FC Isle of Man summer football festival kicks off

The Ravens have been playing in the North West Counties Football League for four years

The FC Isle of Man Summer Festival of Football featuring teams from across the English football pyramid is set to kick off.

In its second year, the event will see Altrincham FC, Fleetwood Town, and the returning Radcliffe Borough face off with the home side at the island's national stadium, The Bowl, in Douglas.

The Manx club has just completed its fourth season competing in the North West Counties Football League, finishing 11th in the Premier Division.

The mini tournament will see matches take place on Friday and Sunday, with Saturday a chance for the visiting teams to meet fans and explore the island.

Friday's schedule

15:00 Match 1 – Altrincham v Radcliffe

19:00 Match 2 – FC Isle of Man v Fleetwood

Sunday's schedule

11:00 Playoff for third

15:00 Match 1 winner v Match 2 winner

*all times BST

Lawrence Looney (right) was appointed to the Ravens board this month

About 1,000 supporters travelled to the island for the inaugural festival last year, featuring Chester, Lancaster City and Radcliffe.

Organisers have urged local fans to show their support for both the home side and the visiting clubs.

Former Altrincham co-chairman Lawrence Looney was recently appointed to the Ravens board following his departure from the Greater Manchester club in May.

The Ravens' first competitive match took place in July 2022, after the team's membership was suspended from the 2020-21 season due to the island's coronavirus border restrictions.

Starting out in the First Division South, the team secured promotion to the league's Premier Division in its first season, where the club has remained since 2022-23.