Latest news with #GerardLawlor
Belfast Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
NIFL and Irish FA join forces in bid to push through Sunday football proposal
The Irish FA and NI Football League have joined forces in a concerted effort to push through a proposal on Sunday football at the IFA's Annual General Meeting. But NIFL Chief Executive Gerard Lawlor has written to clubs insisting the proposal is not aimed at forcing them to play on Sundays.
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Ports and Blues upset as NIFL doesn't reimburse fans
Portadown and Linfield have expressed "extreme" and "deep" disappointment after the Northern Ireland Football League [NIFL] declined to offer compensation to supporters financially impacted by the late postponements of Irish Premiership games on 7 an amber weather warning being issued the previous day because of the impending arrival of Storm Darragh, NIFL opted not to postpone any of the six scheduled fixtures at that stage but the games were then called off at short notice on the Saturday. Portadown's game at Coleraine was postponed an hour before the kick-off with Linfield's contest at Dungannon Swifts called off 70 minutes prior to the scheduled Chief executive Gerard Lawlor later said the league governing body would look at the option of reimbursing supporters but the Portadown and Linfield statements said that it instead had decided to make a donation to charity. "Portadown FC had three supporters clubs buses as well as a team bus travel to Coleraine at a total cost of £2,010, with invoices submitted to NIFL as requested. Therefore, we were dismayed to learn that NIFL instead would look to make a donation to charity," said the club's statement. "While charitable donations are of course always welcome, unfortunately this gesture does nothing to help our supporters clubs at a time when many are struggling to cover the price of hiring buses because of rising transport costs."The club statement added that it was "unacceptable that our supporters clubs have been left substantially out of pocket for what was an unnecessary and needless journey, and also deeply let down that they will not be compensated as was publicly suggested"."We will now consider our options, but as a sign of appreciation to our supporters clubs who have travelled the width and breadth of the country all season, we will endeavour to make sure that we assist them financially, so that they do not have to fully burden the cost of decisions that were out of their control."Linfield's statement said: "This outcome is deeply disappointing for the club and its supporters clubs as expectations were raised that a goodwill gesture would be forthcoming to compensate supporters clubs for the unnecessary travel."The Belfast club added that it has decided to cover 50% of the travel costs incurred by its supporters on 7 December and had accepted NIFL's offer to make a charitable donation, which will go to the club's main charity partner, the NI Children's Hospice.
BBC News
30-01-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Northern Ireland football fund open for applications
More than 40 football clubs in Northern Ireland can now apply for money from a £36.2m fund which was initially announced 14 years Northern Ireland Football Fund dates back to 2011, when it was called the Sub-Regional Stadia the same time, £62.5m was allocated to rebuild Casement Park GAA stadium in west aim of the fund is to improve sporting facilities for players and fans, with clubs like Glentoran, Cliftonville, Larne, Derry City and Coleraine among those expected to the announcement, the Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has admitted that much more money will be required but insisted the new fund was "only a beginning". An estimated £200m is needed to bring facilities in Northern Ireland up to the required was asked by BBC News NI why, in his first year in office, the Casement redevelopment had not yet been said: "There is a significant funding gap between the money that is on the table right now and the plans that are on the table for the redevelopment of Casement Park."On football facilities in Northern Ireland, he said he had been shocked at the "dire" state of some grounds."My vision is to improve conditions for players and to provide safe, accessible football grounds for supporters," he said."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." In order to be granted money, clubs must demonstrate that they will contribute at least 5% of the total project council-owned grounds, this rises to 40%.The fund is open to 41 clubs in total in the men's and women's game. They are all members of the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) or League of Ireland who play their home matches at a venue located in Northern chief executive Gerard Lawlor welcomed the announcement "with cautious optimism".He added: "This current fund will, unfortunately, have nowhere near the impact as initially intended, and as the minister himself has stated, much more is needed to have the required impact." Irish FA President, Conrad Kirkwood, called it a "positive step forward".He added: "It is long overdue and 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."Not all of the £36.2m is available to the 41 clubs of the money is earmarked for grassroots facilities and the planned new National Football Centre. The clubs can apply for one of three categories of grants:Projects with a total cost of up to £1.5mUp to £6mMore than £6m The application process is expected to close in is not clear how long it will be before the first money is handed out, and work on new projects can Lyons said he wants to see improvements at league grounds begin "as quickly as possible".
