Irish FA tied to Windsor contract

The IFA's deal with Linfield extends for another 80 years

Linfield are in line to make millions of pounds if Northern Ireland matches move to a new multi-sport stadium.

The Irish FA has 80 years remaining on its contract with Linfield for the use of Windsor Park.

The contract was signed in the early 1980s and a legal expert has told BBC Sport that the issue of "termination wasn't sufficiently addressed".

Dermot Rooney, a specialist commercial negotiator, said that there "wasn't a precedent" for this type of agreement.

"One would expect the IFA to meet its own requirement in terms of having facilities for a reasonable period of time," said Mr Rooney.

"If money was to be levered on the basis of this agreement, one would expect that arrangement to be sustained for a period of maybe 10 years - certainly not beyond that.

"The IFA should have been going for an option to use facilities and withdraw from those facilities whenever statutory or commercial or football requirement dictated.

"That isn't available with the agreement they have struck."