Mid and East Antrim set for festival of football as SuperCupNI kicks off

The best young players on the planet are arriving in Mid and East Antrim for a week-long festival of football during this year’s STATSports SuperCupNI.

This year’s competition will see some of Europe’s most prestigious young players from teams including Valencia, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United take on some of Northern Ireland’s finest across four age categories, U13, U15, U17 and U21.

Manchester United legend Nicky Butt will open the STATSports SuperCupNI international youth tournament in Coleraine on Sunday 28 July with Ballymena United welcoming Manchester United to the Ballymena Showgrounds on Monday 29 July at 7.30pm.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Maureen Morrow, said: “SuperCupNI continues to be one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar and we are honoured to be hosting several matches as well as having the privilege of staging the finals at Ballymena Showgrounds.

“This event puts Mid and East Antrim in the spotlight, showcasing some of the superb sports facilities we have on offer within the Borough.

“The competition is great for the local economy and tourism, and demonstrates our capability for hosting major events.

“We would also like to welcome all of the fantastic teams, families and fans from across the world to our borough.”

A total of 61 teams will take part in this year’s SuperCupNI competition.

Matches will take place at Ballymena and Coleraine Showgrounds, Ahoghill, Broughshane, Clough, Scroggy Road (Limavady), Riada Stadium (Ballymoney), Seahaven (Portstewart) and Anderson Park (Coleraine).

The tournament will kick off on Monday 29 July, with the traditional parade of teams and opening ceremony in Coleraine the night before. Finals night at Ballymena Showgrounds is on Friday 2 August.

For the very latest on this year’s SuperCupNI, please visit: supercupni.com