FOOTBALL: 'Unrealistic' for stadia funds to be released before the end of the year - Lawlor
NIFL CEO also says increased money may be split into different strands
In an exclusive interview with Cool FM and Downtown Radio, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) Gerard Lawlor gives an insight into the ongoing Regional and Sub-Regional Stadia Fund...including:
- Why clubs shouldn't expect to see work commenced before Christmas
- The aim of securing an increase in funding available in the next budget
- Wanting to see Casement Park built, 'but not at the expense of football'
While Gerard Lawlor has only be in his current role for less than 5 months, the last fortnight in particular has seen him thrust into the spotlight.
When Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey spoke in the Assembly of how the funding pot for facilities here - some £36.2 million - wouldn't be released before the May elections, it sparked widespread anger amongst most involved in football here.
The funding had been agreed in 2015, but a succession of Ministers failed to release it, with Minister Hargey citing the recent collapse of the Executive as the reason why in 2022.
That led to meetings between NIFL, the Irish Football Association and the Minister to try and find a way forward.
Lawlor says it a case of 'now we wait'.
"I think it's well documented at this point that we are in a bit of a waiting game. We want to see the glass as half-full, rather than half-empty," he said from his office at NIFL HQ in Windsor Park.
"The latest is the Minister is speaking to her Executive colleagues. That was at the tail end of last week and we haven't heard anything back from that. I do think we need we need to give her a bit of grace on that.
"At the moment, it's a bit of waiting game to see if the Executive colleagues going to back the Minister to allow the programme to move forward and then, in the background, we're all having discussions. The next part of that waiting game is for the Minister to announce what the programme actually is and what the fund is.
"I know none of us like to be waiting too long, but I think we're in that sort of lull period where we're waiting to see what takes place."
CLUB FEEDBACK
Lawlor and and his team met with members of the 43 clubs that make up the Northern Ireland Football League on Monday.
He says the meeting was productive.
"A lot of this process now has to be about communication.
"One of my criticisms in the past was that a 'vacuum' was allowed to develop around communication. It's important for us as a league that we're communicating with clubs, keeping them up to date and that they're hearing from us directly. Monday night was about us communicating with the clubs. We want to hear their feedback and their questions and we want to answer them directly.
"We're looking at what clubs plans are and what their needs are," says Lawlor, who admits that a bit of realism is needed going forward.
"I've got to be clear - we're not decision makers in this process. But we're here to fight for the clubs and we're here to support the clubs and, in the future, to have some honest conversations with clubs. There's going to be a restrictive pot no matter what happens.
"Clubs have wish lists. There are things clubs would love, there are things we would all want in life, bu it might not all be possible. We need a get a broader picture across the league to see what are the real necessities for development and for the league to continue to function.
"It's about having adult conversations, direct conversations and challenging clubs. I believe we can have a role to play in that in the background and then represent our club to government. They will ultimately make those decisions."
INCREASING THE £36.2M
"I'm not sure if the current £36 million pound pot will be released at this stage."
"But I would be hopeful if that wasn't the case that maybe in the next budget, we could put some further football money into it. There may be a strand 2 of the project," Lawlor revealed.
"The feeling and the vibes we're getting are that everybody has acknowledged that need. The Minister has publicly acknowledged that need, so we would be hopeful that she and her department can deliver that. I think across the board, we're hopeful there will definitely be more money for football in the future - whether that's immediate or not, we're totally unsure of at this minute in time."
TIMEFRAMES
Despite the figure having been agreed almost a decade ago, clubs are now keener than ever to see the fund being released so they can get to work and utilise the money for their specific requirements.
Lawlor admits they will likely have to wait a bit longer for it to see the light of day.
"None of us know the answer, but being realistic and trying to be realistic to our clubs, by the time it's approved at Executive level or with Executive Ministers, then the department have to draw up and finalise the programme, the programme then has to open for application, clubs then have to apply, then there has to be a deliberation and decision on those projects.
"That is not something that is going to be done in a two or three month period being realistic.
"I think anyone thinking we're going to have a cheque in the bank or diggers on the ground before the end of the season, or possibly the start of next season, is not realistic."
"My own though process is that this is going to take a few months to get a programme finalised, agreed on, deliberations, then the clubs will have to go to tenders, they're going to have to appoint architects and finalise building plans.
"I hate to use the word Christmas, but we've got to be honest, it could go to late 2022 before clubs do have diggers on-site and we see the implications."
NEEDS MUST
While many clubs will look to increase capacity by building new stands, while others simply want to provide better changing and toilet facilities, Lawlor believes there has to be an all-encompassing attitude towards what is needed versus what is wanted.
"The factors for our clubs have got to be providing facilities and a framework for them to grow, to grow the league, to interact with communities more and to become hubs of their communities more. I think that's what a lot of facilities are holding things back on," he says.
"We hear about grassroots. No-one does more grassroots football than our clubs in both the men's and ladies game. It's about providing facilities that young boys and girls can come to senior grounds and be able to use a proper toilet, to be able to use proper dressing room facilities on cold winter nights, to have shower facilities. It's about creating that framework for clubs to grow and interact and really grow the game.
"The focus is not about facilities for Premiership football at 3 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, though that has to be an element of this because we need to increase the stadia within the country.
"We have Larne and Linfield in recent years who have come very close to the latter stages of European qualification rounds. We would need to move to UEFA Category 3 stadia. The National Stadium (At Windsor Park) is the only stadium in Northern Ireland. Is that really feasible? Is it that we want an 18,000-seater stadium?" Lawlor queries.
"I look at our own League Cup, which is doing fantastically well for us, but wouldn't it be great to go to a stadium of 10,000 or 12,000 packed out to capacity? We're still aiming for a crowd of that size for the final, but it's going to be lost in an 18,000-seater stadium.
"We look at other sports that have those facilities. Football doesn't. We almost need a small, medium and large scenario in Northern Ireland. That's the other element of where this has to go. I don't envy the Minister, I don't envy her department that has to put all this together and they have to do it for the good of the local game.
"The Irish FA also have a role to play in this, because they are ultimately the governance of the game here. It's their job to grow and develop the game. Within NIFL, we'll play our part and we're probably playing beyond our part at the moment, because we are a league. But, I feel we're having to lead on this and we're having to be drivers of it. Others need to stand up and play their role at the same time, and I think if we all play our role and we all come together, we can ultimately do what's best for football in this country."
CASEMENT PARK
One accusation levelled at those in power in Stormont was that of money being taken away from football and given to the GAA's Casement Park project in Belfast.
Both projects have ringfenced money and Lawlor is keen to see both sports rewarded for their work in the community.
However, he's also keen to remind the Executive that he doesn't want Casement built to the detriment of football.
"We want an increase in all sporting facilities. I have lots of close contacts in the GAA and lot of friends involved in the GAA.
"The GAA and the Antrim Board need to develop their facilities, that code of sport needs to develop, there's no doubt about that. NIFL has no objections and I don't think any of our clubs have. We would like to see the biggest and best stadium that it can be built at Casement Park - but not at our expense," he states.
"We're more than happy for the GAA to build and redevelop Casement Park and we wish them the best. We would fully support and, if we could ever help in any way, we'd be more than happy to do that.
"But we just don't want it to be at our expense and that's the concern of the football community and that's the concern that a lot of our clubs have. It's my job to fight and raise that concern. I think the Minister has given me reassurances on that and I have to praise the Minister. She's been very open and very transparent.
"We have to put the past behind us, we have to draw a line in the sand and, since last week, we've had multiple communications with her department and her staff about how we drive this forward," he concludes.
It's been an interesting last few weeks for Gerard Lawlor, NIFL and everyone connected with football in Northern Ireland.
You get the feeling the story is far from finished...