Stage is set for Sligo Super Cup
ALWAYS regarded as a heartland of soccer, Sligo beaks new frontiers next weekend when, for the first time, the cream of young talent from across Ireland and the UK will assemble here for an unique three- day festival of youth football.
The soccer stars of the future will be parading their skills in a highly competitive and thoroughly entertaining manner as elite players from eight top academies compete for the inaugural Sligo Super Cup.
Hosted by Sligo Rovers and the Sligo/ Leitrim Schoolboys Leagues, with the full backing of the SFAI, the u12 tournament has attracted heavy hitters such as Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday alongside Club Northern Ireland, Linfield, Dublin District Schoolboys League, Donegal League, Mayo League and the locals, Sligo/ Leitrim.
With four teams in each of two qualifying groups, the programme includes sixteen matches across three action- packed days, kicking off under the lights at Sligo Showgrounds on Friday night.
Stand- out fixtures include the meeting of Celtic and Linfield on Saturday, probably the only time these sides have faced each other at any level. No wonder bookings in local hotels from Belfast and Glasgow visitors have been so brisk in recent days.
Other interesting ties are the match- ups between Sheffield Wednesday and Club NI, which is the academy team of the Northern Ireland international set- up; and Celtic against the cream of Dublin schoolboy talent, DDSL.
But, given the indelible link between Sligo and Celtic – the Scottish club was formed by a Sligo- born Marist Brother 130 years ago – it is the meeting of the local team and the visiting Glaswegians which is causing huge interest locally.
In a fitting twist of fate, some of the Celtic games are being staged at the Showgrounds- based Sean Fallon Centre, named in honour of the Sligoman who represented Celtic as player and assistant manager, and who was responsible for unearthing talents such as Kenny Dalglish, Lou Macari and Packie Bonner.
The point is not lost on Sean Fallon Jnr, a Glasgow based bank official, who says his late father would have been proud to see a young Celtic team playing in his home town.
“My dad would be so proud,” he maintains. “As a player and a coach he always had great time for the development of young players, so for a young Celtic team to be coming to play in a facility named in his honour in his home town is something really special. I have no doubt he will be watching from the best seat in the house”.
Brian Meehan, the Celtic Academy Operations Director, agrees: “Our young players are aware they are going to play in the birthplace of the founder of our club. That is something special for them and for us.”
Willie McStay, a former Celtic player who guided Sligo Rovers to a remarkable treble of trophies, including the first division championship and the FAI Cup in 1994, will be guest of honour at the tournament which runs from Friday to Sunday. He will also be the subject of An Evening with Willie McStay at the Glasshouse Hotel on Saturday night, during which he will reflect on his career with Celtic and Rovers, as well as his managerial experiences in Scotland, England and Hungary.
The tournament is the result of a mammoth feat of organisation by a dedicated committee, who have been planning and preparing over the past six months under the inspirational leadership of Tournament Director, Packie Lynch. A product of the Dublin schoolboy nursery system who went on to win back- to- back League of Ireland titles with St. Patrick’s Athletic, Packie knows full well the importance of such tournaments. “We set out with a very definite plan, to make our tournament attractive to overseas academies, to provide a platform to help the development of young players and to showcase Sligo as a venue with the state- ofthe- art facilities capable of hosting a prestige tournament. “Having teams like Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday on board adds a sparkle of excitement and glamour, but I’m expecting a very high overall standard, and I believe people who come out and support the tournament will be very impressed,” Packie maintains. Sligo Rovers midfielder and FAI Regional Development Officer, John Russell, has added his considerable attributes to the organisation. “I deal with young players all the time and I know how important these tournaments can be for their development on a number of important levels. To be able to stage this high- end type of competition in Sligo is a huge breakthrough. It puts Sligo and the North West up there with the best facilities in the country. The hope now is that our visiting teams will return home with pleasant experiences and will want to come back. We believe they will,” he says.
Other points of interest include the return to Sligo of John McStay as Celtic coach. He was a toddler in Sligo when his dad, Willie was making history with Rovers. And Rovers FAI Cup hero, Anthony Elding is expected to be among the coaching staff with the Mayo League, with whom his young son, Owen, is a squad member.
Boosted by generous sponsorship from the local business community – the main sponsor is John McKeon from Sligo Pet Stop Warehouse, Carraroe, -all is now set for a magnificent weekend feast of underage football. The first game kicks off at 6.30 on Friday, when there will be a total of four matches. There will be eight games on the Saturday, beginning at 10am and the final play- off games take place on Sunday morning, with the final timed for 12 noon.
FIXTURES: GROUP A Friday: Club NI v Mayo League ( Sean Fallon Centre, 6.30pm); Sheffield Wednesday v Donegal League ( Sean Fallon Centre, 8pm); Saturday: Club NI v Donegal League ( Showgrounds, 10am); Sheffield Wednesday v Mayo League ( Showgrounds, 11.30am); Donegal League v Mayo League ( Sean Fallon Centre, 2.30pm); Club NI v Sheffield Wednesday ( Showgrounds, 4.30pm).
GROUP B Friday: DDSL v Linfield ( Showgrounds, 7pm); Celtic v Sligo/ Leitrim ( Showgrounds, 8.30pm); Saturday: Celtic v Linfield ( Sean Fallon Centre, 10.30am); DDSL v Sligo/ Leitrim ( Sean Fallon Centre, 12pm); Celtic v DDSL ( Showgrounds, 3pm); Linfield v Sligo/ Leitrim ( Sean Fallon Centre, 4pm). Finals on Sunday. INSET: Sligo Super Cup main sponsor, John McKeon pictured with Sligo Leitrim players, Sean Sheridan, Brian Dwyer; front, George Barlow, Gerard Murtagh and Alfie McDermott.