SuperCupNI kicks off 40th anniversary tournament with spectacular parade
Mon, July 24, 2023
The SuperCupNI kicked off its 40th anniversary tournament in style yesterday with a spectacular opening parade, with thousands of spectators lining the streets of Coleraine to welcome the teams taking part.
This year’s tournament will see 64 teams, 1500 players and coaches from 11 countries playing 150 games across 19 venues and is expected to generate millions for local economy.
Clubs playing this year include four elite teams - Manchester United, Liverpool, Valencia and Hertha Berlin as well as top teams from Mexico, Japan, the US, Bermuda, England, Scotland, Republic of Ireland and Irish League academy sides, along with six County select teams.
Steven Davis, Northern Ireland Captain, most capped British player and current midfielder with Glasgow Rangers, led the parade from Coleraine Town Hall to The Showgrounds, where 1500 players and their support teams gathered to celebrate the start of a week of top-notch football.
Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Steven Callaghan welcomed the event saying; “The Super Cup is a much-loved event in the summer calendar for the Borough and I warmly welcome all the players, coaching staff and visitors who have come along to enjoy the week’s proceedings.
“Over the years, many stars of the future have demonstrated their skills during this tournament, and I think we are all looking forward to the build up to the final, held in Coleraine Showgrounds.”
For more information on the tournament go to supercupni.com and to get tickets download the “buy ticket” app.
More About SuperCupNI
SuperCupNI is more than just a football tournament.
The economic impact across the three council areas (Causeway Coast & Glens, Mid & East Antrim, and Antrim & Newtownabbey) hosting the matches is significant, with research undertaken by the organisers after the 2022 event reporting that around 65,500 people attended spending an estimated £7,400,000 over the week.
An impressive £4,116,166 was spent on accommodation alone, with 29% of visitors coming from outside Northern Ireland and 70% of local attendees opting to stay overnight. And it’s not just hotels that are benefiting, with 21% staying in guest houses / B&B’s, 23% in self-catering and 12% in motorhomes / caravans, or campsites.
