Shock as Derry City Football Club omitted from NI Football Fund list

The Brandywell club’s plans to complete phase two of the Mark Farren Stand and upgrade the artificial pitch and floodlights at the ground have taken a huge blow after the club wasn’t included in the list of 20 clubs named on sports minister Gordon Lyons list of successful applicants.

Institute Football Club’s bid for a share of the pot has also been rejected while there was also no place for Coleraine, Crusaders, Portadown or Ards who were hoping to receive funds to improve infrastructure at their respective grounds.

Just under £164million was requested by the 38 clubs who applied which far exceeded the £36.2million that was available. That initial pot of funding has been increased to £82million with an "estimated total project costs" came to £98 million.

The funding was split into three tiers. Tier 1: Less than £1.5m; Tier 2: Between £1.5m and £6m and Tier 3: More than £6m.

Glentoran and Cliftonville were the big winners as they progressed in the third and most expensive tier, with funding applications of more than £6 million.

Mr Lyons explained clubs were selected based on a scoring matrix which was moderated internally and externally and while only 20 NIFL clubs will go forward to the next stage of the process, the Minister says there is "still hope" for clubs who are unsuccessful.

"No-one is getting kicked out of this process, it is ongoing. I'm not saying no to anybody, I'm saying not yet and we will help them as much as possible."

Successful applicants: Tier 3: More than £6m – Cliftonville, Glentoran; Tier 2: Between £1.5m and £6m – Ballinamallard United, Ballymena United, Banbridge Town, Bangor, Carrick Rangers, Dergview, Dungannon Swifts, Glenavon, Larne, Lisburn Rangers, Loughgall, Newry City, Oxford Sunnyside; Tier 1: Less than £1.5m – Armagh City, Ballymacash Sports Academy, Lisburn Distillery, Queen's University, Rathfriland Rangers.

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