Bo'ness to host over-45s international football tournament next month

A total of 12 teams – eight from around the UK and four from Iceland – will converge for the Lava Cup competition on Friday, May 19.

Last year the inaugural Lava Cup seven-a-side tournament was held at Aberdeen’s ground Pittodrie and proved a huge success, and this year’s event is expected to further cement a growing relationship between clubs in Iceland and the UK.

Organiser Marc Boal has had a long-standing relationship with the Icelandic FA and clubs in that country and in the past has arranged games between teams from the two nations.

But now the link has grown to the extent that the plan is to hold two tournaments a year, one in Iceland and one in Scotland.

Falkirk Foundation FFIT were among the teams which took part in a tournament in Reykjavik on April 1, and they will also be taking part in the tournament at Newtown Park next month.

Other Scottish teams lining up in Bo’ness on May 19 are Hibernian FFIT, Ness FC, Berwick Rangers Seniors, Dunfermline FFIT, Orkney Islands and Aberdeen FFIT Legends.

The participation of the Northern Ireland Vets team takes on extra significance as they are helping to break down religious barriers in that country, with both Protestant and Catholic players featuring in the team.

The anticipated success of the Bo’ness tournament will mean a windfall for one group of players which uses Newtown Park regularly. For fundraising on the day will be in aid of the Scottish national cerebral palsy team which recently opted to make Newtown Park its base.

Boal said: “I sat down a while back with the Icelandic FA and discussed the benefits, and this is why they are totally on board.

“Everybody has issues these days, what with Covid and mental wellbeing. We know of some really brutal bad cases – people who have tried to commit suicide and marriage break-ups and the like.

“Players taking part don’t necessarily have to have played football before - it’s just a chance to get out and about a bit and have a bit of camaraderie, meet new team-mates and people they can speak to if they have any issues.

“This is what we are balancing everything on. The mental health aspect is huge.”

The tournament is being held from 12-4pm and three 15-minute games will be played consecutively across the pitch, with two groups of six teams playing on a round-robin basis.

Each team will play five games and the group winners will play for the Lava Cup (which is actually made out of lava) and the two runners-up will play for the bronze medal.

The tournament was originally going to be staged at Falkirk Stadium, but because of the prospect of the Bairns taking part in the play-offs over that weekend in May a new venue had to be found.

“I spoke to a couple of people at Falkirk and they suggested Newtown Park,” said Boal.

He revealed that a number of Scottish senior clubs including Falkirk and Kilmarnock have already expressed an interest in hosting the Lava Cup next year, but he hasn’t ruled out the possibility that the event will return to Newtown Park in 2024.

“As I said to the Icelandic FA at the weekend, Newtown Park is giving us everything – they are bending over backwards for us. Bob Snedden (chairman of the Newtown Park Association) has been absolutely fantastic,

“And I told them ‘we’ll not get this at Aberdeen or Rugby Park’, so we might even consider continuing to hold it here.”

To add to the sense of occasion, Kinneil School in Bo’ness is to provide 12 ball girls/boys, and there will be a piper and national flags of all the teams taking part and national anthems.

“We’re just making it as professional as we can,” added Marc. “It should just be a great day.”

NPA chairman Snedden said: “Having the opportunity to host an international event such as this is a great opportunity to showcase not only Newtown Park but Bo’ness as a whole.”