Editing Carlisle (section)

====Association====
{{Main|Carlisle United F.C.|Celtic Nation F.C.|Carlisle City F.C.}}
[[File:Brunton Park, Carlisle - geograph.org.uk - 1224036.jpg|thumb|[[Brunton Park]], the home of [[Carlisle United F.C.]]]]Carlisle is represented in English football by [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]], who currently play in the fourth tier of English football after being relegated to [[Football League Two]] in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Northampton Town 2-0 Carlisle United: Cumbrians relegated to League Two |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/68696917 |access-date=16 January 2025 |url-status=live |archive-date=28 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528175102/https://www.itv.com/news/border/2023-05-28/carlisle-united-secure-promotion-to-league-one-at-wembley }}</ref> The club has played at [[Brunton Park]] on Warwick Road (A69) since 1909. In November 2011 plans were unveiled for the club to move to a 12,000-seat stadium in Kingmoor Park.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 November 2011 |title=Carlisle reveal ground move plans |work=BBC Sport |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15788028.stm |access-date=18 November 2011 |archive-date=28 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428034531/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/15788028 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The club's first [[Football League]] tenure began in 1928 when it was elected to the northern section of the [[Football League Third Division]], replacing [[Durham City A.F.C.|Durham City]]. Its past achievements include reaching the [[EFL Cup|Football League Cup]] semi-finals (its best run in either of the two domestic cups) in 1969, and winning promotion to the top flight (then the [[Football League First Division]]) in 1974. The club topped the English league after winning its first three games of the [[1974-75 in English football|1974-75 season]], but failed to keep up its good form and was relegated after just one season. In 1987 the club returned to the [[Football League Fourth Division]], and in 2004 was relegated to the [[Football Conference]] – the first former top division club to do so – only to regain their [[Football League]] place after one year. In 1999, Carlisle United escaped relegation from the Football League on the final day of the season when on-loan goalkeeper [[Jimmy Glass]] scored an injury time winner against [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]]. The 2–1 win meant that [[Scarborough F.C.|Scarborough]] were relegated to the Football Conference.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

Though Carlisle United has rarely attracted the national football headlines, the club has fielded high-profile players. Some have achieved fame at bigger clubs after spending their early careers at the club. These include [[Peter Beardsley]], [[Stan Bowles]], [[Steve Harkness]], [[Matt Jansen]] and [[Rory Delap]]. Many older players spent their later years at Carlisle United after playing for bigger clubs. These include [[Michael Bridges]], [[Mervyn Day]], [[Kevin Gray (footballer)|Kevin Gray]] and [[David McCreery]]. Former managers include [[Bill Shankly]], [[Alan Ashman]], [[Bob Stokoe]], [[Harry Gregg]], [[Mick Wadsworth]], [[Nigel Pearson]] and [[Paul Simpson (footballer)|Paul Simpson]]. Since [[Workington A.F.C.|Workington]] was voted out of the Football League in 1977, Carlisle United were the only Cumbrian team to play senior football until [[Barrow A.F.C.]] rejoined the [[English Football League|EFL]] in 2020.

[[Celtic Nation F.C.]] was a Carlisle-based semi-professional club who played in the [[Northern Football League]] Division One. They folded in April 2015 after a season of financial problems. Nation started out in 2004 as Gillford Park F.C. and played in the [[Northern Football Alliance]] league and won four promotions in 8 years. In 2012 Scottish millionaire Frank Lynch who is based in America, started putting money into the club and changed its name to Celtic Nation. After two years, Lynch withdrew his financial support and the club struggled before folding.

[[Carlisle City F.C.|Carlisle City]] are a semi professional side who play in the [[Northern Football League]]. After spending 40 years in the [[Northern Football Alliance]] league, they were promoted to the [[North West Counties Football League]] in 2016, before being switched to their current league (at the same level) in 2019. They play at Gillford Park after taking over the lease from [[Celtic Nation F.C.|Celtic Nation]] in the summer of 2015.

Northbank Carlisle was a club which played its football in the [[Northern Football Alliance]] Premier Division. After forty years, the club decided to fold its senior team. Northbank still operates as a youth academy.

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