Derry City in line for major investment

According to reports on Wednesday, Derry City are in line to receive several million pounds of investment from the Northern Ireland Executive.

There is a fund of cash available from Stormont, which was initially earmarked for a multi-sports venue to built on the site of the old Maze Prison. That stadium is no longer to be built and the cash seems set to be divided between sporting organizations in the north.

According to RTÉ’s Northern editor, Tommy Gorman, “Ulster Rugby has been given major funding for a facelift at Ravenhill.

“Next the GAA got over £60m for a planned 40,000 all-seater stadium at Casement Park. The way things work in Northern Ireland, soccer is getting the same amount as GAA. So, there is over £60m available to soccer in Northern Ireland.

“Some of that, less than half, is going to Windsor Park. More of it is going to a new stadium for Glentoran in the Titanic quarter of Belfast. But there’s still some money left over – a seven-figure sum.

“Derry City have a very strong chance of getting a seven-figure sum for redevelopment at The Brandywell.

“[It’s] highly controversial because [the] money [is] going to a club that plays in the League of Ireland.

"But if Derry get it, and it seems they will, it means that with the transfer money of James McClean they’ll be up with the aristocrats, the moneybags clubs, the likes of Shamrock Rovers.

“So for Derry City there is very good news coming down the track.

“It will be a seven-figure sum, at least one [million], maybe a little bit more.

“With the transfer money, now this money from Stormont, you can see there’s going to be a great League of Ireland club based in The Brandywell.”