Institute FC 'devastated' to miss out on funding

Club chairman Bill Anderson says he had hoped a funding package would have allowed them to move to the Waterside again

Institute FC are "devastated" to have missed out on a share of more than £36m from the Northern Ireland Football Fund, the club chairman has said.

The club had applied for more than £6m in funding to replace the Riverside Stadium where, during Thursday's announcement, contractors continued work on demolishing what is left of it, since it was flooded back in 2017.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announced on Thursday that of the 41 clubs eligible for the funding, 20 had gone through to the next stage.

Institute chairman Bill Anderson said they had hoped funding would have helped them realise their dream of returning to the Waterside and a proposed new stadium at Clooney Park West.

A full list of the clubs who will progress to the next stage can be found here.

The funding was first announced in 2011 and, after 14 years of delays, the Northern Ireland Executive announced in January that clubs could apply for a share of the £36.2m pot.

While £36.2m had been ringfenced by the Stormont Executive, the Department of Communities said the total requested by clubs in applications came excess of £167m.

Coleraine, Crusaders and Portadown were among the Irish Premiership clubs who were not listed by Gordon Lyons at a press conference on Thursday.

Championship sides Ards, as well as Institute, who are hoping to build their own stadiums, and League of Ireland side Derry City, were also not included among the successful applicants on Thursday.

Derry City say they will take time to reflect after not being shortlisted for any money from in the Northern Ireland Football Fund

Work on a new stand at Derry City's Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, which is named after former player Mark Farren, began in 2018 as part of a £7m redevelopment.

However, the second phase of that project has still not been built despite planning permission already being granted.

The club had applied for more than £6m to help them complete projects at the ground.

In a statement on Thursday, Derry City said they had noted the announcement from Minister Gordon Lyons regarding the allocation of funding.

"The club will take time to reflect and discuss our options going forward," they said.

"We will not be making any further comment until then."

Contractors clearing the former Riverside Stadium, where Institute FC once played their home games

Now competing in the NIFL Championship, Institute currently play their home matches at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, the ground of League of Ireland side Derry City.

Demolition work is currently under way at their former ground - the Riverside Stadium in Drumahoe, County Londonderry.

The club was forced to vacate the stadium after severe flooding in 2017, and hopes of a return were ended by a infestation of Japanese knotweed.

'Depths of despair'

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's Mark Patterson Show following the announcement, club chairman Bill Anderson said he was in the "depths of despair" and "devastated for the cub, the supporters and the Waterside".

Mr Anderson said it would "take a while to process, and get our heads around".

The club had applied for more than £6m.

"We had the Waterside community in mind and we did not think we could deliver what the community is entitled to really on less than six million pounds," he said.

Demolition of the former Riverside Stadium got under way on Thursday morning hours before the funding announcement

Mr Anderson said the club has endured "many highs and lows" in its more than 100-year history, and that this was certainly among the lowest.

"We are one of the oldest clubs in the country — definitely the oldest club in the north west, but what do we do now?

"We need to chat with the Department for Communities to see what their perception is in terms of need," he said.

"I would have thought that need - both footballing need and community need - was really high, so I don't really understand the process."

Mr Anderson said he wished all those clubs well who did progress to the next round of the funding process, and said he would continue to fight for the needs of Institute FC.