Matches cancelled due to threats

Police warned UDA members planned to attend football match

A Ballymena amateur football league cancelled two of its games at the weekend because of fears of paramilitaries attending.

The secretary of the town's Saturday Morning League said police warned him UDA men planned to go to a game between Harryville Homers and Broadway Celtic.

Another match was cancelled due to threats from republicans.

The league is to hold an emergency meeting later this week to discuss the incident.

League secretary Brian Montgomery said he hoped a way forward could be found.

"What I think we have to do now is, either through talking to these people or through intermediaries, to discuss what the position is and how we can get it stopped.

"I wouldn't say I was completely confident, but I would hope reason would come into it," Mr Montgomery said.

There have been a series of sectarian attacks against both Catholics and Protestants in Ballymena recently.