Stadia

[sheao]

The state of some LOI grounds is just shocking. Some are probably still the same as they were 10 years ago.

[Umberside]

The state of some LOI grounds is just shocking. Some are probably still the same as they were 10 years ago.

Goodison Park and Anfield are the same as they were ten years ago. The problem is that LOI grounds were sh1t ten years ago and places like Tolka have become sub-standard.

[peadar1987]

The state of some LOI grounds is just shocking. Some are probably still the same as they were 10 years ago.

Bray have a new wall!

[gufc2000]

A different class

[Da Real Rover]

Very true. Some of these are too big and would end up half empty most of the time. I think it's a matter of getting the balance right. People want better facilities but swathes of empty seats isn't conducive to atmosphere.
Personally, I like the ideas put forward by Rovers in the Vllaznia home leg programme. This would lead to a total of approximately 4,000 good quality seats after the demolition of the existing Jinks stand. This is enough to try to fill in this league for 90% of clubs.

Would it not be wiser developing the shed end and the railway end than demolishing the jinks which is miles ahead of both the shed end and the railway end?

[redobit]

Would it not be wiser developing the shed end and the railway end than demolishing the jinks which is miles ahead of both the shed end and the railway end?

Traditionally the goal ends in the Showgrounds have been for standing, and for me Id like it kept that way.

The thing about developing the Jinks side is that your creating an overall building for facilities like a sports hall, gym, hospitality etc., not just a new seated stand. A well planned project now, catering for all the amenities you need in a modern football club, is the way to go. Of course planning it and building it are too completely different things.

I still think we need to develop a bar/ function room that is close to the Churchill boundary of the site. Let it be accessed seperatly from the rest of the Showgrounds during the week so it can hold functions, birthdays, bingo, whatever and on match day open it to fans. You could lease it out if you didnt want to get involved in the day-to-day running of it, and it would be a good money spinner.

[Da Real Rover]

I thought those amenities were going to be introduced in the Shed End?
Would a developed terrace with the possibility of seating being introduced for European games be a better idea than demolishing the jinks stand?

[neutrino]

I thought those amenities were going to be introduced in the Shed End?
Would a developed terrace with the possibility of seating being introduced for European games be a better idea than demolishing the jinks stand?

There's been a longstanding aim to develop the Jinks stand, which as Redobit says would give us more than just a stand. There was some sort of inkling a couple years ago about something being done at the shed end-cant remember what it was though.

[Umberside]

I was at the Showgrounds two weeks ago and it seemed there is a lot of room for development. I would say ye could have a 10,000 all-seater stadium there, would I be right?

[De Town]

I would say ye could have a 10,000 all-seater stadium there, would I be right?

Yeah, sounds like a great idea alright, but whats the point in any Irish team having a 10,000 seater stadium? Waste of money that they don't have.

[Umberside]

Yeah, sounds like a great idea alright, but whats the point in any Irish team having a 10,000 seater stadium? Waste of money that they don't have.

Obviously no good now, but in the future they wouldn't need to move to a new stadium like Bohs and Drogheda need at the moment.

[brianw82]

I was at the Showgrounds two weeks ago and it seemed there is a lot of room for development. I would say ye could have a 10,000 all-seater stadium there, would I be right?

10,000 would be pushing it. Not much room on the railway end. 6,000 would be do-able in my book.

[Da Real Rover]

I was at the Showgrounds two weeks ago and it seemed there is a lot of room for development. I would say ye could have a 10,000 all-seater stadium there, would I be right?

Theres no more room for development at the New stand side as it would be cutting into Treacy Avenue.
But there is a good bit of room for development at both the Railway End, The Shed End and the Jinks.

[whinnie01]

GAA does effect soccer in this country and in general you go to most county grounds around the country and their facilities are far better though the non payment of players does allow for the investment in facilities easier, if truth be told most club GAA teams have better facilities than LOI clubs.

[redobit]

I was at the Showgrounds two weeks ago and it seemed there is a lot of room for development. I would say ye could have a 10,000 all-seater stadium there, would I be right?

If we leveled everything and started from scratch, yeah no probs id say (11.5 acres in total)

[Black and White]

Yeah, sounds like a great idea alright, but whats the point in any Irish team having a 10,000 seater stadium? Waste of money that they don't have.

Drogs wanted one, they barely get 1000 at games this season!!

[Umberside]

I was amazed when I was at the Showgrounds that there's so much space in there. You can see directly into the ground from the road and you can park your car behind one of the goals!

Ye could definitely build a large stand on the Jinks Avenue if ye maybe cut off a piece of the training pitches behind it. As for the sides well I know the one by the road could be developed into a large stand as well. I'm not sure about the other side though, I wasn't over there.

I'll say ye could have 8,000 seats. 10,000 might be pushing it.

[Dunny]

Drogs wanted one, they barely get 1000 at games this season!!

Of course they are getting small crowds, they are a club who nearly went bust and are in a relegation battle!

[whinnie01]

Of course they are getting small crowds, they are a club who nearly went bust and are in a relegation battle!

True now but when they were doing well for a few years their supporters did turn out for them and when all the financial problems arose last year it was their supporters who helped to rise a lot of money quickly to helpthem get out of their mess.

[don ramo]

no point building a 10000 seater ground in one go, why cant you just get the land you require to one day have a 10000 seater ground (and maybe a bit more for some training pitches, and 5-7 aside pitches), but for now maybe build a concrete terrace all around the ground that can have seating installed later, maybe install 3000 seats at the start,

you could install public amenities and the sorts into the stands, like shopping space (didnt work for drogs but a good idea none the less) or maybe a multi purpsoe sports hall (pool hall, 2-3 bars, maybe even a night club),

this idea would require a lot of clubs to sell there current ground and move to a new area in there perspective towns/cities, but thats what the other clubs in norway and the likes done 20 years ago, they took the hit and are now thriving,

i personally think this league will have to take a few steps backwards in order to move forward, it may require a return to an all semi-pro league, it may require falling a few slots in our european coefficiencies, but were here now and the problems seem to big to rectify, with our current problems of over infalted wages, massive over heads and over the tops law enforcers,

i feel the LOI is being used by EUFA and FIFA as some kind of testing ground simply because no one gives a toss about the LOI, the strictness of our laws favour clubs going bust rather than flourishing, were the first and i still think the only league in the world that requires mandatory full medical tests every year (how may players have had to retire due to this, compared to other leagues), if any of the top european league had rules as strict as the LOI rules they would look very differnt today,


but no point saying any of this, beacuse this can be achived if clubs are supported and run well by there owners, and the owners must have a long term strategy of where they wanna take the club, and i dont mean to the top of the table, i mean infastructure, brand recognition, comunity relations. ETC, clubs try these out maybe every 3-5 years and if they dont see imediate rewards they just stop doing it, its also good to have an owner that is willing to loose money, even if it takes 15 years before he starts getting it back, this is what it is to own a football club and the rewards at the end of the day will make up for all the hardship youll endure to make your club great,

now at the same time you want the owner to invest, but not put it all in in one go, take small steps, and the first step to runing any club is to get people in the gate, it may require having a bus to collect fans, lowering admission fees, improving the match day expierience by having a decent shop in the ground, have half-time entertainment (cross-bar challenge, kiddies match, dancers, draws,) and always, always, make sure they know when the next game is on, put a big giant sign in the ground with it written on it, mind you a score board wouldnt go astray either,

now anyone wanna follow my club


EDIT, also for those who dont like seeing empty seats why not find a way to cover them if there not gonna be use, get some big flags and the likes to cover them, or think of someother way to make it look good