After beating their nearest rivals last Monday night and following it up by securing a place in this season’s FA Cup Final, it certainly has been a big week for fans of Manchester City.
However, for the fans of the blue side of Manchester based in Donegal, it promises to be another big week as the Barclays Premier League trophy and FA Community Shield make their way to Ballybofey on Friday next, 19th April.
In addition to the two trophies visiting Bonners Corner Bar in Ballybofey – the home of the Blues in Donegal – three former City players will also be there. Johnny Crossan, Gary Owen and Paul Lake all played over one hundred games each for the club during three different eras at the club. All three have great stories to tell about their times at the club, and they will be involved in a Questions and Answers session in Bonners from 9.45pm on Friday evening. Once that has finished, the night will end with a soccer quiz with supporters of others club invited to come along for what should be a great night’s craic.
Although City are massive outsiders at this stage to retain the Premier League title they won last season, the trophy will come to Ballybofey on Friday with City still holders of the title. The Community Shield was won at the start of this season when City beat Chelsea 3-2 at Villa Park. Should City go on and win the FA Cup next month, they will return to Wembley in August to defend the Community Shield.
The Donegal Branch is now into its fifth season and for the past four years have had its base in Bonners Corner Bar, Ballybofey. In February 2012, the bar became just the tenth recipient of the “Heart of the City” award – an acknowledgment from Manchester City themselves to supporters clubs throughout the world. On the same evening that City were presenting the award to Bonners and the Donegal SC Branch, the FA Cup was on show in Bonners.
While the Q&A session and Soccer Quiz is open to anyone to attend, admission to see the two trophies is strictly by ticket only. Tickets are currently on sale in Bonners Bar, Ballybofey priced at €5 for adults and €1 for children for non-members of the Supporters Club. Everyone wanting to see the trophy must be in possession of a ticket. The trophies will be on display from 6.30pm to 10.30pm approximately.
On Friday night, the Donegal Manchester City Supporters Club are the match sponsors for the Finn Harps v Salthill Devon game which is taking place at Finn Park (kick-off 8.00pm). The Manchester City Supporters Club urges all football supporters in Donegal to come out and support Finn Harps – not just on Friday night, but at every home game in Finn Park.
