DDSL to defend Sligo Super Cup title
EUROPE’S biggest soccer academy will be bidding for a unique treble in Sligo next year. Winners of the Sligo Super Cup in each of its first two years, the Dublin&District Schoolboys League (DDSL) have confirmed they will be returning to the North West to defend their title in next year’s prestige tournament, which runs at Sligo Showgrounds from April 26th to 28th.
Also confirmed for the third annual staging of the elite under-12 invitational tournament is the Derby County Academy team, who will be hoping to make amends for their heartbreaking final defeat by the Dubliners in a penalty shoot-out earlier this year.
In all, eight teams from across Ireland and the UK will bid for the coveted title in a tournament organised by a voluntary committee under the auspices of the Sligo/Leitrim Schoolboy/girls Association and the FAI, with the full backing of Sligo Rovers. With meticulous planning already underway, further top notch participants will be announced in the near future.
Tournament Director, Packie Lynch confirms: “We’re thrilled that the DDSL and Derby County have confirmed their participation. When top academies want to return year after year it’s a huge vote of confidence in the tournament.
“We’ve also been talking to a number of other top UK academies, and when final details are ironed out, we will be in a position to announce a top quality line-up in the very near future.
“The reaction to last year’s tournament was overwhelmingly positive. “There were tangible signs of an increase in quality on the pitch and a growing appetite for the tournament amongst the local soccer public, with the matches proving to be real talking points amongst soccer supporters, many of whom remarked positively on the atmosphere generated by the tournament throughout the town.”
As well as the eight teams and their coaches, who are accommodated and catered for in and around the IT Sligo campus, up to 300 visitors, comprising families and friends of the young players, take a week-end break in Sligo specifically for the tournament, thus bringing a significant boost to the local economy.
However, the perennial headache for the organisers is finding the cash to meet the ever-increasing costs associated with the hosting of such a major tournament.
“We have been very fortunate in our first two years with the extremely generous support of a number of main and associated sponsors.
“To grow the competition this year, against a background where sponsors are under enormous pressure to support a wide range or very worthy causes, we desperately need to reach out to new backers.
“We welcome such support, however big or small, and would be happy to engage with anyone who shares our enthusiasm for growing our tournament where it can become the brand name to highlight Sligo. Sligo’s reputation as a modern and well-equipped sports hub,” Packie explains.
Any individual, group of persons, or business concerns from throughout the region who would like to discuss and explore the possibility of sponsorship opportunities can contact Packie Lynch at packielyinch@yahoo.co.uk or on 086 6080881.