the following has been adapted from
articles by Dennis S Nash, which appeared in the Newtownards Chronicle on 10th and 24th March 2005

continued...

Attention turned immediately to the delayed semi-final tie in the McElroy Cup competition. Ards had been paired with Distillery Seconds and the affair took place on Wednesday August 27 1941. Ards, with a goal in the very last minute of play, earned a 4-4 draw but immediately afterwards claimed the tie on account of the fact that Distillery had played at least four ineligible players in their line-out.

The circumstances behind the protest really arose because of the fact that the competition rules clearly stated that all players taking part in a McElroy Cup game had to 'have played at least two games for the team in the current season'.

Distillery claimed that since the game had been held over from the previous season, it was appearances in the 1940/41 season which were applicable. Ards, on the other hand, suggested that the words 'the current season' had to be taken as making reference to the actual season when the match was played. Ards had gone to great pains to make sure that their lineout conformed to the strict interpretation of the rules and the authorities, at a hearing on Friday September 12, 1941, upheld the case and Distillery were eliminated from the tournament.

Celtic Seconds had beaten Cliftonville Olympic in the other semi-final so the scene looked ready for the long awaited final. Not so. Arguments continued about just how the ruling should be administrated and, as the weeks dragged past no date for the final could be agreed. A most interesting game came along in the meantime when, to defy all odds, Ards were drawn against Celtic Seconds in the semi-final of the Steel & Sons Cup. Ards lost that engagement in a replay but still the matter of the pair meeting again in the McElroy final remained unresolved.

With the 1940/41 final still awaiting settlement, the rather farcical situation of the authorities starting to make plans for the first round draw for 1941/42 competition began to create more problems. Just before Christmas on Saturday December 20 1941, to be precise, Ards drew 5-5 with Summerfield in a league game. That particular match was significant for the fact that another local player made his debut that day. The debutant on this occasion was Harold Black. The Ards team was: Davidson, McKnight, McAuley, Cochrane, Martin, Rankin, Patterson, McKnight, Duke, Hollinger and Black.

Once the festive season had cleared, it was back to the task of trying to get the 1940/41 McElroy Cup final played. Attempts were made by Ards to have the game scheduled for Bangor but the suggestions were disregarded and finally it was settled that the match would go ahead at Grosvenor Park on Tuesday April 14, 1942. However, that arrangement too had to be altered because Celtic Seconds had reached the semi-final of the County Antrim Shield and that match was given preference.

Finally, a truly amazing one year and six days after they had played the first round, Ards, at long last, faced the final. It was at Grosvenor Park on Saturday April 18, 1942 that the game was finally played and Ards made the wait worthwhile by winning 3-1. The victorious side was Davidson, McKnight, Crymble, Irvine, Crawford, Rankin, Beattie, McCreary, Hollinger and Black. Todd, McCreary and Crawford scored the goals and Crawford missed a penalty. The gate receipts amounted to £84.

Another trophy quickly followed - the Clements Lyttle. In the early stages of that competition, Ards defeated Naval XI 6-1 in the first round, Lurgan Rangers 4-1 in the second round and Distillery Seconds in the semi-final. The final was played at Grosvenor Park on Tuesday May 26, 1942 and Ards beat Aircraft United 1-0 to bring the Clements Lyttle to Newtownards for the second time. Harold Black scored the wining goal and the team was: Davidson, Feeney, Henderson, McKnight, Crawford, Rankin, Todd, Beattie, Irwin, Hollinger and Black.

Incidentally, Ards United had won the Clements Lyttle previously. In just over four weeks, Ards had won two trophies. However, on the downside, just four days after winning the Clements Lyttle, the team lost the McElroy when they fell 6-1 away to Ballyclare Comrades in a second round match. This result meant that a cup which had been won on April 18 had actually been lost by the end of the following month.

Although the McElroy Cup was won in April 1942, it never actually came to Newtownards. The cup had been lost in air-raids in Belfast the previous year and was never found.