Sporting Fingal will play their 2010 competitive opener against Longford Town in the Leinster Senior Cup first round on Saturday (2.30pm) at the Oscar Traynor Coaching Development Centre in Coolock, the headquarters of the North Dublin Schoolboys/girls League (NDSL), with whom Fingal have an official football partnership.

Liam Buckley's side will take on Town with less than two weeks to go before their maiden campaign in the League of Ireland Premier Division kicks off with the toughest possible test at reigning champions Bohemians on March 5.

Last July, the 12,000-player NDSL officially announced their partnership with League of Ireland Club Sporting Fingal, a unique arrangement between two such parties. 

The President of the FAI, David Blood, along with the Chief Executive, John Delaney, were in attendance as well as John O’Brien, Secretary of Sporting Fingal, and Fingal’s Director of Football, Liam Buckley. 

Agreement was reached following several months of discussion to formalise the football alliance with the prime aim of developing Youth football in the county of Fingal. The FAI have given their full backing to the initiative which will assist in facilitating a pathway for aspiring young footballers to pursue their professional football career with Sporting Fingal in the League of Ireland club after developing through the NDSL.

Liam Buckley said: “I’d like to thank the officers of the North Dublin Schoolboys/girls League for allowing us to host the game at their base. Our relationship with the league is vital to our overall goal of embedding the club into the Fingal community.

"As part of our agreement, I had planned to host one of our games at the NDSL headquarters and I hope to see many of the league's participants as well as parents, coaches and managers come along for what should be an entertaining encounter." 

- Admission for the game costs €5 while Under-16s will be admitted free of charge.