U19 finals in fine shape

By Andrew Haslam in Belfast

The first week of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship final round has been a huge success, with all eight teams keen to praise the impeccable organisation and facilities at their disposal in Northern Ireland.

Central base
The eight finalists have been based in the Europa Hotel in central Belfast, which has led to much inter-squad mingling and a friendly atmosphere throughout the competition. The three training centres are all within reasonable distance of the tournament headquarters, and all have been top-class - as has the organisation of the championship in general.

Advertising push
Prior to the start of the finals on 18 July, and indeed during the event, the local organising committee, together with Belfast city council, has run a concerted advertising campaign aimed at raising local interest in the competition. The 'Teenage Kicks' campaign has been highly visible throughout, with prominent advertising hoardings throughout the city, while the tournament has also been promoted on local television.

Local interest
The investment has been rewarded in fine style. Spectator interest has been high, with Northern Ireland's third and final Group A game against Germany at The Showgrounds in Ballymena drawing the highest attendance, of 2,109 paying customers. In fact, all three of the hosts' matches were watched by more than 1,800 fans while the Matchday 2 meeting of Greece and Germany at Mourneview Park, Lurgan pulled in 1,024 supporters.

Young fans
One of the most notable aspects of the crowds here has been the number of young fans taking an interest in the competition. The stadiums have been full of children of all ages, who seem to have relished the opportunity to watch top-class international youth football on their doorstep.

Media coverage
There has also been plentiful coverage in the local media, with most of the interest inevitably focusing on Northern Ireland's campaign, although all of the games have been covered in papers such as the Belfast Telegraph and the Daily Mirror, among many others. In addition, Eurosport, UEFA's television partner for youth competitions, has already shown six matches live - two on each matchday during the group stage - and will televise both semi-finals and the final.

Venues renovated
The tournament has been a bonus for Northern Ireland in general, and the national game in particular, in a number of ways. First, of the five venues, in addition to those in Ballymena and Lurgan, games have also been held at The Oval and Windsor Park in Belfast, and The Showgrounds in Newry, the three outside Belfast were all renovated in the build-up to the event, to bring them in line with UEFA regulations for this championship.

Event significance
Furthermore, local organisers and Jim Boyce, who has a special interest in these finals in his twin roles as chairman of UEFA's youth and amateur football committee and president of the Irish Football Association, have been quick to point out the significance of this competition to Northern Ireland as a whole.

Hope for the future
It is the first finals tournament to be held in the country, and such has been its success that hopes are high that Northern Ireland could repeat the feat in the future, or even stage a competition like the final round of the European U21 Championship in the near future. Should such an opportunity arise, Northern Ireland has offered ample evidence that it would be ready to rise to the challenge.