Wimbledon FC move to Belfast not the craziest idea discussed in 90s – 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.

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 July 16th, 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 August 17th, 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 time of Rangers and Celtic playing a match in Belfast.

He said he cannot remember the detail from