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Darren Fullerton

NIFL CEO Gerard Lawlor backing plan to play all future League Cup finals on a Sunday

NIFL chief executive Gerard Lawlor is set to propose that all future finals of the BetMcLean League Cup be played on a Sunday.

He has also suggested that clubs who are opposed to the development will be permitted to withdraw from the competition without sanction.

11,103 spectators - a record attendance for the showpiece - witnessed Paddy McLaughlin's Cliftonville beat Coleraine 4-3 in a thrilling encounter at Windsor Park at the weekend.

Read More: Cliftonville beat Coleraine in BetMcLean League Cup final - 45 photos from the game

It was the first time the final had been staged on a Sunday and Lawlor says the Irish League family would be “mad” to revert back to a Saturday showpiece next year.

The NIFL chief, who fronted the groundbreaking proposal to hold this year’s final on a Sunday, said: “Obviously, we will have to sit back and review the whole occasion, but it is my opinion that a Sunday final worked.

“Yes, there are things that might work better and there are things we need to change, but overall it is definitely something to build on.

“I think it would be crazy to retreat from this now and it would be my recommendation to the (NIFL) board that the League Cup final be played on a Sunday moving forward.

“We would be mad not to play future League Cup finals on a Sunday. We have to say 'next year’s final is on a Sunday' and we go for it.”

Coleraine and Cliftonville both embraced the concept of playing a Sunday final, but Lawlor accepts other clubs may have their reservations.

“I know some clubs mightn’t particularly like a Sunday final and it might not work for them, but overall I think that’s what we have to do,” he said.

“Going forward, if the board makes the decision that future finals are on a Sunday, it would then be up to individual clubs whether they enter the competition or not.

“We wouldn’t punish clubs for not entering the League Cup in that scenario, but if they were entering the competition, they would be doing so on the basis that it would be a Sunday final.

“My recommendation to the board will be for a Sunday final and I’d be very confident that would be carried.

“If that doesn’t work for some clubs, we would - regrettably - give those clubs the option not to enter the competition.

“But tell me which chairman or manager wouldn’t want to be part of the drama and spectacle we saw on Sunday? Who wouldn’t want their club to be on that kind of stage next season?”

Cliftonville and Coleraine played out a seven-goal thriller in Sunday's final (INPHO/Jonathan Porter)

Sunday’s final was also the first League Cup showpiece in over a decade to be staged in the month of March and Lawlor has vowed to nail down a March date for future finals.

“That’s actually a decision we have made,” he said. “A final on a dark, cold winter’s day or night in January or February isn’t as appealing as a showcase fixture in March.

“I believe playing the final in mid or late March makes a big difference.”

A number of personalities and familiar faces were spotted in the crowd at Sunday’s showpiece, including TV presenter Eamonn Holmes, actor Jimmy Nesbitt and BBC's Holly Hamilton.

And Lawlor believes the seven goal thriller, which was broadcast live on Sky Sports with Paul Gilmour on commentary, helped showcase a lot of what’s good about the Irish League.

“We had a number of people who hadn’t been to an Irish League game before and when they were leaving they were saying ‘wow, that was amazing’,” he said.

“Those people were chatting about how good the game was and how exciting it was.

“Ali Pour (Glentoran owner) was also in attendance with Mick McDermott and he was saying ‘this is fantastic’ so we had a lot of positive feedback.

“Listen, there’s still plenty for us to analyse. We’ll look at social media figures and Sky’s viewing figures because we went up against Premier League matches on Sunday.

“There’s a lot of work to do and facts and figures to go through to make cold, firm recommendations to the board.

“But I don’t know how any manager, who sat in the crowd on Sunday, wouldn’t want to be involved in a fixture and event like that moving forward.”

One of the only negatives for NIFL was a spate of sectarian chanting which was booed and eventually drowned out by a majority of supporters inside the stadium.

Lawlor said: “There were some issues and singing that we didn’t like, but in terms of the 11,000 attendance we had inside the stadium, it was a minority of individuals involved.

“Overall, I think Sunday’s final was a positive spectacle for the Irish League. and it’s certainly a very good base to build on."

Read More: Northern Ireland call-up a shock and a "dream" for Sunderland teenager Trai Hume

Read More: Reds produce stirring comeback to win BetMcLean League Cup final

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