What's the story with the UEFA licence?

[Poor Student]

Where do UCD stand with UEFA licencing? Is it necessary to get to a certain standard to play top flight football? Let alone European football. I'd imagine UCD can meet the financial stability side of things but what about Belfield Park? I thought I read before it was going to be upgraded? Are there any plans in the pipline for this? And is the structure of the club up to scratch?

[Bald Student]

My understanding is that everything is up to scratch except the stadium. The current plan is that apartments will be built where Belfield Park is now and that money raised from this will be used to build a new stadium where the Belfield Bowl is now.

I doubt that this will have happened by the start of next season so I presume that UCD will be hoping that the FAI grant exemptions again for next season (assuming that UCD gets promoted).

[pineapple stu]

We can play European football, but just not in Belfield (not that that's a concern for next season at least!)

I think there's an exception granted if definite plans are in place for ground improvements. Don't see how they could deny us promotion seeing as half the clubs in the top flight don't have A licences.

However, as far as I know, Belfield Bowl is on hold for the moment. Cynical reason is that H*** B**** doesn't want a 5000-seater stadium in front of his house. (Don't know where he lives, but that's just the cynical logic). Apparently, the next step if to get a proper floor for the Cascarino Stand, which would allow that to be re-opened and increase capacity by 450 (admittedly uncovered, but a start). Then maybe the new stand on the Hill that we've heard about for ages?

[Bald Student]

From the comments Hugh Brady has made in the press (within and outside the university) he is very keen for the apartments to be built and this would require a new soccer Stadium. It does seem that Belfield Park is doomed and will probably be demolished sooner rather than later. So whatever about the Cascarino stand, I don't think that a new stand is going to be built on the hill.

On the subject of Hugh's recently redeveloped (at a cost to the university of 1 million euro) house. It is about 300 yards from the rugby grounds but behild a big wall with it's own private enterance so he hardly has much cause for complaint.

[Poor Student]

How independent is the club from the college as such? Is it allowed to make a profit and stockpile cash? Or does the college directly control the finances? And do the college autorities give a toss about the club or is it seen as an annoyance?

Isn't Belfield Bowl a terribly inconvenient place to get to for the local residents? And in fact anyone not coming by car? Would this not see a drop in attendences?

[Bald Student]

The club is not a legal entity so is not independant from the college in a legal sense. From a financial point of view, all the UCD sports clubs get an annual grant from the college sports dept., roughly devided up between the clubs by numbers of members. The last year I've seen the accounts for is 2002 when the club recieved 17,000 old pounds and this was used entirely to pay for the college teams (there are about 70 odd soccer teams in UCD). The senior men's team is expected to pay for itself.
The source of this grant is the profit made by the sports bar in UCD, revenue from the rent of UCD's sports facilities and (in 2002) 25 old pounds from each student's registration fee.
The club does not make a profit and is not allowed to stockpile cash. It is considered a bad use of resources for some clubs to stockpile cash as that cash could (and I think should) be re-invested in facilaties instead of sitting in a bank account. If a sports club in UCD wants to make a capital investment they apply to the college for funds. An example of this is the National Hockey Stadium which is being upgraded this year.

The previous administration in the college certainly did give a toss about the Club, indeed the old registrar is still seen every fourthnight in Belfield Park. The new administration seems to be obsessed entirely in post-graduate research funds and (apart from the new presidents house) hasn't invested any resources anywhere else.

The Belfield Bowl is located beside the Sports centre about 300 yards inside the Clonskeagh gate. It is about a mile from Belfield Park. So it is more convielent for residents in Clonskeagh and Goatstown and less convienent for residents in Mount Merrion and Stillorgan. It is easier for people to get to from the 11 bus and more difficult to get to from the 46A bus.

The key issue in all this is the proposed apartments. If they are to be built the soccer club will have to move, if not the soccer club will stay put. My money would be on the apartments being built.

[Poor Student]

Cheers for the info Bald Student. By 70 teams do you mean the Superleague teams? :confused: Are these appartments a private venture where the college would sell the land to developers or more residences? Also what advantage does the club serve to the college? Is it mainly the prestige?

[Bald Student]

Yep, I do mean the superleague.
Not a private venture, more residences.
Mostly prestigue. UCD competes nationally in most sports.