limerick could play at thomond park.

[thomas72]

On back page of todays star talks have begun with thomond park saying rent fee isn't a prob it will be for one season while work will be carried out in the markets field.

[El-Pietro]

This isn't news. Everyone knows that Markets Field won't be ready despite protestations from some Limerick fans that it would. It is also plainly obvious to most that Limerick will struggle to get a license to play in the Premier Division while they play at Jackman Park, and that any funds that are sunk into making it acceptable are a waste of money, that any LOI club can ill afford.

[osarusan]

This ****es me off no end. The Market's field should be ready for the new season - this should have been a top priority. Silly to be renting Thomond for any length of time.

[gufcfan]

On back page of todays star talks have begun with thomond park

Has the deal not been made already?

[thomas72]

This ****es me off no end. The Market's field should be ready for the new season - this should have been a top priority. Silly to be renting Thomond for any length of time.

apparently planning permission has still not returned. Its only for one season i rather we did the markets field right than do a rush job and make a balls of it.
Plus state of the art facilities for ourselves and traveling fans could be a hell of alot worse could of ended up with no licence.

[El-Pietro]

Ye were saying the same thing 12 months ago, that you would rather play in Jackman for one extra year rather than rush Markets Field. 12 months on and you are no closer to playing there than we are to playing on the Moon.

[Lim till i die]

Problem??

Markets Field doesn't work out, we buy Thomond.

Rugby is dead

[thomas72]

Ye were saying the same thing 12 months ago, that you would rather play in Jackman for one extra year rather than rush Markets Field. 12 months on and you are no closer to playing there than we are to playing on the Moon.

You haven't a clue what your talking about do you think you just open up the gates and start work? You do know limerick aren't the sole owners of that stadium that ground was only bought last year in that time frame the stadium design has been done ( that doesn't take a week or two) meetings with other parties involved meeting with residents in the area and planning permission has been submitted which takes a bit of time.

[El-Pietro]

We'll see shall we. Another 12 months will pass and we'll see if ye have moved in there by then. I do think thought it is you who doesn't have a clue what is going on going on what you post here.

[Jofspring]

Ye were saying the same thing 12 months ago, that you would rather play in Jackman for one extra year rather than rush Markets Field. 12 months on and you are no closer to playing there than we are to playing on the Moon.

Well that's kind of stating the obvious.

No limerick fans I know of have ever said it will be definitely be ready for the premier. It's the club that have and people have mentioned that as that is what the club and the local press have led us to believe. We have been told it can be got up to scratch for the premier within a few months which has now changed. If anything there has been strong debate amongst Limerick fans about the promises set out nearly 2 years ago and how they have changed every few months. A quick look over at the markets field thread will show that.

This is frustrating to say the least. The line that's going now about its out of the clubs hands should have been there from the start instead of leading people to believe it was the club running the show an everything was under control.

In saying all that I still believe we will eventually be there.

All these changed, delays etc... will kill the buzz about returning to the premier. If we then follow that with a bad season we will lose out on any extra support we might have built up.

[PartySaint]

I hope we are away to Limerick first game of the season now

[Lim till i die]

We hear you El-P, but with respect you really don't know the ins and outs.

Markets Field is nothing to do with Limerick so there isn't much we can do on that score.

I said on here a while back that if we weren't in for March it would be because the plans have changed, and lo, the plans have changed,

I'm happy with the plans but annoyed with the delay.

But there's nothing I can do about it.

Thomond Park is a brilliant alternative for lots of reasons and I'm delighted with it.

[redobit]

What condition is Jackman? Surely it cant be much worse then say, Tolka.

Will Jackman get a premier Licence? Is that the reason for Thomond being considered?

[Guitd]

ye can have Deacy park (TERRYLAND) if yer stuck wont be used next season anyway

[thomas72]

What condition is Jackman? Surely it cant be much worse then say, Tolka.

Will Jackman get a premier Licence? Is that the reason for Thomond being considered?

tolka is like the new wembley compared to jackman park the condition its in now not a chance of a premier licence. One entrance poor dressing rooms poor toilet facilities only 250 seats etc etc.

[Charlie Darwin]

When are Waterford going to lodge an objection?

[brendy_éire]

This ****es me off no end. The Market's field should be ready for the new season - this should have been a top priority. Silly to be renting Thomond for any length of time.

How far from ready is it at present?

[Lim till i die]

12 months ;)

[El-Pietro]

What condition is Jackman? Surely it cant be much worse then say, Tolka.

Will Jackman get a premier Licence? Is that the reason for Thomond being considered?

jesus but it is! its a horrible place to watch a game of football!

[Dodge]

Pats played in Jackman in 2009. Myself and my mates pretty much agreed it was like watching LOI football in the 80s. Grass banks with a wall around the pitch. First ever away trip to Limerick

Hope my next one is to Thomand.

[marinobohs]

Problem??

Markets Field doesn't work out, we buy Thomond.

Rugby is dead

I heard Limerick are soooo rich they are going to buy Thomond Park use it for one season, move to a new 100,000 seater stadium in Markets Field and use Thomond as a car park.
.....and it will **** off the rugger buggers :cool:

[bluewhitearmy]

How far from ready is it at present?


Its not even near being started. The last we heard they hadn't even applied for planning permission.

I can see El-Pietro on here in an other 12 months telling us he told us so again being honest.

[pateen]

When is work due to begin in the Markets Field, as in is planning expected to be passed?

[Lim till i die]

May 2010.

[El-Pietro]

Its not even near being started. The last we heard they hadn't even applied for planning permission.

I can see El-Pietro on here in an other 12 months telling us he told us so again being honest.
I look forward to quoting this post! :)

[Lim till i die]

Two threads about Limerick playing in Thomond Park quickly descending into two whinge fests.

We're a special, special, bunch.

[adamd164]

On a more serious note, if this happens then there needs to be a bit of cop on in terms of PR: make sure all fans (home and away sections) are in the stand facing TV cameras - it'll look bad enough without an entirely empty stand.

But I would enjoy a trip to Thomand as an away fan, it'd sure beat going to some of the kips in the league.

[bluewhitearmy]

Two threads about Limerick playing in Thomond Park quickly descending into two whinge fests.

We're a special, special, bunch.


Were you expecting people to be happy that after all the talk of the Markets Field that its not happening?

[Lim till i die]

Were you expecting people to be happy that after all the talk of the Markets Field that its not happening?

You already know the Markets Field isn't going to be ready.

You're given Thomond Park as an alternative venue in the meantime.

And you whinge that the Markets Field isn't ready.*


*The "You" in this post refers to a massive section of Limerick fans andnot specifically you. x x

[sadloserkid]

I would have been much happier if The Market's Field was ready. It's not (and it's not the club's fault either). If we have to play in Thomond for a year then so be it, as alternatives go it's pretty excellent. Sure, we'll be rattling around in there but there's only going to be one chance to get The Market's Field right and I'd prefer to see that done rather than rush back in and botch it. What's the rush (thought obviously the sooner the better)?

[bluewhitearmy]

Edit: No point getting into it, just gutted about no Markets Field really. Getting a licence and actually getting up all that matters.

[A face]

But I would enjoy a trip to Thomand as an away fan, it'd sure beat going to some of the kips in the league.

Limerick was always gonna be a good away game for us, purely because its so close, but if its in Thomond then i can definitely see a few more heading up that way.

[Dodge]

Suppose the big question is then, what friendlies will you be allowed play?

[sadloserkid]

Suppose the big question is then, what friendlies will you be allowed play?

We won't be allowed to play Rovers/Pats/Shels/Bohs/UCD in Thomond obviously because these games are to be reserved for Dublin itself. :)

[Charlie Darwin]

Suppose the big question is then, what friendlies will you be allowed play?
Dual-code game against Munster rugby? Although I'm not sure the likes of Paul O'Connell would be prepared for Pat Scully's rough and ready style.

[GCdfc]

Looking forward to visiting Thomond :)

[NeverFeltBetter]

Hate this plan. What kind of an atmosphere can Limerick possibly hope to have in Thomond Park, with (at the very most) 2'000-3'000 people in there? Makes the club look bad, severely effects positive press of promotion.

Jackman might not be great, but it is not the absolute hellhole some make it out to be. I would much rather that any funds being put in to rent Thomond would have gone into upgrading Jackman, even if the long term benefits for Limerick FC alone weren't great. But planning permission, delays, objections, etc, etc, etc. Market's Field process has lasted way too long and PR from the club has been misleading on its ETA.

[peadar1987]

They probably won't open the upper levels or the terraces. I doubt the atmosphere could be much worse than in other LOI grounds. Take the Carlisle. Half the time you can't hear the fans on the other side of the pitch because the wind whipping down from the mountains has carried the sound half way to Killiney Hill.

[Jofspring]

If they open the both terraces, East and West it won't be too bad but it will take a lot of people to even half fill them.

Agree about the cameras need to be facing the crowd. Nothing worse than the whole crowd below the cameras and it looks like no one is there.

[nigel-harps1954]

Congratulations to Limerick on taking my advice. I just hope the rest of the league follows suit and moves into 20,000 seat stadia right away.

Good man Pat.

[peadar1987]

Thinking about it, I went to watch Edinburgh rugby a few times when I lived there. There was still actually a fairly decent atmosphere in Murrayfield (capacity ~67000 IIRC) with a crowd of less than 3000. I think maybe poor atmosphere and poor attendance in a large stadium stem from the same root, and don't actually have a causal relationship with each other.

Edit: they tended only to open the few blocks either side of the half way in the west stand lower. Kept everyone nicely together, it still sounded noisy, and presumably kept the costs down.

[PartySaint]

The arguement of 'it will be terrible the ground will be empty' er all LOI grounds are empty. Id rather see Pats play Limerick at an empty Thomand park instead of an empty Jackman park

[bullit]

During our promotion season John Gill refused to let the side use the dressing rooms in Jackman park to tog out and used a local hotel instead !!

[nigel-harps1954]

The arguement of 'it will be terrible the ground will be empty' er all LOI grounds are empty. Id rather see Pats play Limerick at an empty Thomand park instead of an empty Jackman park

Precisely my thoughts.

There's only a handful of times each season when any respective ground is over half full. Of course this will be a much, much larger scale, but the fact remains, they'll be playing in arguably the finest stadium in the league now with great facilities for both home and away fans and won't have to worry about lack of tickets for any given match now (not that they would anyway in any hypothetical situation).

I'm only jealous we don't have to visit Limerick this year now, barring a cup draw.

[Guitd]

cant see how Limerick could even think of playing in Thomond Pk im sure the costs would be to much ,,Id imagine it would be a min of € 5k a game to even open the gates

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

They're loaded

[Charlie Darwin]

Dual-code game against Munster rugby? Although I'm not sure the likes of Paul O'Connell would be prepared for Pat Scully's rough and ready style.
Touché Limerick. I guess this won't be going ahead then.

[fionnsci]

Thomond with just the side facing the camera open (Terrace below stand and a block or two of the stand) would be grand. Linfield play in an empty Windsors sure. Not ideal but as someone said, it's a fantastic back up option.

[thomas72]

Limerick set to confirm thomond park will be there home for next season corporate area opened to home fans while a terrace area will be opened for away fans.

Enjoy the thomond park experience ;-)

[GCdfc]

terrace area will be opened for away fans.

Enjoy the thomond park experience ;-)

So no seated area with cover available to away fans?