Casement Park in line for major overhaul - 40,000 all seater Stadium.

[marty34]

It's bigger than Casement and the GAA

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/sports-minister-gordon-lyons-outlines-why-he-remains-fully-committed-to-rolling-out-vital-ni-football-fund-cash-despite-ongoing-legal-challenge/a/157887931.html

Sports Minister Gordon Lyons has reaffirmed his commitment to seeing the long-awaited Northern Ireland Football Fund cash rolled out and the National Football Centre take shape.

In September 2025, Lyons announced 20 clubs across Northern Ireland would move to the next round of the process of acquiring funding from the £36.2m set aside, with three different tiers of funding available.

The 20 successful projects had a total estimated departmental cost of "just over £82m", significantly higher than the £36.2m which was announced in 2011.

Glentoran and Cliftonville are the two clubs who were successful in progressing in the third and most expensive tier, with funding applications of more than £6m.

Twenty clubs received resource funding to help them prepare their business cases for the next step of the Fund.

In March, Lyons announced £9m of funding for grassroots football facilities in Northern Ireland, however a legal challenge brought by Crusaders and League of Ireland club Derry City – who missed out on funding – is ongoing.

Can GAA clubs apply for this funding?

No this was an uplift to soccer clubs because of the costs of Casement going up.

Ahh. Ok.

Should GAA clubs not be getting more from government considering they are in control of their pitches etc. while soccer pitches are everywhere in the north.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

It's bigger than Casement and the GAA

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/sports-minister-gordon-lyons-outlines-why-he-remains-fully-committed-to-rolling-out-vital-ni-football-fund-cash-despite-ongoing-legal-challenge/a/157887931.html

Sports Minister Gordon Lyons has reaffirmed his commitment to seeing the long-awaited Northern Ireland Football Fund cash rolled out and the National Football Centre take shape.

In September 2025, Lyons announced 20 clubs across Northern Ireland would move to the next round of the process of acquiring funding from the £36.2m set aside, with three different tiers of funding available.

The 20 successful projects had a total estimated departmental cost of "just over £82m", significantly higher than the £36.2m which was announced in 2011.

Glentoran and Cliftonville are the two clubs who were successful in progressing in the third and most expensive tier, with funding applications of more than £6m.

Twenty clubs received resource funding to help them prepare their business cases for the next step of the Fund.

In March, Lyons announced £9m of funding for grassroots football facilities in Northern Ireland, however a legal challenge brought by Crusaders and League of Ireland club Derry City – who missed out on funding – is ongoing.

Can GAA clubs apply for this funding?

No this was an uplift to soccer clubs because of the costs of Casement going up.

Give me that again?

Is this not what was originally the sub-regional stadia fund?

My understanding is that the GAA were given £62.5 million and went for a single stadium. Whereas soccer were given £62.5 million but divided their funding between renovating Windsor and the sub-regional stadia fund. They got Windsor completed but the money for the sub-regional stadia was held back on account of Casement being a clusterfuck. Lyons later released that funding but not it all it now seems.

[illdecide]

It's bigger than Casement and the GAA

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/sports-minister-gordon-lyons-outlines-why-he-remains-fully-committed-to-rolling-out-vital-ni-football-fund-cash-despite-ongoing-legal-challenge/a/157887931.html

Sports Minister Gordon Lyons has reaffirmed his commitment to seeing the long-awaited Northern Ireland Football Fund cash rolled out and the National Football Centre take shape.

In September 2025, Lyons announced 20 clubs across Northern Ireland would move to the next round of the process of acquiring funding from the £36.2m set aside, with three different tiers of funding available.

The 20 successful projects had a total estimated departmental cost of "just over £82m", significantly higher than the £36.2m which was announced in 2011.

Glentoran and Cliftonville are the two clubs who were successful in progressing in the third and most expensive tier, with funding applications of more than £6m.

Twenty clubs received resource funding to help them prepare their business cases for the next step of the Fund.

In March, Lyons announced £9m of funding for grassroots football facilities in Northern Ireland, however a legal challenge brought by Crusaders and League of Ireland club Derry City – who missed out on funding – is ongoing.

Can GAA clubs apply for this funding?

Yes they can under the "Stadia Safety" but only if their grounds acts as a second County Grounds. My own Club acts or used to act as the second County Ground and initially had been successful for an upgrade with terracing, turnstiles, floodlighting, control room etc etc way back 10-15 years ago and it was designed with Engineering drawings completed and had passed all the criteria. We were due £1.2m and the funding was pulled in the last seconds and it was never done. There were a lot of rumours at the time about Nelson McCausland and then Mr Poots not liking how many GAA clubs were getting and were eligible for funding but it was probably because of the lack of funds .

[seafoid]

The elelphant in the stadium is economic growth which is very low in the North as part of the UK. The UK has been stagnating since 2008. Real wages after inflation have not grown since 2010. It must be similar in the North. Without economic growth there is no money for sport. Soccer is also going to be hit.
Maybe they will try to do it in stages. That worked for Croke Park.

[armaghniac]

The elelphant in the stadium is economic growth which is very low in the North as part of the UK. The UK has been stagnating since 2008. Real wages after inflation have not grown since 2010. It must be similar in the North. Without economic growth there is no money for sport. Soccer is also going to be hit.
Maybe they will try to do it in stages. That worked for Croke Park.

Economic growth has been higher than UK generally since Brexit, but this has feck all effect on local public expenditure.

[NAG1]

It's bigger than Casement and the GAA

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/sports-minister-gordon-lyons-outlines-why-he-remains-fully-committed-to-rolling-out-vital-ni-football-fund-cash-despite-ongoing-legal-challenge/a/157887931.html

Sports Minister Gordon Lyons has reaffirmed his commitment to seeing the long-awaited Northern Ireland Football Fund cash rolled out and the National Football Centre take shape.

In September 2025, Lyons announced 20 clubs across Northern Ireland would move to the next round of the process of acquiring funding from the £36.2m set aside, with three different tiers of funding available.

The 20 successful projects had a total estimated departmental cost of "just over £82m", significantly higher than the £36.2m which was announced in 2011.

Glentoran and Cliftonville are the two clubs who were successful in progressing in the third and most expensive tier, with funding applications of more than £6m.

Twenty clubs received resource funding to help them prepare their business cases for the next step of the Fund.

In March, Lyons announced £9m of funding for grassroots football facilities in Northern Ireland, however a legal challenge brought by Crusaders and League of Ireland club Derry City – who missed out on funding – is ongoing.

Can GAA clubs apply for this funding?

No this was an uplift to soccer clubs because of the costs of Casement going up.

Give me that again?

Is this not what was originally the sub-regional stadia fund?

My understanding is that the GAA were given £62.5 million and went for a single stadium. Whereas soccer were given £62.5 million but divided their funding between renovating Windsor and the sub-regional stadia fund. They got Windsor completed but the money for the sub-regional stadia was held back on account of Casement being a clusterfuck. Lyons later released that funding but not it all it now seems.

This was additional monies to the original amount that they got for the re-development of Windsor.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

It's bigger than Casement and the GAA

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/sports-minister-gordon-lyons-outlines-why-he-remains-fully-committed-to-rolling-out-vital-ni-football-fund-cash-despite-ongoing-legal-challenge/a/157887931.html

Sports Minister Gordon Lyons has reaffirmed his commitment to seeing the long-awaited Northern Ireland Football Fund cash rolled out and the National Football Centre take shape.

In September 2025, Lyons announced 20 clubs across Northern Ireland would move to the next round of the process of acquiring funding from the £36.2m set aside, with three different tiers of funding available.

The 20 successful projects had a total estimated departmental cost of "just over £82m", significantly higher than the £36.2m which was announced in 2011.

Glentoran and Cliftonville are the two clubs who were successful in progressing in the third and most expensive tier, with funding applications of more than £6m.

Twenty clubs received resource funding to help them prepare their business cases for the next step of the Fund.

In March, Lyons announced £9m of funding for grassroots football facilities in Northern Ireland, however a legal challenge brought by Crusaders and League of Ireland club Derry City – who missed out on funding – is ongoing.

Can GAA clubs apply for this funding?

No this was an uplift to soccer clubs because of the costs of Casement going up.

Give me that again?

Is this not what was originally the sub-regional stadia fund?

My understanding is that the GAA were given £62.5 million and went for a single stadium. Whereas soccer were given £62.5 million but divided their funding between renovating Windsor and the sub-regional stadia fund. They got Windsor completed but the money for the sub-regional stadia was held back on account of Casement being a clusterfuck. Lyons later released that funding but not it all it now seems.

This was additional monies to the original amount that they got for the re-development of Windsor.

How much extra did they get?

They had projects planned in 2010 at a cost of about £32 million. This money was a share of their Maze fund. When these were re-costed in recent years it was suggested that it would now cost about £80 million but I wasn't aware that they had received anymore than the £32 million and therefore haven't completed their projects.

[NAG1]

It's bigger than Casement and the GAA

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/sports-minister-gordon-lyons-outlines-why-he-remains-fully-committed-to-rolling-out-vital-ni-football-fund-cash-despite-ongoing-legal-challenge/a/157887931.html

Sports Minister Gordon Lyons has reaffirmed his commitment to seeing the long-awaited Northern Ireland Football Fund cash rolled out and the National Football Centre take shape.

In September 2025, Lyons announced 20 clubs across Northern Ireland would move to the next round of the process of acquiring funding from the £36.2m set aside, with three different tiers of funding available.

The 20 successful projects had a total estimated departmental cost of "just over £82m", significantly higher than the £36.2m which was announced in 2011.

Glentoran and Cliftonville are the two clubs who were successful in progressing in the third and most expensive tier, with funding applications of more than £6m.

Twenty clubs received resource funding to help them prepare their business cases for the next step of the Fund.

In March, Lyons announced £9m of funding for grassroots football facilities in Northern Ireland, however a legal challenge brought by Crusaders and League of Ireland club Derry City – who missed out on funding – is ongoing.

Can GAA clubs apply for this funding?

No this was an uplift to soccer clubs because of the costs of Casement going up.

Give me that again?

Is this not what was originally the sub-regional stadia fund?

My understanding is that the GAA were given £62.5 million and went for a single stadium. Whereas soccer were given £62.5 million but divided their funding between renovating Windsor and the sub-regional stadia fund. They got Windsor completed but the money for the sub-regional stadia was held back on account of Casement being a clusterfuck. Lyons later released that funding but not it all it now seems.

This was additional monies to the original amount that they got for the re-development of Windsor.

How much extra did they get?

They had projects planned in 2010 at a cost of about £32 million. This money was a share of their Maze fund. When these were re-costed in recent years it was suggested that it would now cost about £80 million but I wasn't aware that they had received anymore than the £32 million and therefore haven't completed their projects.

Not across the exact figures would have to go back and look and don't have the inclination. But it was a reaction to the increased estimated costs elsewhere and it was to balance that out.

People can have their back and forward on this and do the blame game (which there is plenty of to go around) but at the end of the day it is the GAA people of Antrim who are losing out in this debacle.

We will now have a generation of our young people who have no County ground to play their finals in or go to watch their local heroes play in for their club or county. We as an organisation have failed the young people of Antrim and that should be to their eternal shame.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

I don't disagree with you entirely but the GAA people of Antrim need to honestly reflect on the role they played in this debacle too. Now, they were led up the garden path by their top men but they happily danced up it and hurled all sorts of abuse at those who voiced any opposition.

Antrim have been completely shafted but they were always going to be shafted and amazingly were very happy about it for a long time. Some still are ffs.

[Armagh18]

Michelle & her team of 4 Stormont ministers.

All in post, but with absolutely no power to change anything, in any meaningful way, because the DUP simply torpedo everything that doesn't suit them.

So, the end game was to get to this point & all for the sake of a few social media posts every day just to say "aren't I doing an absolutely wonderful job"?

The whole thing's a complete farce.

Whats the alternative? Rip up the GFA?

[NAG1]

I don't disagree with you entirely but the GAA people of Antrim need to honestly reflect on the role they played in this debacle too. Now, they were led up the garden path by their top men but they happily danced up it and hurled all sorts of abuse at those who voiced any opposition.

Antrim have been completely shafted but they were always going to be shafted and amazingly were very happy about it for a long time. Some still are ffs.

I am no fan of those involved from our side at the outset of this farce, but I think if you want to start and point fingers we would need to look toward those in UC involved (and no longer) at the start who created the garden path.

Antrim were wrong in handing over to UC without everything being in place and ready to go, but after that it sits squarely with those running the project, along with our politicians.

But my overwhelming emotion at this point is one of pure sadness that we have failed our young people, when the opportunity was there to inspire them.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

That's a fair enough assessment.

[armaghniac]

That's a fair enough assessment.

I never understood why they abandoned the ground instead of continuing to play games until the diggers were in position, which is what they did in every other ground in the country. Given that delay was even more likely in Belfast it made no sense. 

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

There is no understanding it.

I honestly believe that the thought process was that if it was closed and an overgrown shithole there would be greater need/support to get the new one built.

[NAG1]

That's a fair enough assessment.

I never understood why they abandoned the ground instead of continuing to play games until the diggers were in position, which is what they did in every other ground in the country. Given that delay was even more likely in Belfast it made no sense. 

The decision not to renew the insurance for the grounds (again disputed as to under who's advice) was touted as the reason that it got mothballed.