They said,
“This I great news for clubs across Northern Ireland and for the development of grassroots football organisations like the Harry Gregg Foundation. Along with fellow Coleraine Councillor Tanya Stirling, we are all strong followers of our club home and away throughout the season and we will be supporting an application from Coleraine to the fund. The Harry Gregg Foundation, of which Maurice Bradley is a Trustee will also be seeking to benefit from this.
This funding has been beset by significant delays and it is very welcome that Minister Lyons has taken the bull by the horns and has released this money. He has also rightly recognised that this isn’t the end of the story and is not the height of our ambition. Further funding will need to be allocated in later years, but now the focus must be on ensuring that the application process opens, and the funding is allocated as quickly as possible.
Clubs are rightly frustrated that funding which was initially agreed as far back as 2011 is now finally coming forward. They will rightly be looking forward to the first call for applications being launched later this year. It marks a significant delivery for local football across Northern Ireland.”