As the first games of the 2014/15 season got underway, the Mid-Ulster Youth League received an added boost as organisers confirmed they had secured local natural gas company, firmus energy, as major sponsor for the new season.
This partnership with firmus energy follows the natural gas company’s support of the U13 squad’s kit in the Foyle Cup where they reached the knock-out stages of the tournament. The league will now be renamed ‘firmus energy Mid-Ulster Youth League’.
Venue Coordinator and Designated Child Welfare Officer Michael O’Kane is delighted that the league has strengthened its relationship with the local company and welcomes the backing. He said: “firmus energy has been very proactive and hands-on in their support of the league’s activities over the summer and it is a great boost to the league to have them officially on board.
The league has grown significantly in size this year and that is due in part to the support from firmus energy. I believe that without their support at the Foyle Cup the clubs would probably have looked at other League options. Our Facebook page is now live and the young people have been visiting it on a regular basis. As a new feature we have introduced a Player of the Month Award and this has proved popular with the clubs that attended our last meeting.
“We now have 96 teams in the league from Coleraine through to Camlough and Enniskillen to Warrenpoint. This means that almost than 2000 young people aged between 10 and 17, are actively involved in football every Saturday from September through to the end of May so this backing is great for the sport.”
firmus energy’s Marketing Director, Des Brown commented: “We have been involved with the Mid-Ulster Youth League since we sponsored its family festival day at the end of last season and have been so impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication of the organisers as well as the young players that we were delighted to add further support to the league.
“firmus energy has been active in Portadown and the surrounding area since 2007 so supporting the league marks our commitment to our local communities within Northern Ireland. With more than 70,000 customers across the province, we are working hard to develop our natural gas network and look forward to connecting and bringing the benefits of this cheaper, more practical fuel choice to thousands more homes and businesses in the near future.
“We hope that by working together, we can help to strengthen the league and we look forward to ‘kicking off’ our support this season.”
For more information on the firmus energy MUYL, please visit www.midulsteryouthleague.co.uk.