Five reasons to watch Northern Irish football live on Sky Sports

Northern Irish football comes to Sky Sports screens this weekend and, if these standout stories are anything to go by, viewers could be in for a treat.

A new deal stretching across six seasons kicks off on Friday when Cliftonville host Glentoran, with the Sky Sports cameras making the short trip across north Belfast on Saturday for the League Cup final between Ballymena United and Carrick Rangers (kick-off 5.30pm).

From off-field intrigue and goals that went global to the infamous incident involving a leg of lamb, here are five eye-catching anecdotes which will convince you to tune in...

The mystery Glentoran benefactor

Glentoran, one of Northern Ireland's most successful clubs, was saved from a winding up order in 2011 by an unnamed benefactor under the condition that the source of the money remained private. The mystery man was rumoured to be anyone from Rory McIlroy, comedian Frank Carson - who passed away in 2012 - to a local paramilitary group!

Glentoran have won 19 top-flight titles in Northern Ireland and are one of the original clubs in the league having been formed in 1890. Every year they play a Boxing Day match against local Belfast rivals Linfield, which is often the most-attended game of the season.

Feisty affairs in the dugout and on the pitch

Northern Irish league games can often be feisty affairs, with a cup match between Newry City and Larne in 2010 being abandoned after a mass brawl between the players and coaching staff.

Shortly after two players had been sent off, fights broke out in the dugout and between the players, forcing the referee and his assistants to walk off the pitch with eight minutes left to play. A BBC pundit, Alan Patterson, described it as "the worst scenes I have ever seen in 40 years of watching Irish League football".

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Pitted against Messi

There can also be real moments of quality, as shown in 2010 by Matty Burrows, with his jumping backheel volley for Glentoran against Portadown becoming a viral sensation.

The stunning strike was even shortlisted for 2010 FIFA Puskas Award, as he got to rub shoulders with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala, eventually finishing third.

"A friend of mine went on holiday to New York and my goal was being played on the big screen in Times Square," said a disbelieving Burrows at the time. "I also read that Lionel Messi gave an interview where he was talking about my goal and how much he rated it!"

Familiar faces

Nacho Novo, who made more than 250 appearances for Rangers between 2004-10, now plays for Glentoran and is set to feature on Friday night.

Despite being 37, Novo is still taking the game seriously and last month got shown a straight red card for headbutting an opponent who reportedly mocked his physique during their 3-0 defeat to Crusaders.

'Leg of lamb-gate'

Things can also get a little heated on the terraces, and one game in 2008 even saw a leg of lamb thrown onto the pitch by an angry supporter during a game between Ballymena United and Lisburn Distillery.

A chair and a bottle were also among the objects believed to be hurled onto the pitch in a game that also saw the two managers squaring up to each other, players jostling, and the referee and his assistants escorted from the pitch by police.

Ballymena were fined £1,000 for their role in the disturbances, while managers Tommy Wright and Paul Kirk were slapped with stadium bans.

Watch Cliftonville v Glentoran from 7.40pm on Sky Sports 2 HD.