More than £2.7million has been earmarked by the UK Government to further boost grassroots football facilities in Northern Ireland.
The £2.775m funding is set to be made available to clubs here through the Irish FA/ Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund in 2026-27.
It is part of an £85m investment in grassroots sports facilities across the UK in the next financial year which forms part of a £400 million Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme launched by the Government in June 2025.
Irish FA Chief Executive Patrick Nelson said: “There’s a shortage of football pitches and facilities in Northern Ireland and we look forward to working with the UK Government to tackle that shortage.
“Through this latest £2.775 million DCMS investment we will strive, along with our partners, to create and improve facilities from the grassroots level upwards, increasing participation and ensuring football is for all.”
The DCMS Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund, administered by the Irish Football Association, previously allocated £2m of funding in Northern Ireland for the 2023-24 financial year, £3.66 million in 2024-25 and £3m for the current financial year.
The latest tranche of funding was announced as it was revealed that 991 projects, including eight in Northern Ireland, have been funded across the UK through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2025-26 to date.
The funding is designed to promote health, wellbeing and community cohesion, remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups (such as women and girls, people with disabilities and ethnic minority communities) and support the Government’s Plan for Change by breaking down barriers to opportunity and delivering an NHS fit for the future.
The Government said sports clubs and organisations will benefit from artificial pitches and multi-use games areas, improved floodlighting and better changing facilities – all of which help make sites more accessible and sustainable for local communities.
It said to ensure broader participation beyond football at least 40% of funded projects in the UK must have a multi-sport offer, giving more people access to a wider variety of sports and activities, such as rugby, cricket and basketball.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn said: “The UK Government’s funding for grassroots sports facilities will be welcomed across Northern Ireland, including its provision for improved facilities for women and girls.
“So far over 80 projects across Northern Ireland have benefited from the £9.99 million provided through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme from 2021 to 2026.
“The £2.775 million on offer for 2026-2027 will support more Northern Ireland sports clubs to improve their local sites, and I would encourage clubs to apply to take advantage of this opportunity.”
The application window for 2026-27 has just opened in England. It will open shortly in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The relevant FA websites will be updated with more details in due course.
Image: The new 3G pitch at Donard Park in Newcastle was part-funded through the Irish FA/ Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund. The home of Newcastle Town FC, the project also received funding from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and the Department of Education.
