LARNE chief executive Niall Curneen believes their European adventure is bringing more people together and says the club can’t wait for their Conference League group games to commence following Friday’s draw.
The Inver Park men have been drawn to Gent (Belgium) – home, Molde (Norway) – away, Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) – away, Shamrock Rovers (Ireland) – home, St Gallen (Switzerland) – home and Dinamo Minsk (Belarus) – away.
Times, dates and venues will be announced by Uefa on Saturday.
While the Larne players were privately hoping to land illustrious English Premier League side Chelsea in Friday’s draw, they were instead handed an intriguing all-island derby against Shamrock Rovers, to be hosted at Windsor Park.
“I know the CEO of Shamrock Rovers – John [Martin] – and we were texting each other saying it was a cert to happen,” Curneen said.
“It’ll be a good game for us and Shamrock Rovers and a good one for the neutrals.
“It’s the honour of competing in the group stages of a European competition for the first time ever. It’ll bring our fans out who are the most important people, and we hope that some neutrals will want to watch the games as well.”
Stephen Bradley’s Shamrock Rovers side were rewarded for their efforts with a trip to Stamford Bridge in the Conference draw in Monaco in a rejigged format that sees each team play six seeded games rather than the more familiar system of playing home and away in designated groups.
Curneen added: “When you look at what Northern Irish football is trying to do in terms of being on a par with the League of Ireland, it’s an opportunity for us to pit our wits against them.
“We’re admirers from afar of what Shamrock Rovers have done on and off the pitch. There’s definitely plenty of glamour in that tie.”
Larne’s three home games in the Euro Conference League will be played at Windsor Park as Inver Park falls short of the capacity criteria, although Uefa gave special dispensation to some clubs, including Larne, to play some preliminary round games at their home facilities.
On Thursday night, Tiernan Lynch’s men made history by beating Lincoln Red Imps 4-3 on aggregate to reach the group stages of a major European competition for the first time in their 134-year history.
While the supporters are enjoying the warm after-glow of their historic achievement, the club’s hierarchy are working out all the logistics and communicating with the league to manage the extra games.
“We’ve been in since nine o’clock this morning looking at our fixture schedule and trying to work with the league to make sure that, yes, we’re going to enjoy the European experience – but on Sunday our league defence starts [against Coleraine], and that’s priority number one for us and try and win title number three.”
On the impact of Larne’s incredible Euro adventure has had on the east Antrim town, Curneen said: “We’d 2,550 people in Inver Park on Thursday night. That’s 14.1 per cent of our town’s population and it was littered with males, females, kids and the enjoyment they got from it, as well as the previous couple of games, was fantastic.
“Hopefully they find a love and an affection for this football club for many, many years – it’s just brought people together. Football has been the vehicle to demonstrate that.”
Larne’s Uefa Euro Conference League opponents (dates to be confirmed by Uefa on Saturday):
Gent (Belgium) - home; Molde (Norway) - away; Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) - away; Shamrock Rovers (Ireland) - home; St Gallen (Switzerland) - home; Dinamo Minsk (Belarus) - away.