By Johnny Morton

Copyright newsletter

Eight clubs applied in Three Tier (valued at more than £6million), but only the Reds and Glentoran were successful – it’s understood the latter is estimated to be in the £28milion range as the East Belfast club look to redevelop The Oval. Cliftonville have confirmed the first phase of their project will include a new stand as they look to improve Solitude for the club’s supporters, giving them “the better matchday experience they deserve, including community and social facilities”. It’s an exciting period for the North Belfast club, who remain in talks with Toronto Investment Group over their takeover bid which would allow Jim Magilton’s side to go full-time, and they’ll now have an opportunity to redevelop their home base. In total, 20 clubs from across the Irish League pyramid were successful in progressing to the Football Fund’s next stage, which will involve a due diligence check before any money is dished out. The estimated combined cost of all projects stands at around £82million – a number far above the initially pledged £36.2million – but Communities Minister Gordon Lyons is hopeful of securing further funding. Cliftonville were one of the big winners when Lyons made his announcement at the Blanchflower Stadium and Harding feels it’s a major moment for the club. “I want to take this opportunity of thanking the Board at Cliftonville FC who have spent many days and hours over the past year to prepare our submission,” said Harding. “This involved developing an initial business case for funding which was assessed before a full application was submitted to the Department for Communities. “In particular, I wish to thank our Chief Operating Officer David Begley who led on the process along with our former player Eamonn Seydak and his team at S3 Solutions. “I also wish to acknowledge the help and assistance of the Northern Ireland Football League for their efforts in bringing the long-awaited funding to the table. “The Club now has a tremendous opportunity to progress with the development of Solitude which can help us realise many of our ambitions. “Focus will now turn to the next stages of the process which will again require much effort by all at the Club.”