The Volkswagen Junior Masters is days away and Newbridge Town are set to contest for one of the most coveted prizes in Irish Junior Football. They are just one of 16 clubs that have been invited to compete in a tournament that has entries from teams nationwide.
The tournament will take place in the AUL Complex, Clonshaugh, Dublin 17 on Saturday July 28th and Sunday July 29th. Now in its fifth year, the tournament has grown significantly in terms of its recognition and importance amongst the Irish grassroots soccer community. Defending champions Belvedere FC will try to capture another title against fifteen other teams from around the country.
Once again, the stakes are high with the winning team receiving a €2,500 grant for their club, while all competing teams will receive an Umbro team kit for the competition. This year’s tournament will take a slightly different format than previous years and is now open to under-13 teams with squads of 14 people competing at 9 a-side. The group stages will be played on Saturday 28th July with the semi-finals and finals taking place on Sunday 29th July.
The winners of last year’s tournament went on to take part in the bi-annual Volkswagen Junior World Masters in Berlin. Belvedere FC represented Ireland on the global stage and gave a fantastic account of themselves, topping their group and losing narrowly to Austria in the semi-finals. To cap off a fantastic weekend their goalkeeper, Adam Banim, was named goalkeeper of the tournament.
The professionalism of the tournament gives the players a taste of what top pros are exposed to on a regular basis and is often used by scouts from clubs across the UK and Ireland to spot some of the rising stars of Irish football, adding an extra edge and making the competition a fantastic spectacle for all football fans.
Mark McGrath, Head of Marketing, Volkswagen Group Ireland said: “We are very proud to be hosting one of Ireland’s most prestigious underage soccer tournaments, the Volkswagen Junior Masters, now in its fifth year. The tournament provides us with a fantastic opportunity to support soccer communities throughout the country, as represented by the wide range of local Volkswagen dealerships displayed on team kits. It is with great pleasure that I will welcome all our teams, managers, referees, media, parents and supporters to the A.U.L Complex for the 2018 Volkswagen Junior Masters Ireland competition.”
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