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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport

Ballymena and Glentoran to meet in Irish Cup final in first match with spectators present in UK since March

Belfast's Windsor Park to host Friday's final. (Picture: Getty Images)

Ballymena United and Glentoran meet in the Irish Cup final on Friday, the first match in the UK to take place in front of fans since March.

Windsor Park in Belfast will host the contest which will have 500 supporters in attendance with both clubs allocated 250 tickets.

Supporters of Ballymena and Glentoran, who reached the final with penalty shootout victories against Coleraine and Cliftonville respectively in behind closed doors semi-finals earlier this week, will be assigned seats behind the goals.

Glentoran boss Mick McDermott admits however there will be plenty disappointed at missing out.

"When the players and their families and people involved in the club receive their allocation, there aren't many tickets left," McDermott told Belfast Live.

"There will be people who have stood on the terraces for 40 years who will miss out, but hopefully nobody holds it against us.

"People will be disappointed, but I too will be disappointed. My family won't all be there to watch the final, but it is what it is."

Football fans have not attended live games in the UK since the outbreak of the coronavirus in March.

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