Cookstown arena to host festival of football

The arena is playing host to the knock-out League Cup and Plate finals within the Subway-sponsored National League, which is organised by the Northern Ireland Boys’ Football Association.

Three finals were staged yesterday with a further nine taking place today at the Cookstown venue.

Admission to the games is £3 adults and £1 children. All proceeds will go to support Save The Children, which is NIBFA’s chosen charity for the 2015-16 season.

The festival of football begins with the U12 Cup Final between Cookstown Youth and Portadown Youth at 6.45pm on Friday, followed by the U17 Plate decider between Portadown FC Youth and Dungannon Swifts (7.30pm) and the U17 Cup Final featuring Glendowan and Linfield (8.15pm).

The schedule for Saturday is as follows: U14 Plate - Derry Colts v Lisburn Rangers, 10.45am; U13 Plate - Glentoran v Greenisland, 12.45pm; U12 Plate - Magherafelt SB v Ardoyne, 2.45pm; U13 Cup - Linfield v Ridgeway Rovers, 11.15pm; U15 Cup - Ridgeway Rovers v Crusaders, 1.15pm; U14 Cup - Dungannon Youth v Portadown Youth, 3.15pm; U16 Cup - Maiden City v Ridgeway Rovers, 11am; U15 Plate - Ballinamallard v Linfield, 1pm; U16 Plate - Ballinamallard v Crusaders, 3pm.