£30,000 Richhill AFC funding row deepens after Education Authority blames email typo

The Education Authority has offered a belated explanation for a proposed £30,000 allocation to Richhill AFC, saying an email from the Department of Education was never received because it contained a typo.

What the Education Authority said

Richard Pengelly, chief executive of the Education Authority, said the message failed to arrive. The explanation comes after the authority was reported to have acknowledged that the Department of Education had requested the money for the football team.

Political criticism

The funding proposal has drawn criticism from an MLA, who accused the Education Minister of trying to “invent a mechanism” to give money to Richhill AFC.

The report was published on 17 October 2026. The supplied information does not state whether the £30,000 allocation has been approved, paid or withdrawn.