Here’s a profile of Caernarfon Town’s first Euro opponents – Crusaders FC of Northern Ireland

Let’s profile Caernarfon Town’s opponents in the first qualifying round of the Uefa Conference League – CRUSADERS of Northern Ireland.

• Crusaders play in the NIFL Premiership

• The club, founded in 1898, is based in north Belfast and plays its home matches at Seaview (capacity 3,383)

• They are nicknamed The Crues or The Hatchetmen

• Crusaders finished fourth in the NIFL Premiership last season and qualified for the Uefa Conference League by beating Coleraine 3-2 in the play-off final.

• Their average attendance last season was 1,634

• Crusaders’ fiercest domestic rivals are fellow north Belfast outfit Cliftonville

• Unlike Caernarfon, who will play their first-ever Euro game next month, Crusaders have competed in 54 European matches.

• Crusaders’ Euro record is: Played 54 won 9 drawn 11, lost 34. They have participated in the Uefa Champions League, Uefa Europa League, Uefa Conference League and European Cup Winners’ Cup

• They have met many famous clubs in Europe, losing 7-0 on aggregate to Liverpool in the 1976-77 European Cup, the season the Reds went on to lift the trophy for the first time. Crusaders have also faced the likes of Valencia, Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

• The Irish club’s European history dates back to 1967-68.

• Crusaders have met Welsh opposition in Europe before. They lost 4-0 on aggregate to Newport County in the 1980-81 European Cup Winners’ Cup.

• They have won the Irish League/NIFL Premiership 7 times, the most recent in 2017–18
  Crusaders have lifted the Irish Cup on 6 occasions, including in 2021–22 and 2022–23

• Crusaders Strikers, a women’s association football club, have been amalgamated with Crusaders since 2009.

• Crusaders have undergone a significant managerial change. Stephen Baxter stood down at the end of 2023-24 after 19 seasons in charge where he won the NIFL Premiership title 3 times and the Irish Cup on four occasions. He has been replaced by former player and head of Crusaders academy Declan Caddell, who was announced as Baxter’s successor in March 2024, and is due to take charge for the 2024–25 season.

• One of their most famous past managers was Roy Walker (not the one who went on to present Catchphrase)

• Crusaders’ best known players include Northern Ireland international centre-back Colin Coates who won six full caps between 2009-11. Defender Albert Campbell was the first Crusaders player to be capped by his country in 1963-64.

• A few of the current Crusaders squad have experience of the English and Scottish Football Leagues. Ben Kennedy made more than 150 League Two appearances at Stevenage and also had a loan spell at Newport County.

• Former Wrexham defender Barry Hunter (1993-96) began his career at Crusaders, went on to make 14 full appearances for Northern Ireland and became Liverpool’s chief scout in 2012.

• Striker Derek Spence, who played 29 times for Northern Ireland (1975-82) and had long spells at Bury and Southend United, kicked off his football days at Crusaders.

• Crusaders have a Uefa ranking of 283.