From the second tier to history – Larne’s rise to Europe

Five weeks after Andy Ryan’s £2.6 million hat-trick, Larne are about to embark on history.

The reigning champions are the first Irish Premiership side to reach the main draw of a European competition and travel to Norway to face Molde on Thursday.

When Molde last played an Irish Premiership outfit in Europe back in 2018 – then managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and with a 17-year-old Erling Haaland marked out of the game by Glenavon’s Andrew Doyle – Larne were still in the second tier.

After being taken over by local businessman Kenny Bruce in 2017, the club’s fortunes changed both on and off the pitch.

Their Inver Park ground underwent a much-needed facelift, with an artificial pitch installed and new stands put up, and increased marketing and professionalism brought fans, young and old, to the ground.

When the whistle blew, they romped to success in the Championship by 17 points to earn promotion to the Irish Premiership in 2019 – and from there they haven’t looked back.

Progression from second tier to team to beat

In an interview with BBC Sport in October 2018, with Larne still in the second-tier Championship, Bruce uttered one of the more memorable Irish League quotes in recent times.

“I would like Larne to have the Champions League music played at Inver Park one day.”

It’s a line that earned some ridicule from opposition fans and seemed almost outlandish at the time, given they had not even played top flight football in ten years.

However, it showed the ambition that Bruce had for the club he had supported since he was a boy.

After dominating the Championship and earning promotion, Larne finished sixth in their first season back in the Irish Premiership in the Covid-hit 2019-20 campaign.

The following season, Larne finished fourth and qualified for Europe for the first time by winning the play-off.

While they lost to Linfield in the Irish Cup final, there was also a significant moment as they won the County Antrim Shield – a competition they would win four years in a row.

In their first ever European campaign, they defeated Bala Town and AGF Aarhus before falling to Portugal’s Pacos de Ferreira in the third round of qualifying for the Europa Conference League.

Tiernan Lynch’s side dropped to fifth in the league 2021-22, but they made it count when it mattered and again came out on top in the play-off to reach Europe once again, however they suffered a first-round qualifying exit to St Joseph’s of Gibraltar.

History came when they won their first Irish Premiership title the following season – and Bruce’s dream of playing in the Champions League came true.

They exited at the first round of qualifying to HJK Helsinki, and another defeat followed against Ballkani of Kosovo after they dropped into Europa Conference League qualifying.

However, Larne responded to become league champions for the second year in a row to set up their historic run.

Drama at Inver Park on route to history

After missing out on the group stages the previous year, Larne’s campaign got off to a rocky start when they lost in Champions League qualifying to RFS.

They dropped into the third round of Europa Conference League qualifying, and there was drama at Inver Park as Larne got revenge on Ballkani by progressing 4-1 on penalties.

Then came the famous night at Inver Park against Lincoln Red Imps. Linfield had come close to making history two years earlier, and Larne now looked to avoid similar heartbreak.

After losing the first leg 2-1 in Gibraltar, Larne’s task was made even more difficult when Bernardo Lopes slotted home in the 20th minute.

Scottish striker Ryan has become a fan favourite since signing in 2023 and he scored two penalties before half-time to level the tie.

However, there was more drama to come when Chris Gallagher was sent off.

But Ryan stepped up to be the hero when he converted Benji Magee’s cross to send the home support into bedlam seven minutes to play.

That party in the stands continued long after the final whistle.

Now, Larne’s European dreams are set to become a reality.

It will be a tough test as they balance a first European campaign with a stacked domestic schedule, with their league defence and cup ties also on the cards.

First up, it’s a trip to Molde on 3 October. The Norwegians, who lost to Glenavon in 2018, are third in the league and come into the game unbeaten in four.

Larne’s home matches will be played at Windsor Park, the home of their Irish Premiership rivals Linfield, as Inver Park does not meet Uefa’s requirements for the group stages and Shamrock Rovers will make the short trip to Belfast at the end of the month.

Swiss side St Gallen travel to Northern Ireland on 7 November before Tiernan Lynch’s side visit Ljubljana to face Olimpija at the end of November.

Larne’s match with Dinamo Minsk is likely to be behind closed doors due to current Uefa restrictions against Belarus, and their group stage ends with possibly their toughest fixture, at home to Belgian giants Gent.

Financially, the club has already earned £2.6m with their qualification, and that figure can rise with positive results.

Larne have already ventured where no side from the Irish Premiership has been before. Will they make even more history?