The Irish Football Association has launched a search for volunteers to help out at the 2024 UEFA European Men’s Under-19 Championship finals, which are being staged in Northern Ireland this summer.
The eight-team U19 Euros, featuring some of the best young footballers in Europe, will run from 15 July until 28 July.
Group matches are scheduled to be played at Seaview Stadium in Belfast and Inver Park in Larne, while the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast will host the semi-finals and final.
Volunteers are needed to help the association to run the tournament. Roles on offer include being part of the volunteer support team, the VIP/ambassador/hospitality team, the mascot chaperones team and the matchday support team.
Other voluntary roles include being a member of the technical support team, the ticketing team, the transport team and even doping control.
Peter Gilpin, director of the 2024 tournament in Northern Ireland, explained: “Volunteering is a great way to get involved in one of the biggest sporting events in Northern Ireland this year.
“The UEFA U19 Men’s Championship kicks off what will be an exciting few years ahead for football with the Women’s U17 Euros coming in 2026 and the Men’s Euros in 2028, and a strong volunteer force is key to successful event delivery.
“There is a great culture of volunteering here and we are confident that our visitors will receive a warm welcome to Northern Ireland this summer.”
Dean Holmes, Club Development Officer with the Irish FA Foundation, is leading the drive to get volunteers onboard.
He said: “The Men’s U19 Euros coming to Northern Ireland provides a superb opportunity to volunteer, and its legacy will be the development of a sustainable volunteer culture in our local game.”
The Irish FA is using a digital platform called Be Collective which enables volunteers to sign up and be notified of tournament volunteering opportunities and wider association volunteering opportunities.
To express an interest in volunteering at the 2024 UEFA European Under-19 Championship finals please follow this link.