Real de Banjul FC

Real de Banjul FC
Full name	Real de Banjul Football Club
Nickname(s)	City boys
Founded	1966/1967
Ground	Banjul Mini-Stadium (KG5)
Capacity	3,000
Chairman	Willy Abraham
Manager	Franky Van de Velde
League	GFA League First Division
2014/2015	2nd
Website	Club home page
Home colours	Away colours

Real de Banjul FC is a Gambian football club based in Banjul. They play in the top division in Gambian football, the GFA League First Division.

History

Real de Banjul was founded in the 1966/67 season after a group of Secondary schoolboys international team returned from a trip to Thies in Senegal and named it as BENSON AND HEDGES FC. The name was eventually changed by the then Director of Youth and Sports [then the Sports Officer] to REAL DE BATHURST FC and upon its registration with the Gambia Football Association, it headquartered at 81 Lancaster Street, Banjul. The team witnessed another name change in 1970 changing it from REAL DE BATHURST to its present name of REAL DE BANJUL which led to the expansion of the team owning basketball (male and female), volleyball and athletics teams.

The team then consisted of the youngest talented players in comparison to other local teams and won its first league title in 1971/72.

The first two cup titles were won in 1969 and 1970. Their recent cup title was won in 1997. Real Banjul's cup final results in 1970 defeated White Phantoms 2–1, Real lost to win their third title in 1993 after losing to Wallidan 2–1, they got their recent cup title in 1997 after defeating Hawks. The club lost to again Wallidan in 2002 1–0 in their recent cup final appearance.

As champion winner, the club competed in the 2012 Gambian Super Cup and won their only title.

Their first continental appearance was in 1975 after winning their second title and withdrew from a match with Guinea's Hafia FC. Their first match was played a year later against Mali's Djoliba AC. After winning their fourth title, the club advanced in the second round and challenged Liberia's Saint Joseph Warriors and then lost two legs to Ghana's Hearts of Oak. Real Banjul competed against the club from Guinea-Bissau further south Sporting Bissau and lost the second leg. The club competed in 1995 and defeated Cape Verde's CD Travadores, then the club faced Mbilnga from Gabon and the second match was abandoned at the 70th minute. Four years later in 1999, the club faced another Guinea's club AS Kaloum Star, the first leg won 0–2 while the second lost 4–1, in 2001, the club faced FC Derby from Mindelo, Cape Verde and defeated 1–0 in the second leg, then faced ASC Diaraf from Dakar in the neighboring Senegal up northwest and scored only a goal in the first match, as they scored nothing in the second match, they lost. As the 2007 national champion,^[1] Real Banjul withdrew in early December^[2] and did not participate in the 2008 CAF Champions League.^[3] Their next appearance was twelve years later in the 2013 season, the club challenged with FUS Rabat and won 2–1 and was out as the away team succeeded. Their recent appearance was the 2015 season and succeeded up to the first round.

Uniform

Home uniform up to 2014

Its uniform color is red with a white right sash, sleeve and short edges for home games and the opposite being white with a red right sash, sleeve and short edges.

Its uniform color for home games was white with blue lining near its edges.