Irish Cup Final 2022

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S WELCOME

Welcome to the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park for the Samuel Gelston’s Whiskey Irish Cup Final between Ballymena United and Crusaders.

Excitement is high as usual for what has been since 1881 the most romantic and exciting day of the domestic football season. As with all countries around the world, league championships are won and lost over the long haul of a full season (by the way, congratulations to Linfield on winning their 56th title last Saturday and commiserations to Cliftonville who pushed them all the way to the final whistle) but cup competitions often throw up different finalists and so it is today. Crusaders have taken the Irish Cup home to the Shore Road four times, the most recent being just three years ago when they beat Ballinamallard United 3-0 here. Ballymena United fans need to have longer memories to recall the sky blue ribbons being placed on the trophy though. Although they have appeared in two Irish Cup finals in the last eight years it was as far back as 1989 when they last took the cup up the road after beating Larne 1-0 across town at The Oval. I don’t think either manager today would mind me describing them as much decorated veterans of the domestic game (although if I bump into them I might just describe them both as legends!). David Jeffrey’s haul of 31 trophies in his 17 years at Linfield was tremendous, and he's now been at the helm of the Braidmen for six years, bringing the League Cup home back in 2017. Stephen Baxter has been manager of the Crues for 17 years himself now, and during that time has

won three Premiership titles, two Irish Cups, one League Cup and one Setanta Cup. Suffice it to say that these old rivals and friends will know each other’s thinking inside out and will both have been formulating game plans to get a slight edge on the other today. I suspect given this degree of experience in the respective dugouts it will be a closely fought contest. Let’s see! On another footballing note I know that many of you will be back here in a month’s time for the senior men’s UEFA Nations League matches against Greece on 2 June and then Cyprus on 12 June. If you haven’t got your tickets yet for either or both of these matches please hurry up as they are going fast. And, finally, the UEFAWomen’s Euro finals are now nearly upon us. Kenny Shiels is leaving no stone unturned to prepare our squad for their matches against Norway, Austria and England in Southampton in July. The Green and White Army will no doubt be out in force for these games and the tournament is sure to be a memorable chapter in the history of football in Northern Ireland. Enjoy the match today!

Patrick Nelson Chief Executive Irish Football Association

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