Ground-sharing in Abbotstown?

[pineapple stu]

There's an article in The Irish Times today on the possibility of a 15,000-seater ground being built in Abbotstown to house Shels, Pat's and Bohs. Anyone know anything about this? Suppose if the three of them are in trouble financially, it makes sense, although it would take away from the clubs' identity in my opinion.

[Ref]

surely that would be a disaster!

how could you have THREE teams sharing the one ground???

the pitch wouldn't last long, very difficult for teams to play at the same time at home every two weeks if they're sharing with two others.

[pineapple stu]

Don't forget Rovers too - there was no mention of them in the article as far as I know (the paper was snatched away as I was reading it...:mad: ), but they certainly won't be in Tallaght for a while yet.

[Ref]

Originally posted by pineapple stu
(the paper was snatched away as I was reading it...:mad: )

students...

:)

[Schumi]

That's a daft idea. Abottstown is miles away from anywhere and has fúck all transport to it.

[Colm]

Having three teams playing out of one stadium simply won't work. The pitch would not last the wear and tear especially when you consider the fact that, on top of the clubs own matches, the FAI would no doubt want to play most underage internationals and cup finals there aswell.
I suppose the ideal would be to have two decent stadia in Dublin... you could have Bohs and Shels sharing in Abbotstown and Pats and Rovers sharing in Tallaght.
Of course there still remains the issue of clubs not wanting to lose their identity. However, I think this could only be realistically applied to Bohs as Dalymount is the only one of the existing grounds with tradition and character.

[brendy_éire]

And Dublin City might be looking to use it too? With a possible 5 clubs using the one ground, the pitch would be a mess.
Ah sure, give it go! :D

[Slash/ED]

I'd say it'll end up as just Bohs and Shels there. It would do more harm then good for Pats to move out there imo anyway. Bohs and Shels groundsharing in Abbotstown was a rumour about a month ago too.

[tiktok]

Originally posted by Colm
Having three teams playing out of one stadium simply won't work

i agree, but we'll have a chance to see the dry run. Shels, Rovers and Dublin City are apparently going to use Tolka if the latter two don't get their grounds in order for UEFA licencing

[pete]

Abbotstown might work for 1 team as its just next to Blanchardstown but couldn't see it supporting more than 1 team.

[dortie]

I can see why $hels would want to ground share, after all their support is pathetic which means money will run out eventually.......not sure about Bohs though, Daler is a good ground and Bohs have potential good support.

[pineapple stu]

I'll try and put up the full article and see if there was anything of substance in it.

By the way Ref - the business news takes precedent over the sports section in an accountants' office! Or at least, that's what they tell me as they take the paper from me anyway...:D

[Breifne]

Originally posted by tiktok
i agree, but we'll have a chance to see the dry run. Shels, Rovers and Dublin City are apparently going to use Tolka if the latter two don't get their grounds in order for UEFA licencing

Dublin City haven't even applied for whitehall in the Licencing option. We are certain to be playing in Tolka Park next season.

City have confirmed that they will be in Tolka Park next season, it is part of their application for the UEFA Licensing.

[pete]

Originally posted by dortie
I can see why $hels would want to ground share, after all their support is pathetic which means money will run out eventually.......not sure about Bohs though, Daler is a good ground and Bohs have potential good support.

Blanchardstown/Clonee etc... is a massive area & woulkd offer Bohs (better option) or $hels so more more potential support than they will ever get at the Tolka or Dalyer flatlands.

Without ground shares with 1 north & 1 south dublin ground the best for fututre for all is:
Rovers - Tallaght
Pats - Ballymun/Lucan
Shel$ - Swords
Bohs - Blanchardstown

Obviously Rovers have had their problems in Tallaght but would think the local authorities would offer similar deals to the other dublin teams outside the city centre.

[Slash/ED]

Originally posted by dortie
I can see why $hels would want to ground share, after all their support is pathetic which means money will run out eventually.......not sure about Bohs though, Daler is a good ground and Bohs have potential good support.

Yeah, our support is pathetic but Bohs is fine, that's why we had about the same attendences last season...

[Gary]

Silly idea to have more than two teams in the one division sharing with each other.

That said, as some wiseass said to a few of us at the cup final, that if SPA were the only team in Dublin, then they would get crowds of 25k each and every week, as opposed to CCFC getting 5-6k. Well if thats the case merge the whole fúcking lot of them, and i'd say they would be lucky to get 25hundred, let alone 25000.

Apart from Bohs and Shels, the other dub clubs offer nothing to the league, esp SPA and Dublin City, at least Shams have 'tradition'. Perhaps merge Bohs and SPA and Shels with Dublin City, and leave shams to go away into the oblivion theyare currently headed.

[Éanna]

Originally posted by Slash/ED
Yeah, our support is pathetic but Bohs is fine, that's why we had about the same attendences last season...
In fairness to Shels their support has improved this year, but the level of support all the Dublin clubs are getting is quite frankly pathetic. Rovers have some excuse in that many of their fans have understandably just given up over the years since they left Milltown, but the others have no excuse. I've heard so many claims that Shels lost a lot of their support by moving to Tolka- tough, thats their problem. And IMO, Bohs are the worst of the lot- "Big Club" :D They can hardly fill one side of the ground most times I've been there, and they're in their traditional home.

[Martinho II]

Dublin is far too small to sustain 6 different teams from different divisions. In time to come, I would like to see the FAI have their own pitch at Abbotstown. But that suggestion in the Irish Times a bit ludicrous really and far fetched.

[Colm]

Originally posted by Éanna
In fairness to Shels their support has improved this year

Only slighty I'd say, I know they've got themselves a lot of flags etc but have they actually recruited many new fans?
We played them on the night they won the league in November and there was little more than 2000 at it... that's absolutely pathetic.

[Colm]

The FAI is considering building a 15,000-seater complex in Abbotstown which could house three Dublin football clubs, Shelbourne, Bohemians and St Patrick's Athletic.

The complex would be accompanied by a new FAI headquarters, training grounds and national coaching centre.

The plans are still at an early stage and FAI sources say there has not been contact with the Government over whether lands at Abbotstown would be available for the development.

However, it would allow the Taoiseach to salvage something from his original plans for an 80,000-seater stadium and sports campus at the site in west Dublin.

The provision of the State-owned land to the FAI would also help undo some of the damage caused by the fallout over the Eircom Park fiasco, which led the FAI to abandon its plans for a stadium in favour of the Taoiseach's plans for Abbotstown.

The plans to move the FAI headquarters from Merrion Square and training facilities from the AUL Complex in Clonshaugh have been talked about for some time, although fresh plans for a sports complex for Dublin clubs are likely to prove controversial.

Mr Gerry Cuffe, secretary of Bohemians, said last night: "It's hard to know what's going on. We feel we have something to offer in Dalymount. But until we see what's on table, it's far too early to comment."

All three clubs which could move to a new complex are either in debt or are short of money. Shelbourne had to defer the payment of wages to some players over Christmas, while Bohemians has held several meetings to examine ways of generating additional funds in recent months.

The potential sale of the grounds could free up substantial amounts of capital, however, there is likely to be some opposition to the notion of groundsharing. An FAI source said the plans were at a very early stage. The final shape or location of its planned developments were only at discussion stage.

It is not the first time the idea of the State providing funds or land to the FAI for the development of a second stadium has been mooted.

At the time of the Eircom Park plans, the former FAI chief executive, Mr Brendan Menton, helped broker a deal with the Taoiseach which would have provided Government funding to upgrade Tolka Park or Dalymount as a second stadium for league games or under-21 internationals.

[Éanna]

It is pure and utter stupidity, no doubt about it. What good is moving 3 clubs out of their communities and piling themin together going to do. Rovers is a perfect example of why a club should not move from its spiritual home, the Bishopstown saga at City is another. Building support within the community around the stadium has proved to be probably the most successful tool for eircom League clubs in recent years and this flys in the face of it. sheer and utter stupidity.

[pineapple stu]

Originally posted by MARTINHO II
Dublin is far too small to sustain 6 different teams from different divisions.

6 out of 22 teams is just over a quarter of the league. Dublin's population is around 1m out of 4m, or one quarter of the country. About right!

Just having read the article fully, the Abbotstown development would include a new FAI HQ, training centre (to take over from Clonshaugh and the AUL) and a ground. It does go on a bit about how it would save Bertie some face though - possibly a bit of a spin?

[Éanna]

Originally posted by pineapple stu
6 out of 22 teams is just over a quarter of the league. Dublin's population is around 1m out of 4m, or one quarter of the country.
yeah, hard to argue with that. Although you have to bear in mind the significant number of non-Dubliners living in Dublin who do not/would not support a Dublin team. Quite a large number of eL fans of non-Dublin teams living in Dublin as it is.

[dortie]

Originally posted by Slash/ED
Yeah, our support is pathetic but Bohs is fine, that's why we had about the same attendences last season...


Well my last visit to Tolka I witnessed about 900 $hels fans (thats being generous) which for a championship chasing side was shocking.......Daler on the other hand had around 2,500 - 3,000 on my visits last year.

[TommyT]

They had max 1700 there to see them get presented with the league trophy.

[pete]

However, it would allow the Taoiseach to salvage something from his original plans for an 80,000-seater stadium and sports campus at the site in west Dublin.

Thats the real reason for these suggestions. How can anyone take this suggestion serious if the FAI not even spoken to the clubs about yet?

IMO this is all part of the greater plan to get the govt to fund part of the Lansdowne redevelopment. Bertie needs to justify the 170m spent relocating the national labs at Abbotstown so the FAI & IRFU will agree to base some sort of training centres out there so the govt can ok the redevelopment of Landsdowne.

:rolleyes:

[Slash/ED]

Originally posted by dortie
Well my last visit to Tolka I witnessed about 900 $hels fans (thats being generous) which for a championship chasing side was shocking.......Daler on the other hand had around 2,500 - 3,000 on my visits last year.

The average attendences for ourselves and Bohs done on that website posted here showed about 200 or so between ourselves and Bohs. So either we're both shíte, both good or both indifferent.

[TommyT]

Originally posted by Slash/ED
The average attendences for ourselves and Bohs done on that website posted here showed about 200 or so between ourselves and Bohs. So either we're both shíte, both good or both indifferent.

Come on every time Bohs play you they outnumber you two to one, you must recognise this ?

[A face]

Originally posted by Colm
The FAI is considering building a 15,000-seater complex in Abbotstown



Who wrote this ??


What kind of research was done, did they even speak to any of the clubs involved ??


Was it a slow news day that day ??

[Slash/ED]

Originally posted by TommyT
Come on every time Bohs play you they outnumber you two to one, you must recognise this ?

Yeah but what goods that? They only come out for the big games. Over the course of the season the average attendences have been almost exactly the same. A few extra heads showing up for the odd game doesn't really make a difference.

[Éanna]

Originally posted by Slash/ED
we're both shíte
thats about the size of it IMO

[Slash/ED]

Originally posted by Éanna
thats about the size of it IMO

I wont argue with that, to be fair, I think everyone knows attendences across the board need improving.

[tiktok]

Originally posted by A face

Who wrote this ??
What kind of research was done, did they even speak to any of the clubs involved ??
Was it a slow news day that day ??

Carl O'Brien in the Irish Times was where I saw it.
Don't know.
Not really, EU presidency only managed to shove it to Page three.

[derm]

A 15k stadium might be nice for cup finals but would look very empty for weekly games as things currently stand.