A NEW redeveloped Casement Park could hold the key to the North of Ireland staging seven football matches during Euro 2028.
Stormont’s Economy Minister Gordon Lyons has said that the North can not support a joint Ireland and UK bid to host the tournament because of a lack of an executive and budget at Stormont.
It comes as the two football associations in Ireland, as well as England, Scotland and Wales have submitted a joint bid to hold the tournament in six years’ time.
Turkey and Russia have also lodged separate bids to host the finals.
In Mr Lyons’ letter to other ministers he also cites the lack of stadium capacity to host games.
Sinn Féin MP @johnfinucane has said hosting Euro 2028 football tournament is “a huge opportunity for the north to create jobs & boost the economy".
— Sinn Féin (@sinnfeinireland) March 25, 2022
He said parties need to get back into the Executive & work together positively to ensure this is delivered https://t.co/mogmkNArTb pic.twitter.com/Aos4XvcwFO
The minimum requirement for a stadium to hold games in the Euros is 30,000. Currently there are no stadiums north of the border which could accommodate that capacity. However, Casement Park could hold the key.
Planning permission has been granted for a new 34,500 capacity stadium at the Andersonstown venue.
Planning permission was previously granted for a 38,000 capacity Casement Park in 2013. However, in 2014 approval was quashed in a High Court legal challenge brought by a local residents’ group.
A judicial review against the redevelopment of Casement Park will take place later this month and will be decided after Easter, a High Court judge has said, after another legal challenge by some residents.
