Gordon Lyons acknowledges 'there may be a degree of prioritisation needed' as he pushes for more NI Football Fund investment
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has admitted “there may be a degree of prioritisation that needs to happen” after progressing projects worth a combined cost of £82million through to the next stage of the NI Football Fund – but remains confident he’ll be able to gain more investment for Irish League clubs.
Fourteen years after first being pledged crucial finances to improve infrastructure, Irish League clubs discovered their fate in an announcement made by Lyons in Belfast on Thursday with 20 successful in moving on to the next phase.
While the current ringfenced budget for the NI Football Fund, which consists of three strands, is £36.2million, proposals worth almost £50million more than that number have progressed to a due diligence check.
The Department for Communities received applications ranging from around £700,000 up to almost £28million – the latter was Glentoran, who were one of two clubs to seal success in Tier Three.
All 20 clubs will now have to provide documentation and information surrounding feasibility, financial and legal checks to progress further in the process, and while it’s not clear when money will be dished out, Lyons hopes to deliver on all projects.
When asked about the gap between current budget and proposals progressing, Lyons said: “I don't have that money right now in my pocket, but we do have what my capital budget might look like in future years, and to be fair, very little of this will be spent in this financial year.
"Some money may be drawn down for business cases, possibly this year for some design costs, but it's going to be over a longer period of time.
"I hope that we will be able to draw down more investment as it will be needed, but there may be a degree of prioritisation that needs to happen.
"I want this to be a rolling programme, I want to make sure that everybody gets their needs met, but it is right that we take forward the cohort that we've taken forward at this stage so that we can make sure that progress is made.
"I'm in politics to make a difference, I want to make sure that we have that transformational impact.”
Thursday’s announcement related to the Performance Programme strand of the Football Fund with an update on money being made available for grassroots clubs expected later this year.
The third crucial aspect is the creation of a National Training Centre at Galgorm, and Irish FA CEO Patrick Nelson insists the organisation will continue to push for the £200million expected to be required to complete all projects.
“We welcome the Minister’s encouraging comments regarding a future funding announcement for our National Football Centre and the grassroots game,” said Nelson. “Modern, fit-for-purpose stadia will not only support player development and raise performance levels but will also help inspire future generations from the grassroots upwards.
"Improved facilities across all levels of the game will have a lasting positive impact on football and communities throughout Northern Ireland.”