Official opening of Brandywell's new North Stand will 'go tight to the wire'

​Tiernan Lynch's Candy Stripes open their Brandywell campaign against Bohemians on February 21st next but the stand, which is expected to cost Derry City Football Club in the region of £2million, has yet to be completed.

Work continues on the new male and female toilet facilities and ground work behind the 2,940 capacity stand. While Derry City CEO Sean Barrett is delighted with the progress, he admits it will be a down-to-the-wire race to have it officially opened for the start of the club’s home fixtures as the club insist on being '100 percent compliant' with health and safety regulations.

It's understood either the Bohemians match or the Waterford fixture the following week, could be used as a live test event at around 50% capacity before it's officially signed off by Derry City and Strabane District Council and becomes fully operational.

"It's going right to the wire as all these things normally do," said Mr Barrett. "We need a test event which can actually be a competitive game. So we're very, very tight to the wire.

"Myself and Philip [O’Doherty] were at a meeting last Thursday and it's just about getting all the paperwork done and the toilet block finished. Around the back of the stand also needs to be levelled.

"It has to be 100 percent compliant, which it will be. So we will keep driving on with that but it's looking well."

A Council spokesperson said it is 'continuing to engage on a regular basis with the lead project partner, Derry City FC and their project delivery team to ensure full compliance on all issues around the development of the North Stand at the Stadium'.

Derry City is awaiting a large tranche of the NI Football Fund - a £6 million plus share - which will complete the two wings of the Mark Farren Stand. Once both stands are eventually completed, Mr Barrett reckons the match day experience for Derry City fans will be significantly improved. "If we can get the Mark Farren Stand extended out it will become a really good football experience on match nights."