Final to be shown live for first time

After the 2018 NPL Player of the Year Awards in April attracted a worldwide audience of more than three hundred thousand views on Twitter and over ten thousand more on Facebook, the EVO-STIK League is teaming up with 29red.com on Wednesday night to screen live coverage of Atherton Collieries versus Coalville Town from Alfreton's Impact Arena.

The start of the latest phase in the EVO-STIK League's NPLTV project was confirmed on Tuesday with a successful broadcast set to pave the way for many more after the 2018-19 campaign kicks off in August. The online bookmakers are providing one of their own professional commentary teams to cover the final and NPL chairman Mark Harris is looking forward to thousands of supporters who can't be in Derbyshire logging on to the competition's Facebook page to enjoy the 7.45pm kick-off.

The chairman said: "After the success we saw showing the awards for a second season, screening such a high profile fixture in midweek was the logical next step. We have been encouraging our clubs to film their matches ever since the NPLTV project started and this season's final offered us an ideal opportunity to continue evaluating how best to commercialise live screening and develop our strategy as a competition."

Atherton Collieries are hoping to become the second EVO-STIK League North club in a row to beat top flight opposition when they take on the Ravens after Bamber Bridge beat Grantham Town at Leek Town's Harrison Park last May to lift the Integro League Cup, pictured.

Images courtesy of @evostikleague/Twitter

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