Member's statement: Coleraine Football Club: Irish Cup Victory

Member's statement by Ms Claire Sugden on 5 May 2026.

MLA

Ms Claire Sugden

Party at the time

Independent

Date

5 May 2026

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Coleraine Football Club: Irish Cup Victory

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5524369

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I, too, recognise what was truly a special moment at the weekend, as Coleraine Football Club lifted the Irish Cup following a thrilling final against Dungannon Swifts. More than 11,000 supporters from both clubs travelled to Windsor Park, creating an atmosphere that reflected the very best of our local game. Dungannon Swifts deserve real credit for their part in that occasion, both on the pitch and in the stands. This is about more than just a great result. In the weeks leading up to the final, you could feel something building right across Coleraine. The blue and white army was out in force. There were flags on the lamp posts and in windows, and businesses proudly showed their support. The support was everywhere, and it spoke to a town coming together behind something that belongs to them. For those of us who are Bannsiders, the connection runs deep. It is about identity as much as football. It is about the club that we grew up with, stand by and feel part of through the highs and the lows. That was clear in the stands: the support was constant, loud and fully behind the team from the start to the finish. There was a real sense that the players were carrying an entire town with them. Coleraine FC fans are exceptional. Week after week, they turn out in numbers that rival and often exceed some of the bigger clubs in Belfast. Anyone who has stood in the Showgrounds on a Saturday afternoon knows exactly what the club means to people, and that matters more when we recognise where the club is based. Coleraine Football Club sits in one of the most socially deprived areas of Northern Ireland, yet it brings something incredibly positive into that space. It brings joy, pride and opportunity, not just in one area but across the town and the wider north-west. Our success comes on the back of a strong league campaign, where we finished as the runners-up, and it is a team that is clearly on an upward trajectory. It is Coleraine's seventh Irish Cup, and the first since 2018, which makes the moment all the more meaningful. I pay tribute to Ruaidhrí Higgins because it has been an incredibly difficult time in his personal life, yet he has led his team to silverware in his first year in charge, and that speaks to the resilience and belief that he has built in the squad. There is real opportunity in what Coleraine FC is building. It is a club on the rise. We are going to Europe, and the team has a strong community behind it and a proven ability to deliver success. The team will take it as far as it can, but it cannot do it alone. We need to see more consistent investment in local sport. Too often, funding feels like it is concentrated in the same spaces, where clubs such as Coleraine, despite their success and community impact, are left trying to bridge the gap themselves. If we are serious about growing our game, supporting our communities and building on success, the investment needs to be spread more fairly. This is not just about one club; it is about what clubs such as Coleraine represent right across Northern Ireland. I am mindful that the Minister for Communities knows both clubs well. I hope that he will recognise the opportunity here and consider how we can better support them going forward.

578 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 01:21 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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