Communities Minister Gordon Lyons believes the Northern Ireland Football Fund can have a “transformational impact” on the Irish League after announcing the 20 clubs progressing to the next stage of the process.

Cliftonville and Glentoran were undoubtedly the big winners with each set to receive more than £6million – the latter’s project is understood to cost in the region of £28million – but there were a number of notable omissions as Ards and Institute, who are currently without their own home, missed out on funds in Thursday’s announcement at the Blanchflower Stadium.

Irish League clubs were first promised £36.2million in 2011, but it never came to fruition and Lyons rebranded the programme, which was known as the Sub-Regional Stadia Programme, to the NI Football Fund before welcoming applications in January.

It’s understood the total cost of all 20 projects, which have moved into a due diligence check phase, is around £82million – well above the initial investment number, but Lyons is hopeful of securing further funding over the coming years for Northern Irish football clubs.

placeholder image — Gordon Lyons (centre) with Glentoran captain Marcus Kane and Naomi McLaughlin of Cliftonville Ladies alongside Gerard Lawlor and Conrad Kirkwood. (Photo by Pacemaker)

Applications to the Department for Communities ranged between approximately £700,000 up to a whopping £28million, but that also includes the money being contributed from clubs themselves alongside other avenues.

While Lyons slammed the failure to deliver money to this point as "14 years of dither and delay”, he’s confident Irish League clubs will now enjoy a brighter future.

"I think it could have had more impact if it had been taken forward in 2011, because the money then was available to go further, but this does have the ability to have a transformational impact,” he said. “I think you only have to look at some of the clubs and the conditions that they're in.

"The infrastructure that is not in place for fans and how that can change, how we can change access for under-represented groups, how we can improve the game for women and girls.

"I think all of that is very, very exciting. I have not been to a single football club that is only used on a Friday night or a Saturday afternoon.

"The clubs that we're talking about here, there's something going on nearly every day of the week, every morning, afternoon, evening.

"These are community hubs as well and that's why in the scoring we place that emphasis, not just on the need of the club, but the impact that it can have on the community as well. That's why I believe it can be genuinely transformational.”