Crazy Gang in Belfast not the craziest idea - Campbell

Discussion about the former Premier League football club Wimbledon relocating to Belfast in the 1990s was "not the craziest idea" the Labour government considered in Northern Ireland, Alastair Campbell has said.

It emerged last month following the release of previously confidential state papers at the Public Records Office in Belfast that former UK prime minister Tony Blair was keen on the idea.

A note from 1997 was recorded as "following up earlier informal discussions about the possibility of an English Premier League football club relocating to Belfast".

It was described as something that would be a "significant breakthrough if Belfast had a football team playing in the English Premier League", and "should be able to build up strong cross-community support and provide a positive unifying force in a divided city".

It also suggested Wimbledon FC would change name to Belfast United.

At the time, then Wimbledon owner Sam Hammam was also investigating the possibility of moving the club to Dublin.

This came at a time when Northern Ireland was receiving a great deal of attention from the London government ahead of peace talks which would lead to the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement in April 1998.

Another memo in the file dated 16 July, 1998, recorded Mr Blair's view was that "it would be excellent if Wimbledon were to move to Belfast and we should encourage this as much as possible".

However another note, dated 17 August, 1998, described the matter as being at a "delicate stage", recording that the Irish football authorities "continue to resist the idea strongly".

Speaking on The Rest Is Politics podcast, which he hosts alongside former Conservative government minister Rory Stewart, Mr Campbell said he had had an idea around the same