Coleraine boss Oran Kearney has praised the Northern Ireland Football League for ‘thinking outside the box’ with this season’s BetMcLean League Cup final.
A record crowd of more than 10,000 spectators is expected for Sunday’s showpiece between the Bannsiders and high-flying Cliftonville at Windsor Park.
That’s more than double the attendance that saw Coleraine beat Crusaders 2-1 in the 2020 final, the last time the competition was played before Covid.
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The 2019 showpiece between Linfield and Ballymena United - which the Blues won 1-0 - attracted 5,700 supporters.
There's no doubt NIFL’s decision to stage the final on a Sunday and an ambitious marketing campaign, including the provision of cheaper £10 and £5 tickets, has contributed to the anticipated turnout.
Kearney, chasing his third trophy as Coleraine manager, said: “It is very different and something we’re not used to, particularly the Sunday aspect, but it’s very much something we’re open minded about.
“It’s exciting and there are 10,000-plus spectators predicted already and maybe even more as the atmosphere builds and the final approaches.”
Asked if he welcomed NIFL’s alternative approach to this year’s final, he said: “Yeah, I’m not one who believes in doing something simply because we’ve always done it that way.
“I think we’ve got to experiment and look at different ways of capturing the imagination of supporters.
“Personally, I watch a huge amount of sport on a Sunday, probably more than I watch on any other day in the week, so this final is something that would interest me on a Sunday.
“I appreciate people have different ideals and ideas on what it should look like on a Sunday, but until we have a go… it’s something that could be exciting.”
When he revealed his plans for the final earlier in the season, NIFL chief executive Gerard Lawlor said: “I’m aware this is the first time a major domestic final will be played on a Sunday in Northern Ireland.
“But we have to continually evolve as a league and look to what has worked for other major sporting events and learn from their successes.”
Sunday's final has a 3pm kick-off and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
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