Casement will be built, but won’t host Euro 28 games

You can bet on Casement Park in Belfast again rising from the ground. However, don’t consider a double, coupling the redevelopment with the grounds being ready in time for Euro 28.

New Northern Ireland secretary of state, Hilary Benn, put the final nail in the coffin of UEFA tournament’s coffin a few weeks ago when he said the British Government wouldn’t be subscribing to the project.

The projected cost of £400 million, in the region of four times the price mentioned when Casement was chosen as a venue for European’s showpiece, in 2021, is now being forwarded by the British as the sum required to get the work done.

Benn fell over himself with enthusiasm for the project when he came to Belfast soon after his appointment. He insisted the stadium would be built “one way or another”.

And it was less than two months ago when Benn’s boss, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, was reported as also being in favour. More than that, he promised financial backing.

A front page Irish News story on August 1st said: “It has been reported that the Prime Minister told soccer’s governing body, UEFA, he wanted the new stadium to go ahead, following fears the financial issues facing the project would mean West Belfast will miss out of hosting matches in four years when the UK and Ireland jointly host the tournament.

”The Times reported last week that Sir Keir told UEFA officials he backed a ‘£310 million bailout’ for the GAA stadium at the currently derelict site in Anderson.”

These leading government chiefs will probably now say these promises were made before they got a proper look at the books following Labour’s take-over from the Conservatives. They’ve seen a hole in the finances amounting to billions upon billions, and it scares them.

So, as a result, all Casement bets are off? It would seem so.

What was planned for Casement was a complete new build. It would cater for a crowd of 35,000, which is more than the capacity of either of Belfast’s other two major stadia, Ravenhill, the home of Ulster rugby, and soccer’s Windsor Park.

But long before word of Euro 28 being played in this country came through, Casement was in line for redevelopment along with Ravenhill and Windsor, the government providing the finance.

While the other two went ahead, Casement was stalled due to objections by residents on the nearby Andersonstown Road.

However, the modified plans drawn up when it was announced Casement had been chosen for Euro 28 appeared to be to everyone’s satisfaction. The Irish Government said it would chip in with €50 million, and the GAA, €15 million.

That €65 million is on the table, and would also certainly be increased if by some miracle Casement got back in the Euro 28 game. Whether or not some of the best teams in Europe trade their wares in West Belfast in four years’ time, Casement will still need to be built, maybe not to the specifications drawn up, but built nonetheless.

The GAA wouldn’t want the country’s second largest county to continue much longer without a decent stadium. In the event of, say, the capacity being scaled by to 25,000, or even less, and some of the bells and whistles removed, it’s for certain the Irish Government and the GAA money would still be on the table.And having, perhaps, found that the black hole is not so deep after all – and even if they don’t – Sir Keir and Hilary might want to throw a few bob into the pot.