Derry City 'confident' of stadium funding share

Derry City's Sean Barrett says the club is definitely "in the mix" for a share of the funding

Derry City Football Club is confident it will be eligible for a share of £36.2m of stadium funding from Stormont, according to its chief executive.

On Wednesday, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announced long-awaited funding to develop stadia across Northern Ireland.

Previously known as the sub-regional stadia programme for soccer, the amount pledged in the Northern Ireland Football Fund has stayed the same for more than 10 years.

A large share of the money is expected to be allocated to clubs in the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL), with Glentoran, Cliftonville and Coleraine among the teams hoping for financial assistance.

Derry City FC Chief Executive Sean Barrett said the team, who have played in the top tier of the Republic of Ireland's football league since 1985, is definitely "in the mix" for a share of the funding.

Speaking to BBC News NI, he said it would help fulfil their redevelopment plans at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

Gordon Lyons announced the long-awaited funding at Windsor Park earlier this week

Work on a new stand at the Brandywell, which is named after former player Mark Farren, began in 2018 as part of a £7m redevelopment of the ground in the Lone Moor Road area of Londonderry.

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

Future proposed works at the stadium would also see an increase of the overall capacity, with plans to demolish part of the Southend Stand and building a safe-standing covered terrace behind one of the goals.

Derry City are the anchor tenants of the council-owned facility, with NIFL championship side Institute FC also currently playing its home games at the ground.

Institute was forced to leave its old previous ground, the Riverside Stadium, following severe flood damage in 2017 and have been unable to return after an infestation of Japanese Knotweed.

The club have plans to move to a new location in the Waterside area of the city in the future.

'Slice of the cake'

The £36.2m stadium funding announced on Wednesday will be allocated to clubs through an application scheme, with money being handed out from April next year.

Gordon Lyons said the funding is designed to change the face of football in Northern Ireland and is a "once in a lifetime opportunity to transform the game locally" .

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle, Mr Barrett said that the club have prepared a business case for funding.

"We are pretty confident, based on the conversations we've had."

"We are from the north, we pay our taxes, everyone is employed on PAYE here as part of the six counties, so we are absolutely entitled to the same as anybody else," he said.

"I don't think anyone queries that or has a problem with that, they understand that we are club playing football here, we have young people playing football here, so I don't think there are any issues and I'm confident we will get our slice of the cake."