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Insport Manchester Primary Schools netball, football finals on today
January 15, 2026
The Insport Manchester Primary Schools football and netball competitions climax today at Manchester High School, with the playing of both finals.
In the netball final, defending champions Bethabara oppose first time finalists Villa Road at 10 50 a.m., while in the football decider McIntosh Memorial entertain New Forest Primary at noon.
Nicole Hastings, coach of Bethabara Primary, said her team has played to expectation and swept through the group stage and semi-finals, where they defeated Nazareth Primary.
For today's final she said they are prepared and ready to give their best.
"It wasn't difficult for us going through the preliminary round because we have been busy preparing as we hope to maintain the title of champions. We hope and trust we can succeed, as we are always champions and we are prepared to the best of our ability," she stated.
Hastings knows very little about the Villa Road outfit, but trust their preparation to take them over the line.
"We haven't played them before. This is a new encounter with them. We hope they put in what they have learnt during training and come out victorious."
The Villa Road team, coached by Marlon Hibbert, has also been impressive on the way to the final.
Like their opponents, they have been putting in a lot of work according to assistant coach Keneisha Elliot.
"Considering this is the first time to the final, we are not going to take them lightly. We are going to start hard and finish hard. We are not going to take it simple. We have never played them in a final before so you never know what they can do. To win would be historic for us, as it is our first time."
The battle for the football title will also be a close one. Jerome Marshall, coach of McIntosh Memorial Primary, suffered the agony of losing last year's final.
However, after beating last year's champions, Mandeville Primary, in the semis, he is confident of going all the way.
"I am very confident, as long as the boys deliver but you never know how they will play. You can't put anything past New Forest. They went to the semi-finals last year and the year before they were in the final so they are hungry too. Let's see how it plays out and I hope we can be victorious," he commented.
New Forest are in their second final in three years, and after their win over high-flying Nazareth in the semi-finals, the Omar Robinson-coached team is also confident of lifting the title this year.
