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£20m for Linfield to tear up Windsor contract
Saturday, 13 June 2009
Windsor Park is due to hold all Northern Ireland senior international matches for another 80 years
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Linfield are prepared to scrap the 100-year contract to stage Northern Ireland international matches at Windsor Park — if a £20million upgrade of the stadium is given the green light.
The Blues yesterday unveiled a plan for the development of their home, with outlines in detail the options for major modernisation of the ground.
And within that they are ready to put the contract which entitles them to 15 per cent of the profits from international fixtures up for re-negotiation.
Linfield are keen to ensure that Windsor remains the home of international football and while any re-negotiation of the current deal is expected to be on their own terms, it will only happen in the first place if a planned £20million overhaul of the entire ground takes place.
That is the long-term plan, with a scaled down plan costing £3million also on the table and a full re-development would also likely see the stadium being managed by a separate company.
In the development document Linfield state: “The club recognises that if Windsor Park is to be developed as the long term fix the existing contract would be deemed no longer appropriate by other parties.
“The club has already begun exploratory discussions with its advisors on this issue and would anticipate the commencement of a new agreement on completion and its handover to a management company.”
That could mean a pay-off for the Blues, with the club then being allowed to take up a tenancy of the stadium for a nominal sum.
The deal between Linfield and the IFA was struck when the current North Stand was erected 25 years ago and has 80 years still to run. The Blues made over £500,000 from staging internationals during 2008, but with no more than four home Northern Ireland games in the current year that figure is likely to decrease. Keeping the ground up to standard is now seen as a must in order to protect the agreement at least until major work is done.
“This is the document that we’ve been waiting for,” said Irish FA President Raymond Kennedy, who obtained his copy yesterday morning along with the media.
“It gives us something to look at and something to go off. There is an option now on the table for us to take to Gregory Campbell, the Sports Minister.
“There is little question that the current contract that the Irish FA have for the use of Windsor Park will become null and void if government money is pumped in and we’ll have to sit down and work out a deal”
The stadium refurbishment goes beyond the needs of Linfield for any domestic, or even European fixture, but would modernise it and bring it up to a more acceptable standard for international fixtures.
Although funding would be sought to undertake the work which has been identified as most pressing at a cost of £3million, there would be a return on that investment quite quickly for the Blues and they would resist any attempts to re-negotiate the current IFA deal.
With a full re-fit — two totally new stands, major work done to the other two and an increase in capacity to 20,000 — the bill would run to £20million (£9million on a new South Stand alone) Linfield accept that a new contract would have to be drawn up, considering that government and the IFA would be expected to pump revenue into the project.
The £3million short-term fix plan would keep the current 14,500 seating capacity in place, with new spectator accommodation to replace the Railway Stand — which was condemned some time ago — taking up half of that cost.
There have been fears that Health & Safety could cut the to just 9,000 — meaning international games could run at a loss and moving games to England or Scotland could have dire consequences.
Under the £20million plan to upgrade Windsor the capacity would increase to 20,000.
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SHORT TERM PLAN (£3million)
PROS
Remains existing home of international football
No likely planning issues
Meets UEFA and SOSG (NI) requirements
Minimal disruption to ongoing business
Acceptable to Linfield FC
Acceptable to Irish FA
Experienced teamwork in managing internationals
Very modest infrastructure needs
Value for money
CONS
Capacity insufficient, but can be easily increased by modules of 500
Not very attractive ie,; South Stand is a composite of 1930s, 1960s and 1990s.
LONG TERM PLAN (£20million)
PROS
Capacity sufficient
Relatively inexpensive
Will free up capital for other Irish League necessary works
Acceptable to existing tenants
Long term management history between stakeholders
CONS
Perception of IFA/LFC partnership
P erception of DCAL funding to LFC
Not an iconic development
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Comments
22 Comments
Glenmen complain again and again about Linfield. If the Glentoran board took their eyes off Windsor Park and looked at the Oval then maybe, just maybe they could see the state it is in after years of neglect. Toilets for away supporters are a disgrace, a wall in the open air for men to use. This is a throw back to the dark ages before we had running water. At most grounds away fans have concrete to walk on, at the oval a mud path into the stand.
Posted by Pedlar | 20.06.09, 14:33 GMT
If this does happen then the Blanchflower stadium will also go ahead, only with an 8,000 capacity rather than 20. Which realistically would be much better for the Glens.
Graemerz - the reason is that everyone can see it aside from Linfield! Our problem is with the IFA, but they didn't sign the deal solely on stupidity, the two are linked. This was always a dogey deal
And Please nobody think that Tony F speaks for Catholics, he's as much of an embarassment to us as he is to you!
Posted by Ryan | 16.06.09, 16:25 GMT
lin68, it would be a dream scenario for the IFA to give Linfield the money owed to break the contract. IFA could build a ground of their own or share with Glentoran, Crusaders or Lisburn Distillery and do whatever to hell they want while Linfield build a nice compact stadium for their own needs. It’s simply not going to happen though. What Linfield are doing is very unselfish and commendable.
Posted by Graemerz | 15.06.09, 15:26 GMT
yet again linfield take money over atmosphere. why does the so called biggest club in ireland not look after its own fans and build a small stadium for its own needs, atmosphere at linfield home matches is non existant. will we have to suffer another 50yrs of 4000 crowds in a 20000 seat stadium. stick the money and look after our entertainment every other saturday.
Posted by lin68 | 15.06.09, 12:43 GMT
As per usual, the amount of people with chips on their shoulders in regards to Linfield is atoundingly funny. They ignore all facts of the story just to get a sly cheap dig in at Linfield. Sad petty individuals. If you want to blame anyone blame the IFA, not Linfield.
Posted by Graemerz | 15.06.09, 12:19 GMT
Holywood "yes,we catholics also love Norn Iron!!"
Sssshhh Holywood, or Tony and his disbelieving ilk will have you "outted"! LOL
Posted by mi-ck-ey | 15.06.09, 11:44 GMT
Tony, why should the republican-only GAA get a penny of this money?
Posted by mi-ck-ey | 15.06.09, 11:43 GMT
Do you GAA fans not read the papers or just pick out the bits you want to criticise?
Ulster GAA is getting money to redevelop Casement Park.
Also talking about citadels of sectarianism, does the incident of tearing two British soldiers to death at Casement escape your memory?
If Linfield had the business savy to take advantage of the IFA all those years ago why are they being blamed?
Posted by Roby | 15.06.09, 11:37 GMT
No tax payers money should go to Linfield.
I don't go to Northern Ireland matches as I don't want to give them 15% of the ticket fee because of the ridiculous 100 year entitlement to free money. Effectively buying the league every year, and it's a miracle if someone esle actually wins it !!!
So why should tax payers effectively bail Linfield out of their 100 year contract that some imbecile signed at the IFA ??????
Linfield and the IFA are a joke. As a tax payer I'm not having it.
Posted by markgfc | 15.06.09, 11:27 GMT
Interesting to read that Linfiled made 500K from international fixtures in 2008,how much of this has been spent on preserving Winsdor Park?
The real question is which option is the best for sport in Norn Iron,surely a new state of the art neutral venue e.g. Blanchflower is a better option. Close to rail,easily accesable by car and not in what some might call 'loyalist heartland' and therfore inviting to ALL football fans, yes,we catholics also love Norn Iron!!
Posted by holywood | 15.06.09, 10:57 GMT
Linfield/IFA should not be allowed to get away with this.
No money should be granted to the monocultural IFA.
The money should Be spent on GAA, Ulster's most popular sport by far.
Posted by Tony | 15.06.09, 09:32 GMT
Linfield and Glentoran both sell there grounds,have a state of the art stadium built in the center of Belfast,and ground share,the ifa keep windsor as a national stadium,and the blues and glens,get a 21st century ground to be proud of.
Posted by David | 15.06.09, 07:51 GMT
why do we get to use Windsor Park as our ground you ask?
Simple.... Linfield FC own Windsor Park
Posted by r | 14.06.09, 14:39 GMT
well at least this stadium will be used by a large number of people on a regular basis. Look at the money wasted on various arts projects that only a tiny minority give a stuff about. football is the number one sport in NI and the rest of the world and it is well overdue this type of investment to bring our grounds up to the standard of wales, scotland, england, republic etc. Hurry up and just do it Gregory. You should also help sort out the Oval.
Posted by dm | 14.06.09, 13:38 GMT
no way can this go ahead !! linfield have milked the ifa for years and creamed the govt monies at every opportunity
the only soloution for the good of football is the blanchflower stadium
Posted by grrr | 14.06.09, 10:37 GMT
if this plan gets the go ahead only 1 team get the benifit and thats linfield suprise suprise.lets all have a nem stadium some where else and every one be equal and we will see our league grow instead of linfields bank balance.or is that what the IFAwants?
Posted by billy | 13.06.09, 20:40 GMT
I would imagine that our unbiased Culture ? Secretary will give the blue(daren't say green)light to this citadel of sectarianism.
Windsor Park should have been shut down in 1948 after the democratic supporters attacked another team but a blind eye was turned at that time and numerous times since.
Linfield appears to have an advantage over all Irish League teams in their funding and it will always remain this way.
Posted by Henry Campbell | 13.06.09, 16:35 GMT
Baily, What? I don't understand.
Posted by Graemerz | 13.06.09, 16:32 GMT
Bailey were you drunk when you posted son? Windsor is the only venue in Ulster which could stage N Ireland games, there simply is no other alternative.
Posted by Marcus | 13.06.09, 14:55 GMT
I had to check the calendar when I read this. No, it wasn't April Fool's Day. 20 million to kick a piece of leather about? Sure I'd do it for nothing. Catch yerself on and smell the coffee. Those mad days of handing out money to every ridiculous scheme are long over.
Posted by Catch yerself on | 13.06.09, 12:09 GMT
22 Comments