grounds in belfast

[Martinho II]

was in belfast with brother in law in his lorry. I saw a few grounds in Belfast and was wondering what clubs own them.

1.
Opposite Belfast City Airport and Odyssey on the Bangor road there is a football ground there. What club play there? I also think I saw H & W Welders ground on that road. Is that correct?

2.

There is also a football ground on the M1 Motorway coming out of Belfast on the right hand side. Is that Windsor Park? I also saw some ground on the left hand side just before that. Is that also a football ground?

3.
Glentorans ground is opposite the Docks isnt it on the M2 Motorway.

[nigel-harps1954]

was in belfast with brother in law in his lorry. I saw a few grounds in Belfast and was wondering what clubs own them.

1.
Opposite Belfast City Airport and Odyssey on the Bangor road there is a football ground there. What club play there? I also think I saw H & W Welders ground on that road. Is that correct?

2.

There is also a football ground on the M1 Motorway coming out of Belfast on the right hand side. Is that Windsor Park? I also saw some ground on the left hand side just before that. Is that also a football ground?

3.
Glentorans ground is opposite the Docks isnt it on the M2 Motorway.


Possibly saw Casement Park on the right hand side on the way out of Belfast? Windsor is alongside the Motorway too, but if you had to second guess which ground it was, then it probably wasn't Windsor. I think it's on the left hand side of the motorway too if memory serves me right.

The Oval is up beside the airport and Odyssey. I remember the first time I saw it up there and was amazed it was a lot bigger than I imagined it would be.

I'm not sure about the other ground on the M2, but I think Crusaders are close enough to the Oval, so assume that's the one you saw near the docks?

It's been a few years since I was up about Belfast as I used to work a bit up around there and Larne (which also has a lovely ground in near the docks in Larne) so my memory of it is a little hazy, but that's all to the best of my knowledge.

[punkrocket]

There is a pitch opposite the airport that the welders play at but calling it a ground as such may be a bit of a stretch as it doesn't really have much in terms of facilities. If you are talking about the ground with the big grandstands and Jesus Saves ads doen the dual carriageway towards the city centre and closer to the Odyssey then that's Glentoran's ground, The Ova,l you saw.

Crusaders' ground, Seaview, is alongside the M2 heading north out of the City on the left and opposite the docks on the opposite side of Belfast lough to the Oval.

Linfield's ground Windsor Park is off the left hand side of the M1 heading out of town just past the underpass where the balls on the falls sculpture is at. In days gone by Belfast Celtic's ground would have been on the opposite side of the motorway to this where the park centre shopping mall is now.

Not too sure where the other ground is that to you talk of, Casement Park GAA ground is further out of town off the next junction of the M1 on the right. Distillery's old ground Grosvenor Pk used to be close as well beside where the Royal Victoria hospital is now, off at the junction before the balls on the falls one.

The only other ground in the area is quite a bit off, way behind where Casement's Pk is which is Donegal Celtic's ground Suffolk Rd/Donegal Celtic Pk. You'd need good eyesight to see it from the motorway though.

[Martinho II]

Not too sure where the other ground is that to you talk of, Casement Park GAA ground is further out of town off the next junction of the M1 on the right.

that must be Casement Park as its a wee bit of town on the M1 and you cant miss the floodlights at all. There is no sign post off the motorway for it so that must be it. I am glad I asked about Glentoran as I always remember pictures years ago of Alan Mathews in Glentorans pitch with the big H&W crane and always thought it was out on the M2.I always thought it was out on the M2 where the exit for the port is.
The ground I saw on the left hand side on the M1 coming out of the underpasses there seems to be work done on the top of the stadium so that must be Windsor Park. I always find going to Belfast rather confusing with their underpasses and overpasses and roundabouts at end of dual carraigeways in city centre. It is only now that I have a better idea of the city.

[BonnieShels]

Coming from the Dublin side Casement would be on your left and Windsor would be on your right

[backstothewall]

1. It was The Oval - Glentoran

2. Casement Park. Antrim GAA. Once generally regarded as the best playing surface in Ireland, but it's in a sad state these days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CApN0sr9pEE

3. Seaview. Home of Crusaders

[dundalkfc10]

Quick question, I know most grounds look great up North, Cliftonville, Ballymena, Crusaders, Glenavon etc...

Why has the Oval never had any work done on it?

[nigel-harps1954]

Glentoran are planning to leave the Oval far as I know. There's work goes on there regularly enough in the same way you wouldn't notice a huge amount of work on Oriel to the untrained eye.

It's a fantastic old ground and really deserves a facelift and upgrade, and it'd be an awful shame to see it demolished eventually.

[NeverFeltBetter]

RTE had a report on the status of Casement today (in short, going nowhere). I had no idea the site had been allowed to degrade to the current state: https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2019/0523/1051296-never-ending-casement-park-saga-leaves-antrim-homeless/

What an eyesore. Could they not even get people to cut the pitch, the same as they would for public greens?

[Martinho II]

RTE had a report on the status of Casement today (in short, going nowhere). I had no idea the site had been allowed to degrade to the current state: https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2019/0523/1051296-never-ending-casement-park-saga-leaves-antrim-homeless/

What an eyesore. Could they not even get people to cut the pitch, the same as they would for public greens?

yeah saw it on that documentary will that ever be open again?

[D24Saint]

Glentorans ground is opposite the Docks isnt it on the M2 Motorway.

An old school football ground but I like it, been in it twice. The main stand gives a good view of the pitch and has a fine bar in it compared to the terrace behind the goal and stand on the far side. Its worth a visit but from their own point of view its probably time it gets a bit of work done. As for the other grounds in Belfast, I was in Windsor many years ago it was a fine stadium then if not a little run down id say its brilliant since they done work on it. The other I was in was Solitude and compact ground but the away stand was modern enough but the main stand looked in need of some TLC. I miss the trips up north from the Setanta cup days.

[Martinho II]

D24Saint, What club play in Solitiude? I was in Windsor Park and the oval in the setanta cup. I am going to go to some matches next season in the NIFL to get to know the grounds a bit once our season is over!

[pineapple stu]

Solitude = Cliftonville

[EalingGreen]

D24Saint, What club play in Solitiude? I was in Windsor Park and the oval in the setanta cup. I am going to go to some matches next season in the NIFL to get to know the grounds a bit once our season is over!
Let us know what you think - it's always good to get a visitor's perspective.

Meanwhile, The Oval is getting quite a reputation!


"For me it was quite simple: The Oval is like the holy grail."

Wouter Schollema, from the Netherlands, knows a lot about groundhopping - so much, in fact, that he's literally written the book.

Groundhopping involves attending football matches at as many different grounds as possible.

Gracing the cover of Wouter's book is a famous slice of east Belfast history - the Oval, home of Glentoran Football Club.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/14FD4/production/_108927958_wouterbook.jpg

"There is no better stadium for me. When I visited Glentoran I honestly fell in love with the club and the stadium," he says.

"The stands are old, it squeaks and cracks, there is just so much history over there."

More here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-49811389

[Martinho II]

Let us know what you think - it's always good to get a visitor's perspective.

Meanwhile, The Oval is getting quite a reputation!


"For me it was quite simple: The Oval is like the holy grail."

Wouter Schollema, from the Netherlands, knows a lot about groundhopping - so much, in fact, that he's literally written the book.

Groundhopping involves attending football matches at as many different grounds as possible.

Gracing the cover of Wouter's book is a famous slice of east Belfast history - the Oval, home of Glentoran Football Club.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/14FD4/production/_108927958_wouterbook.jpg

"There is no better stadium for me. When I visited Glentoran I honestly fell in love with the club and the stadium," he says.

"The stands are old, it squeaks and cracks, there is just so much history over there."

More here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-49811389

Yeah will do as soon as our shortened season ends as I havent gone anywhere the last few mths as cocooning as suffer from epiplepsy.

[Bucket]

Martinho II , https://www.footballgroundguide.com is well worth a visit. Information on pretty much every stadium. They have an app too for smartphones. It would be a good read while cocooning

[EalingGreen]

There is a pitch opposite the airport that the welders play at but calling it a ground as such may be a bit of a stretch as it doesn't really have much in terms of facilities.
After a series of delays (Covid etc), the Welders finally moved into their new stadium at Blanchflower Park last month (right by their former Tillysburn ground).

Must say it looks good, in keeping with their Irish Premiership ambitions (cuurently in the Championship/2nd tier):


https://youtu.be/HGy1sVydAvI

EDIT: Can't seem to embed the (3 minute) video, so need to click on the above link, but this pic taken from the main stand below gives an idea:

https://i2-prod.belfastlive.co.uk/incoming/article21871063.ece/ALTERNATES/s458/0_Blanchflower-Stadium.jpg

All they need now are a few more fans! ;)

[redarmyfaction]

Wow, nice little ground, how was it funded?

[EalingGreen]

Wow, nice little ground, how was it funded?
I don't actually know. I'm pretty sure Blanchflower Park is Council owned, so they may have helped.

Also they might have had a lease on, or even owned outright (less likely), their previous ground which they could have sold? (I'm guessing here).

What I do know is that while they have never had any real connection with H&W (they just happened to be established by a group of workers independently of the coompany), they have a thriving Social Club which operates 7 days a week and (presumably) produces a good income for the football club each season.

https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/d4823e7a-6902-4019-b7e6-d90e7ac93e88/wer.jpg/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:1968,h:1037

See club link: https://weldersfc.co.uk/social-club

[bohsmug]

Would be interesting to know how much that John Davidson stand cost to build. It's nice, although a bit oddly positioned. I'm guessing if a club where to build similar as a main stand that ran the length of the pitch it would hold 1,100 - 1,200 or so.

[EalingGreen]

Would be interesting to know how much that John Davidson stand cost to build. It's nice, although a bit oddly positioned. I'm guessing if a club where to build similar as a main stand that ran the length of the pitch it would hold 1,100 - 1,200 or so.
It is oddly positioned, as you say.

But looking at the site on Google Earth, which also has still photos taken during construction, it seems that two sides of the ground were unavailble/unsuitable, since one end was hemmed in by trees (therefore no access), while one side backed onto another pitch, which BCC won't have wanted to lose.
https://earth.google.com/web/search/blanchflower+park,+east+belfast,+tillysburn/@54.61384665,-5.86517528,2.02572861a,580.14082824d,35y,-93.91250054h,44.99999486t,-0r/data=CpYBGmwSZgolMHg0ODYxMGEyNzY5MzMzZmYxOjB4MWFhY mI0MjNkODNhYjU3MxmdpoWBnU5LQCGRlm8in3QXwCorYmxhbmN oZmxvd2VyIHBhcmssIGVhc3QgYmVsZmFzdCwgdGlsbHlzYnVyb hgDIAEiJgokCemib7F3iDZAEeiib7F3iDbAGZyG3FNe6CJAIT5 N8F0k4VfA

Meanwhile, someone asked about the funding - one of the stands has a sign sayhing it was supported by 'Sport NI' (Sports Council).

[EalingGreen]

Crusaders have received planning permission from Belfast City Council for a new main stand at Seaview:

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/mcs/media/images/79972000/jpg/_79972699_seaviewstand_n.jpg
(Computer generated image)

"Plans include a new 1352 seat stand, changing facilities, spectator deck and an upgrade of existing floodlighting.

There will also be community facilities, new turnstiles and car parking."

And from another angle:

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/irish-league/crusaders/a2265/41367034.ece/AUTOCROP/w1240/graham_building

"Meanwhile, in a separate development, the club has submitted a planning application for a new centre of excellence at Three Mile Water in Newtownabbey, County Antrim.

Crusaders say the scheme comprises two full-sized 3G pitches, small sided games pitches, multi-use games areas, a changing pavilion and limited spectator facilities."



Which just leaves the small matter of getting those chancers at Stormont to get their finger out of their hole and finally release the £36m stadium funding which has been promised to the game in NI for over a decade.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2125?

[toffeejay84]

Current Seaview main stand holds 850 so a decent expansion and much needed upgrade

[Kingdom]

Ealing Green,

Just a quick note to say that I finally got around to visiting the Oval last Sunday. A brilliant day, and actually being present confirmed what I thought from afar, the ground is absolutely iconic.
Gates were open so took a walk around, then by chance bumped into your S&C coach Sammy - a thorough gent - and when he heard I'd come from Dublin just to see the ground he gave me the full tour. Spent the guts of an hour chatting about Irish football. Absolutely class experience.
Best of luck in the play-off.

[EalingGreen]

Ealing Green,

Just a quick note to say that I finally got around to visiting the Oval last Sunday. A brilliant day, and actually being present confirmed what I thought from afar, the ground is absolutely iconic.
Gates were open so took a walk around, then by chance bumped into your S&C coach Sammy - a thorough gent - and when he heard I'd come from Dublin just to see the ground he gave me the full tour. Spent the guts of an hour chatting about Irish football. Absolutely class experience.
Best of luck in the play-off.They do official groundhopper tours by arrangement, so it was good that you met Sammy on the day for your visit:
https://www.glentoran.com/news/glens-groundhopper-initiative-shortliusted-major-award

It's easy to take The Oval for granted, I suppose, but "iconic" seems to be the word - see eg my earlier post #14, or this English Groundhopper guide:
"There are groundhoppers all over the world and everyone has their own favourite team or stadium to visit. But we can say without any doubt The Oval in Belfast, Northern Ireland can be considered to be somewhat of the holy grail in the world of groundhoppers. After years of dreaming, we finally made it to the city of Belfast to visit The Oval and witness a game of the glorious Glentoran FC."
https://www.pitchd.tv/post/ground-the-oval-glentoran-fc-northern-ireland

I don't get back to it myself these days, but I'll make sure to make a trip before they finally knock it down. Which will be around half a century from my first trip, to see the Glens play Juve in a European Cup tie under lights, in a crowd of 25k. (I say "25k", but that was the Official figure - fans who knew the place better than I did reckoned that that was a few thousand light!)

And of course it has its own video from your man Sam North from Footy Adventures:

https://youtu.be/n95UOa_8hFU?t=97

[EalingGreen]

Aussie video of NI grounds following - the LOI equivalent was posted elsewhere on this forum a while back:

https://youtu.be/ING6iqOzNqA

He's not so enamoured of The Oval as some other reporters, sniff, sniff...

(Dunno why the video doesn't embed?)


https://youtu.be/ING6iqOzNqA