IoM national side to face FC Isle of Man in friendly

Both managers looking forward to test at The Bowl tonight (4 July)

The Isle of Man men's national football side and FC Isle of Man will face off in a pre-season contest this evening (4 July).

Both are set to meet at The Bowl in Douglas, kicking-off at 7pm, as part of their respective preparations for the weeks and months ahead.

For the national squad it'll be their final match test before heading to the 2025 Island Games in Orkney from 12-18 July.

Caretaker Player/Manager Chris Bass jnr. says not only are they in good spirits ahead of the trip but are looking forward to tonight's test:

Meanwhile, it'll be the first pre-season contest FC Isle of Man will have ahead of their latest campaign in the NWCFL Premier Division which starts on Saturday, 26 July.

A disappointing end to last season saw them finish 15th in the league which was followed by a number of first-team players leaving the club in the summer including Sean Doyle, Jack McVey and Ronan McDonnell.

Manager Paul Jones says they're still learning how the team will look going into the new campaign, however he's been impressed by the attitude and quality he's seeing at this early stage:

With aspirations of securing a gold medal at this year's Island Games, the Isle of Man national squad has enjoyed a positive string of pre-season results so far.

A 4-3 win over Liverpool county champions Halewood Apollo in April was followed by a 1-1 draw at Trearddur Bay on Saturday, 21 June.

For FC Isle of Man - following tonight's fixture - their upcoming pre-season schedule will see them host North Wales-based side NFA FC on Friday, 11 July and then take on National League side Brackley Town in Ramsey a day later (Saturday, 12 July).

After that, they'll welcome EFL League Two side Fleetwood Town, National League outfit Altrincham and National League North's Radcliffe FC for the Summer Festival of Football at The Bowl in Douglas from 18-20 July.