Casement Park: NI supporters' club rejects Euro 2028 bid

A Northern Ireland football supporters' group says it is not in favour of tournament matches being hosted at a rebuilt Casement Park stadium in west Belfast.

The proposed new stadium has been included in a bid by the UK and Ireland to stage the Euro 2028 tournament.

Northern Ireland currently play at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in south Belfast.

Its capacity is 18,500 which is well below the minimum 30,000 requirement.

The proposed stadium at Casement Park is set to replace the current Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) ground and is due to have a capacity of 34,500.

Casement Park is only two miles from Windsor Park but the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters' Clubs (AONISC) does not believe a GAA ground is a suitable location for tournament matches.

A spokesperson said: "It is our view, and indeed our preference, that football tournaments should be hosted by football stadia.

"The Irish Football Association are aware of our position in relation to this matter."

The IFA tweeted that it backs the Euro 2028 bid.

Northern Ireland football manager Michael O'Neill said: "Securing this bid for Northern Ireland would be transformative for our legions of passionate football fans.

"I am fully behind it and hope everyone will lend their support to it too," he added.

There are a number of major hurdles to be crossed before any international football matches could be played at Casement Park.

The stadium construction has been put on hold due to the absence of ministers at Stormont, and there is no agreement on funding for the project.

However, the GAA said it was confident the new Casement Park stadium will be built.

Stephen McGeehan, Ulster GAA, said progress had been made behind the scenes.

He told BBC News NI: "We're absolutely delighted that we now see a pathway and a way forward to work with officials to get the necessary approvals either with an Executive - or with the support of the UK and Irish governments - to ensure that Casement Park can and must now happen."

He would not elaborate on exactly how this would unlock the stalled project or how much the redevelopment would cost.

Asked about funding for the stadium, the UK government said it was working on the issue, but declined to say whether extra financial support would be forthcoming.

"The Euro 2028 bid presents a fantastic opportunity for Northern Ireland to showcase world class sport as part of the UK and Ireland bid," said a spokesperson.

"The UK government will continue to work with partners including the NI Executive and GAA on the bid, including the funding for Casement Park."

On Wednesday, the inclusion of the west Belfast stadium in the Euro bid was welcomed by Lucy Frazer, who is the secretary of state for culture, media and sport.

She said: "It was really important for us to bid with Northern Ireland.

"That was very, very important to us as a government and important to the FA (Football Association) as well and I'm very confident that that stadium will be delivered on time."

There is no guarantee that the UK and Ireland bid to stage the Euros will be successful, with a decision expected in September.

When the Casement rebuilding project was first proposed almost a decade ago, the total cost was estimated at £77m. Some believe the cost now would be double that amount.

The estimated £77m was made up of £15m from the GAA and £62m from the Stormont executive.

The supporters' group, AONISC, is monitoring the funding issue.

A spokesperson said: "Should Casement Park receive the significant public funding required to allow redevelopment to progress, we believe that Northern Ireland football should receive parity of funding."

The recent redevelopment of Windsor Park was funded by £31m of public money.