Latest news with #NorthernIrelandFootballFund
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Coleraine FC seeks quarter of £36.2m stadium fund
Coleraine Football Club has applied for more than a quarter of the money available in a new fund aimed at improving stadiums in Northern Ireland. A total of £36.2m is to be shared out, and Coleraine wants £10m of it. Applications to the Northern Ireland Football Fund closed on Friday, with 41 clubs in the men's and women's game eligible to apply. A decision from the Department for Communities on the allocation of money is expected this summer. Glentoran, Cliftonville, Larne, Ballymena United and Derry City were among the clubs expected to apply to the fund, which was launched in January by Communities Minister Gordon Lyons. Coleraine has defended its application for a large slice of the £36.2m, saying it wants to turn its ground, The Showgrounds, into a "state-of-the-art footballing hub for the North West". A spokesperson for the club told BBC News NI: "Without this redevelopment, Coleraine FC could be without a home ground within the next five to 10 years. "The club's board has worked tirelessly to ensure that the North West Regional Stadium project is fully shovel-ready, positioning it for swift implementation upon securing funding." While many clubs have been reluctant to say exactly how much money they are seeking, Coleraine's decision to go public may lead to more bids becoming known. Tommy Whiteside, the treasurer of Crusaders Football Club said his club had also applied for a 'tier three bid' of at least £6m, adding that he believes that at least eight clubs would be making similar bids. Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Ulster Programme he said that "teams who compete regularly in Europe need these facilities or they will not be able to play games at home". Mr Whiteside said the total amount on offer "isn't enough". "We've put in a strong bid and we will either be successful or we're not. "But won't it be great to see facilities in Northern Ireland football being invested money in," he said. "Even if we do miss out we'll be arguing for money in the future." At the end of last year, the Coleraine announced that a 24-year-old local property developer Henry Ross had become the club's new majority owner following a "significant investment". In order to be granted money, clubs must demonstrate they will contribute at least 5% of the total project costs. For council-owned grounds this rises to 40%. Last week, a proposal offering Derry City a long-term lease of their home ground to help them proceed with a multimillion-pound bid for funding was approved by councillors. Three levels of grants were available in the application process: projects with a total cost of up to £1.5m up to £6m more than £6m Although the total amount in the fund is £36.2m, some of that money may be distributed separately, to grassroots football and a proposed new national training centre. The Northern Ireland Football Fund dates back to 2011, when it was called the Sub-Regional Stadia Programme. When it was launched in January, Lyons admitted much more money than the existing £36.2m was needed but insisted the new fund was "only a beginning". An estimated £200m is required to bring facilities in Northern Ireland up to the necessary standard. The 41 clubs eligible to apply are all members of the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) or League of Ireland, and play their home matches at a venue located in Northern Ireland. Although applications closed at 17:00 on Friday, the Department for Communities has yet to reveal how many bids were received. A spokesperson said: "Applications are currently being reviewed before details are confirmed." Northern Ireland football fund open for applications Ross becomes Coleraine majority owner Stadium proposal to assist club with multi-million pound bid
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Coleraine FC applies for large slice of £36.2 stadium fund
Coleraine Football Club has applied for more than a quarter of the money available in a new fund aimed at improving stadiums in Northern Ireland.A total of £36.2m is to be shared out, and Coleraine wants £10m of to the Northern Ireland Football Fund closed on Friday, with 41 clubs in the men's and women's game eligible to apply.A decision from the Department for Communities on the allocation of money is expected this summer. Glentoran, Cliftonville, Larne, Ballymena United and Derry City were among the clubs expected to apply to the fund, which was launched in January by Communities Minister Gordon has defended its application for a large slice of the £36.2m, saying it wants to turn its ground, The Showgrounds, into a "state-of-the-art footballing hub for the North West".A spokesperson for the club told BBC News NI: "Without this redevelopment, Coleraine FC could be without a home ground within the next five to 10 years."The club's board has worked tirelessly to ensure that the North West Regional Stadium project is fully shovel-ready, positioning it for swift implementation upon securing funding."While many clubs have been reluctant to say exactly how much money they are seeking, Coleraine's decision to go public may lead to more bids becoming known. At the end of last year, the club announced that a 24-year-old local property developer Henry Ross had become the club's new majority owner following a "significant investment".In order to be granted money, clubs must demonstrate they will contribute at least 5% of the total project council-owned grounds this rises to 40%.Last week, a proposal offering Derry City a long-term lease of their home ground to help them proceed with a multimillion-pound bid for funding was approved by councillors. Three levels of grants were available in the application process:projects with a total cost of up to £1.5mup to £6mmore than £6mAlthough the total amount in the fund is £36.2m, some of that money may be distributed separately, to grassroots football and a proposed new national training Northern Ireland Football Fund dates back to 2011, when it was called the Sub-Regional Stadia Programme. 'Only a beginning' When it was launched in January, Lyons admitted much more money than the existing £36.2m was needed but insisted the new fund was "only a beginning".An estimated £200m is required to bring facilities in Northern Ireland up to the necessary 41 clubs eligible to apply are all members of the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) or League of Ireland, and play their home matches at a venue located in Northern applications closed at 17:00 on Friday, the Department for Communities has yet to reveal how many bids were received.A spokesperson said: "Applications are currently being reviewed before details are confirmed."
BBC News
13-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Derry City FC: Long-term lease proposal for Brandywell Stadium
A proposal offering Derry City FC a long-term lease of their home ground so they can proceed with a multi-million pound bid for Stormont funding has been approved by proposal to offer the club a minimum 25-year lease and move towards making them outright owners of the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium was agreed at a council committee on to the NI Football Fund criteria, if the council, who currently own the stadium, where to apply for a share of the £36.2m pot, they would need to match 40% of total project if Derry City were to enter into a long-term lease to eventually become stadium owners and apply, they would only need to match 5%. The proposal will now go before a meeting of full council at a later date. Councillors heard that the estimated overall cost of planned works at the stadium was in the region of £ Thursday's meeting, councillors expressed concerns over the council's ability to afford 40% match-funding due to budget constraints, which they said could negatively impact the completion of outstanding stadium projects, like the Mark Farren Stand in the Lone Moor Road on a new stand at the Brandywell, which is named after former player Mark Farren, began in 2018 as part of a £7m the second phase of that project has still not been built despite planning permission already being granted. What is the Northern Ireland Football Fund? The Northern Ireland Football Fund dates back to 2011, when it was called the Sub-Regional Stadia aim of the fund is to improve sporting facilities for players and fans. The fund is open to 41 clubs in total in the men's and women's 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 can apply for one of three categories of grants:Projects with a total cost of up to £1.5mUp to £6mMore than £6m Dependent on Stormont intervention The deadline for applications for the NI Football Fund is Friday, but council officials were told that a long-term lease would not need to be in place until Stage 7 of the NI Football Fund process, which is the tender of appointment of a contractor, following any successful award of to the NI Football Fund, applicants wishing to avail of funding must either have a lease of their ground for a term that will expire no earlier than 1 January 2051; own their stadium or intend to become owners, "prior to the issue of the funding agreement for construction costs".Councillors heard on Thursday that in order for Derry City to enter into a long-term lease and become outright owners, any council proposal requires officials to make a formal approach to the Northern Ireland Executive to amend or repeal a law that is more than 100 years old. Councillors were told the club cannot take on any official ownership or long-term lease of the stadium due to Section 273 of the Londonderry Corporation Act 1918, which does not allow the council "to let the stadium for a period of more than 12 months".The license between Derry City Football Club and the council is currently issued for periods of 51-weeks at a time and council officials said any proposed changes to this would require Stormont intervention. 'A no-brainer' and 'least worst option' Sinn Féin councillor Sandra Duffy said the minimum 25-year lease agreement was "a no-brainer", describing it as the "only course of action we [council] can take if we want to see the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in this [NI Football] fund"."The opportunity is here and we would be mad not to take it at this stage and this is the best way forward," she said. "We don't want to be missing the boat."The SDLP's Rory Farrell said the lease is the "least worst option", saying it is an "opportunity for this city to get investment in the Brandywell Stadium"."It is really unfortunate that a decision has been made at Stormont where councils are being asked to contribute 40% to this fund, when soccer clubs across the north are getting away with 5% - it's not fair to this council, not fair to ratepayers, not fair to Derry City or the entire footballing fraternity across this city."If council was to submit this application we would be asked to contribute nearly five million that we don't have readily available and it's not an option". 'Only way forward' Ulster Unionist Party Alderman Derek Hussey disagreed with the wording of "least worst option" and said this is the "optimum option" and believes this is the best way forward for the club and other users of the stadium."If the football club are willing to go ahead on it then lets go for it".Independent councillor Gary Donnelly welcomed that the proposal mentions "a long-term lease may impact other user groups at the stadium" such as Maiden City Soccer and Ballymoor Football Club. He supported the proposal and welcomed that the terms of any lease agreement with the club "would seek to address the interests of these groups".People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin said both he and his party wanted to see the stadium redeveloped as quickly as possible and this is "the only way forward".BBC News NI has approached Derry City and the Department For Communities for comment.
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Derry and Strabane council seek Football Fund deadline extension
Derry City and Strabane District Council have written to Communities Minister Gordon Lyons seeking an extension to the Northern Ireland Football Fund council owns the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, which is the home ground of League of Ireland side Derry City Féin councillor Christopher Jackson has expressed concerns over what he believes is "unequal treatment" within the criteria of the funding application, which he said negatively impacts council-owned order to be granted a share of the £36.2m funding, clubs must demonstrate that they will contribute at least 5% of the total project costs, but for council-owned grounds, this rises to 40%. The Northern Ireland Football Fund dates back to 2011, when it was called the Sub-Regional Stadia aim of the fund is to improve sporting facilities for players and fans. The fund is open to 41 clubs in total in the men's and women's 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 clubs can apply for one of three categories of grants:Projects with a total cost of up to £1.5mUp to £6mMore than £6m 'Completely unrealistic position' The council has now written to Minister Gordon Lyons asking that the deadline for applications for funding be extended beyond March to BBC News NI, councillor Jackson said the council has been left in "a completely unrealistic position", which could negatively impact the completion of stadium projects, like the Mark Farren Stand in the Lone Moor Road on a new stand at the Brandywell, which is named after former player Mark Farren, began in 2018 as part of a £7m the second phase of that project has still not been built despite planning permission already being Jackson said asking council to come up with that substantial sum of money within a matter of weeks, in order to meet the 40% criteria, may not be achievable, due to budget limitations."The business case for Stage Two of the Mark Farren Stand, for example, has been in place for a very long time and we have been working under the premise of that 5% figure, but when we heard it was 40% for council-owned grounds - that was a real shock," he said."This council, like many other councils, is working within a very limited budget and that budget that was already set when we struck the district rate earlier this year, so we have now been left really on the back foot with this." Letter 'under consideration' In a statement, the Department for Communities (DfC) confirmed they have received the letter and it is "under consideration".A DfC spokesperson said they currently have no plans to extend the deadline for applications beyond 14 March also said that matchfunding is "a standard requirement for publicly funded capital projects"."The funding contributions have been set following detailed financial scoping work and engagement with a range of stakeholders, including councils," they said."Similar funding schemes, such as Sport NI's Multi Facility Fund and the IFA's Grassroots Facilities Fund, require councils to provide at least 40% match funding."
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".
