Bohemians members vote in favour of move

National League: Plans to relocate Bohemians football club from Phibsboro to Harristown near Dublin airport are officially underway after the club's members last night backed proposals for the ambitious move.

Of the 250 members that attended the meeting at the Na Fianna GAA club in Glasnevin just one objected to the proposals.

Bohemians will receive €65 million from property developer Liam Carroll, with €40 million of that in cash.

The remainder is tied up in the 10,000-seat stadium which will be built for the club on a 6.5 acre site located off the M50, close to Ballymun.

The club envisage playing in the stadium within five years and will receive staggered payments until then.

Once they complete the move they will then receive the remaining, substantial balance of between €25 and €30 million of the €40 million.

Rezoning of the club's current home, Dalymount Park, is not part of the deal and subsequent planning permission for Harristown will follow due process.

Club president Gerry Cuffe envisages "no problem" with the planning permission. "We would like to think the time frame for moving could be less than five years," he said, "but it might be longer."

Designs for the new ground, which will include a gymnasium, bar and restaurant facilities, are already under way but club officials will "take time" to do their homework and take on board the make-up of similar sized stadiums.

Bohemians secretary Gerry Conway dismissed fears that the Harristown site was too isolated for the club's supporters and cited the city's bus routes and proposed Luas line as sufficient modes of transport to the ground.

"There was not one negative comment about the location from our members," he said. "In fact Bohemians support are much happier with this location than the other one (Castleknock)."

Bohemians' search for a new manager continues, meanwhile, but former Republic of Ireland boss Brian Kerr, who was linked with the post, has ruled himself out of the running.

"I have been linked with a couple of clubs here recently but there is no chance of that," Kerr said yesterday. "I have no intention of working here in the league for the foreseeable future."