MILK CUP TURNS SOUR FOR MAYOR

On Thursday Mayor Bill Kennedy (pictured) announced he is no longer an Independent councillor and has now joined the Ulster Unionist Party but just days earlier at a meeting of Ballymoney Council he controversially hit out at the benefits of the Milk Cup to the area.

The tournament has been put forward by many as a big success story for the Coleraine and Ballymoney areas and a tournament which gives local people and visitors the chance to see the stars of the future up close with youth teams of glamour clubs like Manchester United in attendance.

Cllr Kennedy launched a hard-hitting attack after it emerged there are no players from the Ballymoney Borough associated with the County Antrim Milk Cup team although it was said one of the team coaches lives in the area.

Cllr Kennedy said in effect the Milk Cup has got too big for local youngsters to have any real chance of taking part.

Cllr Kennedy said two weeks ago he attended the launch of another top youth football tournament - the Foyle Cup in the North West.

Cllr Kennedy said there are a lot of similarities between the two but in the Foyle Cup there is involvement with teams from the Ballymoney area.

He said there are 134 teams in the Foyle Cup at a cost of 93,000 but 50 teams in the Milk Cup at a cost of 800,000.

Mr Kennedy said the Foyle Cup helps bring along young players like from places like Ballymoney and Stranocum but he said there was "no chance" of getting local youngsters to play in the Milk Cup because of the calibre of players now on that stage.

He also wanted consideration to be given as to how beneficial the Milk Cup actually is to the borough of Ballymoney.

The controversy erupted as Cllr Ian Stevenson of the DUP proposed that the Council honours a 'gentleman's agreement' with the Milk Cup organisers to contribute 15,000 to the event this year.

Back in 2008 it was agreed the Council would pay 15,000 for each of three years including 2010.

But with the credit crunch Ballymoney councillors earlier this year reduced the figure to 10,000 at the time they were doing their rates estimates.

Cllr Kennedy said in business such arrangements can often change as the financial climate dictates.

Cllr Stevenson wanted the figure returned to 15,000 and he said 2,500 could be used which will not be needed for the Lower Bann Advisory Committee which is being wound up.

And Cllr Stevenson said the other 2,500 could be taken from Council reserves to enable the Council to "keep our honour" and his party colleague Cllr John Finlay agreed.

Cllr Malachy McCamphill (SDLP) said the 10,000 budget had already been agreed for the Milk Cup and he said the Lower Bann money should stay in Council coffers to use for other events.

Sinn Fein councillor Anita Cavlan said she was disappointed at any suggestion of giving more money to the Milk Cup because she said local groups in the Ballymoney Borough had been knocked back for funding.

She noted the absence of players from Ballymoney and she said the Council should be helping the people of Ballymoney Borough.

Cllr Stevenson said the Milk Cup is played in Ballymoney but Mayor Kennedy went on the attack again questioning the financial benefits to Ballymoney from the tournament.

He said players are "bussed in and busses out again" and he said there are no over-night stays or spends from the teams.

Cllr Philip McGuigan (Sinn Fein) said the Council was making themselves "look stupid" as they had discussed the matter at the times of the rates estimates and they had to look after ratepayers.

He said they had previously agreed 15,000 but then changed that to 10,000 and he added: "Our first priority is to look after the ratepayers of this area.".

He accepted the Milk Cup is a very good tournament and brings a lot of enjoyment to many people but he didn't see why the Council should change their minds on the 10,000 funding.

Ulster Unionist councillor James Simpson said: "We have to be very careful here. Once you start going down the road of taking money out of Reserves. We have no Reserves ... our Reserves are fairly limited."

After a vote five DUP councillors voted to give a total of 15,000 funding to the Milk Cup but six councillors including Sinn Fein, SDLP, Ulster Unionists and Mayor Kennedy (who was still an Independent at that stage) voted for 10,000.

Afterwards, Cllr Stevenson said: "I think it is a disgraceful decision that the new 'grand coalition' has taken when you bear in mind that they can propose extra members for Committees which will cost more money but they will not give money to the Milk Cup to honour an agreement.

"The Milk Cup does bring people to this area. It brings in supporters who bring money into the town and is something Ballymoney and other local areas can be proud of."

Several days after the Council meeting, Mayor Kennedy was standing over his controversial Milk Cup comments.

Cllr Kennedy - well known in the motorcycling world where he is Clerk of the Course at the Armoy Road Races - said: "I don't see the benefits to Ballymoney of 10,000 going to the Milk Cup. I am in favour of the tournament but in economic terms there is no benefit to Ballymoney. That kind of money should be given to events like the NW200 which does benefit the area financially."