Irish Cup - Final | Larne V Linfield

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SPONSOR’S WELCOME

What drama we had on semi-finals day! Elation to despondency and back again in a heartbeat, in that special way only the cup can really deliver.

So after that day and night of tense back to back matches at Mourneview Park, our final two, Linfield and Larne, return to the same arena to go again and this time for the main prize: to be the 2021 winners of the Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Cup. As we look forward to what promises to be a scintillating clash between the serial winning giants of Linfield and the coming force in Irish League football that is Larne, we can also now begin to look back at the circumstances that have led to us having one of the longest tournaments in Irish Cup history last season followed by what’s sure to be one of the shortest this year. The impact of Covid-19 has cast a shadow across so much of our lives, with football far from an exception. Last July we were heralding the return of football for the semi-finals and final of the Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Cup, and now closing in on 10 months and a football season largely without fans

later we are eagerly anticipating the gradual and hopefully complete restoration of supporters to our football stadiums. We have under way a remarkable vaccination effort by our health workers that will allow us to return in a short time to some normality, with the crowds now queuing outside leisure centres and arenas to receive jabs soon to be queuing instead at turnstiles and once again going to a match. Whether it’s to be Linfield for the 44th time or Larne lifting the cup for the first time, we know we will have worthy winners tonight. Well done to both teams for coming through the intensity of the various rounds in under five weeks to contest the final in the hope of becoming the 2021 Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Cup champions. Samuel Amfo-Okoampah Country Manager Halewood Wines & Spirits – Sponsor

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