Stadia funding welcomed but £36.2m 'falls significantly short'
The Irish FA and Northern Ireland Football League [NIFL] have "welcomed" investment in local football from the Northern Ireland Executive but called for further funding.After initially being announced in 2011, £36.2 million will be provided by the NI Executive to improve stadia and facilities for football clubs across Northern Ireland.On Thursday, Communities minister Gordon Lyons announced that applications are open for clubs to receive a share of the funding.Clubs who are eligible will be able to apply for a slice of the Northern Ireland Football Fund Performance Programme.Irish FA president Conrad Kirkwood says it is a "positive step forward" but "long overdue" and "falls significantly short".Gerard Lawlor, chief executive of NIFL, says he welcomes the announcement with "cautious optimism".Clubs in the men's Premiership, Championship and Premier Intermediate leagues and NIFL Women's Premiership are eligible to apply, along with League of Ireland outfit Derry City.
Lawlor said the announcement was an "important milestone" but added that the "current fund will unfortunately have nowhere near the impact as initially intended".He added: "As the minister himself has stated, much more is needed to have the required impact."Lawlor also pointed to the decision not to develop Casement Park ahead of the Euro 2028 finals and said a "legacy" needs to be implemented."In the correspondence to not develop Casement Park for Euro 2028, the Secretary of State and UK Sports Minister stated that they 'remained committed to building a legacy for football across the whole of the UK'. "This is their big chance as now is the time to step up and deliver."The NI Football Fund requires more money. The Lord Justice Taylor Report was published in 1990 and football in Northern Ireland still hasn't received its proportion, so we strongly feel that UK Government funding is long overdue. "We will continue to lobby and make our case to both the NI Executive and UK Government as the role and impact our member clubs play in their communities and society simply cannot be understated."
IFA president Kirkwood added the funding allocated by Stormont falls "significantly short of the Department for Communities' own estimated £200 million required to upgrade performance club grounds, grassroots facilities and establish a National Football Centre for Northern Ireland".He said that "fit for purpose stadia" will leave an impact for "the people of Northern Ireland for generations to come"."We, alongside our partners at NIFL, are dedicated to working closely with the UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that our game benefits from the UK and Ireland's hosting of the UEFA Euro 2028 tournament."Minister Lyons admitted additional funding will be required and he is "determined this is only the beginning"."It is my ambition that this is a rolling programme of awards and project delivery over the coming years," said Lyons, who added the funding goes "beyond football" and helps communities."This will require additional funding in due course and I will be seeking to sustain the fund with further investment from a range of sources."Lyons has also pledged cash for grassroots football and a national training centre, but this is not included in the initial release of funds designed for clubs and their stadia.
'I left in 1996 and it hasn't changed one bit'
Glentoran manager Declan Devine believes the facilities for football in Northern Ireland "needs to move with the times".When the £36.2 million was initially announced in 2011, the club's Oval ground in east Belfast was earmarked for £10 million to help towards its redevelopment."If we want football in Northern Ireland to grow, we've got to provide our fans - irrelevant of what club – with modern facilities to enjoy what is a brilliant product," said Devine."We need a hub which we can use all of the facilities for the people of east Belfast. We have to work with our community. "We need to bring this back into the 2025 world because I left here in 1996, came back last year and the thing hasn't changed one bit."Devine, who has also managed Derry City and Bohemians in the League of Ireland, feels the stadia "aren't up to scratch" and that Larne's success in Europe will only be replicated with better facilities."We've just had a club qualify for the Conference League Group stages [in Larne]," he said. "If we want to showcase our country, we need to showcase our facilities. We need investment. "If you look at the current Northern Ireland international team, the many players who have come through this league. We have a brilliant product. "We have a brilliant future ahead of us but we need the stadia, the grounds and the clubs to be supported by our government to take us to the next level."
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