Glentoran tie's value more than money as Strabane Athletic pick Irish Cup dream over hard cash reality

Despite taking a financial hit with around 650 spectators expected inside the Melvin Park Arena this weekend – a number far less than potential attendance at The Oval – the Co Tyrone club have chosen occasion over money.

Only founded in 2010, Strabane have scaled great heights over the past 16 years, making their way into the Irish League pyramid ahead of the current campaign following a promotion play-off victory.

They’ll now tick off another milestone after being drawn against Declan Devine’s high-flying Glentoran, playing host to a top-flight team for the first time.

A match of this magnitude has provided logistical challenges never faced before, from traffic management plans to security measures, but the work to overcome every obstacle has certainly been worth it for chairman Seamus McElroy.

Saturday’s showdown won’t just be an occasion for the football club, but one for the town as they welcome one of Northern Ireland’s biggest – and most successful – clubs to their backyard.

"When Glentoran mentioned changing venue I put it to our committee - there wasn't one member who wanted to take it to Belfast,” said McElroy. “Strabane Athletic was formed in 2010 with a view to trying to get these types of games hosted in Strabane on a regular basis.

"A number of years ago when Ballinamallard were in the Premiership, we got drawn against them in the Irish Cup, but because our facilities weren't at the level required, we had to play away from home.

"Now we have the facilities we've fought so hard to get, it would have been very hypocritical to make the decision to forfeit home advantage for finances.

"It was unanimous that we're playing in Strabane and we wanted to host a Premiership team, albeit at a financial hit.

"We're very proud (to be in this position). From a personal point of view, Strabane Athletic has been a big part of my life.

"It's not just about me, there has been a lot of work over the years from committee members, a lot who are still involved now that were involved at the very beginning.

"The managers, coaches, players, fans, parents, it's a very proud moment for the town...we have come a long way. This is a very proud moment for everyone connected with the club."

Strabane’s request to increase capacity to cope with the demand – Glentoran were seeking around 1,000 tickets – was denied, a decision which the club understand, but McElroy predicts they could have sold the match out “three times over”.

Staging such a fixture also puts a spotlight on conversation surrounding the need for improved facilities across the Irish League and McElroy has called for government to deliver for clubs.

"We wanted to make sure our home support got to experience a match like this,” he added. “It would have been more lucrative to reverse the fixture because you split the gate 50/50, so the more people in, the more revenue we would have generated.

"The most important thing is Strabane Athletic have been very proactive over the last number of years to improve facilities.

"An event like this highlights the need for better, more advanced facilities in Strabane...hopefully this makes people sit up and realise they might need to push this harder.

"Not only the local council, but also government...this isn’t aimed at any one party, it's about showing we can host these events if we had better facilities. It's an opportunity for us to highlight that this weekend.”