well as South Stand structures, to be replaced with new specifically designed stands that will partially surround the stadium. full renovation of the current North as well as West Stands and the building of two new conference facilities as well as an IFA headquarters building. the IFA.

The project was approved in February 2013 and the planning permission for the renovation was granted. The project's cost was estimated at PS29.2 million and of that, PS25.2 million would be derived from the government's funding. It was originally planned to start work in September 2013. Then, two months later, Crusaders began legal proceedings against the development. The club argued for the procedure to be reviewed by the courts as it was believed to be in violation of European Union competition laws and is also a form of state aid to Linfield. Along with the other Irish League clubs, felt that this gave Linfield advantages giving them the ability to pay better wages and an enviable squad compared to all of other clubs. In the event that Crusaders took on Linfield on the pitch at Windsor Park at the end of April, their team officials were told that they wouldn't be permitted to be in the directors' box or boardroom for the match. This was as a logical response to Crusaders contesting the legality of the stadium's redevelopment. A hearing was held on the 22nd of May 2013 Crusaders requested permission to play. The court ruled that there was possible that the redevelopment could be classified as a state aid for Linfield. The challenge related to competition law was rejected.

The team in July 2013 Crusaders signed a potential settlement facilitated by the judiciary review. The specifics of the settlement weren't disclosed, however Crusaders claimed that it had an "potential to benefit the entire that is the family of football". The agreement was announced in September 2013 the minister of sports Caral Ni Chuilin stated that she would remain determined to ensure that the redevelopment was completed in the same way, following earlier stating that she was not going to sign off on the financing until the IFA had resolved "governance problems" regarding David Martin's return to his position of vice president.

The month of December 2013 was just three months after the project was initially scheduled to begin, the development was finally granted the green signal. The minister of sports gave his approval to PS31 million to finish the project. The stadium's redevelopment finally went into the hood on May 6, 2014, following the 2013-14 season ended, eight months earlier than initially scheduled. On March 31, 2015 the West Stand of the stadium was closed after cracks within the structure were discovered. The construction work associated with the stadium's redevelopment was going on behind the stand in the days prior to destruction, but it wasn't clear whether that was in direct connection. The original plan was to refurbish the stand in the course of reconstruction The West Stand was demolished and rebuilt. The renovation was completed in October 2016and has the capacity officially set at 18,434.

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Linfield's principal adversaries are Glentoran from the east of Belfast which is generally known as"the" Big Two. However, the term "Big Two" was not always used to refer to Linfield and Glentoran prior to 1949 it was the Big Two consisted of Linfield and Belfast Celtic, as they were the two clubs with the highest success that played Northern Irish football to that date. But, following Belfast Celtic withdrew from the league in 1949, Glentoran gradually established themselves as Linfield's main rivals. The first match recorded between the two clubs took place on October 1, 1887, less than a year following the formation of Linfield. A friendly match in King's Field, Westbourne in Ballymacarrett was won by 3-1 Linfield (then named Linfield Athletic). In 1890 both teams played each other in a competitive match in the very first match in the first Irish League season. Linfield defeated seven-to-one at Musgrave Park on 18 October and the team won 6-0 in Ulsterville Avenue on 21 March 1891. The first game at the Oval was held on October 8 in 1892 and the first gathering of the Oval at Windsor Park took place 13 years later on September 2, 1905.

In in the 2nd World War in 1941, the Oval as well as the bulk of Glentoran's assets seriously damaged in an German air-based bombing attack at the nearby Harland & Wolff shipyard. Glentoran sought out Distillery F.C to play at Grosvenor Park, which they did until the Oval was rebuilt using help by other teams. In the meantime, Glentoran considered resigning from senior football in order to be a junior club, however after borrowing equipment of Distillery as well as Crusaders the club continued to play with Grosvenor till 1949. Of the 14 league games played at Grosvenor Park however, they won only one game against Linfield at one time.

Traditionally both clubs meet to play in league games during Boxing Day every year, with the game typically attracting the highest attendance of any league match in that season. In 2009 it was decided that the Irish Football Association initially banned the game from taking place the day of Boxing Day for two years because of crowd disturbances in Windsor Park. However, the change was reversed following an appeal, and the match was reinstated on the calendar. However the 2009 and the 2010 matches did not happen in the end regardless, since they were both delayed because of bad weather. The fixture was added to the schedule in 2011 with both clubs hosting the game in different seasons.

Linfield and Glentoran have been two of the best-performing clubs of Northern Irish football to date with both regularly being the principal contenders for major domestic honors. They have been the winners of the most league championships, Irish Cups, and League Cups than any other clubs. Linfield have the record for having the highest number of League championships (56), Irish Cups (44) as well as League Cups (10). Comparatively, Glentoran have won 23 league titles and 23, Irish Cups, and 7 League Cups. Nearly half (47.2 percent) of all 142 Irish Cup competitions to date have been won by either or both of these clubs with at most one club making it to the final in 92 instances (64.8 percent from all the finals) and winning the trophy at a rate of 67 times. In the 92 finals that have been played, both clubs have played fifteen times, which makes it the most frequent final. Linfield has won 8 of head-to-head finals, while Glentoran has seven victories, with the most recent match between both clubs in the final taking place in 2006. Linfield beat Glentoran 2-1 and lifted the Cup for the 37th time. Nearly two-thirds (65.3 percent) from all Irish League titles have been taken with one or the other from two of the Big Two. From the 121 complete league seasons it has been won by one or the other club at 79 times. The two clubs also constitute one of three teams who have participated during every single season in the Irish League since its inception around 1890. The other club is Cliftonville.

Through the 2021-22 season both clubs have played against each other 281 times in the Irish League since its formation in 1890. Linfield have won 126 times in the games and 77 Glentoran victories and 78 draws in matches. Linfield's record win over their opponents was 8-0. The game was played on the 21st of November 1891, in the 1891-1992 Irish League season. Linfield's best post-war win against Glentoran in all competitions was with a score of six goals. 7-1 against Glentoran in the Glens in Grosvenor Park in the 1961-62 North-South Cup, and a winning 6-0 on the field at Windsor Park in the 2006 Setanta Sports Cup group stage.

In the years since 2009, rivalry between the two teams has not been as fierce as it was in the past and the dominance of the Big Two in the domestic league waning while the competitiveness of the league has increased. This is largely due to the return of North Belfast derby rivals Cliftonville and Crusaders as well as to lesser degree Coleraine along with Glenavon. The year 2013 was the first time Cliftonville made history as the very first team apart from Linfield and Glentoran to take home an overall league championship following Portadown was crowned in 2002. It was in 2014 that Cliftonville continued to hold it for only the second time with Crusaders also winning the title with a convincing win and finishing 10 points ahead the runners-up Linfield. In this period, Glentoran lifted the Irish Cup in 2013 and 2015, as well as in 2020 However, the club has been 13 years without a league trophy having won just three league titles in the early 21st century: in 2002-03 and 2004-05 as well as the 2008-09 season. Since then, they've been as low as ninth for the year 2016-17. The last time the two clubs were runners-up and champions in the same order was in 2008-09 They haven't been in a major tournament since the year 2006 in which they played two finals, in the Irish Cup and the League Cup finals.

Linfield are considered to be an "Protestant" club and receive the majority of their supporters from this part of the community. Linfield was also considered to be an 'insect' in the past due to the alleged policy of employment as well as the recurrent behavior of its supporters. The reputation of the club as a sectarian is caused by the behaviour of supporters who have a track record of anti-Catholic behavior which ranges from religious chants on the stadium's terraces to physical violence. A large part of the issue is attributed to Windsor Park's position in an area of Belfast that was once largely Protestant. The club had a relatively small percentage of local Catholics participated in the club during the Troubles and this caused a wide-spread accusation that the club had the policy of never accepting Catholic players. But the validity of this policy has repeatedly been denied:

"Linfield's followers have historically in the Protestant loyalists especially in the Greater Belfast region. This is a fact of life that is undeniable and, despite the fact that in the past, there have been allegations of bias based on sect, like refusing to sign Roman Catholic players, contrary to popular belief and myth there was never a ban put in place. This was even the case at the beginning of the game of when there was a Second World War and from onwards, there has been an array of different religions and classes sporting"the Blue shirt."

Malcolm Brodie

Sectarian tensions have been a source of conflict during football matches within Northern Ireland since the 1920s and, at times, crowd violence caused disruption to games that involved Linfield through the 20th century. A most memorable incidents occurred in 1948, in an Boxing Day match between Linfield and Belfast Celtic (a team whose majority of the players were Catholics as well as Irish Nationalists). After an 1-1 draw where Linfield scored in the final minute and there was an attack of Linfield supporters. Following the incident, three Belfast Celtic players were seriously injured and one of them was Protestant forward Jimmy Jones, who was injured and later suffered fractured leg. Belfast Celtic subsequently withdrew from the league as a protest against the close of the 1948-1949 season.

The 1979-1980 European Cup, Linfield were selected to face Dundalk of Dundalk in the Republic of Ireland. In the first leg that was played in Dundalk and ended in a draw of 1-1 however, a disturbance in the crowd prompted UEFA to shift the second match at the Haarlem Stadion in the Netherlands. Linfield were held largely responsible for the incidents and had to cover the costs of Dundalk's transport to Netherlands in addition to an additional amount of PS5,000 to cover damage that was caused in Oriel Park. Dundalk were penalized PS870 for not providing adequate security during the match. Dundalk ended up winning the match 2 to advance 3-1 in aggregate. In 1987-88 Linfield's home fixture against Lillestrom was plagued by missile throwing which resulted in UEFA sanctions, which meant Linfield required to play the next two home matches in European competitions played at Welsh team Wrexham in 1988-89 as well as 1989-90.

A match in 1997 against Coleraine was cancelled after Linfield fans threw bottles onto the field after two Linfield players were dismissed. In May 2005, there was a disturbance in Dublin during when there was a Setanta Cup final between Linfield and Shelbourne. The following month Linfield supporters were barred from going to the Oval for a game against Glentoran the alleged cause of disturbances that involved the two sets of supporters during the prior month. But Glentoran did not deny that it was the cause behind the ban and cited safety and health regulations that required them to close the stand that was used for away games. In 2008 three Linfield fans were charged by the Dublin court for violations of public order during an Setanta Cup match against St Patrick's Athletic However, they were later released.

Linfield's management Linfield has been trying to change the image of negative press that is associated with the club. Linfield has made strides through collaboration along with Irish Football Association, which has launched a campaign titled "Give religious sectarianism its boot." The club helped the local Camogie team, who required space for training in 2005. It also established connections in 2005 with The Gaelic Athletic Association which has been a minority in the support of the Protestant community of Northern Ireland. In 2006, FIFA publicly praised Linfield as a result of their anti-racism activities. A performance addressing the tension among Linfield with Belfast Celtic, Lish and Gerry at the Shrine was performed in conjunction with IFA IFA in Windsor Park in October 2010 with the cooperation of The Linfield management.

In the years since 2008, frequency of incidents has drastically decreased. In February 2014, however, Linfield were fined PS3,000 and Cliftonville were penalized PS3,250 by the IFA in response to chants of sectarians from sections of both supporters during the County Antrim Shield semi-final at Windsor Park in October 2013. Cliftonville's additional fine of PS250 was a result of their supporters causing huge noise during the match. Both teams criticized the decision and announced the intention to appeal the fines. The fines were rescinded in April 2014. penalties were lifted following an appeal. The crowd also had trouble during a league match between the two teams in Windsor Park in March 2014 and allegations of rockets thrown following the match. It was reported that the Northern Ireland Football League condemned the actions of an "small small minority" of fans.

Then, in May of 2014 Linfield was fined P1,200 by the Irish Football Association over the performance of religious songs by fans. The association ruled that Linfield supporters had been found in breach of their code of conduct at the game of the league at Coleraine.

In the course of a Champions League qualifier match on 14 July 2017, a group of Linfield fans threw bottles and coins towards Celtic players. While both a small section of Linfield supporters and a smaller crowd of visitors were singing songs of sectarian origin however, it was observed that a greater number of Linfield fans were booed and sung these songs.

A year later, in the 2022 season, the team was reported to have "ended its association" to one coach at its girls' academy following the coach admitted to being engaged in chanting which is described as "gratuitous[lyreligious" and was condemned by the senior people from the Orange Order, Ulster Unionists, DUP, Sinn Fein, Alliance Party and the Northern Ireland Secretary of State.

As Northern Ireland's powerful club, Linfield have been regular participants with the best in European football. Linfield first took part as a team in European competition in 1959 when it played Goteborg during the 1959-60 European Cup. In the initial stage of the 1961-62 European Cup, Linfield were selected to take on the East German team, Vorwarts. The away match was played, and Linfield lost by a score of 3-0. The team, however, Vorwarts were denied visas to travel to the UK for the second leg. Furthermore, (similarly to Glenavon during the previous season) playing the second leg in a neutral nation was financially unsustainable for Linfield. The team was therefore required to withdraw from the tournament.

The most memorable achievement of Linfield's in European competition is making it to the quarter-finals from the 1966-67 European Cup. After defeating Aris from Luxembourg along with Valerenga from Norway they were up against CSKA Red Flag of Bulgaria in the final eight. The result was the teams drawing 2-2 at home, and a 1-0 loss away. The 1984-85 season saw Linfield play after defeating Shamrock Rovers on away goals (the first and to date only match with the two Irish superpowers outside of all-Ireland tournaments), Linfield faced eventual semi-finalists Panathinaikos in the second round. After losing 2-1 to the Greeks in Greece, Linfield raced into an 3-0 lead at the half-time mark during the second game in Windsor Park. But, Panathinaikos staged a remarkable fightback in the second period to draw the game 3-3 and beat Linfield 5-4 in an aggregate.

In 1993 and 1994, the UEFA Champions League saw Linfield drawn against Dynamo Tbilisi of Georgia. After losing 3-2, on the aggregate, they were reinstated after the Georgian team was banned from the competition due to accusations of match fixing and corruption officials. Linfield played Copenhagen in the opening round in the proper. They beat Copenhagen in the first leg 3-0 however, they lost the second 4-1 after additional time. It was a costly loss, since the victory could have led to a lucrative tie against the eventual champions A.C. Milan in the next round. The club was forced to wait for seven years before participating in the competition once more, because the structure of the two European competitions changing. The league's relatively low position within the UEFA coefficient system has resulted in the club not being been in the first qualifiers of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup/Europa League. This led to Blues Blues being the very first Irish League side to reach the play-off stage of the Europa League in 2019. For the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League, the Blues were part of the initial qualifying round and beat B36 Torshavn 4-3 on penalties in order to move on to the next qualifying round, following the two legs ended in draw-based draws. It marked the very first time, since 1984/85 (excluding the expulsion of their rival from 1993-94) in which the Blues achieved a tie in the tournament. However, they were beaten by 3-0 in the following round against AEL Limassol.

The 2013-14 UEFA Europa League campaign started with record-breaking success. On July 13, the Blues won at home 2-0 to IF Fuglafjordur of the Faroe Islands in the opening qualifying round. The win was Blues winning their first game at home in Europe since 2005 and their first victory away in Europe since the year 1966 when they defeated Valerenga 4-1 in their journey to the quarter-finals in the 1966-1967 European Cup. The second leg was played in the second leg at Windsor Park, the Blues beat the opposition 3-0 and advanced in the final round with a 5-0 the aggregate. It was the club's biggest overall win in a European tie since they defeated Aris Bonnevoie 9-4 in aggregate in the opening round in the 1966-1967 European Cup. It was also the first time the Northern Irish club had won both stages of the European tie , in any tournament. The club followed up this win with a victory in the following round, winning at home once more. Although they were huge underdogs for the game winning 1-0 against Xanthi from Greece was the third consecutive wins in Europe and they did not concede one goal which was a first by the team. In the second match at home the team lost 2-1 following extra time, and eliminated them from the rule of away goals. In the following season, the first journey into Europe under the new management of Warren Feeney was in the Faroe Islands against B36 Torshavn during 2014.15's UEFA Europa League first qualifying round. It was also Feeney's first game of competitive play as the club's manager. Linfield won 2-1 and scored goals from Jamie Mulgrew and Michael Carvill. The second leg took place at Glenavon's stadium, Mourneview Park, due to the renovation that took place at Windsor Park. Linfield were forced to settle for one draw, but it was enough to earn entry to the second qualifying round for the second consecutive season and they were subsequently selected to play AIK in Sweden. The 87th minute Andrew Waterworth goal in the home match at Mourneview Park resulted in that they won 1-0 in the favour of Linfield during their 100th European match since they made their debut in 1959. But Linfield's Blues were beaten 2-0 in the away leg. loss in the away game and were eliminated with a score of 2-1.

As the 2018-19 NIFL Premiership champions, Linfield first entered the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League first qualifying round, and were chosen to play Rosenborg. By naming Charlie Allen to the final 25-man squad,[108 Linfield Blues established a record for the tiniest UK player selected to a final team for a game in the Champions League. This was the fifth time since 2012 that Norwegian champions removed their Blues in the previous competition in the 2010-11 season and yet again, they proved not enough. A 6-0 aggregate loss saw the Blues slide to the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round Champions Path, where they were up against Faroese winners HB Torshavn - the fifth occasion since 2012 they have played Faroese opponents in Europe. A 3-2 aggregate win ensured a spot into the 3rd qualifying round for the Europa League for the first time and was the third round of an European competition after a 5-2 aggregate win against Valerenga in November of 1966. Another milestone was set during the following round, when the Blues played Montenegro champions Sutjeska. The Blues won 2-1 in the home leg was followed by an 3-2 victory in the second match in Windsor Park, with the Blues winning 5-3 in aggregate in order to be the first Irish League side to reach the play-offs in the Europa League. It was the only time the club won both the legs of the European tie , the first was the 2013 tie against IF. In addition, it was only the second time the club has ever made it through two consecutive rounds in Europe this time for this was the first occasion since November 1966. In the play-off round the Blues were drawn to take on Azerbaijan champions Qarabag The winners going on to an Europa League group stage.

As of 25 August 2022

Competition	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
European Cup / UEFA Champions League	78	11	23	44	66	139	−73	14.10%
UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League	43	13	9	21	49	78	−29	30.23%
UEFA Europa Conference League	6	1	3	2	9	7	2	16.67%
European Cup Winner's Cup / UEFA Cup Winner's Cup	6	2	0	4	6	11	−5	33.33%
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup	4	1	0	3	3	11	−8	25.00%
Total	137	28	35	74	133	246	–113	20.44%

Key: PR – Preliminary round; QR – Qualifying round; 1/2/3QR – First/Second/Third qualifying round; POR – Play-off round; 1R/2R – First/Second round; QF – Quarter-final; SF – Semi-final; F – Final;

Notes

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As of the 2022 UEFA Club Rankings.

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Numbers retired in June 2011.

11 – In honour of Noel Bailie MBE (1986–2011)
13 – Unlucky number

Linfield's Player of the Year award is voted for by the club's supporters.

• 2008–09: Paul Munster
• 2009–10: Jamie Mulgrew
• 2010–11: Michael Gault
• 2011–12: Albert Watson
• 2012–13: Billy Joe Burns
• 2013–14: Andrew Waterworth
• 2014–15: Aaron Burns
• 2015–16: Jimmy Callacher
• 2016–17: Roy Carroll
• 2017–18: Kirk Millar
• 2018–19: Jimmy Callacher
• 2019–20: Stephen Fallon
• 2020–21: Shayne Lavery
• 2021–22: Chris Shields

As of 23rd February 2022

Board of Directors (Trustees): Stuart Gilmore, Jack Grundie, Richard Johnson, Peter Lunn MBE, Cameron Ramsey, Paul Weir, Jonathan Wilson, David Sales Board of Directors (Elected Directors): Andrew Conn, Stephen Dickson, Jonathan Lamont, Drew McCoubrey, Roy McGivern, Ronnie Morrison, Stephen Shaw, David Strain,Michael Jones President: Peter Lunn MBE Chairman: Roy McGivern Vice-Chairman: Stephen Dickson Honorary Treasurer: Richard Johnson General Manager: Pat Fenlon[114] Honorary Secretary: Stuart Gilmore Media Director : Jonathan Lamont Team Manager: David Healy Assistant Manager: Ross Oliver Senior Coach: George McCartney Goalkeeping Coach: Jonny Williamson Linfield Swifts Coach: Michael Gault Linfield Swifts Assistant Coach: Chris Kingsberry Linfield Rangers Coach: Jamie Mulgrew Linfield Rangers Assistant Coach: Conor Pepper Fitness Coach: Ricky McCann

Linfield Ladies First Team Coach: Philip Lewis Linfield Ladies Assistant Coaches: Alan Perry, Mark Dickson Linfield Ladies Secretary: Neil Morrow Head of Recruitment & Development: Willie McKeown Scouts: Noel Bailie MBE, Alan Dornan, Pat McShane, Peter Thompson, Dennis Shields Medical Officer: Patrick Noble Sports Therapist: Terry Hayes Physiotherapist: Paul Butler Trainer: Kenny McKeague Kit Manager: Gary Eccles Team Attendants: Andy Kerr MBE & Josh Eccles Health & Safety Officer: Gary Steele Chief Steward: Sammy McFarland Head of Youth: Glenn Ferguson Supporters' Liaison Officer: Stephen Shaw Community Relations Liaison Officer: Andrew Conn Linfield Chaplain‘’’Paul Reid Honorary Vice-Presidents: Noel Bailie MBE, Jim Kerr, Billy Kennedy Vice-Presidents: Andy Kerr, M.B.E., Robert Neill, Glenn Meikle, Gary Dickson, Jacky Stewart, Norman Morrow

Here is the list of managers Linfield has appointed throughout the club's past. In the beginning, when the club's founding in 1886 the team was picked by the club's committee, which was a common practice among football clubs of the time. From then on, 25 players have held the post in the role of Linfield first team manager/coach. But only Six have been chosen following Billy Campbell's departure in 1975. David Jeffrey holds the record for the longest tenure as manager, being at the helm for 17 years, and 16 months, between 4 January 1997 to the 26th April of 2014. Jeffrey as well as Roy Coyle jointly hold the record for most trophies earned as managers and have managed this club to record 31 awards each. The former Northern Ireland international Warren Feeney was the previous manager after being appointed in May of 2014. He resigned in the month of October in order to be appointed assistant manager at Newport County, with current manager David Healy appointed as his successor.

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Senior honours (153)

• Irish League Championship: 56
  • 1890–91, 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1897–98, 1901–02, 1903–04, 1906–07, 1907–08, 1908–09, 1910–11, 1913–14, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1929–30, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
• Irish Cup: 44
  • 1890–91, 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1897–98, 1898–99, 1901–02, 1903–04, 1911–12, 1912–13, 1914–15, 1915–16, 1918–19, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1933–34, 1935–36, 1938–39, 1941–42, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1949–50, 1952–53, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1969–70, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2001–02, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2016–17, 2020–21
• Irish League Cup: 10
  • 1986–87, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2018–19
• County Antrim Shield: 43
  • 1898–99, 1903–04, 1905–06, 1906–07, 1907–08, 1912–13, 1913–14, 1916–17, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1941–42, 1946–47, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1994–95, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2013–14, 2016–17
• Charity Shield: 4
  • 1993 (shared), 1994, 2000, 2017

Senior honours (119)

• Gold Cup: 33
  • 1915–16, 1917–18, 1918–19, 1920–21, 1921–22, 1923–24, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1996–97
• City Cup: 24
  • 1894–95, 1895–96, 1897–98, 1899–1900, 1900–01, 1901–02, 1902–03, 1903–04, 1907–08, 1909–10, 1919–20, 1921–22, 1926–27, 1928–29, 1935–36, 1937–38, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1967–68, 1973–74
• Ulster Cup: 15
  • 1948–49, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1964–65, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1984–85, 1992–93
• Floodlit Cup: 2
  • 1993–94, 1997–98
• Top Four Cup: 2
  • 1966–67, 1967–68
• Belfast Charity Cup: 24
  • 1890–91, 1891–92, 1892–93, 1893–94, 1894–95, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1902–03, 1904–05, 1912–13, 1913–14, 1914–15, 1916–17, 1917–18, 1918–19, 1921–22, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1935–36 (shared), 1937–38
• Alhambra Cup: 1
  • 1921–22
• Jubilee Cup: 1
  • 1935–36
• Belfast & District League: 2 
  • 1915–16, 1917–18
• Northern Regional league: 3 
  • 1942–43, 1944–45, 1945–46
• Substitute Gold Cup: 2 
  • 1942–43, 1944–45
• Manchester Charity Cup: 2
  • 1945–46, 1946–47

All-Ireland honours

• North-South Cup: 1
  • 1960–61
• Blaxnit Cup: 1
  • 1970–71
• Tyler Cup: 1
  • 1980–81
• Setanta Cup: 1
  • 2005

Honours won by Linfield Swifts

• Irish Intermediate League: 2
  • 1939–40, 1945–46
• Irish League B Division: 3
  • 1951–52, 1952–53, 1975–76
• B Division Section 2/Reserve League/Development League: 21
  • 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
• County Antrim Shield: 1
  • 1948–49
• Irish Intermediate Cup: 11
  • 1896–97, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1928–29, 1945–46, 1948–49, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1971–72, 2001–02, 2003–04
• Steel & Sons Cup: 11
  • 1895–96, 1898–99, 1915–16, 1939–40, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1972–73, 1983–84, 1997–98, 2016–17, 2019–20
• George Wilson Cup: 10
  • 1953–54, 1961–62, 1976–77, 1980–81, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1988–89, 1998–99, 2008–09, 2010–11
• McElroy Cup: 5
  • 1928–29, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1944–45, 1945–46 (shared)

Honours won by Linfield Rangers

• Irish Intermediate Cup: 2
  • 1921–22, 1924–25

• Irish Junior League: 4
  • 1898–99‡, 1899–1900‡, 1900–01‡, 1903–04‡
• Irish Junior Cup: 3
  • 1890–91†, 1893–94‡, 1905–06ƒ
• County Antrim Junior Shield: 1
  • 1904–05ƒ
• Harry Cavan Youth Cup: 5
  • 2003–04¤,2004–05¤,2006–07¤,2009–10¤,2016–17
• Belfast Youth Cup:2
  • 2009–10¤,2010–11¤
• Lisburn League Shield: 1
  • 2016–17¤
• IFA Youth Premier League: 4
  • 2005–06¤,2006–07¤,2008–09¤,2012–13¤
• IFA Youth League Cup/NIFL Youth League Cup:5
  • 2008–09¤,2012–13¤,2013–14¤,2014–15¤,2015–16¤

† Won by Linfield II (reserve team)

‡ Won by Linfield Swifts (reserve team)

ƒ Won by Linfield Pirates (reserve team)

¤ Won by Linfield Rangers (reserve team)

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The club has managed to achieve the double feat of winning the League title as well as the national cup at the same season 25 times the most of any club around the globe. The club has also won the domestic treble of League as well as the national cup and League Cup during the same season three times and also a quadruple in the domestic competition of the three trophies and the county-wide County Antrim Shield in the same season once , in 2005-06. The most notable absences from these are seven-trophy hauls of the seasons of 1921-22 and the 1961-62which were accomplished before the launch of the League Cup in 1987.

• Doubles:
  • League and Irish Cup: 25
    • 1890–91, 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1897–98, 1901–02, 1903–04B, 1921–22B, 1922–23B, 1929–30B, 1933–34B, 1949–50, 1961–62B, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1981–82B, 1993–94A, 2005–06C, 2006–07, 2007–08A, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2016–17B, 2020–21
  • League and League Cup: 6
    • 1986–87, 1993–94A, 1999–2000, 2005–06C, 2007–08A, 2018–19
• Trebles:
  • League, Irish Cup and League Cup: 3 
    • 1993–94, 2005–06C, 2007–08

A = as part of a domestic treble.
B = as part of a domestic treble (including the County Antrim Shield).
C = as part of a domestic quadruple (including the County Antrim Shield).