FINALS REARRANGED AT LONG LAST

Town will travel to Lakeview Park once again on Easter Monday (April 5) to take on Loughgall in the Bob Radcliffe Cup final with a 3pm kick off.

But Bann coach Mark Tumilty has said that he is nowhere near happy with the new date for his side's rearranged Kirk Cup final.

They are now down to play Cookstown on Sunday February 21 at Lisnagarvey, but with a league fixture due to be played the day before Tumilty has another date in mind for the final.

"I'm not happy with the new date. I disagree with these back to back games that seem to be becoming more and more commonplace - you don't see them in any other sport," he said.

"You have to ask if there is anything in it for either club. I don't think there is.

"We are due to play Mossley the day before in the league. That could mean our schoolboys are playing three games in two days with a school game on Saturday morning, a league game on Saturday afternoon and a cup final the next day.

"That's how injuries happen and Cookstown are also in the same position as us.

"We are asking for it to be changed as there are a few blank dates later on in the season. I would like to see it played on April 10 because Easter and the Interpros are in the two weeks before the game so that's two weeks when we have no hockey and we play Monkstown the week after in the Irish Hockey League."

He added, "The club lost revenue on Boxing Night because there was nothing on and if you are holding a final on a Sunday there's no opportunity to hold something afterwards and make a few quid behind the bar.

"Every club needs revenue and we are no different."