Communities Minister Gordon Lyons maintains Football Fund 'process was fair' with desire to deliver for Irish League clubs
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons maintains the NI Football Fund “process was fair” and is determined to deliver crucial money for infrastructure upgrades “as soon as possible”.
In September, Lyons revealed the 20 Irish League clubs progressing to the Football Fund’s next stage – projects totalling around £82million were sent through despite the ringfenced budget standing at £36.2million.
Glentoran and Cliftonville were undoubtedly the big winners, sealing success in the Tier Three category (projects valued at more than £6million) with the former’s Oval redevelopment sitting around £28million.
However, a number of clubs were left frustrated after being omitted with Crusaders and Derry City joining forces to commence legal proceedings, while Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins felt the North West had been “shafted again”.
Earlier this month, Lyons announced the first offers of financial support had been issued to clubs through the Football Fund.
Letters of offer for funding to prepare outline business cases, representing a total financial support of up to £400,000, were dished out in order to help clubs take the next step.
Lyons has once again stated the Football Fund process was “straightforward” and insists money being held up “doesn’t serve anybody”.
"I understand you're always going to have people that are disappointed,” Lyons told the News Letter. “You have those that are moving forward now, others that I said not yet to.
"Some people have taken the not yet as a no, that's not the right way to look at it. I'll be continuing to seek investment in those clubs as well.
"I understand that people will be disappointed, I understand people can be frustrated, but the process was straightforward, it was fair, and I hope that we can get this money that we do have out, get it spent and then we can help the other clubs as well.
"The last thing I want to see is more hold up in this because it doesn't serve anybody.
"Everybody has had the opportunity if they wanted to meet with officials to go through their application in detail, they've had the opportunity to meet with me as well if they've wanted.
"I've taken those requests up and have met with some of those clubs who were disappointed and explained where things are at.
"So I want to see everybody get what they need. I think that is possible, it will take some time, it will take additional resource.
"We've waited a long time to get to this point, I'm asking people to wait a little bit further so that we can get this money out and then get their needs met as well.”
Lyons was speaking at NIFL’s ‘More Than The Game’ event which was held at Stormont on Monday afternoon to highlight the positive social and community impacts being made by Irish League clubs.
"The number of MLAs that came along...I'm often at events and sometimes they don't get the biggest crowds, but it was clear this is an important issue and people see the value,” added Lyons. “The social value of football, not just the 90 minutes on a pitch, but all the clubs do throughout the week.
"You've representatives in the Assembly here who wanted to come along and acknowledge that. I think that's very positive and speaks to the wide-ranging impact that it has.”