Liverpool and Manchester United legends are coming to Northern Ireland next
year to play against Linfield and Glentoran in a special tournament.
The four team event, staged at the Oval on July 26, will be called the
Legends XI Belfast Cup and will form the highlight of what will effectively
be a summer tour.
Former Liverpool hero Alan Kennedy and ex-United
star Paul Parker were at Glentoran's ground today to launch the tournament.
Anfield icon Kennedy, who scored the winner in the 1981 European Cup final
against Real Madrid and the decisive penalty in the 1984 shoot-out success
over Roma in the decider, and Parker, who was a big Old Trafford favourite
during the 1990s, will be just two of the glamour names from the past
turning out.
Frank Stapleton, Lee Sharpe, Andrei Kanchelskis are
amongst those lined up to play for United with Phil Neal, John Aldridge,
Jason McAteer and Bruce Grobbelaar in the Liverpool squad.
Much
like old pop groups reforming, the United and Liverpool Legends will be
touring all round Northern Ireland playing games.
Matches will be
played in Coleraine, Bangor, Newry and at Moyola Park's ground.
Tickets for the Legends XI games will go on general sale on Ticketmaster
from Friday, December 21.
Eugene McLaughlin from Grow Sport, who
are organising the venture, said today: "We're releasing a small
quantity of tickets especially for local clubs.
"Going on the
initial response to the offer, we're expecting demand to be really high.
"We think that Legends XI tickets will be the perfect Christmas present."
John Aldridge, who played for the Liverpool Legends earlier this year in front
of large crowds at Newry and Chimney Corner, said: "I'm so looking
forward to coming back to Northern Ireland. We played two exhibition matches
here last summer and the welcome and support we received was just amazing.
"I'm delighted that Legends XI ticket sales will help local Northern
Irish clubs develop their game and improve their grounds. And hopefully our
three exhibition matches will outsell the three Manchester United Legends
games!"
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