BT/0739

Omagh games raise £30.000
Football giants' efforts aid victims of bombing
By Peter McVerry

THE Omagh Memorial Fund is expected to receive around £30,000 as a result of fundraising matches played against star-studded Premiership sides, it was confirmed today.
Shortly after the Omagh atrocity, which killed 29 people and injured hundreds more, Omagh Town Football Club decided to organise a series of games against quality sides to raise morale in the devastated town.
Premiership giants Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all visited the club's tiny St Julian's Road ground last year.
In recent months, there had been speculation that the memorial fund would receive little or no money from the venture.
Officials from the club had insisted that the aim of the venture was to "put a smile back on the faces of the town" and argued that had they wanted to make money, they could have accepted an offer to move at least one of the games to Windsor Park in Belfast.
But draft accounts supplied to the Belfast Telegraph by accountants acting for the club today reveal that almost £30,000 - before tax liabilities - could be presented to the fund in the near future.
The draft accounts reveal that the income generated from the three matches was £185,129. The cost of staging the games, including health and safety improvements, hospitality, travel, administration and match expenses, totalled £155,997.
That leaves a surplus of £29,132, before tax. Accountants dealing with the accounts on behalf of Omagh hope that the final accounts can be signed off next month to allow the surplus raised to be presented to the Omagh Victims' Memorial Fund.
Of that income generated, £134,284 came from ticket sales for the games with the remainder coming from a gala dinner and raffle, sponsorship, programme sales and donations. The expenditure included £46,027 before the games to bring the ground up to the health and safety standards required by the Premiership giants. Almost £89,000 was spent on match expenses, including £61,587 on seating, as well as toilet facilities, security, tickets and a communications system. Travel expenses for Manchester United and Liverpool cost £6,599, including a £1,039 bill for bringing over Manchester United's three trophies - the Premier League, the FA Cup and the European Cup.
Chelsea paid for their own travel costs and Liverpool have since offered to do so.
Hospitality for the three clubs and associated events amounted to £9,965.
Administration costs for the events including stationery, advertising, photography, bank charges and telephone calls, amounted to £3,243.