Campbell College and Wallace High School in battle for the John Minnis Burney Cup

Taking place on Thursday 16th March, the highly anticipated boys’ senior schools final will see the two schools come together for the first time since the group stages of the McCullough Cup, where Wallace won 4-0.

Speaking of their bid for the silverware at a press conference at John Minnis Estate Agents, Ballyhackamore, Gareth Kidd, Coach of Wallace’s first XI hockey team, said:

“We are a very young team this year, and we probably didn’t expect to make it to the final so it means a great deal to me, the players, and the entire school to have come this far in the John Minnis Burney Cup.

“We’ve been lucky to have reached five of the previous nine finals, but we don’t feel under pressure – we’re aiming to enjoy the match. If we’re relaxed and we’re  confident then we hope we’ll come out on the right side.”

Echoing his coach’s comments, Captain Josh Kamalarajah added: “It’s been a long process and reaching the final is a great way to end the season – we’ve all spoken to each other and we know how much we want it.

“We want to win it – we’ve been giving it stacks all season and it would be amazing if we could go out there and get the result.”

While Wallace has had more success in the John Minnis Burney Cup in recent years, Campbell College rose to top of its tough group stages, proving a formidable opponent in the semi-finals when the team won 2-0 against Bangor Grammar School.

Damien Styles, Master in Charge of Hockey at Campbell College, said:

“We have a group of guys that have worked exceptionally hard, and it means the world to have reached the final.

“This year we introduced a new coach, Jonny Carron, who has helped the team develop their technical and tactical know-how, and we’re really seeing the difference.

“A lot of the younger guys coming in behind are watching, and they’ve been so inspired by what the team is doing.”

Captain Lawson Adams added:

“We had a rough start to the season, but we’ve really progressed as a team and are ready to give it our all in the final.”

One spectator certain to be in attendance for the final on Thursday is John Minnis, Company Director at John Minnis Estate Agents, the headline sponsor of the prestigious competition.

He commented:

“For the last number of years, we have been proud to support the John Minnis Burney Cup, advocating for youth development, fitness, and friendly competition amongst peers.

“The local community is at the heart of what we do, and we are thrilled to give a helping hand to keeping this much-loved event alive, with this year’s final expected to be the biggest yet.

“It’s been fantastic to see school hockey continue to grow in popularity since the John Minnis Burney Cup began, and we can’t wait to see who will take the trophy home on Thursday.”

John Minnis Estate Agents has an expansive portfolio of properties across its five offices in North Down and Belfast, specialising in property services including valuations, land sales, residential lettings, and financial advice.

The John Minnis Burney Cup will be held on Thursday 16th March, with pushback at 7.30pm, at Stormont’s Playball Pitches. Family, friends, and supporters are all welcome. Tickets are not required.