Weekend Sports Preview

As you read this, the island’s hardy band of sportsmen and women will be desperately searching their homes for their kit bag which was hastily stashed away prior to the festive break.

Footballers, athletes, netballers and rugby players are among those back in action this weekend, as the 2023 sporting calendar begins in earnest

In the former sport, the ECAP FA Cup begins on Saturday lunchtime with eight preliminary round ties at 1.15pm. Pick of the ties is arguably at Blackberry Lane where DIvision Two promotion hopefuls Castletown face top-flight hosts Douglas High School Old Boys.

FC Isle of Man also have another home game to look forward to, Paul Jones’s Ravens hosting Kendal Town at the Bowl on Saturday evening at 6pm. In rugby, there’s three games for fans of the oval shaped ball to look forward to.

Douglas host Cheshire side Wilmslow in Regional Two North West, while in the Manx Shield Western Vikings take on Ramsey Blues and Ramsey Reds face Nomads Whites at QEII and Mooragh Park respectively.

The Douglas game kicks off at 2pm, the other two getting under way at 2.15pm. On Sunday, the netball season resumes after its Christmas break with four games in its Championship division as the second-half of the league campaign begins.

Off-island a large local contingent will be travelling to Witton Park in Blackburn to take part in the annual Lancashire Cross-Country Championships. There’s expected to be at least 30 island runners taking part across all age groups from under-11 to seniors and veterans. Good luck to one and all.