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3 ESTABLISHED 1889 Owner: Kenny Bruce Trustees Kenny Bruce, Gareth Clements, Robert Hutchinson, Roy Logan, John McKinstry, Raymond Robinson. Board of Directors Chairman: Gareth Clements, Ian Cahoon, Willie Carson, Lyn Kernohan, Mervyn McKay, Andrew McNickle, Raymond Robinson, Andrew Scullion, Archie Smyth. Commercial Director: Gavin Clements Marketing Executive: Chris Liddle Media: Ian Cahoon, Andrew Neill, Ross Nicholson, Lewis McAdam, Andrew Scullion, Peter Wilson. Men s First Team Manager: Tiernan Lynch Assistant Manager: Seamus Lynch First Team Coach: Tim McCann Goalkeeping Coach: Michael Dougherty Strength & Conditioning Coach: Darren McWilliams Sports Therapist: Joe Crawford Team Attendant: Martin Bird Larne Ladies Manager: William Noble Assistant Manager: Gary Hood Coach: Craig Leworthy Olympic Manager: Daniel Carlisle Team Attendant: Elaine Kernaghan Development Squad (Olympic/ U18s) Manager: Hugh McKendry Assistant Manager: Neil Candlish Larne Youth Head of Youth Development: Niall Curneen Football Development Manager: Gary Haveron Girls Football Development: Daniel Carlisle Chairman: Willie Carson, Vice Chairman: John Ross, Secretary: Andrew McNickle, Treasurer: Gregg Humphrey, Child Protection Officer: Miriam Buchan, Assistant Child Protection Officer: Tom Buchan, Committee Members: Jon Greer, Julianne Liken, Donna Marie Maguire, Kate Maxwell. Sam McFaul. BY ANDREW SCULLION LARNE FOOTBALL CLUB is very firmly concentrating on the Cup tonight. The phrase concentrating on the Cup usually means that you re nowhere in the league and have nothing left to play for other than trying to put together a decent Cup run. That, however, could not be further from the truth for Larne. February is only just behind us and incredibly only six consecutive defeats for Larne and six wins for Carrick Rangers coupled with a 40+ swing in goal difference can deny the Inver Reds the title. We host Ballinamallard United next Saturday with just a single point required to secure the club s first league title since the B Division triumph in 1972 and our first promotion to the top flight since Last season s Tennent s Irish Cup run was memorable and certainly contributed to the buzz which has built around the club over the last 18 months. Our Quarter Final win away to Ballymena United felt like a landmark result in many ways. A major contributing factor was that the town and everyone at the club were well keyed up for it. We took an incredible crowd for a mid week cup tie to Ballymena and the vocal backing the team received that night inspired them to go on and perform superbly. The challenge for our support is to bring that same level of support tonight. We will have the largest attendance at Inver Park for a competitive match this season, and it could well surpass the attendance for the Rangers friendly in October. It is vital that our supporters make their presence felt tonight. Under Tiernan Lynch, Larne have been very strong at home with only Institute and Ards coming out on top at Inver Park in almost two seasons. The unbeaten home record is now some 16 months long, but tonight will be a severe test of that record. Whilst there have been personnel changes at Coleraine and they haven t matched last season s achievements in the Danske Bank Premiership, they will be eager to successfully defend the Tennent s Irish Cup. It s a tantalising tie, so much so that we welcome the BBC cameras for tonight s game. For the first time ever, a match will be broadcast live on TV from Inver Park. That, in itself, is a little piece of history for the club and Inver Park. It has been a remarkable season, the like of which we re unlikely to see again, but perhaps the taking of a major Danske Bank Premiership scalp is missing from that. Despite being competitive, Tiernan Lynch s side were edged out by Crusaders and Glentoran earlier this season. Tonight is a real chance to put that right. We Are Larne.

4 MANAGER GOOD EVENING and welcome to Inver Park for a much anticipated game. Games and occasions like this don t come much bigger than this at the stage of the season we re at, but it s times like that we re here for. We talk day in, day out, and in our team meetings about big matches and that s what everyone wants to be involved in. The message is - go and enjoy this. We have gone on a great journey together, but we haven t done anything yet, so we have to have that hunger to keep progressing. Coleraine are a very good side, they ve taken some big scalps this year but we ll have a game plan that we ll stick to and I ve no doubt these boys won t let anyone down. We made changes at the Welders because some people needed a rest and others needed minutes. Now as a management team we have a headache because people have come in and staked their claim - but it s a good headache to have. I have to give the players enormous credit for Saturday as well, because they showed tremendous heart, character and professionalism. We did what we could do, which was win the match. I wouldn t have made the changes we did if we didn t think we had a squad to pick from who could come to a place like that and win. We have a squad that we believe in and everyone is capable of starting matches and doing what we want them to, and Saturday proved that. People talk about Larne being soft in the belly and they need the right pitch and everything else, but we went to the Welders rolled our sleeves up and dug out a very important three points. Finally, my message to the fans is that you have been absolutely and utterly phenomenal all season. You are, without a shadow of a doubt, our 12th man and we need that from now until the end of the season. Thank you, Tiernan.

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7 GOOD EVENING everybody and welcome to Inver Park for tonight s Tennent s Irish Cup Quarter Final tie with the current cup holders Coleraine. I d like to extend an especially warm welcome to our visitors from the North West and I wish them an enjoyable visit to Larne. It is quite surreal writing this and welcoming live BBC cameras to Inver Park for the first time in our history. Yes, it was always in our plan, however it has arrived a little earlier than expected. Like everything that has come our way since Kenny Bruce got involved, we have embraced the challenge, risen to it and I d like to think we have delivered. In little over ten days we have poured 200 cube of concrete, fitted 749 seats and put lighting on the Riverside walkway. We have held countless meetings with planners, contactors, BBC, PSNI and local authority to ensure we got this show on the road. My thanks go to everyone who has worked around the clock to make it happen. Delivering a best in class surface and floodlighting is all well and good, but we all know atmosphere makes a game by helping lift the players performances, so we needed to accommodate as many visiting fans as safely possible to ensure that happened. I think we ve done our best to deliver on this. I hope the BBC get the spectacle they deserve and that the improved Inver Park comes across well aesthetically and both clubs showcase the best that NIFL and the IFA bring to the local game. I have talked before about the romance of the Tennent s Irish Cup and it being the blue riband club competition in Northern Ireland. The games and opportunities it has thrown up for the Larne clubs over the next two days fully back this up and bear testament to that old magic of the cup saying. The majority of supporters inside Inver tonight will hope the result goes in the underdogs favour, and won t need reminding how we felt after our semi-final reversal last year. I d urge you to get behind the players from the start, in the hope that we can avenge this result and enjoy another opportunity to make the showcase day out in May. Like many Inver Reds, I ll be on the road to South Down tomorrow to support our neighbours from Denis Harvey Park, as the Tech take on Warrenpoint Town. I know many of the boys in Red & Green will be with us tonight, you have done both your club and our town proud in getting to the last eight. My message is simple, leave nothing out there and see where it takes you. No regrets, WWWW. All that remains is for me to thank tonight s Match Sponsor MyHomeMove, our Match Ball Sponsor Larne Athletic Club and our season long sponsors, the Curran Court Hotel, Graham s Pizza and Classic Drinks. Let s make Inver LOUD and PROUD tonight! Regards Gareth CHAIRMAN

8 CAPTAIN TONIGHT S game is one that we are all looking forward to. A quarter-final against Coleraine is a big test for us, but if we didn t have a belief that we could win the game, then we wouldn t be here. That belief has been instilled in us from Kenny Bruce and the management team all season. When we look back to last season s game between the teams, I came away a bit disappointed to be honest. We went into that game as big underdogs, but I just felt we had a bit more to give than we showed on the day. This year with the team we have and the work we ve been doing I fully expect us to go out and give everything we can to try and get the right result for the club. We re also hoping home advantage is a big factor in the game. Our pitch is big and open and it allows us to play our football. The way we want to play has been well drilled into us by the coaching staff and Manager, and I don t think that will change, regardless of who we play. I think we will look to play our way and not worry too much about who is in front us and hopefully that will be enough to get the result. It s a nice occasion to have tonight s game on TV, but to be honest I don t think that will affect us too much. We have players here with good experience of playing matches like this and in front of big crowds. This season when the big games have come around we ve always given a good account of ourselves and I expect tonight to be the same. Looking back to Saturday, the Welders game was a really good result for us. We have a big squad here and people really want to play. The Manager has emphasised for weeks now that we don t drop players, we rotate the squad, and that s what Saturday showed. I know we had the possibility of confirming the title on Satuday, but I don t think it was too frustrating that it didn t happen. We did what we could do, which was win the match, and it gave us a good platform to come in and prepare for this match. It s always great to see a big Larne support and there was a great crowd who travelled on Saturday. There has been a great away support all season and it s something that the fans should be proud of, because it really spurs us on. Looking to the rest of the season, we have a chance to make certain of the title against Ballinamallard United next Saturday. Beyond that, I d really encourage the fans to keep coming in your numbers. Some people might look at it and think we don t have a lot to play for after the league is won, but for us it will be about making sure we go into next season with momentum. That means still trying to win matches and we want your support to help us do that. Thank you for your support. Conor.

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11 WHEN it comes to important cup clashes down through the years, Larne and Coleraine are no strangers to one another. Here we take a brief look at three of the most notable encounters between the sides in knockout competitions, spanning three decades. Ulster Cup Final 1987: Larne 2 Coleraine 1 To this date, this famous night at the Oval remains the last trophy which has returned to Inver Park. Despite the jubilant scenes at the end, it was Coleraine who took an early lead when Ricky Waide fired in an unstoppable effort from the edge of the box. This was as good as it got for Coleraine however, and the Invermen were level when local striker Paul Hardy looped the ball over the goalkeeper. Paul Malone s men were to take the lead into half-time Trevor McMullan s cross from the right was headed into his own goal by young defender Nigel Quigley. Larne held on for victory and captain Paul Carland lifted the trophy, to the delight of the large support which had made its way up the A8. BY IAN CAHOON their established Premiership hosts with one of their best performances of the season. Neil Candlish scored twice and Mark Dickson and Kieran O Connor were also on target in the 4-2 victory, which booked a semi-final spot. Kincaid s men were due to meet Glentoran at Seaview in the last four. However, shortly after the draw, news emerged that the Glens had fielded an ineligible player earlier in the competition meaning that Larne were given a bye to the final. In that final, the Invermen took an early lead through Derek Delaney, but eventually lost on penalties after the match finished 1-1 at Windsor Park. Tennent s Irish Cup Semi Final 2018: Coleraine 3 Larne 1 The most recent meeting between the clubs came 10 months ago at the Ballymena Showgrounds in the last four of the Irish Cup. At the time Oran Kearney s Bannsiders were aiming for a league and cup double, while momentum was beginning to build behind Tiernan Lynch s outfit. The Larne team list from the evening, runs off the tongue like a who s who of legends from that era. The Larne team that day comprised Vincent Magee, Paul Carland, Tommy Houston, Trevor McMullan, Harry Kernohan, Ian Bustard, Bryan McLaughlin, Francis Smyth, Paul Hardy, Eddie Spiers and Davy Smyth. For Coleraine, there were certainly some notable figures in their line-up, none more so that player-manager Jim Platt. CIS Insurance Cup Quarter Final 2003: Coleraine 2 Larne 4 After qualifying from their group as a surprise package, along with Linfield, Larne made their way to the Coleraine Showgrounds for the last eight clash very much as underdogs. Both clubs sold out their allocation of tickets, making for a cracking atmosphere and a closely fought contest. After being scoreless at the break, Lyndon Kane s thunderous effort from outside the box gave the favourites the edge. However, Larne came roaring back to equalise through David McDaid in the final quarter. The dream of a final appearance was short lived though, as Gareth McConaghie s header and Josh Carson s 90th minute penalty wrapped up the victory. Coleraine went on to win the final, defeating Cliftonville 3-1 in the decider. Tommy Kincaid s men were enjoying their first season back in the top flight after having just been promoted in the summer. However, they managed to shock

12 BLUEFIN SPORT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH 26 SATURDAY 23 FEBRUARY TILLYSBURN PARK, BELFAST BY PETER WILSON LARNE overcame an improved Welders side at Tillysburn Park to maintain their massive 18 point lead at the top of the Bluefin Sport Championship with six games left to play. Despite recording yet another win, Tiernan Lynch s men will have to wait until next Saturday to try to clinch the league title against Ballinamallard United as Carrick Rangers comeback at home to Dundela denied the Invermen the title. The release of the team sheets raised a few eyebrows, as Tiernan Lynch shuffled his pack with eight changes to the starting line up, with the replacement of the suspended Fuad Sule the only enforced change. Huddersfield Town loanee, Dom Tear, was handed his first start for the club and Thomas Stewart made his first start for the Inver Reds since his ankle injury sustained back in October. went close nine minutes into the second half; David Rainey heading downward but Michael Dougherty was on hand to make the save. Just before the hour mark, Larne had a chance to double their advantage with Thomas Stewart s low drive being pushed behind by Ryan Brown after good interplay in the build-up. Rainey was wasteful on 67 from an ideally placed freekick, opting to strike it low instead of going over the wall. Chris Ramsey was next to threaten, but his powerful header was too close to goalkeeper Brown. Referee Mark Dillon pointed straight to the spot with less than 15 minutes to go after Igiehon was brought down in the box. Substitute David McDaid stepped up to slot down the middle with Brown failing to get a good enough of touch to keep out the striker s 18th goal of the season. Both sides started the game toe-to-toe with Jack O Mahony blazing over to the left of goal early on to waste a good opportunity to put Larne under pressure, with David Scullion sending his volley narrowly wide at the other end. However it was the visitors who scored first on 24 minutes; the goalkeeper rooted to the spot as Benny Igiehon held off several Welders defenders to fire home a half volley. Two minutes later the lead was almost doubled, but Paddy McNally saw his header come crashing off the bar. Larne supporters were keeping an keen eye on events at Taylor s Avenue as a combination of a win for the Inver Reds and Carrick Rangers dropping points at home to Dundela would hand Tiernan Lynch s side the title. At half time, Carrick were a goal down, and went two goals behind early in the second half. The Welders searched for a way back into the game but couldn t find a way past Dougherty as Larne took all three points away from Tillysburn Park. The title would have to wait however, as news came through of a stirring Carrick comeback for a 3-2 win against Dundela. H&W Welders: Brown, McMurtry, Armstrong, McMillan, Spence, Deans, Davidson, Morrow (Dornan), Ferguson, Rainey (Prentice), O Mahony Unused subs: Gardiner, Hall, Arthurs Larne: Dougherty, Ramsey, McEleney, Scullion, Stewart (McDaid), Stuart (Hughes), Tilney, Hassin, McNally (Kelly), Tear, Igiehon Unused subs: Devlin, Cosgrove Referee: Mark Dillon Meanwhile, at Tillysburn, The Welders

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14 INTERVIEW BY IAN CAHOON i think the bigger the game the better we tend to perform. WHEN the Irish Cup comes around, defender Chris Ramsey has a few scores to settle and that s only within his own changing room! The furthest the former Manchester City defender has got in tonight s competition was the 2015 final. On that occasion he was with Portadown, when they lost 1-0 to Glentoran. With the renovation work at Windsor Park in full flow, the final was hosted at the Oval, the home of the eventual winners. There was also controversy around the winning goal. The Ports felt Michael Gault had been fouled when through on goal. Instead of getting a free-kick, referee Ross Dunlop waved play on and the only goal of the game was scored a matter of seconds later. While Ramsey and company had a case to feel hard done by in the circumstances surrounding their defeat, he has been on the end of some changing room banter for other reasons. The winning goal that day was scored by now teammate David Scullion, with manager Tiernan Lynch and his brother Seamus on the Glentoran coaching staff that afternoon. It s fair to say the 2015 final gets the odd mention on Irish Cup days at Larne nowadays! Ramsey joked. They aren t in a hurry to let me forget that one, so it would be nice to put it right at some point. The day of the Cup Final was a great occasion though. It s something you look back on with fondness. It s a full day event, starting with breakfast together, the whole family is involved and it gives you the hunger to get back to that again. There s a massive belief in our team that we can achieve something like that together here, because we have full faith in each other and the coaching staff. They give us a game plan and we know that if we follow it then we can be successful in any game they send us into. Standing in the way of getting any further in this year s competition is last year s winners, Coleraine. Ramsey has

15 genuine respect for Rodney McAree s men, but feels the Invermen can still progress. Being at home in this match is a big advantage to us, we feel, he added. Everyone wants that in a cup draw, but we feel very strong at Inver Park and I think our record at home this season backs that up. We know our fans will be a big factor for us as well, because we know they ll get behind us and hopefully help see us through to the result we all want. It s going to be a tough ask to win this match. They beat us last year and are a top team. It s probably up to whoever performs best on the night to get the result. It s also another opportunity to take on a Danske Bank Premiership side, their fourth such test this season. He said: It s one where we re relishing it. I think the bigger the game, the better we tend to perform. When you look at Dundela earlier in the season, and the Portadown games I think most times questions have been asked of us, we have answered them. I know the game is live on TV, but I don t think that s really going to be on the players minds to be honest. Those sort of things are for the fans and the club to enjoy, for us there s an Irish Cup semi-final at stake and that s where our focus will be. Tonight s tie is a repeat of the last year s semi-final between the clubs. On that occasion the Bannsiders ran out 3-1 winners, before repeating the scoreline in the final against Cliftonville to lift the trophy. With both sides showing plenty of changes since that game, Ramsey feels it will have little bearing on tonight s match, though. I don t think we can put too much on that game from last season to be honest, he said. Coleraine obviously have a different manager since then and a lot of different players as well. They play a different brand of football under Rodney too, so it s not really like for like. There have obviously been a lot changes in our dressing room since that game. We also have the nucleus of a team who have been together for a year or more now, and hopefully that can help us going into this game. The full-time training has been a real bonus this year, and has been a big factor for us. It s helped me a lot with injuries. Beforehand I was working in a office, then going to training and picking up niggly injuries. Being full-time it means I can work on injury prevention and take care of myself and it s had a big impact. When we were brought to the club last January it was with the target of getting the club out of the Championship. The management has made it clear that once that is achieved then we move on to the next one, there will be no resting on our laurels.

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22 BY JOHNNY McNABB (COLERAINE FC) COLERAINE come into this evening s Irish Cup quarter-final on the back of a much needed win against Glentoran last weekend. The Bannsiders had lost back-to-back games against Linfield and Crusaders, but despite missing two penalties, goals from Eoin Bradley and Ben Doherty helped edge Coleraine to all three points against Gary Smyth s side. That result means Coleraine now trail fourthplaced Glenavon by only three points in the Danske Bank Premiership albeit the Lurgan Blues have a game in hand. Attention now turns to the Irish Cup and the holders are aiming to reach a third successive final but know tonight s fixture will prove to be a stern test against high-flying Larne. The two sides clashed in last season s semifinal and it took until the second-half for the deadlock to be broken as Lyndon Kane rattled home from 25 yards, before two ex-coleraine players combined for Larne s equaliser as David McDaid equalised from David Scullion s cross. The Stripes recovered from that setback and regained the lead as Gareth McConaghie headed home from a corner kick, with Josh Carson sealing the win as he remained ice-cool from the penalty spot. Coleraine have beaten two Championship teams so far in the competition as they aim to retain the trophy that they won against Cliftonville last May. The first was a 2-0 win against H&W Welders back in January as goals from Alexander Gawne and James McLaughlin secured a professional win at The Showgrounds. The Sixth Round saw Ivan Sproule and his Dergview side coming to the Ballycastle Road but they were also put to the sword as strikes from Ben Doherty, James McLaughlin and Dean Shiels guided Coleraine into the quarter-final stage. It has been all change at The Showgrounds since the January transfer window closed as boss Rodney McAree brought in seven new arrivals. The first was midfielder Jamie Glackin from Crusaders who worked with McAree previously at Dungannon Swifts, before wingers Dylan Davidson and Cormac Burke joined from Glentoran and Dungannon Swifts respectively. There was a return for full-back Mark Edgar from junior football, with Ben Doherty also putting pen-to-paper on a two-and-a-half year deal from Derry City as Ciaron Harkin moved in the opposite direction. Before the window slammed shut, ex-northern Ireland international Dean Shiels signed on the dotted line and defender Dylan King was the final addition from Glenavon.

23 The only disappointment for the Irish Cup holders was losing midfielder Darren McCauley to Inverness Caledonian Thistle, as well as not landing Institute captain Michael McCrudden who opted to re-join Derry City. McAree will be without the services of Lyndon Kane (metatarsal), Aaron Traynor (knee) and Alexander Gawne (ankle) for this evening s clash. Influential midfielder Josh Carson is also expected to miss out after suffering an ankle knock in a recent win against Dungannon Swifts. However, there was a massive boost recently as captain Stephen O Donnell returned to the matchday panel after being sidelined with a knee injury, as well as Aaron Burns who is now fully fit following an Achilles injury suffered before Christmas. You have to relish the challenge and it is going to be a tough one, McAree said. Larne are a very good side - we have watched them and they play a very good brand of football. If we allow them to play they will cause us problems but it is one we look forward to and will work towards this week. There will be a good crowd and atmosphere - hopefully the new stand is open so that we can get more supporters to the game. There is nobody within this club that does not want to reach another Irish Cup Final so we have to do our best to try and make that happen. The visitors will be looking to put on a show for the live BBC cameras after suffering two defeats on Friday Night Football so far this season. The first was a 1-0 home defeat to Newry City, before Glenavon put the Bannsiders to the sword at Mourneview Park in December. PHOTOS: Coleraine FC

24 AS Larne sit just one point away from securing promotion to the Danske Bank Premiership, memories of the Inver Reds last promotion to the top flight will inevitably be conjured. For Larne supporters of a certain generation, Easter Tuesday 2003 will have been their first big day following the team. Tommy Kincaid took his side to Clandeboye Park, needing only a draw against Bangor, their main promotion rivals, to get back to the Premier Division. Whilst the 90s started with the club s highest post war league finish and a League Cup Final appearance, the decade went on to be a largely barren period. With promotion and relegation introduced, Larne s slip back into the second tier was indicative of the general decline and so virtually any new supporters who got bit by the bug post 1992 will have had little to shout about. However, that began to change with the appointment of Tommy Kincaid in 2001 as he rejuvenated the club after Paul Malone s second stint at the club that had promised much, ultimately fell flat. The Irish League was often prone to restructure throughout this period and another one was on the way for the 2002/03 season. The top flight had gone from 16 teams to 8 and then to 12, and it was decided it would go back to 16 for 2003/04. To get to the magic number of 16, four teams would be promoted from the 8 team First Division, and fifth place would play off against the Premier League s bottom side. BY ANDREW SCULLION The 2002/03 season started with optimism as well as Larne finished third in the Ulster Cup. The Cup was played before the league programme started with First Division clubs playing each other once in a league format. Only Ballymena United and Dungannon Swifts beat Larne in the seven games with Dungannon winning the last ever Ulster Cup competition. As the season panned out, Dungannon Swifts and Ballymena United fought for the title, again with the Swifts eventually prevailing. Carrick Rangers had managed to bring striker Crawford McCrae back to Taylor s Avenue, but they suffered dismal season which included a 12-1 home defeat to Dungannon Swifts. They and Ballyclare Comrades and Armagh City did not figure in the promotion race and fought to avoid finishing bottom. That left a three way fight between Larne, Limavady United and Bangor for the final two places. Bangor had held third place for much of the first half of the season, but Larne seized the initiative when the two sides met during the festive period. The Inver Reds winning 2-0 at Clandeboye with goals from Garth Walsh and Scott Cowie, then following that up with a single goal victory at Inver on 30 December with a crucial last minute Neil Candlish winner.

25 Kincaid s men were well placed for promotion but faced two vital games against Limavady United in March. Larne lost 1-0 both home and away which plunged them into a battle for fourth. Limavady United finished the season strongly and claimed promotion. If there was a one match on which the whole season hinged, it was arguably the home game against Ballymena United in early April. Larne were three points behind Bangor, with three games to go. On the same day, Bangor played Dungannon Swifts away. Larne were on the brink of falling six points behind with two games left as Bangor took the lead at Stangmore Park in the first half through Brian Russell and the Inver Reds had fallen behind early in the second half to an Oran Kearney goal. Scott Walker equalised for Dungannon Swifts to reduce the damage for Larne, but four points would still have been a big gap to turnaround. Promotion was out of the Inver Reds hands as it stood. Tommy Kincaid s men dug deep, and as was so often the case through his Larne career, Mark Dickson popped up with a vital goal with less than 10 minutes to go to keep the Inver Reds hopes alive. The drama did not end there, though, as two goals scored in the dying moments of two matches almost simultaneously and 60 miles apart completely changed the Promotion race. As a Ryan Brown own goal went in to give Dungannon a win that would move them closer to the title, Larne s Mark Parker raced through on goal, composed himself and fired past Robert Robinson in the Ballymena goal to spark delirious celebrations on the Inver terraces. Larne had gone from potentially falling six points behind to drawing level with Bangor in the space of a few moments. It proved to be a huge psychological blow as Larne moved ahead of Bangor the following Saturday with a 1-0 win at home to Armagh City, while the Seasiders drew with Ballymena United. It all came down to the final game against Bangor at Clandeboye Park and a large travelling crowd descended on the seaside town for the Easter Tuesday decider. Larne had the best defence in the division and the team that day was laced with experience with the likes of Alan Murphy, James McDonagh and John McKinstry in defence, Tommy McDonald in midfield and Neil Candlish up front. Candlish was involved in Larne s goal on 23 minutes. It was his free kick on the right flank which was teased into the box. Mark Dickson got something on it and it looped over Ryan Brown and into the net. The lead only lasted five minutes when Philip Rogan equalised, but the match played out as a tight, tense tussle. Larne s experience counted on the day, as the wise heads in the team managed the game to its conclusion. Joy and elation mixed with relief greeted the final whistle. Larne had clung on for the point that they needed, and were set to go up and mix it with the big boys once again. The celebrations went long into the night. It was the day a generation of Larne supporters had waited for. Whilst this season, and the almost inevitable conclusion of promotion, hasn t had the same nail biting tension as the 2003 season, the achievements of the current crop of Larne players are what a generation of Larne supporters have waited for too. Make sure you enjoy it as much as we all did sixteen years ago.

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27 AT the beginning of the season Commercial Director Gavin Clements came up with the idea of the Charity Shirt Swap, a charity-based initiative with the aim of helping achieve our goal of integrating with the local community. The idea behind the Charity Shirt Swap was that at each home game would be a team of volunteers from a local charity, selling ballots to supporters who would then be in with a chance of winning a player s match worn shirt. This activity, combined with social media advertising in the week leading up to each game, has provided a healthy collection and brand exposure for each charity. By the end of this season, we will have welcomed 20 charities to Inver Park for both league and cup games. We had Mae Murray Foundation at our very first home game against Ballinamallard United and at the Portadown game we had Chris Ramsey standing with a collection bucket giving away his own shirt in aid of the Alzheimer s Society. We hosted Angel Wishes on Boxing Day when we faced Ballyclare Comrades and our final charity will be RNLI Larne at our final home game on Saturday 20th April against H&W Welders. The enthusiastic volunteers from each charity have raised approximately 700 each game. The amounts raised have been greater than ever imagined, and for this reason we plan to run a new and improved Charity Shirt Swap for the 19/20 season. Tonight, we host Mollie McAllister who is BY CHRISTOPHER LIDDLE representing a charity named Saphara. Through Saphara, Mollie will be travelling to New Delhi for 11 days to teach English to young Indian children who live in the rural areas of the city. Anyone who has travelled to a foreign country for a project similar to this will understand the costs attached and fundraising efforts involved, so we ask that tonight you support Mollie and her fantastic cause by buying a ballot ticket priced at 1. You never know, you may be rewarded with a McNally 18 shirt as a reward for your good deed! To conclude, I m sure I speak on behalf of the staff and players at the club when I say a massive thank you to every charity and volunteer who has taken part this season. There has not been a week where the process has been in any way difficult and everyone has been pleasantly enthusiastic during collection and when taking photographs post-match. A massive thank you to you, the supporters, who have been so generous at every game this season and congratulations to our winners, who all have fantastic mementos from a landmark season. Registration for the 2019/20 Charity Shirt Swap is now open, please contact marketing@larnefc.com to book your charities place!

28 BY NIALL CURNEEN LARNE YOUTH are excited to announce their inclusion in the 2019 SuperCup NI this summer. The 2006 Larne Youth Squad will be the first team from Larne Youth to compete in this illustrious competition. Formerly known as The Milk Cup, this competition has been rebranded and restructured in recent years with local club teams now given the opportunity to participate in the tournament in a Minor Section which was introduced for the first time in 2018 with great success for local sides. The competition has a rich heritage of top professionals plying their trade in their early years representing some of the biggest Premier League club s youth teams, and our young players will be given the opportunity to go toe to toe with future stars of the game this summer. Many of our own first team panel have represented a host of club teams and County representative sides over the years including Conor Devlin, Jeff Hughes and Liam Hassin. Commenting on the news, Academy Director Niall Curneen said This is a fantastic opportunity for our players to experience playing against top sides and players. Our club is working away tirelessly behind the scenes to give our players the best opportunities to develop and make a career in the game. Participation in this tournament is another sign of our intentions going forward. These players will learn from, and enjoy, the preparation between now and July 2019, and the timing of this opportunity ties in perfectly with the challenge to increase and improve all that we do each week within our club across all our age groups. The test of playing against top players on fantastic pitches and in an exciting environment will be a real benchmark and inspiring experience for these players at an early stage in their development. This squad will be exposed to increased levels of preparation for this tournament including additional training sessions, specific strength and condition programmes, detailed tactical preparation, and nutrition plans to follow. All of this will be a real education to these players, and things that we want them to know more about to implement going forward giving them every chance to succeed in the game. We will give this squad the best chance to go to this tournament and perform to their potential doing themselves, their families and our club proud. Collectively we all aim to put a lot in to this opportunity so as our players and coaches get as much out of the experience as possible The draw for SuperCup NI will take place in May 2019 with the tournament itself running from 28th July to 3rd August As well as preparing in depth, the club and the squad will be holding a number of fundraising events to offset the significant cost of participating in this tournament. Keep an eye on all the social media channels for details of how you can get involved in some of these great events over the next few months.

29 Thinking of starting a business in the Larne area? To access FREE advice on starting a business call visit goforitni.com This project is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland ( ) Programme.

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31 BY ANDREW SCULLION LAST SUMMER was a season to remember for Larne Ladies. It was their first season back in football and they dominated NIWFA North 2, taking the title with nine wins and a draw. Since then, there have been all kinds of changes. Changes in the playing staff, the coaching staff, the addition of a new team and changes to the league structure itself. First of all, Larne Ladies Olympic has been established for 2019, which now fills a missing rung to the ladder from the hugely successful Girls Football Development programme headed up by Daniel Carlisle to the Larne Ladies first team. We have our teams, so what about the leagues? Restructuring of the NIWFA has resulted in the creation of five divisions - the Championship and Divisions 1 to 4, with the NIFL run Danske Bank Women s Premiership sitting above all that. Larne Ladies will play in Division 2 next season and have been paired with old foes, Chimney Corner Ladies and Carnmoney Ladies Athletic. They will be joined by Foyle Belles, Coleraine Ladies, Ballymacash Young Ladies, Belfast Swifts and Mounjoy Ladies. The Olympic will play in Division 4 along with Ballymena Allstars II, Banbridge Rangers Ladies, Belfast Ravens, Camlough Rovers Ladies, Lisburn Rangers Ladies, Moneyslane Ladies and St James Swifts Ladies II. In terms of the coaching staff, William Noble and Gary Hood have been joined by Craig Leworthy. The Englishman won promotions in consecutive seasons in charge of Crewe United Ladies and will bring considerable experience to the club. Meanwhile, the Olympic team will be headed by Daniel Carlisle. Both the first team and Olympic squads are still being finalised as the women are a month into pre-season. Last Friday, Larne Ladies played their first pre-season friendly of pre-season when they travelled to play Division 1 side, Belfast Celtic. The Inver Women took time to settle and trailed 3-1 at the break, but held their composure to produce an improved display after the break exchanging goals until the final score was 5-4. It was a night of mixed emotions for William Noble s side. Just as Elle Houston scored to make it 2-1, Georgia Crawford was carried off the pitch injured with a fractured fibula, which will rule her out for the next six weeks at the very least. After the break, Hannah Robinson also showed signs of replicating her 2018 form with a goal of her own. But it was a night for the young players as Elle Houston, who has graduated from the Girls Football Development programme, capped an impressive performance with her second goal of the night after the break, with a delightful chip. Jenny Montgomery, another of the club s promising young players, finished well with the last kick of the game.

32 LARNE FOOTBALL CLUB has grown beyond all recognition in a short space of time and is getting bigger and bigger all the time. Before Christmas, we had a very successful Volunteer Recruitment Night and we want to give you another chance to get involved as we hold our second recruitment night on Friday 15 March at 7.30pm in the Agnew Lounge. With the growth of the club, there is a significant increase in the number of man hours spent by the Board and the club s volunteers to keep everything running at Inver Park as smoothly as possible. Your support has been phenomenal this season, and we are asking you, the supporters, to come along to the Agnew Lounge and consider volunteering your services towards making our club a success. On the night, we will have Board Members and volunteers from the various areas of the club ready to answer your questions and provide information. The areas of the club where we are looking for volunteers include: Health & Safety and stewarding gavinclements@larnefc.com Media and marketing andrewscullion@larnefc.com or marketing@larnefc.com Retail sales iancahoon@larnefc.com Hospitality gavinclements@larnefc.com or marketing@larnefc.com Sports science and data analysis gavinclements@larnefc.com Maintenance ground, pitch, electrical gavinclements@larnefc.com Administration gavinclements@larnefc.com If you have expertise in an area we haven t mentioned above then get in touch! There really is a job for everyone and all ages are welcome. Volunteering is great way to gain experience and boost your CV. It is also a rewarding way of spending your spare time and getting involved in your club during one of the most exciting periods of our history. We would really like to see you at the Agnew Lounge on Friday 15 March at 7.30pm, but if you can t make it, send us an to any of the addresses above or contact us on a Match Day. Larne Football Club is your club and you can make a major contribution to our drive for success.

33 Larne Football Club supports and endorses the UEFA 10 Point Plan. We will not tolerate racism/ sectarianism and will take action against those engaged in such behaviour by removing them from our ground, and reporting such behaviour to the relevant authorities. As part of our ongoing commitment to the I.F.A. s Football For All campaign, Kick It Out, and to equality, anyone caught making racist or sectarian comments may be arrested, prosecuted and banned from the club. If you hear any abuse of this nature, please report it to your nearest steward or call the help line number Thank you for your cooperation and support. The plan sets out a number of measures that clubs can take to combat the problem of racism: 1. Issue a statement saying the club will not tolerate racism, spelling out the action it will take against those engaged in racist chanting. The statement should be printed in all match programmes and displayed permanently and prominently around the ground. 2. Make public address announcements condemning racist chanting at matches. 3. Make it a condition for season-ticket holders that they do not take part in racist abuse. 4. Take action to prevent the sale of racist literature inside and around the ground. 5. Take disciplinary action against players who engage in racial abuse. 6. Contact other clubs to make sure they understand the club s policy on racism. 7. Encourage a common strategy between stewards and police for dealing with racist abuse. 8. Remove all racist graffiti from the ground as a matter of urgency. 9. Adopt an equal opportunities policy in relation to employment and service provision. 10. Work with all other groups and agencies, such as the players union, supporters, schools, voluntaryorganisations, youth clubs, sponsors, local authorities, local businesses and police, to develop pro-active programmes and make progress to raise awareness of campaigning to eliminate racial abuse and discrimination.

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