The 2011 Northern Ireland Milk Cup is the twenty-ninth edition of the international football tournament which takes place annually in the north coast of Northern Ireland, and attracts competitors from across the globe. There are three sections to the tournament, the Elite Section (U19), the Premier Section (U17) and the Junior Section (U15). The defending champions are the USA, Etoile Lusitana and Chelsea respectively.
The Elite section has six teams in 2011, with each team playing two group matches on the Monday and Wednesday. The top two teams in the table after the group stage compete in the final on Friday evening, with the remaining teams playing off for final standings earlier that day.
The Junior and Premier sections are to be contested by 24 and 20 teams respectively this year. Each team plays once on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as part of a single league, from which the top 4 teams qualify for the Milk Cup semi-finals. The remainder of the teams qualify for lower-level cups (namely the Milk Globe, Vase, Bowl and Plate) that run alongside the Milk Cup based on their final league position, with semi-finals on Thursday, and the finals and play-off matches on Friday. In 2011 for the second time the finals night will be held at the Ballymena Showgrounds, rather than the traditional venue of the Coleraine Showgrounds.
Elite – Under 19s – national sides Premier – Under 17s – club sides and national sides Junior – Under 15s – club sides and national sides
Clubs and national teams from anywhere in the world may compete on invitation, and five continents will be represented - Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Asia. The tournament is also continuing its tradition of allowing the host nation's youth to play against top opposition through six select teams from each county of Northern Ireland
Venues
ColeraineBallymenaBallymoneyBroughshaneCastlerockAnderson Park, (Coleraine)Ballymena ShowgroundsBallymoney ShowgroundsBroughshaneCastlerock Coleraine BallymoneyColeraine ShowgroundsRiada Stadium Limavady ColeraineRoe MillRugby Avenue Limavady Mullaghacall Portrush Portstewart ColeraineLimavady ShowgroundsMullaghacallParker AvenueThe WarrenUniversity Coleraine
Elite Section
TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts211042+24211042+24211031+24210134–13201112–11200202–40
Group stage
5th Place Playoff
3rd Place Playoff
Final
Premier Section
TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts Manchester United3300151+149 Aspire Academy3300130+139 Etoile Lusitana330050+59 Desportivo Brasil3210100+107 South Coast Strikers321061+57 Bolton Wanderers320191+86 Cherry Orchard3201127+56 Tottenham Hotspur320173+46 County Tyrone3201108+26 County Antrim320156–16 County Down310243+13 Hartlepool310258–33 Athletico del Pinto310225–33 Bohemians310259–43 County Londonderry310226–43 County Armagh310238–53 County Fermanagh300326–40 Otago3003012–120 Zamora FC3003014–140 RSKV Leonidas3003017–170
Teams ranked 1–4 qualify for Milk Cup Semi-FinalsTeams ranked 5–8 qualify for NIMC Globe Semi-FinalsTeams ranked 9–12 qualify for NIMC Vase Semi-FinalsTeams ranked 13–16 qualify for NIMC Bowl Semi-FinalsTeams ranked 17–20 qualify for NIMC Plate Semi-Finals
Group stage
Monday 25 July
Tuesday 26 July
Wednesday 27 July
Thursday 28 July