Member's statement: County Antrim Shield: Carrick Rangers Football Club
Member's statement by Ms Cheryl Brownlee on .
- MLA
- Ms Cheryl Brownlee
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 26 January 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- County Antrim Shield: Carrick Rangers Football Club
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5340151
Read the official Assembly record
Text
It should come as no surprise that I rise to celebrate the fantastic achievements of Carrick Rangers Football Club, which proudly lifted the County Antrim Shield last Tuesday at Seaview. After a phenomenal second half, the match finished a 1-1 draw, taking us straight to penalties. It was there that young Pengelly showed nerves of steel as Carrick Rangers won the shootout 4-2 against very, very worthy opponents in Cliftonville. Despite what my Facebook may have suggested, Carrick Rangers went into the match as the underdog. It was a monumental victory. It was the first time in 33 years that the club had brought the shield home, and it will live long in the memory of all supporters. As the shield was lifted, I looked around the ground at the roaring support — the loyal, dedicated fans, many of whom had a wee tear in their eye. I do not think that any of us is able to describe what it meant to us on the night.
That success did not happen overnight; it came from years of hard work and dedication not only from the players on the pitch but from the coaching staff, the board, the chairman and all the volunteers who are the backbone of the club and stick with Carrick Rangers through thick and thin and in difficult times. I was particularly struck when I saw the chairman, Peter Clarke, run onto the pitch and take sight of the packed-out north stand. His face filled with pride and emotion. In that moment, you could see the weight of all the work, sacrifice and passion that have gone into building and sustaining the club. Carrick Rangers is much more than a football club: it is a community, one that now stretches far beyond the town of Carrickfergus to America, where we have a phenomenal and growing fan base. That night provided an opportunity for reflection, and we remembered those who are no longer with us, especially Davy. He would have loved nothing more than to be there front and centre, sharing in that historic win. I am immensely proud of Carrick Rangers and our amber army. I am perhaps even prouder that I managed to convert a dedicated Blues man on the night. However, football has always been about more than the result, and I was deeply moved when a Cliftonville supporter came to the aid of a Carrick Rangers fan who had become unwell. I congratulate everybody associated with the club and, of course, the team on its hard work in achieving that monumental success. Carrickfergus is so proud of them. Up the amber army.
439 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.04 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.99).
- Subject area: Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.08 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.03 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.04 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.02 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.04 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.99 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.01 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.85 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.09 |
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.03 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.02 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.01 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:23 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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