New venue for this season's Irish Cup final

A new pitch is being laid at the venue ahead of the Uefa Super Cup, which is being staged in Belfast on 11 August.

It is the first time in six years that the National Stadium will not have hosted the cup final.

Current cup holders Glentoran ran out winners that day when the showpiece final was switched to The Oval after a stand was damaged at Windsor Park.

This season's competition has been reduced to 32 teams due to the Coronavirus pandemic, however the first round is still to be played.

The IFA are determined to play the competition to completion however a new venue for the final is still to be decided.

"Work is scheduled to begin during the first week of May ahead of the Super Cup being played in the city this summer. The ground will have to be in pristine condition for the biggest club game ever staged in Northern Ireland," IFA president David Martin told BBC Sport.

"We have a plan subject to any relaxations of the regulations by the government. The committee will look at the situation and determine a new date and venue for the final.

"The competition was scheduled to begin in January, but those dates and the Cup dates in February and March have been given to NIFL for league games. We will pick up the competition in April and May as per the original draw."

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