IFA aims to have National Training Centre ready for 2028

"There has been a lot of hard work going on in the background and we have spent months really refining our design and working on the masterplan and the building, engaging with all our stakeholders and getting ourselves prepared for the planning application," Fitzpatrick said. "We hope to submit next month, so now we've completed the pre-application notification stage and gone through a bit of statutory consultation. In summary, we're about to submit planning next month."

"Giving a brief overview of the path forward, Fitzpatrick hopes that after submission of planning permission in January, council approval will come by the end of 2026. In 2027, the focus will be on "procurement and construction", and the aim is by the "mid part of 2028" it will be "operational", but Fitzpatrick believes it will be "too much of a building site" to be used as a training base for Euro 2028."

"While not disclosing costs of the phased project, Fitzpatrick explained that the funding for it is coming from "three main sources" - the IFA, Fifa Foward and Uefa Hat-Trick schemes, and the Northern Ireland Football Fund. The long-awaited Northern Ireland Football Fund is sub-regional funding primarily for clubs in NI, but Fitzpatrick said there is also a strand from the fund set aside for the National Training Centre."

The Irish Football Association plans a National Training Centre next to Galgorm Resort near Ballymena, expected to open in 2028 and featuring world-class pitches and cutting-edge training facilities. The IFA aims to submit the planning application next month after completing pre-application notification and statutory consultation. Council approval is expected by the end of 2026, with procurement and construction scheduled for 2027 and phase one targeted to be operational by mid-2028. The facility is unlikely to serve as a Euro 2028 training base because of ongoing construction. Funding will come from the IFA, FIFA Forward and UEFA Hat-Trick schemes, and the Northern Ireland Football Fund.

Read at www.bbc.com