Excitement as Parish Cup draw is made

As Orkney’s summer football season prepares to return this year, so too does the coveted Parish Cup, sponsored by The Orcadian.

In 2020, for the first time since the wartime, the Parish Cup was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year, it is back and 13 teams are vying to lift the famed cup.

The draw for the first round and the quarter-finals were made live on BBC Radio Orkney this morning — and as usual, there was no shortage of intrigue and suspense as teams and communities discovered what the famed Radio Orkney Quality Street tin had in store for them.

Two ties that immediately stand out sees defending champions Stromness, who have dominated the competition in recent years, take on record cup holders Sandwick, and two North Isles rivals, Sanday and Westray, going head-to-head.

Birsay, champions in 2018, face Deerness in the first-round, while big names St Ola take on Holm, and St Andrews face South Ronaldsay.

West Mainland sides Firth, Rendall and Stenness were all given byes into the quarter-finals.

The full draw for the first round is:

Deerness v Birsay; Stromness v Sandwick; St Andrews v South Ronaldsay; Holm v St Ola; Sanday v Westray; byes — Firth, Stenness and Rendall.

The ties are to be spread over the weekends of June 12 and 13, 19 and 20, and 26 and 27 due to referee availability.

The full draw for the quarter-final was made off-air and is:

Stromness/Sandwick v Rendall; Sanday/Westray v Holm/St Ola; Stenness v St Andrews/South Ronaldsay; Firth v Deerness/Birsay.

Ties to be spread over the weekends of July 3 and 4, 10 and 11, and 17 and 18.

The full fixture list is to be issued to club secretaries shortly by the Orkney Amateur Football Association.