Crusaders FC are contesting their exclusion from a major grassroots football fund through an ongoing judicial review. The North Belfast side, currently fourth in the Premiership with 15 points, missed out completely on the Northern Ireland Football Fund announced last September.
They have joined League of Ireland club Derry City in seeking a court order to have the funding decisions quashed. The legal challenge focuses on the process used to select clubs for the £9 million programme. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons stated this week that the review has not prevented his department from continuing work with the clubs that were successful.
Minister defends process
Gordon Lyons maintains the funding process is progressing despite the legal action. "We have been working alongside the clubs, and that is still on track with the timeline that I had set out previously," the minister said. He confirmed that due diligence checks are continuing with the selected clubs, who are submitting necessary paperwork. Lyons emphasized that his priority is to get projects to the point where formal funding offers can be made and construction can begin. "It has been over a year, but that doesn't mean that nothing has progressed," he added.
The minister's comments come as Crusaders prepare for their next league fixture, an away trip to face Carrick Rangers on Saturday. The club's recent form has been mixed, with two wins and three losses in their last five outings, a sequence they will be keen to improve upon.
Background to the fund
In September last year, Minister Lyons announced that 20 clubs from across Northern Ireland had reached the next stage of the broader fund. However, Crusaders FC were not among them. From 35 applications for club-led projects, five were selected: Crewe United Football & Social Club, Colin Valley Football Club, Cookstown Youth FC, Dungiven Celtic Youth Football Club, and NFC Kesh. Two council-led projects from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and Belfast City Council were also successful from seven applications.
Lyons has previously called it a "disgrace" that the money was still available when he took office, saying the issue should have been dealt with 15 years ago. He has also stated it would take an estimated £57 million to cover all grassroots facility needs in Northern Ireland. For Crusaders, who sit seven points off the top of the standings, the focus remains split between their on-field ambitions and this off-pitch financial battle.
