Tobermore United withdraws from the 2025/26 season

IT HAS been announced that former Premier Intermediate League side Tobermore United have withdrawn from the Ballymena Provincial League.

The club did not state specific reasons for the decision but provided the following statement on social media:

“The club has made the extremely difficult decision to withdraw from football for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season.

“Plans for the future of the club will be announced in the coming weeks and months. All scheduled club events will go ahead as planned.

“We would like to thank everyone who has been involved with the club over the past 60 years, both on and off the pitch.”

After dropping out of the Championship in 2013, Tobermore spent 11 consecutive seasons in the Premier Intermediate League before being relegated to the Provincial League at the end of the 2024/25 season.

Since joining the BPL, they have won three of their 10 outings and sat eighth out of 10 in the league standings.

Limavady United manager Paul Owens gave his say on the withdrawal: "It’s sad to see how teams across the area can struggle financially.

"They are a well respected club with a great history, I have a really good affiliation with Tobermore - as a player for them, and being a manager against them in the Premier Intermediate League.”

Founded in 1965, Tobermore won three North West Senior Cup crowns, the most recent success coming in 2006/07.

They also collected a host of intermediate honours, including six Craig Memorial Cups and the 2004/05 Second Division title.

Northern Ireland and Manchester United legend George Best played one competitive match for Tobermore.

The Fortwilliam Park side lost 7-0 to Ballymena United in February 1984, with the famous winger in their side.