The chance to play your amateur soccer at the 50,000 seat Aviva Stadium is a big draw for the eight remaining teams in the Aviva FAI Junior Cup but there is added incentive after last night’s quarter final draw with suggestions emerging that the remaining seven games in the tournament will all be broadcast live on television.
While details have yet to be confirmed it is believed that contracts have been signed with Setanta and IrishTV to broadcast the games with assisting sponsorship from Aviva. Talks are also thought to be taking place with TG4 which would add more to the potential reach.
The eight team captains were at the Aviva Stadium yesterday to see what could be ahead of them on May 14th and to meet with Aviva Ambassador Kevin Kilbane.
“The FAI Junior Cup is what football is all about in Ireland,” said Kilbane in his role as Aviva FAI Junior Cup Ambassador.
“For those who reach the Final it may be the pinnacle of their football lives and to be in with the chance to play in this Stadium is incentive enough for any player in the country.”
“There are so many professional players who will never get a chance to play here, so for two of these eight sides, that will be amazing and today shows them what might lie ahead.”
Aviva have been to the fore with a range of new initiatives this season, building on their four year relationship with grassroots soccer.
Clubs that have been knocked out of the tournament have been included in an “If You’re Out, You’re In” initiative that has delivered star training sessions, pop up fundraisers with celebrities, training kit and more to clubs that have fallen in the earlier rounds.
“Our involvement with the FAI Junior Cup has been a great journey,” said Robert Kennedy, Head of Sales and Trading at Aviva Ireland.
“Joining as sponsors four years ago, we have been able to watch the profile of the competition grow and it’s now a competition that every Junior club in the country dreams of winning.”
“To be able to host the Final in the Stadium and to be able to provide television coverage from the Quarter Final stage are some of the little things that we can do to make this a better competition for all involved and give these players the stage they deserve.”
Umbra are co-sponsors of the tournament. Last year’s losing finalists Sheriff YC have an away quarter final against Kilbarrack United after the draw. They will be hoping to stay on the #RoadtoAviva and bring this campaign video one stage further.
