Euro 2028: Casement hopes fade as Labour vows ‘no blank cheque’

Labour cannot write a blank cheque to rebuild Belfast’s Casement Park in time for Euro 2028, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn has said.

It comes as a former senior strategist with European football body Uefa told BBC News NI plans are now being made for the tournament to go ahead without Northern Ireland.

Belfast is due to stage five games at the west Belfast stadium when the UK and Ireland hosts the tournament.

But the site remains derelict and redevelopment work has yet to begin.

The stadium needs to be built by 2027 in order to be ready in time to host Euro 2028 matches.

However, former Uefa strategist Ian Mallon told the Good Morning Ulster programme he “understands absolutely that Northern Ireland will be rubbed from the roster” of the tournament.

Speaking earlier on the programme, Mr Benn said “we would all like Casement to be built” in time for the tournament.

However, he said it was not even clear what the final cost of the project would be.

When the stadium was first proposed in 2011, the estimated cost was £76m with £61m coming from Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government and £15m from the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association), which owns the ground.

However it is now suggested the stadium could cost more than £300m.

Northern Ireland’s government has pledged £62.5m, the Irish government €50m (£43m) and the GAA £15m – leaving at least £180m needed to rebuild Casement.

“The question is, where is the rest of the very considerably increased amount of money that will be required,” said Labour’s shadow Northern Ireland secretary.

“I can’t give a blank cheque and you wouldn’t expect me to given the huge rise in the costs there have been and we don’t yet know what the full sum is.”

He added there is a responsibility on the UK government to make a contribution but that he would commit to sitting down with all parties to see whether they could “contribute more”.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said he expects to receive further information on any possible funding for Casement Park when a new UK government is in place after the general election.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member said the lack of a funding commitment from the UK government was “holding up any progression” on the stadium plans.

He told the Northern Ireland Assembly the situation “has not changed” since it was last discussed in the chamber.

“Casement Park redevelopment in its current form does not have the funding package together,” he said.

“We don’t have that commitment from the UK government and that’s what’s holding up any progression on that issue and I expect to get further information on that when a new government is in post.”

The best international teams in Europe are currently playing across Germany in Euro 2024 to packed out stadiums.

The competition’s next edition, Euro 2028, is due to be staged across the UK and Ireland, in cities including London, Cardiff, Glasgow, Dublin and Belfast.

However, Ian Mallon, a former senior Uefa strategist, told Good Morning Ulster he had contacted someone “very senior” involved operationally in the tournament and asked him “would it be fair if I go on this breakfast programme in the morning to say Northern Ireland will not be part of it”.

“I just got back a simple ‘yep’.”

He added that he understood Uefa is now planning for the tournament going ahead without Northern Ireland involved as hosts.

“It’s such a huge problem and such a huge disappointment for Northern Ireland,” Mr Mallon said.

In a statement, Uefa said: “All stakeholders continue to work closely together regarding the development of Casement Park.

“Further updates will be provided when necessary.

“We have no further information.”

by Jayne McCormack, BBC News NI political correspondent

If the Conservatives are preparing to leave the political pitch after 14 years in charge, the party that could be replacing it in government is tip-toeing carefully around Casement Park.

Labour finds itself in a spot not of its making, as it didn’t make the initial promise to “get the money” – that rests at the feet of the outgoing Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris.

But Hilary Benn, who could soon be the next occupant of the Northern Ireland Office, wasn’t prepared to keep up the pledge and said there could be “no blank cheque”.

There are the spiralling costs of the redevelopment to consider, and forking out a large sum of cash in a place where Labour doesn’t get any votes may not be a winning move in the fledging days of the next government.

Hilary Benn spoke of sitting down “urgently” to discuss the situation in the event his party wins power in 16 days from now.

But one way or another, it is starting to feel like the final whistle will be blown very soon.

Casement Park, which first opened in 1953, is a GAA stadium in west Belfast named after Sir Roger Casement.

Sir Roger was an Irish revolutionary who was executed in London for treason in 1916.

The stadium has been closed for more than a decade and has gone derelict, as long-running plans for its refurbishment have been hit by delays.

The news last year that the stadium would be Northern Ireland’s host venue for Euro 2028 raised hopes that work would begin soon but that has yet to happen.

Last week, Ulster GAA confirmed attempts were still being made to keep the project alive.

It said it remained “fully committed to doing everything we can in the coming weeks”.

Supporters of the project had been clinging to the belief that the next UK government, after the 4 July election, might provide the necessary funding.

One official told BBC News NI: “We’re in added time of extra time, but the final whistle hasn’t gone yet.”