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Blues demand answers from IFA chiefs over new Belfast stadium
Thursday, 26 March 2009
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Linfield have been left in the dark by plans for a new stadium in the Sydenham area of east Belfast — and the prospect of international football being taken away from Windsor Park has cast a shadow over the club.
Blues chairman Jim Kerr said he was “surprised” to learn that the Irish FA were considering the merits of a new stadium in the east of the city at a time when the green light was expected to be given for redevelopment plans at Windsor.
The south Belfast club want answers from the IFA and no doubt considerable financial compensation if the football body wishes to terminate its international agreement with the Blues.
Any facility at the Blanchflower Stadium would offer a new home to Glentoran — if they sell their existing home at the Oval and move to the new stadium as tenants.
There are many hurdles to conquer before this dream can become a reality but Linfield are clearly concerned that their international agreement with the IFA may come to an end.
The Blues are happy to remain at Windsor but if the venue will only host Irish League matches in the future it would not need a capacity of more than 10,000.
Kerr said there were many significant boxes to tick before the east Belfast stadium proposal gained approval.
“We cannot influence what the IFA do or what direction they want to go with regard to a new stadium,” he said.
“At Linfield we can only look after our members’ interests and we will certainly want clarification from the IFA and from government what their thinking is with regard to this stadium.
“Our international agreement with the IFA has another 80 years to run and there has been no discussions with regard to the termination of that contract.
“Should that happen Linfield would expect to be compensated but the IFA and Sports Minister (Gregory Campbell) have been in discussions with us over the redevelopment of Windsor Park so this new development has surprised us.
“It was our understanding that the IFA wanted international football to continue at Windsor in the short and long term but it seems that that may not be the case now. But we are expecting the IFA to honour their contract with us.”
The new arena would have a 20,000-capacity and would be built on a 90-acre site beside the current Blanchflower Stadium.
Major fixtures, such as the Irish Cup final, could be staged at the stadium but Kerr questions the need for a venue catering for 20,000 fans.
“Ulster rugby has been developing Ravenhill and I would not expect Northern Ireland games to attract that number of fans unless the side is doing very well and one of the big countries is in town,” he added. “You would have to question how often that ground would be filled.
“Certainly Windsor could function with a reduced capacity if international football is taken away from us. People have said that Linfield are pocketing a lot of money from those fixtures but international football does not come cheap, the ground needs to be well maintained and Windsor was still being used for football throughout the troubles when international games could not be played in Belfast.”
Sooner, rather than later, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and Irish FA will have to say to Linfield whether a redeveloped Windsor Park or a new stadium across the city will host future international fixtures.
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Comments
31 Comments
No argument. Windsor is the home of OWC.
The IFA need to put all their finances and efforts behind improving the ground for internationals.
Linfield own the stadium and have given the IFA a lucrative deal for future NI games.
Audaces Fortuna Juvat
WNB WNI
Posted by tommy hall | 04.04.09, 01:11 GMT
If the North Stand in in a state of repair then the glentoran (small g) supporters made a significant contribution when their fans on at least two occasions in recent times went on the rampage wreaking and smashing seats and blockings the toilets with their imported toilets rolls which they usually thrown onto the pitch as a gesture of their infantile behaviour. They cannot act decently when being stuffed and should be banned in the future. We dont need your money.
Posted by Gerald. | 31.03.09, 13:09 GMT
Oh Linfield are so panicking calm down bluemen you's are gettin your IFA money in a twist there. Is'nt it great to see them worried. At the end of the day with the amount of money Linfield get they should be winning the League every season. It makes it an achievement to see a team winning it on a shoe string budget just like the way Cruseaders and Cliftonville did it.
Posted by Rab | 28.03.09, 09:10 GMT
Forever In OUR Shadows...
Any REAL Northern Ireland Football fan knows that fortress Windsor is the past and is the future!!
Lets send our wee country to play at a re-developed Oval!
A few more league titles later for the Blues and Glentoran would find another sob story.
Maybe the Glens need some TLC
or maybe they just need an honest back room staff, a set of players who love the club and an army of fans that love the club for what it is rather than booing the team from the pitch and finding 'things at Windsor' on match day more interesting.
FTG
Posted by Ross Kennedy | 27.03.09, 17:26 GMT
Sniggers, a Glenman laughing at Bluemen about stadia... You couldn't make this up.
Posted by Graemerz | 27.03.09, 13:30 GMT
haha Typical Linfield does not take responsibility for the ground. They own the land but cant afford to upkeep it
Posted by Phil GFC | 27.03.09, 12:41 GMT
none of our players are on £1000 a week. yet spike ferguson at 39 has more goals than ur grand a week striker!
Posted by 3 in a row | 27.03.09, 12:27 GMT
Mark GFC, they may own the stand, but the stand is useless if it doesn't have land underneath it, which Linfield own.
So that is why we get 15% of that stand as well, as it is sitting on LINFIELD land.
You Glenmen are clueless and hilerious at the same time.
Big chips on wee shoulders.
Glentoran forever in Linfields shadow.
Posted by Steve | 27.03.09, 10:59 GMT
Do we all remember the oval riot started after you do the "hokey pokey and mannus palms it out - Oh chrissy Morgan". Im sure that hurt.
Yes theres no argument re success during the 20's and 60's just look at the present day context of linfield's success after the agreement was signed corresponding with NI success means higher attendance which in turn means more cash for linfield which means more players of a higher quality (not always the case) and higher wages. Anybody recall Paul Daglish and Fitzroy simpson?? Big money players on big wages. Its only common sense that if you can buy more players you will win more trophies. 8 full-time players at present.
There needs to be financial equality for all teams in the league and thats not being against linfield thats fact due to most teams in the league surviving through the big two attendances or by volunteers. The government needs to impliment the Taylor report and then football standard will improve vastly.
Posted by Phil GFC | 27.03.09, 10:34 GMT
If the North Stand is the IFA's then why do Linfield take 15% of the ticket revenue for that stand ??
Surely they take this money as their chairman in his own words says to maintain the ground including the North Stand or are the IFA supposed to send a man round to maintain it???
If the unfortunate tax payer is forced to give Linfield more money what is Linfield's contribution to this development going to be ???
Myopic Linfield
Posted by markgfc | 27.03.09, 09:25 GMT
how could the ifa have always ben linfield since linfield were established first! also how could linfield always have been funded if we only had the money since 1984, dont be so stupid we had two 7 trophy clean sweeps and countless other cups before they came to to us with the contract, open your eyes!!!!!!!!!
Posted by 3 in a row | 27.03.09, 08:48 GMT
The IFA came to Linfield???? Linfield always have been the IFA!!!
The IFA have funded all of Linfield's success.
Posted by eddy | 26.03.09, 23:23 GMT
Mark, you dont sound as if you know what your talking about. 500000 a year since 1984? You must be having a laugh, it wasn't even that the year England played here never mind the years NI were struggling with crowds of 6000.
1. The North stand belongs to the IFA
2. The North stand belongs to the IFA
3. The PA system does work
4. Polish your crystal ball a bit better
5. Why dont you answer that?
6. I cant see what the problem is, interest free loan or not, Linfield still had to pay 2 million for a stand they dont need
7. Maybe Linfield should have used some of their money from leasing Windsor to the IFA to stop the rain, great idea why did they not think of that
8. A lot more than Glentoran have spent on their pitch since the Luftwaffe levelled it for them
Posted by Paul | 26.03.09, 22:54 GMT
if international football at windsor is such a financial burden to linfield then why wre they so protective of the insane 100 year agreement?
mixed messages indeed. save the game-spread the wealth.
Posted by trevor greer | 26.03.09, 22:26 GMT
we are linfield super linfield no one likes us, we don't care. oh boy, is this wee song true. the i.f.a. wanted windsor on a long term contract because no other ground was suitable for internationals. things have changed, that's not linfields fault. the bottom line is, the contract is written in stone. as a life long blueman, i would like to see a new stadium (don't mind if it's in the east) just give us the money we are owed and let us get on with what we do best, winning trophies. we are linfield super linfield no one likes us, we don't care.
Posted by jackie blue | 26.03.09, 19:28 GMT
To settle the argument why don,t we follow the grand slam rugby team and unite the republic and north teams thus quadrupling the fanbase and making it a more commercially viable proposition. Surely this is the only way we can be taken seriously as a football nation. You never know we might even win something. I know Georgie Best would have approved.
Posted by john moore | 26.03.09, 18:33 GMT
A new Stadium for East Belfast?? Don't make me laugh.....
Dream on Glen men you never even had an old stadium.
Just like all your other aspirations... pie in the sky.
Now, how about you do the sensible thing, attend the Northern Ireland game on Saturday and give us some more of your money.
F.I.O.S
Posted by Thanks For Your Money. | 26.03.09, 17:57 GMT
Linfield are the establishment’s team, and therefore they have had
all the favours that went with it since the 1920's,
Posted by markgfc | 26.03.09, 15:59 GMT
Could I please just add that I am fully behind the redevelopement of Windsor Park and a posible contract extension between Linfield and the IFA.
The Blues' are a great club and have served my international team well.
Many thanks
(a cliftonville fan)
Posted by Mr_Parker | 26.03.09, 15:48 GMT
MarkGFC, you obviously dreaming up figures.
There where seasons we didn't get close to 100k let alone 500k.
We have only once EVER got over 500k from the IFA and that was the year England came over and we beat 1 nil.
So please at least be factual.
One game against Georgia it cost us 5k in costs (we pay for all international home game costs as well) and the IFA gave us 3.5k in return for the game, so we actually made a loss on an international game. (this was before Sanchez came along).
So Mark, facts would be nice, rather than your blatent lies.
Glentoran - Forever in Linfields shadow
Posted by Steve | 26.03.09, 15:29 GMT
31 Comments