A LEVEL playing field is all that most teams would wish for – but Crusaders believe they have been denied that in terms of 'Levelling Up' funding from the UK government.
The Seaview club has missed out on funding for its plans, including the building of the Shore Road Skills Centre, which would have provided the local community with a hub of wellness, sport, community outreach and education.
Crusaders FC treasurer Tommy Whiteside has alleged there was a 'bastardisation' of the Ministerial decision-making process, labelling it 'flawed' with retrospective application of new and unpublished criteria counting against them.
The Crues plan to go to the top in seeking answers, Whiteside said: "Having spent considerable sums of our members' money in bid preparation we will be raising our concerns now, directly with the Minister, Michael Gove, MP."
In a typical footballing twist, Crusaders this afternoon travel to take on one of the most well-funded clubs in the Irish League, Larne, who have been backed heavily in recent years by their benefactor Kenny Bruce.
Yet the Shore Road men could go level on points with the Inver Reds if they achieve an away victory tonight, and even go above them if they win by three goals or more.
That's a big ask, given that Tiernan Lynch's side are in second spot, with the Crues in fourth. However, Larne have lost most of their big league battles recently, with defeats against leaders Cliftonville, Coleraine, and champions Linfield in their last seven matches.
The hosts will be buoyed by retaining the County Antrim Shield, their third consecutive triumph in that competition, after a penalty shoot-out win over Linfield.
Still, their league form is not what it was early in the campaign. The Crues have been steadier throughout the season, winning four of their last six league matches, so a repeat of their 4-1 defeat at Inver in early November appears unlikely.
Off the pitch, Crusaders will battle too, for fair treatment.
The north Belfast club entered a bid for the most recent round two of the UK government's Levelling Up Fund with plans that would have benefited an area desperate for regeneration.
The new Skills Centre was set to see organisations such as Belfast Met use the space, as well as being able to expand the offerings of the Crusaders Full Time Football Academy.
Already Crusaders Football Academy have partnerships with schools all across north Belfast, offering young people the opportunity to pursue sport and wellbeing as part of their curriculum.
Whiteside commented: "Crusaders Football Club are disappointed that our Shore Road Skills Centre Levelling Up Round 2 bid has been unsuccessful.
"The Levelling-Up Fund was highly competitive and, whilst over-subscribed, our club was very proud to be associated with such a strong bid.
"We are saddened too, that north Belfast, an area of multiple disadvantage, has lost the opportunity to build a much-needed and vital piece of educational infrastructure."
Whiteside pointed to differences in the process between GB and NI: "We are, however, concerned that the Ministerial decision-making process in Northern Ireland for Round 2 was not in line with that in Great Britain, despite the fact that 'Funding Guidance Notes' were uniform across the United Kingdom.
"In Great Britain project bids had to have a minimum score of 75% to be considered by Ministers for funding; however in Northern Ireland the minimum score to be considered for funding was lowered to 56.67%.
"The Quality scoring threshold should be uniform across the UK to ensure equality and fairness.
"In England, Scotland, and Wales multiple project bids in each local authority area were funded, with the funding award based on the merits of the bid through the scoring matrix of the individual application.
"However, in Northern Ireland alone, only one project bid per local authority would be awarded funding. This new and unpublished criteria was applied retrospectively without the advance knowledge of any bidder.
"Criteria introduced 'after the fact' in Northern Ireland, we say, renders the competitive process in round two fatally flawed. This is patently unfair to bidders in Northern Ireland.
"Project bids in Northern Ireland may (and are likely to) have been disadvantaged by this local 'bastardisation' of the Ministerial decision-making process.
"Further, had bidders been aware of the "one project per Council" criteria in advance, effectively giving the local authority a veto, it is unlikely that many would have expended many thousands of pounds in speculative bid-preparation."
# Elsewhere today Cliftonville host fifth-placed Coleraine while Dungannon Swifts welcome mid-Ulster rivals Glenavon to Stangmore Park, and improving Ballymena United, with four wins from their last six, go to Windsor Park to take on Linfield.
