'still Hope' For Clubs Not Successful In Football Fund

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons says location is "still hope" for clubs who are unsuccessful successful Thursday's announcement regarding who will person backing towards investing successful nan upgrading of their stadia and facilities.

The merchandise of authorities finance to amended shot grounds crossed Northern Ireland has been long-awaited, pinch £36.2m having been earmarked for that intent arsenic acold backmost arsenic 2011 nether nan Sub-Regional Stadia Programme.

In January this year, it was revealed that clubs were being invited to use for a share of what was now titled nan Northern Ireland Football Fund Performance Programme.

Clubs successful nan Premiership, Championship and Premier Intermediate leagues and NIFL Women's Premiership were eligible to apply, on pinch League of Ireland outfit Derry City.

Not each of nan wide full is disposable to clubs arsenic immoderate of nan money is besides destined for grassroots accommodation and nan planned caller National Football Centre.

"Clubs person been waiting for an announcement for 14 years, during which this has been held up," nan communities curate told BBC Sport NI's Thomas Kane connected Wednesday.

"I'm wished to thrust it forward, wished to deliver. We will perceive tomorrow [Thursday] astir those clubs who are going to advancement to nan adjacent stage.

"It's £36.2m that is available. I want to make judge that we walk arsenic overmuch of that arsenic we can, that we make nan improvements to clubs and that we really make a difference."

Lyons explained that while immoderate applications would beryllium accepted to move guardant to nan adjacent stage, others who were not successful would not beryllium "getting knocked retired conscionable yet".

"I want to make judge that everybody has their needs met. Even those that aren't going done connected Thursday will still person nan opportunity successful nan early to move further down nan process.

"There will beryllium bully news for nan clubs that are moving guardant but for those that weren't successful astatine this shape location is still hope. We will look to activity pinch those that are moving guardant and those that aren't."

The DUP curate added that nan criteria for backing had been group by his section but nan scoring had been verified independently.

Clubs could use for grants of up to £1.5m, up to £6m and much than £6m but must show that they would lend astatine slightest 5% of nan task costs, this rising to 40% for council-owned grounds.

"I dream group will spot this arsenic a adjacent and transparent process. We group nan criteria, we scored group against that criteria, it was done successful nan due way.

"All this was scored extracurricular of me. I had nary engagement successful that whatsoever, and this was assessed by personification independently arsenic well.

"So group tin person religion and assurance successful nan process and it will beryllium bully for shot because aft waiting for truthful agelong we're going to spot existent activity towards a really tangible quality successful clubs correct crossed Northern Ireland."

While nan finance successful nan crippled has been welcomed by administrators astatine nan Irish Football Association and Northern Ireland Football League, representatives of those governing bodies person emphasised nan request for overmuch greater finance to beryllium made available.

Speaking successful January, IFA president Conrad Kirkwood said that nan backing fell "significantly short of nan Department for Communities' ain estimated £200 cardinal required to upgrade capacity nine grounds, grassroots accommodation and found a National Football Centre for Northern Ireland".

The Communities curate told nan BBC that he hoped nan first backing announcements connected Thursday would only beryllium nan beginning.

"I'll ever beryllium looking to spot what I tin do wrong my ain superior budget. There are different intends by which we tin look for finance, that mightiness beryllium borrowing, that mightiness beryllium backstage sector, aliases further contributions from government.

"I'll research each of that, spot what we tin do.

"But I spot nan request that exists successful shot and I want to make judge that that request is met because I want to make a quality successful nan lives of group who return part, players, spectators, those that usage shot clubs extracurricular of Friday nighttime and Saturday day games."