IT'S not every day that you get the opportunity to attend the semi-final of the Champions League, but a few lucky football fans from Belfast will be heading to the San Siro – for next week’s Milan derby.
Ian Kerr and Mark McDermott will both be cheering on the Italian giants Inter Milan in the second leg of European football's premier club competition, where the two Milan giants are going head-to-head to reach the coveted final. But that's only half the story. Did you know that Belfast has its very own Inter Milan supporters' club?
Ian Kerr is the President of Inter Club Belfast and Mark McDermott is Inter Club Belfast Secretary. Ahead of tonight's Champions League semi-final first leg against their fiercest rivals AC Milan, both spoke to the Andersonstown News about how the club was formed and its growing membership.
“I had initially been a member of Inter Club London for two years, but I wanted an Inter Club in my own city," said Ian.
"On the off-chance I put a message on Twitter back in 2018 to see if there were any like-minded fans interested in starting up an Inter Club in Northern Ireland and I tagged Inter's profile. I received a response to my post from Mark McDermott, who was interested along with his friend Mark Douglas (club treasurer). We all agreed that we would email Inter to get information on how to start an Inter Club and notify them of our plan to try to create the club.”
Said Mark: “I broached the subject with a fellow Inter supporter and friend Mark Douglas who was keen and then found Ian Kerr on social media. Ian had written articles for the UK's leading fan website Sempre Inter and was heavily into supporting Inter, travelling frequently to games and making friends with fans from all over. I asked Ian would he like to join us in forming an inter Club and he said he’d love to, having been thinking of forming one himself for some time. The three of us set about forming the club in 2018.”
The club President explained how both he and Mark were in direct contact with Inter Milan to make the club an official supporters' club of the Italian giants.
“We needed 25 fully paid-up members to become an official Inter Club in our first year and then 50 would be the target every year after that. We reached out everywhere through flyers, signing up family etc, and we managed to get over the 25 members we needed. Inter Club Belfast was given official status by Inter in November 2018 and the club was born.”
Ian and Mark were like many when they fell in love with the Italian side of the game when Football Italia hit Channel 4 during the 1990s.
“I’ve followed Inter since 1993, but Mark McDermott and Mark Douglas followed the club for even longer than me and they could tell you tales of the successful Inter sides from the late 80s," said Ian.
Club members make at least two annual trips across to the northern Italian city of Milan as part of the club’s scheme to encourage club members to attend games at a discounted rate.
“As a club we try to make two trips. Inter have special 'Inter Club' games where tickets are discounted for members to as low as €10. Inter usually do this promotion for two games per season. Last year we had successful trips to Anfield in the Champions League and to San Siro for our last game of the season at home versus Sampdoria. As for tickets, the pull of Inter Club membership is the access to tickets for members. Inter have a dedicated phase of ticket sales for Inter Club members only, before tickets go on general sale.”
The club has a very diverse mix of members from across the world according to club secretary Mark McDermott.
“The club has been a great success growing membership season by season with not only a broad inclusive cross section of the community here but also attracting members from Milan, New York, Ghana and of course closer to home with England and Scotland too.”
Inter Club Belfast pride themselves on their diversity and their non-sectarian background which bring all walks of life to join in their support of the I Nerazzuri (Black and Blues).
The supporters meet every matchday at Lavery’s bar in Belfast city centre and are always open to new members.
“We initially found new members through word of mouth and using flyers in Italian businesses but, now we use our social media channels more. We have a Facebook page and private chats for members and WhatsApp chats also for those that don't have Facebook. We are also on twitter @ICB1908.”
“We meet up to watch games in Lavery's on a regular basis but we have also had successful meet ups at the Crown & Shamrock bar in Newtownabbey. This season we have watched all of Inter’s games in the Champions League and the Coppa Italia as a club, as well as quite a few league games too. For the upcoming Euro Derbies, we will be watching as a club at Lavery’s with all welcome to join us to watch what is going to be two huge games. We will also have members going to the second leg in person which is phenomenal.
“We look forward to the future and expect to grow further and hope to expand our offer to members as we do. Forza Inter Sempre (Go Inter always)," added Mark.
To join in time for next season you can contact their Facebook page or alternatively you can contact the email at interclubbelfast1908@gmail.com. The new membership campaign will begin in July.
