On a quest to be the best. [FM15]

League and cup double seems to be on as you said in our messages you wanted to win two trophies this year, clearly going to

If I'm honest with you Dan, the league NEEDS to be won or I risk losing my job as we're favourites for that and if I'm able to win another competition then great, if not then I'm not overly fussed. I'll need to leave anyway in the future as Institute don't compete in the Mid Ulster Cup, Co. Antrim Shield or Steel and Sons cup.


We have now reached the penultimate month of the calendar year and it hasn't been a bad season to date although I am slightly disappointed that we're not sitting top of the league but that's fine as we are only a few points behind the leaders and could easily catch them. Just two league games were played this month as we also entered the Intermediate Cup and also played in the League Cup quarter finals.


We welcomed Championship 2 club Lower Maze to the Riverside Stadium for our first round Intermediate Cup tie as we beat them 5-2 to advance, Liam Parkhouse bagged another hat trick this season while Stuart McVicker and Ian Steele also scored.

A trip to Castlederg was next in our first league game this month as we recorded a 4-1 victory on our travels as Liam Parkhouse netted twice in the first round, Conor Lavery scored early in the second half and then Shea Conaty added our fourth goal on sixty eight minutes.

Our League Cup hopes ended as we suffered a three two defeat away to Dundela in the quarter finals - Conor Lavery and Kris Bickerstaff netting, we perhaps deserved more and I was very disappointed as I thought we had a real chance of making the semi finals.

We then crashed to a horrible single goal defeat at home to Donegal Celtic.

The month ended with a 5-0 Intermediate Cup second round victory away to Scarva - Shea Conaty, Liam Parkhouse, Lee Bell and a Conor McCullogh double sealed our deserved progress to the third round.


Yet again we have slipped down a position and again find ourselves in third place following the home defeat to Donegal Celtic (their first league win of the season in return) but still we are only five points behind leaders Knockbreda. So far we have netted thirty six times in our opening eleven league games, not bad and we have conceded just sixteen and again that's not bad.

Hope you manage to stay in the play off spot.

Good start to the season mate.Those 2 home defeats have botched you up a bit but your recovering well.

Keep it coming mate

Cheers Johno, I'm just hoping come the end of the season we'll be champions but bloody hell we are making hard work of it.

I suppose the good thing is SBR, whenever we do suffer a set back in the league then we always seem to bounce back quickly and that's important.

'Coin' Dan? Ha, I suppose you mean going? Cheers though chum.


The final month of twenty twenty three saw us play three league games as we looked to end the calendar year top of Championship One but it's going to be difficult as we've slipped up a few times already this season, we also played an Irish Cup and Intermediate Cup game this month as we looked to progress in both competitions.


Our first game in December saw us face Dundela at the Riverside Stadium as we eased to a 3-0 victory as we needed two goals inside the final twenty minutes to seal the points - Cathal McQuillian, Ian Steele and Daniel Taylor all scored.

The side then advanced to the fifth round of the Irish Cup, beating Annagh United five two at home as star striker Liam Parkhouse hit a second half double while Daniel Taylor, Stuart McVicker and Conor Lavery also found the net.

We then made the journey to the 'heart of the apple-growing industry' to face Loughgall and defeated the m 4-2 as Shea Conaty struck twice, Stuart McVicker and Ian Steele were also on target as Lakeview Park.

We welcomed Lurgan Celtic to our Drumahoe home and eased to a 5-1 victory as we also had five different goalscorers - Daniel Taylor, Liam Parkhouse, Stuart McVicker, Andrew Blackledge and Stephen Keegan scored, Keegan's goal coming from the penalty spot with nine minutes remaining.

Twenty twenty three came to an end as we travelled to Drumannes Mills the day before New Years Eve and defeated them five two as for the second game running, we had five different scorers. Stea Conaty and Daniel Taylor both scored in the first half before Stuart McVicker, Ian Steele and Liam Parkhouse added three more goals in the second half.


We will be heading into the New Year and year twenty twenty four with the side sitting top of Championship One but only on goal difference separating ourselves and second placed Knockbreda and we are only four points ahead of Newry but it's been a great first half of the season and may that continue.

good month to finish the year off.hope it continues in 2025

Really hope you're right SBR but we'll see I suppose.


It's been a fantastic first half of the season for all at Institute Football Club, sitting top of Championship One (albeit on goal difference) can't be sniffed at but it's important the form is kept up as we kick off twenty twenty four with three league games and an Irish Cup fifth round tie against Premiership giants Linfield.


It turned out to be a horror month for the club and things started with a six goals to one defeat away to Knockbreda but we didn't even play badly but 'breda took their chances at Breda Park but things actually started well for us as William Smyth had put us into a third minute lead but things went quickly downhill

Just three days later and confidence low after that drubbing, we made the journey to Newry in back-to-back away games and got hammered again, this time four one as Ian Steele scored our consolation goal after twenty five minutes.

Our chances of progressing in this seasons Irish Cup evaporated as Linfield eased to a three nil win at the Riverside Stadium, it was perhaps to be expected as they're predicted to finish second in the Premiership and are a 'big' club but I was hoping we could have pinched at least a goal against them but it wasn't to be.

We ended the opening month of 2024 with an important 3-1 victory over Limavady United and it was an important result for the club following back-to-back grubbings to begin the new calendar year. Liam Parkhouse, Shea Conaty and Conor McCullough scored our goals against the Roesiders.

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An absolutely dreadful month for the club, bar that 3-1 win over Limavady has seen us drop down to second place and fall six points behind Knockbreda and I feel it was REALLY important that we beat Limavady last time out or we could've found ourselves down in third place. We need to bounce back in February.

Oh dear Hope you can do better in February.

Horrible January but mostly good months so far matey

Hope so Johno, it wasn't the most ideal way to start 2024.

Cheers Dan, I'm pleased with the season to date obviously bar last month which was awful.


2024 started awfully for Institute in Championship 1 as the side suffered back-to-back hidings on the road to both Knockbreda and Newry City but did bounce back in our final league game last month, the side now enter the month of February looking to produce a much better month as we have three league games and potentially two Intermediate Cup ties.


February started with a fourth round Intermediate Cup tie on the road as we eased pasted Roe Rovers 2-0 as both goals arrived in the first half thanks to Liam Parkhouse and Shea Conaty.

We then made the trip to Seaview to entertain Newington and came out on top in an eight goal thriller, winning five three. Both Liam Parkhouse and Ian Steele netted twice while Stephen Keegan also scored from the spot in our victory in North Belfast.

Our first home game of the month saw us face Ards at the Riverside and beat them 4-2 as Liam Parkhouse, Darren Hartley 2 and Ian Steele all netted.

It was an eleven goal thriller at Inver Park as Larne were beaten 7-4 in a game that both defences will want to forget about as left winger Ian Steele bagged a second half treble and Shea Conaty scored twice while the other two goals came from Liam Parkhouse and Kris Bickerstaff.

Perhaps we then faced our toughest test in the Intermediate Cup as a trip to fellow Championship 1 side Lurgan Celtic awaited us in the quarter finals but we needed of worried as we eased into the semi finals, winning six three. Liam Parkhouse found the net twice, Stephen Boyd, a Craig Moore own goal, Garard McAllister and Ian Steele also scored to seal our place in the semi.


Despite producing a perfect month (minus keeping a clean sheet) we still haven't been able to return to the summit as we trail Knockbreda by a single points. We are the top scorers in the league as we've netted a remarkable sixty nine times in our opening twenty games.

The downside is, Knockbreda have a game in hand, win that and the title is going to be difficult but still doable.

Loads of goals this month and really making it a tight title race

Just a shame we couldn't stop conceding this month Dan, minus the Roe Rovers game.


Last month the goals flew in over the two remaining competitions we're in but we only managed one clean sheet and that came in the away game against Roe Rovers in the Intermediate Cup. March turned out to be a short month as only three games were played, two of them being in the league while the other was the Intermediate Cup semi final.


The short month began with a home clash with Dergview as we easily beat them 5-0 at the Riverside Stadium in a game that'll be remembered by Liam Parkhouse who found the net four times while the other goal on a fantastic night was a Kevin Fleming own goal.

Seven days later and we faced non league St. Pats Young Men at a neutral venue in the semi finals of the Intermediate Cup and demolished them 6-1 thanks to goals from Liam Parkhouse who hit a double, Conor Lavery, Stephen Boyd, Shea Conaty and an own goal from Sam West. We'll entertain Tandragee in the final as they shocked Knockbreda in the other semi.

March came to an end with a disappointing three one defeat at Donegal Celtic Park as our only goal of the came arrived on the quarter hour through central midfielder Conor Lavery.


Just five league games are remaining this season and we are currently lying seven points behind leaders Knockbreda who have secured the minimum of a play-off spot and we've still to face 'breda at the end of April so I'm hoping we're still in the race ahead of that game at Breda Park, but remember, they beat us 6-1 at Breda Park in January.

horrible start to the year and you did well to recover it hopefully knockbreda will slip up but it will have to be a massive one

And I'm really glad we were able to bounce back from that horrible January SBR, I'm sure they'll slip up but it's important we take advantage if they do.


Seven points adrift of the league leaders Knockbreda, we entered the final two months of the season (one game in May so I decided to put it in this update instead of a separate one), five league games were remaining this season along with an Intermediate Cup final against Tandragee.


The penultimate month of the season began with a home game against Dundela as we beat them 5-1 as both Stuart McVicker and Liam Parkhouse hit doubles while Ian Steele also scored just before the hour mark.

A seven goal thriller away to Lurgan Celtic happened just three days later as we won four three thanks to doubles from star striker Liam Parkhouse and left winger Ian Steele.

We then had an eleven day rest period before our Intermediate Cup final against Tandragee, but we defeated them three one to secure trophy number one in Northern Ireland - two goals from Daniel Taylor and a Liam Parkhouse strike with eight minutes left sealed the trophy.


We then made the trip to Knockbreda for what could prove a massive Championship One fixture and we destroyed 'breda 6-1 away from home, Liam Parkhouse bagged a second half treble while Shea Conaty, Conor Lavery and Lee Bell also scored.

The final fixture of April saw us host Ards and beat them two one as two goals inside the opening ten minutes from Shea Conaty and Daniel Taylor was enough for maximum points.

Our final fixture took us to Newry City as recorded a 4-0 victory thanks to goals from Kris Bickerstaff, Stephen Boyd, Liam Parkhouse and Shea Conaty and it was a day to remember as following Knockbreda's one all draw, we were crowned Champions and trophy #2 was marked off.


Conformation that the league title has been secured and two trophies in Northern Ireland have been marked off and that's I wanted as it's a good start. We finished the season a point ahead of Knockbreda and scored ninety six goals this season. Remarkable but I'll need to return 'lower' down to secure Championship 2 and the Steel and Sons Cup but I won't think of that yet.


With just eight weeks remaining of my current deal, I have agreed a one year contract extension that'll now expire at the of June in twenty twenty five and it was important that I signed on as I need to be somewhat loyal to them. Didn't want to 'approach' them myself so waited until they 'approached' me and I'm glad they did.

Great month mate.Destiny is in your hands.Hope you can win it.

Well done on that expected double matey

Congrats on winning the cup and the league

The league was won SBR after beating Newry 4-0 away from home.

Cheers Dan, glad the Intermediate Cup was secured as it means when I head to Championship 2, I don't need to care about that trophy.

Cheers Johno.


Following our league success last season it meant that Institute Football Club had returned to the top flight of Northern Irish football and I'm pleased that I was the one that secured the title but it did seem unlikely most of the time, I'm also delighted with the Intermediate Cup success but we did have an 'easy' route to the final which was pleasing.

This update will get you to see our seasonal expectations and how the board expect us to do this season while it'll also show you our pre season program.


The pressure is on, kind of. The board are expecting us to secure the minimum of a mid-table finish and will be giving me a transfer budget of sixty thousand pound to 'play with' although I may not need it, it's a small league with just twelve teams and the media expect us to finish ninth and that's achievable.

Next season I plan to remain 'loyal' to the players who got us promoted so don't expect much transfer activity.


Our assistant manager has arranged five friendly games to be played throughout pre season with two of them being at home and the other three on the road.

The two home games will be against Hearts and amateur side Queen's Park who if I remember correctly, are in the Championship so they'll both be tough games before we then travel to Largs Thistle, Malachians and Glebe Rangers. I may add one more game to the mix after the Glebe game but I haven't decided yet.

Little bit of spending money, sure you'll finish easily in the top half, if not win the title

Don't even think I'll use the money Dan as theirs no real need. Like I said in the last update, we're predicted to finish ninth but I think that's an injustice as we are better than that, expect a minimum of a top six finish.


So it was time to start properly preparing for life in the Premiership and 'stute's return to the 'promise land' and I feel this could be another good season for the club despite our 'ridiculous' ninth place prediction from the media.


Because I want to remain loyal to the players who won promotion last season, I have decided that not a single player will be arriving through the doors at the Riverside Stadium but two 'reserve' players have both had their contracts terminated - it's bye bye to Cameron Murray and Neil Gallagher, they both weren't good enough to get game time for me and I wish them well wherever they end up.


Despite losing to Glebe for the second pre season in succession, it was solid form on the field as we remained unbeaten in the other five games, picking up a crediable draw against Scottish side Hearts at home.

We had also defeated Queen's Park at home, Scottish lower league side Largs 5-0 on the road, feeder club Malachians by a single goal and I also then arranged a last minute friendly away to Limavady based club Newtowne and beat them 2-0 thanks to a second half Shea Conaty double.

With the pre season friendlies done and dusted, August saw the Premiership begin and we had five league games to play in the opening month - three of those games being on the road as we looked to make an important start to the league season.


A trip to Coleraine began the league season and I couldn't have asked for a better start, winning 4-1 as Lee Bell who will occupy a left wing position this season scored twice while Gareth McVeigh and Daniel Taylor also netted at the Coleraine Showgrounds.

Our first home game of the new season ended in defeat as Glenavon won four two at the Riverside - Conor Lavery and Lee Bell the goalscorers.

We then made the trip to The Oval to face Glentoran and came out on top in a FOURTEEN goal thriller, winning an extraordinary 9-5 as both Lee Bell and Liam Parkhouse hit doubles while Stephen Keegan, Conor Lavery, Daniel Taylor, Stuart McVicker and Shea Conaty also scored on an incredible afternoon in East Belfast.

It was another thriller as nine goals were shared in our home game against Ballinamallard as we won six three as for the second game running, Liam Parkhouse scored twice while so did Stuart McVicker - Shea Conaty and Stephen Keegan also scored.

The opening month ended with another Premiership thriller as Warrenpoint Town were beat five four at Milltown, Stuart McVicker scoring twice for the second game in succession while Liam Parkhouse, an own goal from Chris McClurg and Lee Bell also scored against the 'point.


It's been a crazy opening month to the DBP season as it's been goals galore and we have been nothing short of entertaining at both ends and that's quite frustrating to say the least. In the opening five league games, we have scored an INSANE 26 goals and conceded 17 times but yet we're only a point behind Cliftonville.

Good stuff here Shedender

Oh I am an idiot at maths sometimes.lol.Good luck in the new season.

Cheers Cymro.

Ha, wouldn't even worry SBR because it's easily done. Cheers.


It was goals galore in the opening month of the twenty twenty four/twenty twenty five season as forty three goals were scored between us in the opposition and that needs to try and be addressed as the amount of goals scored is a 'disgrace'. September saw us play four Premiership games and a League Cup game against Championship 1 side Lurgan Celtic.


We began the September month with a home clash against Portadown as we eased to a 4-1 victory in a game that'll be remembered by winger/striker Lee Bell who netted a hat trick, Liam Parkhouse scored our other goal after only three minutes.

Our chances in the League Cup ended at the first hurdle as Lurgan Celtic won one nil at Knockramer, we deserved to win the contest but no matter what he did, the side just couldn't find the net.

The side did bounce back at Stangmore Park, beating Dungannon two one thanks to goals from Conor McCullough and Liam Parkhouse who bagged the winner with only nine minutes remaining in Co. Tyrone.

Just three days later the newly promoted side then shocked leaders Cliftonville 2-0 at the Riverside Stadium as goals from Liam Parkhouse and Daniel Taylor either side of half time was enough to see the club seal maximum points.

We would then complete the second month of the campaign with an easy enough 4-1 victory over struggling Crusaders at home - Daniel Taylor became the second player this month to bag a treble with Liam Parkhouse also on target after twenty four minutes.


Our tremendous start to life in the Premiership continued as we moved to the summit following an unbeaten September month and we're also two points clear of second placed Cliftonville with Linfield lying in third and six points behind. It's been a poor start to the season by Crusaders who are rock bottom.

Superb start to the Premiership but as you said you expected better than the media expectations

Excellent month

Indeed I did Dan and the reason I expect us to finish HIGHER than the predicted ninth place is because 1) we have quite a good squad if I do say so myself and 2) their isn't much difference between Championship 1 and Premiership football sometimes but we'll see what happens.

Cheers Johno.


Life in the Premiership has started better than I expected as my Institute side are currently sitting top of the table and two points ahead of Cliftonville but I don't expect us to be at the top come the end of the season, the third month of the campaign proved to be a short one as only four games were played, all in the Premiership as we looked to maintain top spot.


It proved to be a month that we spent on our 'travels' with three consecutive away games and the first game of the month took us to the Ballymena Showgrounds and won 4-2 - Conor Lavery, Shea Conaty 2 and Daniel Taylor the scorers.

A trip to Windsor Park was up next to face Linfield and we shocked the hosts to record a two goals to nil victory thanks to a double from the prolific and star striker Liam Parkhouse.

We then recorded back-to-back 2-0 victories as Glenavon were beaten at Mourneview Park. Liam Parkhouse broke the deadlock after only eighteen minutes before winger Lee Bell sealed the points with six minutes remaining.

October would be completed with our only home game of the month and it proved to be a ten goal thriller against Crusaders, winning six four at the Riverside Stadium as Lee Bell, Liam Parkhouse and Shea Conaty all hit doubles in the victory in Drumahoe as we maintained our good start.


We are now sitting five points clear of Cliftonville but they've a game in hand against Glentoran so if they're to win that then the gap will be cut back down to two points but it's been a great start. In our opening thirteen games, we have netted a remarkable FIFTY TWO goals but conceded twenty six. We continue to be 'entertainers'.

Good win over Linfield.

If I remember correctly, it was a deserved win away from home but still refuse to getting carried away.


It's been a great start to the Premiership season as the side are currently sitting at the summit but I don't expect 'stute to be there come the end of the season, just four league games were played throughout the month with three of the games being at the Riverside Stadium.


The penultimate month of twenty twenty four began with a visit of Glentoran as we recorded a 5-3 success as winger Ian Steele hit a double - Stephen Boyd, Shea Conaty and Conor McCullough were also on target in the eight goal thriller.

A trip to Ferney Park four days later saw us suffer a three two defeat, goals from Liam Parkhouse and Shea Conaty both scored within the final six minutes to make the scoreline more respectable.

Liam Parkhouse would then score a hat trick as Warrenpoint Town were beaten 4-2, Cathal McQuillan scoring our fourth goal with twenty minutes remaining.

We would complete the short month with a convincing four one win over Dungannon but iirc we fell behind before Liam Parkhouse levelled in stoppage time before putting us into the lead - Lee Belll and Conor Lavery added late goals to seal the win.


The remarkable season continues as we have now opened up a seven point gap on Cliftonville and a twelve point gap on third placed Linfield. It's been a campaign to remember to date and I'd like to say they're safe but you never know. Fun fact: Since taking over at Institute, I am yet to draw a single game - how much longer will that last?