Exciting new beginnings for Glentoran as £28m stadium redevelopment takes first step

Glentoran one of 20 clubs to progress to next phase of the NI Football Fund Performance Programme

Glentoran owner Ali Pour says this is just the beginning for the club as they take the first steps towards an ambitious £28m stadium redevelopment project.

The Glens were one of the big winners as Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announced that 20 clubs would progress to the next phase of the NI Football Fund Performance Programme.

Speaking after the announcement Mr Pour confirmed the club would be putting in a “big chunk of money” to go towards the overall costs but at the moment they are not sure what their overall award from the fund will be.

“The bid we put in was very compelling,” said the Glentoran owner. “We were quite confident we would score highly, and we have. We were sent an email with our results of how we scored And we scored very, very well.

“So, delighted, very, very happy, very positive news, But I can’t say I’m surprised. The process of course goes on.

“Will we get all the money we are looking for? Probably not, I mean there’s only 36 available right.

“So we’ll see how many get through the due diligence. I mean there’s a lot of work still to be done, this is just the beginning.

“I mean, there’s so much work left to be done for us to actually draw down on the money and then to actually implement the whole project.

“I don’t think we’ll get the full amount, but we should get a good size, a good punch. It’s going to mean everything to this football club and east Belfast as well, it has to.

“It’s huge news right, I mean this is something which will just transform the whole area.

“Whatever the government gives us We have to put in a big chunk of money on top of that, and that’s one thing we scored very highly on, was our commitment as shareholders to the project.

“We want to make sure this is done properly. Every single penny has to be spent properly.

“I’d like to have an oval enclosed, which you can see from miles away or lit up from the skies and so on. It all depends on how much money we get. But anything we get will make it work for sure.”

Mr Pour is hoping construction could start at the end of this current season and he has been looking at clubs in England for inspiration.

“I was talking to some English clubs in the past, and many of these just don’t make money from football. They make money from the venue.

“They become a venue operator, right? Gillingham’s the best example. That’s the biggest venue in Kent, pretty much. They have huge corporate bonding weekends and so on.”

There will be some mixed emotions when the current ground does go but Mr Pour says it will have a proper send off.

“It’s going to be a party. Honestly, we can’t wait. There’s not much more we can do at this place,” he said.

“There will be mixed emotions, of course there will. We’ll make sure it gets a good send-off. But it’s just time for a change, and that’s the thing, there’s a bright future ahead.

“We have big plans for this club. This stadium is part of it. There’s other things going on as well, which hopefully we’ll find out in due course. But no, everyone should be very happy with this first step.”