Tramore’s star man Meschak Bebatu and Bohs’ Chris Thomas in action during the clubs’ Under 12 (!) Cup quarter-final tie at Ben Wadding Park last Saturday morning (see Sport 28). There are nearly 170 teams all told playing in the various divisions of the Waterford Schoolboy League. That’s several thousand soccer-mad kids who should surely be keen to support their local League of Ireland club. Yet only 295 people paid through the turnstiles last Saturday afternoon to see the Blues’ sun-kissed six-goal demolition of Monaghan United. The Waterford United management committee may have to consider a similar discount to this Friday’s Carnegie Centenary Shield schools match between Ireland and England at Kilbarry, tickets for which are priced at just €5 for adults and €2 for children. Better to have a stadium fairly full with youngsters paying a couple of quid than a mostly-empty one?

| Photo: Jim O’Sullivan