Another weekend, another host of Manx sporting action to fill your weekend with. Lucky us!
Today (November 13) the 2026 Amputee Football World Cup gets underway in Mexico, with a Manxman captaining the England team. Sean Jackson, as I embarrassingly failed to recall on the podcast this week, will lead the three Lions out for their opening encounter against Costa Rica on Sunday (November 15).
If that doesn’t get your tastebuds tingling, I don’t know what will.
With that in mind, it’s only right that we start with the football, then, and we’ve got a table-topping showdown to look forward to…
Mills on the Charge, Peel Primed for Response
A solitary point last weekend was less than Union Mills would’ve liked, considering that joint leadership of the Canada Life Premier League was on offer. Regardless, a draw against Peel is nothing to be sniffed at, and an even bigger prize is on offer this time round.
A home clash against league leaders Corinthians is a mouthwatering prospect, with the Millers able to snatch top spot away from the Ballafletcher side who’ve looked imperious thus far.
Peel have a chance to build on a hard won point last time, as they head on the road to Rushen United. Rushen sit third from bottom, and shouldn’t give the westerners too many headaches, but this is the Premier League, and anything can happen.
Elsewhere, it’s a saints derby as St Mary’s face St John’s, with both teams looking to continue their strong showings thus far this season as they bid for Railway Cup berths.
Ramsey host Braddan, who will be looking over their shoulder as they slide down the division. They now sit just outside the relegation places, and will need to put in a solid performance against their northern rivals if they’re to climb their way up the division.
A full list of the weekends fixtures can be found here.
Vintage Trials at South Barrule
The latest Vintage Motorcycle Club Trial is set to take place at South Barrule Quary this Sunday, with action kicking off from 1.30pm.
The trials are run under the ACU using the non-stop trial rules, consisting of two routes, A (hard) and B (easy). You enter one of two classes, VMCC members or as a guest (Invitation) and follow one of the routes. Each event normally consists of eight sections with four laps. The rider with the lowest points wins, if equal the rider with the most cleans wins, then the most 1’s, 2’s, 3’s, 5’s, if still equal the rider who travelled the furthest with the least marks, wins.
Based on the latest available standings, the premier class standings are headed up by Simon Skillicorn, who holds a narrow advantage over Steve Lace and Neil Kerruish.
There’s good news for young riders this campaign, with the VMCC IOM Section having agreed to pay the fee for any junior rider, under the age of 16, who wants to ride in VMCC IOM Trial events this year. No matter what class or route, the entry fee will be covered by the club.
All riders must have an ACU licence and VMCC members may be required to show their membership cards.
Arena League Action Returns
The second round of the Arena League Qualifiers is set to take place on Saturday, as the Manx squad return to Ellesmere Port in the hopes of building on their winning performance at round one in October.
The Isle of Man team currently top Division Two, enjoying a commanding advantage over Co Chester in second and Wigan in third after a dominant display in the season opener where the side led from start to finish. Having been drawn in lane one for the second round, they will face Co Chester, Chorley Marlins, Copeland and Wigan this weekend.
You can find the full travelling squad here.
A Medieval Battle and the Boys are Back on the Boat!
After a whole host of postponements, Douglas Celts will play just their second match of the Hartford Homes Manx Shield season, when they take on Southern Nomads at Ballakilley Park on Saturday.
With Douglas’ first team not having a game this weekend, their domestic side has been bolstered by fringe players and returnees which should make for a exciting contest against a Nomads side who have proven tricky opponents thus far this season.
Furthermore, the Manx Academy U14 side also take the field for the opening round of the U14 Cheshire Cup against Birkenhead Park. The selected squad encompasses players from all four domestic outfits, and will travel across the Irish Sea to get their campaign underway at Park Road.
