Despite moves by the IFA last week which opened the way to matches being staged on that day, clubs here have been lukewarm in their reaction to the controversial motion.

From June 1 next year, football clubs across the province will have the option to play their fixtures on the Sabbath.

However it appears half will refuse the offer and continue to play their entire fixture list on the traditional Saturday afternoon.

Jackie Morrison, secretary of Glebe Rangers, said: "We won't be playing matches on a Sunday. We don't have a problem with other sides playing their games then but, as a club, we won't be doing so.

"If we are looking for an alternative to Saturdays, we will try and arrange those matches for Friday evenings, instead of a Sunday."

Mosside manager, Robert Nicholl, echoed that resistance, saying: "If we had been at the IFA meeting we'd have voted against it.

"I can't see that it would benefit clubs like ours. You have Premiership matches on Sky TV on Sundays so we'd be competing with that for spectators. No, I think, instead of trying to play matches on Sundays, the IFA should be seriously looking at a summer league."

It was a different story for Ballymoney United officials, however, who backed moves for Sunday football, with club secretary, Gerry McAleese, saying: "I was at the meeting in Belfast to decide this and I voted for it.

"You have to move with the times, 20 or 30 years ago you wouldn't have had any shopping on a Sunday. Now the shops are open, the leisure centres are open and it's all change.

"There were more than 90 votes went for playing on Sundays and it makes sense.

"For example, the Northern Ireland against Denmark match recently looked like being called off because the rain was flodding the pitch. The only option open to us in this country was to replay the match the following week or sometime down the line.

"If we had had this law passed at that stage then it made sense for the game to be played the next day - the Sunday - instead of the Danish squad and our Premiership players having to fly in again at another point.

"To me, it makes sense to, at least, have the option of playing on Sundays. To be honest, I can't see us making use of it too much, but at least the option is there now."

There was similar support for the moves from Ballycastle United. Club Chairman, Mike Norcott, told the Times: "Northern Ireland is the only country in Europe whose clubs don't have the option to play on a Sunday if they want to.

"Thankfully that will change now and we welcome that. The option should be there to clubs, it's as simple as that.

"If you think about the end of the season when there's something of a fixture backlog, you need to have the option of playing matches on different days and that is what this new legislation gives us."

Rasharkin United Chairman, Peter Baird, said: "It would probably mean we'd be missing a few of the players who are Christian.