August Festival of Football in the Markets Field
An Exciting Month of Football in the Markets Field
August promises to be an exciting month for football fans at the Markets Field. A combination of League and Cup football for both the Senior Men’s and Women’s teams will see a total of 6 top flight games take place at the Garryowen venue. The month is book-ended by Munster derbies against Cork City for the Senior Men’s and Senior Women’s teams.
It all kicks off on Friday August 2nd when league leaders Cork City are visitors. When the Leesiders came to town back in March, 3,146 witnessed the sides share the spoils. Tickets are selling well for this weekend’s fixture and patrons are advised to purchase theirs as early as possible. This is a crucial game as Tommy Barrett’s side try to build on last week’s win over Finn Harps to develop a challenge for a play-off place.
The following day, our Senior Women’s side kick off their Sports Direct Women’s FAI Cup campaign when they welcome non-league Wexford side, Ferns United, to the Markets Field. Dominic Foley will be hoping to put together a Cup run and look at the FAI Cup as a means of leading the club to a final appearance or its first ever trophy. Dominic’s side return to SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division action the following week when they entertain Bohemians.
Then on August 16th, history will be made when Pike Rovers visit the Markets Field for a Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup Third Round clash. Only once before in the competition’s history have two Limerick sides met in the FAI Cup. That was back in 1987, when Newcastle West AFC (then in the League of Ireland) hosted Limerick City in the Demesne (or as it was called at the time, Ballygowan Park). That first meeting saw two Limerick Senior League of Ireland sides going head-to-head. This time, it will be the first ever all-Limerick meeting between a Senior and Junior club as Limerick’s only Senior League of Ireland representatives, Treaty United, take on a Pike Rovers side which have been to the fore-front of Junior soccer both locally and nationally. It’s a mouth-watering prospect and should provide many talking points amongst the Limerick soccer fraternity.
An exciting and entertaining month is in prospect. So, get your tickets early, and help get the Markets Field rocking for the month of August.
It’s back to League action for the other two August fixtures. On the 23rd, Tommy Barrett’s side host Wexford FC in an important game as part of the chase for play-off places in the SSE Airtricity First Division. And the month is rounded off on the 31st, when the Senior Women’s side host a Munster Derby against Cork City in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division when Dominic Foley will be looking for a repeat of the 3-0 victory his side had over their provincial rivals in Turners Cross earlier in the season.
