Owen Polley: It will be a disgrace if the GAA, which largely serves one part of the community and is openly political, gets more than its fair share of stadium funds

In September I travelled to Kazakhstan, to watch Northern Ireland’s European Championship qualifier in Astana and I’ve followed the team all over Europe.

I should be thrilled and excited by the British Isles’ successful bid to hold the Euros in 2028. Unfortunately, as a Northern Ireland supporter, though, I see more problems than benefits coming from that tournament.

From the narrow perspective of a NI fan, it is far from assured that Michael O’Neill and his team will be at the competition. We already know that it’s exceptionally unlikely that UEFA will allow all five nations, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England and the Republic, to qualify automatically as hosts.

A number of alternative systems have been suggested, but it’s still perfectly possible that our side misses out on a party in its own backyard. That could prove galling and perhaps even cause younger people to lose interest in their own national team, as opposed to neighbouring ones. That is a minor consideration though, compared to the problems raised by using Casement Park as Northern Ireland’s only venue at Euro 2028.

Most commentators have stressed that the GAA is entitled to funding for stadium development because the IFA received money to rebuild the National Stadium at Windsor Park and Ulster Rugby got its share to improve the Kingspan Stadium.

That’s fair, but let’s be completely clear, it will be nothing short of a disgrace if that organisation, which, unlike its rugby and football equivalents, largely serves just one part of the community in Northern Ireland and is openly political, gets more than its fair share.

And by fair, I certainly don’t mean that the GAA should merely pay the same proportion of the overall stadium cost as the IFA and Ulster rugby – that would mean that it would get way more in total than it was supposed to be entitled to. That’s a dishonest and nonsensical argument, given the astronomical way that the estimated costs have risen, which cannot merely be explained by inflation.

Ten years ago, the stadium was supposed to cost £77 million, with the GAA contributing £15 million. Now, it’s believed that it will take at least double that outlay to redevelop Casement Park. Even if the organisation provided £30 million and was awarded the rest, that would be grossly unfair.

It’s the GAA’s responsibility that its original project proved undeliverable, not anyone else’s. Why on earth should it get a better deal than any other sport, just because local residents did not want the new stadium on their doorstep? A problem, incidentally, that has not gone away.

There were ‘not in my back yard’ objections to Windsor Park’s development too, even though it’s been in the neighbourhood for over one hundred years. They were managed and overcome.

It’s not at all clear, either, where all this extra money will come from. The GAA hasn’t ruled out completely providing more than the initial £15 million, but it has hardly expressed enthusiasm for the idea either.

It seems mainly to be relying on a vague commitment from the secretary of state, Chris Heaton-Harris, to find the shortfall somehow. If the government does eventually provide the bulk of the funding, either directly or through some sort of deal on the block grant, it would be an outrageous misuse of taxpayers’ cash.

Staging a major international tournament is a complicated, expensive business. On these pages, Baroness Hoey (‘IFA has rolled over – Casement will not deliver a football legacy from the Euros,’ October 14) asked, fairly, what legacy the Irish Football Association (IFA) hopes to secure for its sport through Northern Ireland’s participation.

Usually, this could be measured through more people participating in football, greater investment in developing players and, critically, improved facilities. After the Euro 2028 finals, even if Casement Park is built in time, which, at best, is a major doubt, the GAA will have a modern new stadium but the IFA will gain few benefits, particularly if its team doesn’t qualify.

That’s why many Northern Ireland supporters are furious about the association’s support for Casement Park’s inclusion in the tournament. There is very little prospect that association football will be played at that venue regularly after 2028, still less that it would be an inviting environment for the IFA’s international teams and their fans.

Let’s not ignore the facts either, that the GAA is steeped in nationalist culture and symbols, while its stadium is named after a convicted traitor to the British crown. Many people undoubtedly enjoy Gaelic games purely out of a love for the sports, but they are not yet remotely inclusive in the way that football and rugby can claim to be.

That doesn’t mean that the organisation isn’t entitled to public funding to help develop its facilities, but it is a relevant factor when it’s expecting so much more than other sports. Particularly on the basis that it should stage matches in a far more popular, far more all-encompassing code.

It will be easy, as with so many other issues in Northern Ireland, for people to accuse opponents of Casement Park of begrudgery. In that way we are invited to overlook almost everything that is wrong with this society.

It is the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs, though, that has on this occasion spoken up for football supporters to best effect. Its chair, Gary McAllister stated, “Football tournaments should be hosted by football stadia.” He is absolutely right.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​