From helping H&W Welders reach the 2004/05 quarter-finals to taking on reigning Premiership champions Cliftonville with Ards Rangers a decade later, Marc Roy has enjoyed some special Irish Cup memories over the years and is now hoping to create more as player-manager of Amateur League outfit Bloomfield.

The road to Windsor Park continues this afternoon as 28 teams look to take a step closer to setting up a dream date with the Irish League’s big guns by progressing into the fourth round.

Roy has previous experience of going deep in Northern Ireland’s premier cup competition, reaching the last-eight with Welders before losing a replay to the Sky Blues, while Lee Forsythe’s Rangers navigated their way to the fifth round, securing a glamour tie against Cliftonville, who had won back-to-back Gibson Cup crowns, in January 2015.

Now 41, Roy is still going strong on the pitch with NAFL Division 1C outfit Bloomfield, but has doubled up playing duties with the role of manager and is preparing for another Irish League test in the shape of Knockbreda, who were relegated from the Championship last term.

placeholder image — Marc Roy celebrates scoring for H&W Welders against Carrick Rangers in March 2007. (Photo by Jonathan Porter/Presseye)

"We played them in pre-season and they hammered us 7-0, but our team has changed completely since then so hopefully we can give them a better game,” he said. "We absolutely have belief.

"We've won six games out of 12 this season and in all of last season we won eight.

"Things are on the up and the players are buying into it, are a lot fitter and more organised.

"If you're going to play a match expecting to get beat, what's the point? You need to have a go."

Amateur clubs have certainly impressed in the Irish Cup over recent years with the likes of Crumlin Star, Willowbank and Rosemount Rec reaching the fifth round last season while Tandragee Rovers, St Mary's Youth Club, Crumlin United and Ballymoney United made it to the same stage in 2022/23.

Teams from the amateur system have also won the last three Intermediate Cups and Comber Rec are reigning Steel & Sons Cup champions – signals which Roy believes shows the strength of the Amateur League.

"Amateur League teams are getting better and better every year,” he added. “I don't think there's a gap now between the Premier Intermediate League and the Amateur League.

"The jump from PIL to the Championship has got bigger with the Championship going to a different level, but I don't think a lot of the PIL teams are better than teams in the Amateur League Premier Division.

"The likes of East Belfast and Crumlin Star could hold their own against any of those teams."

Not many in Northern Ireland are balancing both management and playing duties like Roy, who has made 11 appearances so far this season, but it’s a position he’s embracing.

"It needs to be done,” he said. “I don't overly want to be playing all the time but there's always somebody away on holiday, injured or not available.

"It takes a bit longer to recover the odd time but in general I keep myself fit so it has never been an issue.

"It's easier than standing on the sideline - sometimes you're better being part of the problem on the pitch than standing watching the problem!”