Parliamentary praise for Larne Football Club’s back-to-back title wins

An Early Day Motion (EDM) submitted for debate in the House of Commons highlights not just the club’s success but the knock-on effect for community relations in the town.

Tabled by East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson, the EDM states that “this House congratulates Larne Football Club on winning the Irish league title for the second year running; congratulates the players on their dedication; praises the manager, Tiernan Lynch, on his leadership of the team; thanks Kenny Bruce for the financial commitment he has made to club”.

The motion goes on to recognise “the important role played by the dedicated followers who attend matches on a weekly basis; welcomes the commitment to building for the future through the football academy, which has been established to bring on new players and the 500 youngsters in the youth teams; and believes that sporting success has engendered civic pride and improved community relations in the town”.

Video and pictures: Larne FC lift the Irish League title as back-to-back champions

EDMs are used to put on record the views of individual MPs or to draw attention to specific events or campaigns and by attracting the signatures of other MPs, they can be used to demonstrate the level of parliamentary support for a particular cause or point of view.

Larne’s successful defence of the Gibson Cup, which they won for the first time last season after a 134-year wait, concluded with a 5-0 win over Coleraine at a packed Inver Park in the final game of the Sports Direct Premiership campaign.