Ballymena churches contact Irish FA asking for Irish Cup final between Ballymena and Crusaders to be switched from Sunday

It comes after Ballymena United reached the final where they will meet Crusaders on Sunday, May 7 after the traditional Saturday afternoon slot was switched so as not to clash with the King’s Coronation.

Ballymena Presbytery Public Affairs Committee said: “We appreciate the need to rearrange the game from its traditional Saturday afternoon time to accommodate those who wish to celebrate the Coronation of the King Charles III. However, we do feel that an alternative time other than a Sunday could have been found to the agreement of all parties.”

They said their “regret and concern” comes from the "difficult position" it presents to Ballymena and Crusaders fans: "Many fans of Irish league clubs, including these two clubs, are committed Christians for whom Sunday is a special day of worship and rest, which includes the regular practice of attending services of worship.

"We’ve heard from numerous fans how disappointed they are that the final is to take place on a Sunday and they are torn over whether to attend the match or not. We’ve no doubt that some will attend the match, with reservation, while many are opting not to go and, sadly for them, are missing out on a very special occasion.

"Rather than a Sunday final being a progressive change, we strongly feel that this is discriminatory and not in the best interests of local football."

The Ballymena Presbytery Public Affairs Committee said they have contacted the Irish FA asking them to change their decision to play the Irish Cup Final on a Sunday.

They also contacted Ballymena United to "commend them for being one of the clubs who have chosen not to play league matches on a Sunday, and to encourage the club to make the strongest representation possible to the Irish FA in order to get this game changed to another day".

Both Ballymena and Crusaders are due to hold board meetings this week at which the Sunday final issue will be discussed.

Ballymena secretary John Torrington said: “Since the semi-final we haven’t met as a board, we will be meeting this week and that is one of the items that will be discussed.

"We’ve known since the draw was made that the final would be on a Sunday. Certainly at the moment we’re not planning any protests or anything like that. We’ll see what attitude our board members take to it.”

When asked by the News Letter could another date yet be found for the final, an Irish FA spokesperson gave the following statement: “The Samuel Gelston’s Whiskey Irish Cup Final was originally scheduled to be played on Saturday, May 6, 2023. However, when the details of the King’s Coronation were announced, the Irish Cup Committee had to reconsider the arrangements and scheduling of the final.

“It was agreed in December 2022 that, due to these exceptional circumstances, the 2023 final would be played on Sunday, May 7.”