New Premier Division Cup kicks-off in Kilkenny this weekend

The newest competition in the Premier Division, the Centenary Cup, kicks into action this weekend.

Designed as a one-off competition to give the seven teams competing in this season’s top flight extra games – although it may be reviewed for the future – the competition will be a two-legged affair up to the final.

Teams will play the quarter-finals and semi-finals on a home and away basis, with aggregate scores to count. Should the score be level after two games, the tie will go straight to a penalty shoot-out.

The first game will be played this weekend, when Callan United host Freebooters A at 11am. With only seven sides in the top flight the League decided to enter four Division One sides – Highview Athletic A, Clover United, Fort Rangers and Deen Celtic A – into a draw to find an eighth side. Rathdowney’s Clover came out of the hat, earning a tie with Evergreen B.

Centenary Cup

1 Stoneyford United v Thomastown United A

2 Freebooters B v Evergreen A

3 Clover United v Evergreen B

4 Callan United A v Freebooters A

Semi-finals: 3 v 4, 1 v 2.

Division One Cup

1 Newpark v Bridge United

2 Clover United v Thomastown United B

3 Lions v Deen Celtic A

4 Highview Athletic A v Fort Rangers

Semi-finals: 2 v 4, 1 v 3.

Division Two Ken & Michael Byrne Cup

1 St Ann’s v Paulstown 06

2 River Rangers v Castlewarren Celtic

3 Callan United B v Brookville

4 St John’s v Evergreen C

Semi-finals: 1 v 4, 3 v 2.

Division Three Cup

Byes: 1 Ormonde Villa, 2 Deen Celtic B.

3 Highview Athletic B v Evergreen 46

4 Ballacolla v Thomastown United C

Semi-finals: 4 v 3, 1 v 2.

Buckley Youths’ Cup

1 Newpark v Thomastown United

2 Castlewarren Celtic v Freebooters

3 Evergreen B v Highview Athletic

4 Deen Celtic v Evergreen A

Semi-finals: 4 v 1, 3 v 2.

The Kilkenny & District League have also made a change in the running of the Under-11 David Doran Cup. In a change to the under-11 game this year’s tournament will be run using the under-12 guidelines, i.e. played 9 v 9 on a box-to-box pitch without a Retreat Line and no offsides, using a squad of 16 players. The changes have been implemented to ensure young players are used to guidelines when they step up to the under-12 game the following season.

David Doran Cup

Last 32

East End United v Highview Athletic

Stoneyford United Blacks v Fort Rangers

Freebooters Blue v Clover United

Deen Celtic Blacks v Spa United

Callan United v Paulstown 06

Newpark v Deen Celtic Reds

Lions Blue v Thomastown United Whites

Last 16

1 Evergreen White v East End United/Highview Athletic

2 Evergreen Green v Freebooters White

3 Stoneyford United White v Stoneyford United Black/Fort Rangers

4 Freebooters Blue/Clover United v Freshford Town

5 Bridge United Black v Deen Celtic Black/Spa United

6 Callan Utd/Paulstown v Lions White

7 Bridge United Amber v Newpark/Deen Celtic Red

8 Lions Blue/Thomastown United White v Thomastown United Blue

Quarter-finals

1 v 2, 3 v 4, 5 v 6, 7 v 8

Referees Course

The FAI’s Referee Course at the Aspect Hotel, Kilkenny has been pushed back to March 25 and 26. To register for the course check out www.fai.ie for information.