This year's Setanta Cup has a change in format whereby the group matches will be split, primarily to accommodate participating Irish League teams who struggle with fixtures towards the end of their domestic league season.

The cross border competition gets under way on Tuesday, February 26th when the first of three rounds of groups matches will be played before concluding on April 15th. From there the competition will be wrapped up until play starts again on Monday, September 1st when another three rounds of matches will determine the semi-final line-up, before the final is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 18th.

"We are looking forward to this year's competition, which I am sure will be every bit as successful as the last three years have been," said Milo Corcoran, chairman of the Setanta Sports Cup Committee. "We welcome back the teams who have played in the competition before and also welcome newcomers Cliftonville, who I am sure will add greatly to the competition."

Tim Tuomey, Football Editor of Setanta Sports, said: "As we enter the fourth season of the Setanta Sports Cup, we're delighted to have this new format for the competition."

"With the eircom League of Ireland and Irish Premier League seasons running at different times of the year, the new structure is aimed at ensuring parity for all clubs, as well as maintaining and increasing the high level of competition of recent seasons," added Tuomey, suggesting there was some difficulty in reaching agreement for the new format.

"With the best clubs on the island participating, we fully expect the 2008 Setanta Sports Cup to be the most exciting and dramatic yet."

Last year's finalists, Drogheda United and Linfield will be seeded while the other teams to be drawn are St Patrick's Athletic, Cork City, Derry City, Glentoran, Cliftonville and Dungannon Swifts.

The draw will take place on Thursday, January 17th at the SAS Radisson Hotel in Dublin Airport.