Northern Ireland Under 16 Manager Dessie Curry takes his squad to Watford this week for practice matches against the Watford Academy team. Two players missing from the Watford trip will be Cormac Burke and Michael McClelland who have been called up by Paul Kee for the Under 17 tour to Sweden.
However, Curry stresses the need for all the players to get experience against top opposition. “We had an excellent course at Coleraine last week which enabled us to have a good look at all the squad but now we need to see how they fare against qual
ity players”.
The Under 16 international programme begins next month with games against Finland at Comber on Tuesday 23rd September and again at Tillysburn Park two days later. Both games kick off at 5.30 pm. Then it’s straight into the Victory Shield campaign with England providing the opposition at Ballymena on Friday 3rd October. Scotland is next on 7th November and the final game against Wales is at Mourneview Park on 21st November.
All the Victory Shield internationals kick off at 7.40 pm and will be televised live by Sky TV.
The Northern Ireland Schools Football Association is offering free entrance to any school or youth group wishing to attend any of the home games. Any group wishing to gain free entrance should send a s.a.e. to:- Edwin Ferris,,49 Mount Merrion Park, Belfast, BT6 0GA to obtain a group pass.
Members of the IFA Membership Scheme can also gain free entrance to these games on production of their membership card.
