Foyle Cup: Footballers mark tournament's return with parade

Thousands of young footballers have paraded through Londonderry city centre to mark the return of one of Northern Ireland's biggest soccer tournaments.

More than 450 teams - a record entry for the tournament - are taking part in the week-long Foyle Cup.

It is now in its 30th year but has not been held since 2019 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tournament secretary Philp Devlin said the parade was a "special moment" for the players and their families.

The tournament kicked off on Monday but was officially opened by the parade on Tuesday morning.

Clubs from across the island of Ireland, the UK, Europe and north America are taking part, with matches being held across Northern Ireland's north-west and in County Donegal.

Sienna Smith is 11 and plays for Maiden City Girls. Football gives her a chance to "relax and have fun".

"The Foyle Cup is important," she said.

"You get to have fun and interact with other teams, it opens up a new competition," she told BBC Radio Foyle.

Foyle Belle's are among the teams playing in the Foyle Cup

Maiden City coach Craig Lynch said there was a growing number of girls playing in the Foyle Cup.

"It has been a massive thing for us, we have three, four teams, nearly every club now has a girls team, and it is brilliant to see," he said.

He said the parade was a brilliant thing for the city.

It lets the city see how many footballers, from right across the world, come to Derry to take part.

Inter Connecticut FC are one of the international teams which has travelled.

The team is fielding under-15 and under-16 sides in the competition.

Derry native Marty Walker, who now lives in the USA, is the youth teams' technical director.

It is the fifth time he has brought teams across the Atlantic to play in Derry.

He told BBC Radio Foyle playing in the Foyle Cup helped his players learn more about the game.

"The benefit is they take back a more mature approach to the game, the hope is they share the same passion as the boys here," he said.

The under-15s played their first game on Monday, going down 3-0 to the Inishowen Youth League.

'Spectacular grass'

"We played some nice football," Marty said.

"They were a little more aggressive than we are accustomed to in the States. It was a good lesson to take home," he said.

The tournament has not been held since 2019 because of the Covid-19 pandemic

Inter striker Sam Rossoni said despite suffering defeat, the game "was fun".

"The grass was spectacular, back in America we usually play on AstroTurf, it's a very different experience but I enjoyed it very much."

He has also had a chance to walk around Derry's famous walls.

"It is amazing and the view is spectacular. There is so much to do here. I've been really enjoying the city so far," he said.

The Foyle Cup, which started as an eight team tournament in 1992, runs across the north-west until 23 July.