Belfast City Council has effectively voted down two existing proposals to build a national sports stadium at Ormeau Park. The plans by two private developers would have seen the corner of Ormeau Park that currently houses the O-zone leisure complex and tennis courts converted into a 25,000 seater multi-sport stadium.

Instead, the Council have voted to develop a "business plan" for the concept of a stadium in the city without a preference to any one set of plans or location.

It makes you wonder if the council aren't actually serious about a city-stadium. They're certainly making it look like they're just throwing rate-payers money away in an effort to make themselves look like they're trying to do something good for Belfast as well as for sport in Northern Ireland (it could cost them a lot of votes if they didn't make an effort after all), but at least a business case for a city-stadium will give the council something backers of the Maze are yet to see, and at a tenth of the cost!

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Despite this, it's still clear that Belfast is the logical choice and the recent discussions about a rail link from the international airport to Belfast city-centre only emphasises that. The way the developers have been treated has been a disgrace; having worked closely with the council for years it leaves a nasty taste to be shafted in this manner. It's well past time the council got up off their arses and really made the case (because it is there) for a Belfast stadium instead of waiting for someone else to do it for them.