The UK and Ireland are bidding to host Euro 2028, and if they are successful, one stadium involved in the bid will need to undergo quite the makeover.
Organisers have submitted a proposal based on hosting matches at 10 stadiums across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. And while there are eight familiar names – Wembley Stadium in London, Hampden Park in Glasgow and the Aviva Stadium in Dublin among them – there were two stand-out selections.
The first saw Everton ’s as-yet unbuilt new stadium picked ahead of Anfield and Old Trafford. The Everton Stadium, as it's currently known, is under construction on Bramley-Moore Dock in Liverpool and is scheduled to be ready for the start of the 2024/25 season, although it is reportedly running three months late.
That delay should not be a problem for inclusion in Euro 2028, but the other eye-catching name on the list is even further behind. Casement Park in Belfast is the stadium selected to host games in Northern Ireland. The only problem is that it currently lies derelict, having not been used for sport since 2013.
Northern Ireland’s inclusion in the Euro 2028 bid provided an issue, with the national team playing at Windsor Park in Belfast, a stadium with a capacity of 18,500 – well short of the 30,000 seats required to host matches during the Euros.
The decision was therefore taken to include a redeveloped, 34,500-seater version of Gaelic sports stadium Casement Park. A redevelopment of the ground was proposed way back in 2009, but have been mired in legal and political problems ever since.
Back in May 2022 the redevelopment took a major step forward when a legal challenge from local residents against planning permission was dismissed. Work was slated to start some time in 2023, but is still yet to get going.
The lack of progress has prompted the leaders of the five largest political parties in Northern Ireland to release a statement, assuring fans that Casement Park will be built on time and will bring benefits to the local community.
It promised “a world class, state of the art stadium in which to host players, fans and the entire UEFA family for an inclusive and unforgettable celebration of football” which would also “drive a legacy of increased football participation, sustainability and social and economic benefits”.
Although they now have planning permission, there are still financial constraints. Building costs for the project were initially projected at £77.5million over a decade ago, but delays mean that they are now expected to exceed £100m.
Stadium owners, the Gaelic Athletic Association, have not yet struck an agreement with politicians in Stormont over how the shortfall will be funded.
DUP MLA Stephen Dunne outlined the political objection to increased funding, saying: “Whilst we support the joint Euro 2028 bid, we would be greatly concerned if Treasury was to unilaterally allocate additional resources to meet the GAA’s shortfall in the Casement Park project at a time when other vital public services are in need of additional and necessary resources."
It therefore remains up in the air when the redevelopment of Casement Park will actually start. In the meantime, the glass will be left to grow and the concrete to crumble.
Full list of stadiums in UK and Ireland Euro 2028 bid
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London - Wembley Stadium (90,652)
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Cardiff - National Stadium of Wales (73,952)
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London - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (62,322)
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Manchester - City of Manchester Stadium (61,000)
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Liverpool - Everton Stadium (52,679)
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Newcastle - St James' Park (52,305)
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Birmingham - Villa Park (52,190)
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Glasgow - Hampden Park (52,032)
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Dublin - Dublin Arena (51,711)
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Belfast - Casement Park (34,500)
