Category: Regional Competitions
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Larne’s County Antrim Shield four-peat perfect tonic to fuel their domestic treble ambitions
A fresh County Antrim Shield campaign began in September 2023 with a burning question: who will be the team to finally knock Larne off their winners’ perch? At the end of the latest edition of a historic competition, that question remains unanswered. The Invermen still can’t be beaten – not even the stormy weather conditions…
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Tiernan Lynch and Larne will keep reaping the rewards of going all-in for County Antrim Shield
The County Antrim Shield’s unfortunate reduced status in the matchday calendar has come as a result of an evolution of priorities in the Irish League. With full-time football and increased professionalism, European money has been considered much more of the essence among those dining at the top table during the past half-decade. Those lucrative spots…
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County Antrim Shield Final is more than just a revenge mission for Warren Feeney’s Glentoran
The first piece of silverware this season is up for grabs, and while the County Antrim Shield has come to be considered the littlest brother of Northern Ireland’s four senior honours, trophies of all kinds count for much – and this is no exception. In a repeat of the 2020/21 Final, when Larne clinched the…
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Intermediate Finals prove pulsating affairs as three regional champions confirmed for 2023
The festive regional Finals have now been decided, and what proved a Christmas cracker on the 25th were followed by two rather more one-sided scorelines on Boxing Day that capped off a trio of prestigious and long-standing intermediate tournaments. The goings-on at Seaview appeared to swing one way and the other before a thriller extra-time…
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Festive trio of regional intermediate Finals over Christmas and Boxing Day will serve up a treat
The festive football schedule is heading into peak season – and an enduring staple of the calendar is the regional cup Finals which take place between Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Headlined on the 25th December by the Steel and Sons Cup match-up that fans and followers flock to Seaview for in their thousands, the…
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The County Antrim Shield Final carries added importance for Larne and Glentoran in 2024
The County Antrim Shield showpiece in 2024 has now been rubber-stamped and, from both sides, it is a match that carries noteworthy significance. In the green corner, Glentoran, who booked their spot at Seaview a few weeks prior to their Final adversaries Larne, are on the hunt for the first trophy of Warren Feeney’s tenure…
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Regional cups serve in the interest of the many… and for that, their integrity must be protected
There has been much discourse and debate in the modern age of the Irish League regarding what role regional competitions now play. In an age where European qualification is now a factor that reigns supreme, with six-figure sums healthily renumerating those that reach the continental scene, there has been a change of priorities at the…
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Talk around the County Antrim Shield’s format should not detract from its prestige
This week, the County Antrim Shield semi-finals took place. While one match-up featured the two most trophy-laden teams in Northern Ireland as bitter rivals Linfield and Glentoran battled it out at Windsor Park in south Belfast, the other comprised Championship side and surprise package Dundela facing off against current Premiership table-toppers Larne when they clashed…
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