Our Story
The International Supporters Club was born out of a desire to bring together Carrick Rangers followers, particularly those new to the club and based outside of Northern Ireland itself.
As a club we are committed to enhancing the experience of members through a shared desire to create a strong and supportive community and a shared passion for Carrick Rangers Football Club.
The initial round of outside investment into the Gers brought the club into many members orbit for the first time but we quickly found that it wasn’t just some ‘far away thing’. It is a living, breathing organism that drags you in and makes you dream of great things. It is now something that brings us together, no matter where we are, watching the men and women wearing the Amber and Black, representing the history and writing the future of this proud Ulster club.
What began as an idea on a piece of paper has quickly become a community of over 125 members. As we move forward the ISC is looking to increase those numbers year on year, and as a result bring an ever improving and expanding experience for its members. But just as important is our commitment to support the football club across all groups and the wider Carrickfergus community.
Our Identity
The ISC aims to bring people together and make being a part of the Club as enjoyable and as interactive as you like.
To do this it was decided, very early in the Groundwork, that we needed a strong identity that reflected the history of Carrickfergus, the football club itself but also the link to the rest of the world where our members would be located.
You will see that our ethos is to support every aspect of the club and every section within it. This may be financially, offered time and experience or simply adding our voice from afar when any of the clubs teams play. We run specific projects when required to provide that support and it is not just limited to the club itself, we aim to support the wider community of Carrickfergus itself where we can.
The culture and philosophy of the ISC was built during that Groundwork phase, not by telling people what it would be but rather through a fluid development across various forums and chats. It became clear that the earliest ‘members’ wanted the ISC to have strong foundations built upon respect, collaboration, positivity and camaraderie.
To this end everyone had the opportunity to contribute ideas, experience and knowledge in the creation of our identity. The became three elements,The Name, The Badge and The Tagline.
The Name, The Badge and The Tagline
The Design
All three elements were developed, adapted and agreed through open and honest collaboration and the desire to have a simple name with a strong visual presence was a key part of that collaboration.
The Name
The 12th Ranger contains several ‘Easter eggs’ in just three words. It references not only the football clubs nickname but also a nod to the fans bringing their support and the fact the 1st US Ranger Battalion was formed in Carrickfergus in June 1942 during World War II
The Tagline
Together We Rise - a large number of excellent suggestions were made when it came to the Tagline, something that had been agreed was needed.
The ‘members’ settled upon this as again it had more than one angle to it. They felt it encompassed the expansion of Carrick Rangers beyond its almost solely Northern Ireland based fanbase to a one that is a global community. But it also reflected the desire to not just ‘sit back’ but to actually make a difference to the club and the town.
The Badge
Carrickfergus history with a twist, that is how the final badge was described to me, I will let you decide on the truth of that.
A play on the Lions crowned in red and the famous Carrickfergus Castle, both of which feature on the Carrick Rangers badge and in Carrickfergus history.
The incorporation of both the name and the tagline was seen as vital for identity but also the inclusion of the ISC within the walls of the castle shows both the strength of Carrickfergus lending itself to us and also our outward support to the town.
Finally the date of ISC formation, 2025, was discussed at length. It was added to show that the club had a history long before the ISC’s formation but also a point in time where we hope to be able to reflect back upon the difference and impact we have made.