Finn Harps are to relaunch their new stadium plans in the next two months with the view to having the project completed for the 2020 season.
At the club’s AGM on Sunday evening at the Villa Rose Hotel, the club announced former Sligo University Hospital General Manager and ex-North West Tourism Chief Executive Paul McLoone as their new Stadium Liaison Officer.
Mr McLoone will work closely with the club’s Stadium Committee, headed by Patsy Lafferty, and has already begun his task to see the embattled project to a close at long last.
Since late 2014, work on the new stadium in Stranorlar has stalled, leaving fans fearing that the development could come to a permanent stop.
Harps currently receive a derogation from the FAI to play at Finn Park, but now the club is set to give its ambitious plans a fresh injection.
He confirmed to the AGM tat the existing structure at the new ground had been checked and was still fit for purpose and that the club had met with officials from the Sports Capital Scheme in February.
The project is back with the design team and new plans to see two seated stands and two terraced ends will be unveiled. A submission is to be given to Donegal County Council ‘in the next few weeks.
“The stadium project is critical for the club and I am very confident that with a professional approach we can bring it to a successful conclusion,” Mr McLoone said.
“There are some great people involved here and I am looking forward to the challenge.”
Finn Harps Commercial Officer Aidan Campbell said that the club would launch a new five-year strategic plan, with the aid of Mr McLoone, whose work on the new stadium project could hold the keys to the future for the Donegal club.
“There is the confidence now going forward that we have someone now to take an active part in preparing the club for the eventual move,” Mr Campbell said.
“We have had so many and too many false dawns with the stadium. The Board has been reticent to talking about the stadium because of the stop-start nature of it.
“But now to have someone of Paul’s nature is a huge asset to the project. He’s a lifelong Harps supporter and a season ticket holder himself.
“We have a completion date of 2019 or certainly for the start of the 2020 season now. The project became a victim of the Celtic Tiger, but now we have the personnel to make this project happen and to make it real.”
Mr Campbell acknowledged that Finn Harps had to undertake a serious revamp of its match night operations, something that would come hand-in-hand with the new stadium.
He said: “The club has put in a massive effort in developing itself and the club is almost unrecognisable from a few years ago. There has been a huge firefighting exercise really since the recession hit.
“We have developed the football side, but now we need to take it to the next stage. Finn Park as it stands is a barrier to that. We need to make the move to ensure that we can enhance our hospitality section and the match night experience.”
Less than 20 shareholders, including the Board members, were in attendance. Mr Campbell said that only 9 other shareholders were present and that the club would be exploring as regards the make up of Finn Harps Co-Operative Society Limited, with the possibility of introducing a membership scheme.
He said: “The important thing is that we want to emphasise that there is a real chance we never had before to grow the club. We need everyone’s support to pull us over.”
Harps’ turnover in 2016, their first year back in the Premier Division, was €476,000 with the club making a small trading loss of less than €500 for the year.
Expenditure on ground maintenance had also increased markedly to over €43,000 in part due to serious flooding in early 2016. This was partly offset by a grant from the government of €20,000 as part of their support for those affected by the flooding.
Director Seamus Gallagher pointed out that three of the board were cumulatively over 200 years old and there was a need for younger people to get involved with the club.
He also emphasised that support for the club is vital, especially in terms of getting people through the gates at Finn Park.
Derek Wilkinson echoed these points and asked that if anyone was interested in joining the board that they get in touch with any current director as it is possible to co-opt board members during the year.
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