Euros draw a chance for Northern Ireland fans to join in with tournament, says DUP's Lyons - though SDLP slam 'galling' celebrations as province 'left out in cold' without actual matches
Belfast playing host to the qualifying draw of the Euro 28 tournament is a great chance for local supporters to join in with one of football’s biggest cups.
That’s according to Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, whose brief covers sport across Northern Ireland.
Speaking after attending the launch of 2028 tournament in London on Wednesday night, Mr Lyons welcomed the choice of Belfast as the first stop on the road to the next Euros.
“It is fantastic news that we have been able to secure Belfast as the host of the qualifying draw for UEFA Euro 2028,” he said.
“I am pleased that Northern Ireland will play this role in this prestigious tournament, and I will work with partners to ensure we deliver even more opportunities and leave the best possible legacy for local football.
“Hosting the qualifying draw provides an opportunity for local supporters and communities to engage with the tournament, generating excitement and pride in the event.”
Taking place on December 6 next year, the draw will have fans on tenterhooks as the initial line-up of matches is declared – but it’s the only major event scheduled for Northern Ireland.
Years ago a redeveloped Casement Park was announced as a Euros venue, but was dropped last year due to the project’s long-running funding problems.
That resulted in Northern Ireland losing its status as a host nation – which also scrapped the home advantage of automatic qualification for the province’s national team, yet England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland will all get through.
For the SDLP’s Mark H Durkan, that makes the Euros a missed opportunity. He hit out at Mr Lyons for celebrating Belfast as the choice for the draw, arguing the area will miss out on the full benefits of the championship.
He now feels Ulster will “look on enviously” as Dublin hosts a series of matches, while “we are left out in the cold”.
Said the Foyle MLA: “It is galling that the Communities Minister expects us to celebrate hosting the Euros draw, when it is his and the Executive's failure that has stopped games taking place [here]. This was a once in a lifetime chance to host one of the biggest sports tournaments in the world and it has been squandered.
“Hosting the Euros would have brought tourists from around the world and hundreds of millions into our economy. It would have delivered a real sporting legacy for football, a first class stadium for the GAA in Ulster, and a major venue for a community in west Belfast crying out for investment. Like so many other opportunities, it has been lost due to political intransigence.”
Mr Lyons’ party colleague, East Antrim MLA Cheryl Brownlee, hit out at the SDLP in turn, arguing that pinning Northern Ireland’s hopes for Euro matches entirely on the Casement project “was always a mistake”.
“It demonstrated how little some parties really cared about delivering any legacy for local football from Euro 2028,” she said.
“The SDLP appear to recognise that when they talk about delivering a stadium ‘for GAA’ rather than any interest in the impact it might have had for football.”