This is a change in direction
The Council are now going to take the development on themselves. I'm not holding my breath, this is the same council that is wetting itself over a name change from Londonderry to Derry......
This is a change in direction
The Council are now going to take the development on themselves. I'm not holding my breath, this is the same council that is wetting itself over a name change from Londonderry to Derry......
Great to see work on this being done .
Really? Let me see now...
1. "We could apparently get £5 million of it ourselves" - And there's me thinking that DCFC presently didn't have a pot to p1ss in;
2. " ...and £5 million from Dublin" - Not according to these people:
"Brandywell Properties have had their funding application to redevelop Derry City's stadium turned down by the Department of Sport in the Republic.
The application was refused because the club is located outside the state and is therefore deemed 'ineligible'."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_...st/7967526.stm
3. "But Stormont wouldn't give us anything" - Perhaps because DCFC have not actually asked them? At least, they hadn't as recently as 27/03/09:
"The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in NI said it has never received a funding application"
As it happens, there are people at Stormont who are favourably disposed towards helping out at the Brandywell, including former Sports Minister, (Derryman) Gregory Campbell.
Indeed, another local representative had this to say:
"Sinn Fein MLA Raymond McCartney, who sits on the DCAL committee, said the department can assist Brandywell Properties in seeking a funding package"
It is clear that with the Maze having been scrapped, a proportion of that funding is available to fund the three main team sports in NI. As regards football, the bulk (£20m?) of its share will go towards redeveloping Windsor Park to make it fit for international football. But I have a suspicion that part of the behind-the-scenes horsetrading which is going on to get that past SF and the SDLP etc, could see a significant sum sent in the direction of Derry.
That said, in the present climate, no-one will be able to justify even part-funding of any scheme which is not workable and operated by capable and accountable people.
Which, I have to say, are hardly epithets which could be applied to the people who have been running DCFC's finances of late.
Or as Mr. McCartney put it:
" ...we have said if the business plan stacks up then we will be able to help"
Quite a big word, "if"...
I genuinely hope this works out for Derry City. However, I think it is constructive to be realistic about the problems within our clubs instead of just sticking our heads in the sand and hoping that the financial mess goes away. Sure that kind of attitude has helped cause this mess.
yeah, i know HS. And i wasnt having a go at you per se. Just moaning generally over how quickly that phrase is trotted out on this forum for no real constructive purpose.
Was just going to mention that point.
I know this has been mooted for a while, but is the general feeling that something is now going to happen, or that this is just the board deflecting criticism with a long-term good news story?
Considering how long this redevelopment has been discussed, I too wonder whether it is mere coincidence that talk of it has been revived at exactly the same time as the club got its ass kicked by Dungannon Swifts over the McGinn transfer:
http://www.tribune.ie/archive/articl...well-overhaul/
(Note the date)
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