Blair was keen to relocate Wimbledon FC to Belfast in late 1990s, papers show

Then prime minister thought idea of moving club to Northern Ireland should be encouraged ‘as much as possible’

The former prime minister Sir Tony Blair was keen on an idea to relocate the then-Premier League football side Wimbledon FC to Belfast in the late 1990s.

Previously confidential state papers include a note from 1997 described as “following up earlier informal discussions about the possibility of an English Premier League football club relocating to Belfast”.