A construction company in Northern Ireland has presented ambitious plans to revive Belfast’s dreams of playing host to Euro 2028 – with a proposal for a temporary stadium in the heart of the city it claims could be built in under a year.
Belfast was originally to host five games in the tournament at a newly-built Casement Park, but wrangling over the stadium saw the UK Government pull the plug on funding with the then estimated costs in excess of £300m.
Now local company Z Property has brought an ambitious proposal to reignite the city’s Euro dream directly to the Stormont Executive and the Irish FA.
The plans include the construction of a modular, temporary stadium close to the city centre to host NI’s games during the tournament, which takes place in less than four years.
Estimating the project would take around nine months to complete to UEFA’s specifications, the company said the stadium could be built and operational at least a year before the tournament kicks off.
A temporary stadium constructed from shipping containers – Stadium 974 – was used during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Named after the country’s international dialling code and the number of containers used, the steel structure was designed with a view to repurposing the material after the event.
Z Property said their Belfast plan would provide a “cost-effective, sustainable alternative to permanent construction”.
The UK Government announced earlier this year they would not be funding the Casement Park redevelopment
The UK Government announced earlier this year they would not be funding the Casement Park redevelopment
Commercial Manager Paul Durnien said: “This plan isn’t just about football — it’s about showcasing Belfast’s resilience and ingenuity.
"The modular approach offers a practical solution that works with tight timelines, existing infrastructure, and significantly reduced costs. It’s a chance to celebrate football in Northern Ireland in a way that we can all be proud of.”
Four potential sites in Belfast have been identified by the company – one of which is the vacant Sirocco Works site in east Belfast – as having the appropriate transport links.
The firm said the project could be fast-tracked if there was “political will and public support”.
Managing Director Scott Kennedy said: “As football fans and long-time players in construction, we’re heartbroken that Northern Ireland is missing out on this incredible opportunity.
"But instead of lamenting what could have been, we decided to act. A modular stadium is not only viable — it’s the key to putting Belfast back on the Euro 2028 map.
"We have the expertise, the vision, and the passion to make this happen. Belfast deserves to be part of Euro 2028, and we are ready to rise to the challenge.
"Now, it’s up to the community, local authorities, and government to join us in making this dream a reality.”
The company said they had already approached Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and IFA Chief Executive Patrick Nelson with their ambitious proposals.
Both have been approached for comment.
by Neizir
24 comments
This does make alot of sense tbf. First of all a much better site for a stadium than Casement given the proximity to the city centre and Titanic Station being nearby, and temporary stadiums for tournaments have had alot of success in recent times.
Still think we’ll say no unfortunately as the dinosaurs in this country don’t like the thought of thinking outside the box
It’s not happening. I would be great if it did, but it isn’t.
Tired of hearing about this fucking thing.
I’m sure this will be realistic just as soon as Northern Ireland finds their Qatar-sized natural gas reserves off Rathlin
Anyone remember the monorail episode of the Simpsons?
So tell just how much a Lego stadium will cost? Which will have no legacy or bring future revenue to the economy after the tournament. Pie in the sky stuff made out of recycled fray bentos tins.
If the IFA want to pay for it, they should fire away.
My gut says these guys want so much public money to do this that it may as well have gone to Casement. After all the stadium they are modelling it on cost at least [$200m](https://amp.marca.com/en/world-cup/2022/12/09/63929ca4ca47418b128b4578.html), and that’s with slave labour.
If they want a cheap temporary stadium then build it with pallets and let the loyalists light it when the tournament is over.
Nope. There was a chance to host the Euros and it’s long gone. They had a couple of years to get plans together and start the work and they fucked it. Forget about it. Not happening.
Mmmmm. So it’s not April 1st ?
Not going to happen lads. It’s done, Euros location was Casement and they’ve moved on. It’ll get a stadium for GAA and we’ll look back in time that hatred and sectarianism means we couldn’t even co host a Euros
The costs were never quoted at 300m
I’ve seen that stadium before in Sega Worldwide Soccer 97. The Saturn’s graphics were better though.
Will it cost less than £320 million Translink? Bets open now.
I’m glad we’re not hosting the Euros. Whos wants more jobs and a boost to the economy
How many companies put plans forward at a budget get the contract then “oppsies” need twice as much ,ending up more costly that other bids .These companies and contracts need to be more solidly overseen and clauses for going over budget and timescales . A lot will come from the public purse and needs far more wisely considered .
Why did they allow casement to be half demolished initially and left in a Chernobyl style state ? Was it because the thing fell through?
This is massively unsustainable and unrealistic.
Hosting the Euros wasn’t the most important part. It was getting the Euros to fund a world class stadium which would be in Belfast for the next 30 years, hosting sporting events, concerts, frstivals, conferences, walk round the roof etc.
The Euros would be great to host, but no point in hosting it with no legacy at all.
Don’t put a temporary stadium in there, jesus Christ, the whole point is that you have something that can stand for 60+ years.
Another pipe dream.
> Commercial Manager Paul Durnien said: “This plan isn’t just about football — it’s about ~~showcasing Belfast’s resilience and ingenuity.~~ **clever and opportunistic self promotion for my firm, Z Property, that surely never had a notion of actually building this yoke.**
Lol povo spec stadium
This would still cost a huge chunk of money and have zero lasting benefit.
Millions just for a few games which could easily exclude bigger teams
The bigots did all they could to stop it. Lyons is a Sunday school shyster.
Anything to avoid letting themuns have a stadium
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