'We either have Finn Harps with a new stadium or we have no Finn Harps' - Campbell

In a passionate message on Monday night, Finn Harps’ commercial officer Aidan Campbell stated that the future of the Donegal club is now firmly relying on getting a new stadium to safeguard its survival.  

Speaking at Monday's press conference in Letterkenny, ahead of the new League of Ireland First Division season, Campbell said that the club is now speaking to investors at the highest level to drive home a stadium project, proclaiming that the club’s future will either see, “Finn Harps with a new stadium or no Finn Harps”.  

An announcement regarding a major fundraising drive to assist the state funding and FAI support is expected in the coming days. 

“If we don’t get a new stadium, there’ll be no Finn Harps,” Campbell said.  

“We’ve looked at various options in the construction of the stadium and as we all know there’s been delays over the past 12 or 13 years and people are starting to get a little bit battle-weary hearing about it. But the future of the club relies on this development.” 

Development for the ground has been underway since 2008, but due to financial constraints, it has been seen as nearly impossible to finish the construction or development of Finn Park. 

“The current ground, as we know it does not reach the standard of licensing and to say we’re on borrowed time is not an exaggeration. We need this ground developed to the standard of League of Ireland football,” Campbell admitted. 

“We will be putting out an announcement over the next week. It’s been well documented that there will be a fundraiser to help the development.  

“The support the club has got from so many sponsors has been so welcomed considering it’s a hard time for many businesses still recovering from Covid and rising costs, and they still stand by us. 

“Those businesses and people are the guardians of senior football in Donegal, but to preserve the future of football here, we have to reach further. That means Donegal people at home and abroad have to help us leave a legacy and make sure this stadium happens.” 

Back in September Donegal Live confirmed that Finn Harps needed to raise €700,000 for work to resume on their long-delayed new stadium in Stranorlar. 

While significant work took place in 2014, there has been little advancement in physical work since.  

Although a grant of €3.991million has been awarded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, under the Large-Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF), Harps have to provide matching funding, which means they need to raise €700,000. 

The total amount needed for Harps’ matching funding share is €1.2m. Harps have secured a facility from a subcontractor for €0.5m allowing repayments on their final installed payment over 10 years. 

“It’s important we build and improve our facilities for young people coming to Finn Park so we can have a future for our young people. 

“We are at a crossroads at the minute and that means we either have Finn Harps with a new stadium or no Finn Harps. 

“The bar has gone up now. Finn Park is not just a ground, you need a full-time electrician for the place, a full-time plumber, it takes a lot of looking after. People are working professionally at clubs and we just don’t have that.  

“There’s a lot that needs fixing, the car park is not good, the floodlights are not good, the seating needs improving. People are coming to Finn Park, and we don’t have the catering or the comfort to serve them at the minute.” 

In May 2022, Harps set a target of 2024 to be moved into the new stadium in Stranorlar but it now looks like that will be pushed further ahead. 

“We felt we were on borrowed time a few years back from a licensing point of view. So now it’s an urgent matter and nobody is being dramatic here.”