Rovers and the RDS

[Poor Student]

I know Rovers played in the RDS from 1990-1996 and they won the title there in 1994. I also read they had some decent crowds there at the start. What happened while they were there? Why did they leave?

[NY Hoop]

First day McNamara said there was 22,000 at it when questioned by journalists. In reality it was about 18,000. Because of the awfulness of opening game and the, ahem, defensive abilities of the 2 sides thousands stayed away.

Second game almost 10,000 turned up and the crowds went down to about 3,000 in the first season. Very average team didnt help. Bad crowds next couple of years but went up when we won the league playing some great football.

In retrospect it was a bad idea leaving there as crowds plummeted when we did. At least we had some continuity there and it was near Milltown. Great for away fans too as without floodlights games were always sundays. The stumbling block was the high rent but some deal should have been done IMO.

One example was the last time we played boez there was 6,000 at it (a 1-0 win:D ) the following season in tolka despite being higher in the table there was half that crowd (a 3-2 win:D )

In the end new owners came in and we were shipped to tolka:rolleyes:

KOH

[Poor Student]

Was the rent demanded ridiculous or were the owners tight fisted? A bit like Dublin City moving further and further South (don't turn this into a Dublin City debate) it seems like Rovers jumped further and further from Milltown.

[NY Hoop]

Apparently the rent was very steep alright. New owners turned out to be clueless but they wanted a clean break from the McNamara era.

Cant see how you can compare us to something like CHF:eek:

Tolka has the most seats and oily will never turn down money.

KOH

[Poor Student]

Just mean Dublin City moved from Whitehall (their catchment area, don't laugh or take this off topic) further South to Tolka and then further South to Richmond. Rovers have gradually moved further and further from Milltown over the last 16 years.

[NY Hoop]

Well we were in Richmond a few years ago so not true. Its not intentional to move all around the city really...........


KOH

[Poor Student]

It's not really relevant anyway, it's UCD territory now.;)

[NY Hoop]

It's not really relevant anyway, it's UCD territory now.;)

What is??! UCD territory? That's a new one:D

KOH

[Poor Student]

What is??! UCD territory? That's a new one:D

KOH

Milltown, Ballsbridge etc.:D

[manic da hoop]

In hindsight it is perhaps very easy to say we should never have left, but when taken in the context of our final year in the RDS there was only one decision that could be made. Our landlords had promised us state-of-the-art improvements to the arena to suit our needs - this was at a time when the venue was struggling to attract business and Rovers were considered a high-profile tenant. However, once matters bgan to improve for the Society (that's the 'S' in RDS) it was clearly that we were rapidly sliding down their priority list. Hense, the demilition of the Grand Stand to be replaced with a gaping hole that hasn't (eleven years on) since been filled, coupled with the deterioration of the pitch, no sign of floodlights and very high rent. Our lease expured in 1996, and it had become all too obviuos throughout 95/96 that our landlords had no intention of renewing it.

[BohsPartisan]

Milltown, Ballsbridge etc.:D

I was just asking the question in the Tony McDonnell Q & A if UCD should rebrand and try and market themselves to the local D4/D14 community seeing as how this community has had no team since Rovers left the RDS.

[DmanDmythDledge]

I was just asking the question in the Tony McDonnell Q & A if UCD should rebrand and try and market themselves to the local D4/D14 community seeing as how this community has had no team since Rovers left the RDS.
I seriously think that been named after a college has influenced some people's opinions of the club.

[Poor Student]

I was just asking the question in the Tony McDonnell Q & A if UCD should rebrand and try and market themselves to the local D4/D14 community seeing as how this community has had no team since Rovers left the RDS.

I think we're gradually emerging out of their shadow since they've left. I understand that in the early 80's when we were winning the cup and up near the top of the table we had average crowds of 150. We're probably one of the few clubs that have doubled our support in the last two decades. It'll probably take a few more decades before whatever paltry few people orientated towards the eL in the general area don't remember Rovers at all as a club of that part of Dublin.

[Poor Student]

I seriously think that been named after a college has influenced some people's opinions of the club.

It doesn't affect Universidad de Chile, Universidad de Catolica or Universitatea Craiova.

[DmanDmythDledge]

It doesn't affect Universidad de Chile, Universidad de Catolica or Universitatea Craiova.
Well it may be just a young people thing but I've been on the receiving end of a lot of jokes in school about it.

[LeixlipRed]

What sort of juvenile jokes would you let get to you? Rebranding a team in UCD's position won't work. What would you call them for one?

[DmanDmythDledge]

What sort of juvenile jokes would you let get to you?
They don't, I was just pointing out some people's opinion of UCD.

[gspain]

The RDS was a terrible place to watch football. You were miles form the pitch and there was always something blocking your view.

Frankly I was glad when Rovers left. I don't remember the crowds being that big apart from the huge crowd for the first game v Pats. I saw a European game there too - Gornik I think and the crowd was pretty poor.

[BohsPartisan]

What sort of juvenile jokes would you let get to you? Rebranding a team in UCD's position won't work. What would you call them for one?

They could call themselves Shelbourne after you lot fold. :D

[Student Mullet]

They could call themselves Shelbourne after you lot fold. :DWe could rent Tolka and become the third club from Dublin 4 to move in.

[mypost]

I saw a European game there too - Gornik I think and the crowd was pretty poor.

Surely, the poor crowd had nothing to do with the fact that we were 0-7 down from the first leg in Poland, of course. :rolleyes:

[ifk101]

Will UCD ever win the league is the question? Or will an UCD fan ever score?

Welcome to fans wearing Wasps jerseys (if they don't already).... Boo Hoo. Leinster here I come!

[gspain]

Surely, the poor crowd had nothing to do with the fact that we were 0-7 down from the first leg in Poland, of course. :rolleyes:

Yes Treacy's definite winners of the competition that year. Austria Vienna hit them for 5 in the next round.

[endabob1]

We could rent Tolka and become the third club from Dublin 4 to move in.

Surely whenever the Shamrock Rovers (or whoever officially owns it) ground is complete UCD will groundshare with them, or is that just too logical?

[Aberdonian Stu]

If it's in Tallaght? No chance, way too far from our fanbase, however limited it may be.

More importantly the college wouldn't approve.

[endabob1]

So must UCD play within the college grounds? Forgive my ignorance here I've only been to UCD to play once in the super league as a ringer and for a brief evening visit to the residence.
Didn't they have a hockey stadium built for the World Cup, why wasn't it made big enough for football?

[NY Hoop]

The RDS was a terrible place to watch football. You were miles form the pitch and there was always something blocking your view.

Frankly I was glad when Rovers left. I don't remember the crowds being that big apart from the huge crowd for the first game v Pats. I saw a European game there too - Gornik I think and the crowd was pretty poor.

That's only your opinion. You must have never viewed any games from the Anglesea stand then. Superb view. If you went over to the far side you were about a foot from the pitch.

Have already detailed the crowds we were getting and they went down when we left there.

KOH

[green-blood]

well Rovers already have a tie up with Tallght IT so no way wil UCD be having any part to play out there

UCD should set themselves up as a proper player development side, thats the best thing they could do, ther wont be any rebranding and I cant ever see trophies being regularly challanged for because the access to funds for player purchase and wages in simply not there.

After that they do a good job, I'm not sold on the "bowl" but we'll see.

Rovers is another matter altogether, if ever the phrase sleeping giant was appropriate it is with Rovers. When/If/Maybe if we ever get Tallaght built and can bring football to Tallght a huge catchment area with a competitive side the rest of the league had better be worried. Cork/Derry/Galway have entire cities to themselves, Bohs are putting 40 odd mill in their back pocket but none have exploited fully these assets.

Roll on Tallght

PS - the rds was a soulless place with a rubish cabbage patch of a pitch

[BohsPartisan]

So must UCD play within the college grounds? Forgive my ignorance here I've only been to UCD to play once in the super league as a ringer and for a brief evening visit to the residence.
Didn't they have a hockey stadium built for the World Cup, why wasn't it made big enough for football?

The Hockey stadium is way too small for football. Don't know what the new and improved Bowl will be like but IMO its in a far better location than Belfield Park, close to Donnybrook and Clonskeagh - far more populous than Mount Merrion. Thats why I think it would be an ideal time to rebrand. Market towards these communities as the students just aren't interested. They could make a propper go of it.

[Pablo]

Excluding Tallaght Obviously, where is Rovers prefered home ground?

[sonofstan]

I've only been to UCD for a brief evening visit to the residence.

Scoreless, then?


Didn't they have a hockey stadium built for the World Cup, why wasn't it made big enough for football?

It's synthetic

[Schumi]

The hockey stadium is competely inappropriate for football. The stand is tiny with no space for standing outside it, the pitch is a sythetic waterbased pitch that I very much doubt you could play football on; you wouldn't be allowed anyway by the Irish Hockey Association who secured most of the funding.

[bigmac]

The hockey stadium is competely inappropriate for football. The stand is tiny with no space for standing outside it, the pitch is a sythetic waterbased pitch that I very much doubt you could play football on; you wouldn't be allowed anyway by the Irish Hockey Association who secured most of the funding.

Yep, nothing but hockey on that pitch - not even 5 a side football.

I think the bowl is ideal for a compact stadium - as long as the quality of the pitch isn't compromised too much by the rugby team then it'll be a tidy little place. The fact that it's banked all around the pitch already would seem to suggest that it would be fairly easy to at the very least terrace this, if not put in seats for a good way around.
At the moment though, there's very little there.

[Poor Student]

Milltown.

We've been over this, you've lost Milltown to UCD.;)

The move to the Bowl has good potential. There is already a concrete stand in place which will be extended to a 1,500 seater. Beats rotting old bleachers. You also won't have to look at a decreipt unsafe wreck behind one goal.

[endabob1]

Scoreless, then?


The temptation to do a gag about coming on late in the second half is almost too much to resist :D

I was enquiring about the hockey bit because MK Dons over here are using the Hockey Stadium as their temporary ground, I don't porofess to know a lot about the game but it's clearly unsuitable from the reply's above.

[John83]

Beats rotting old bleachers. You also won't have to look at a decreipt unsafe wreck behind one goal.
Hey, don't talk about the Cascarino that way.


The temptation to do a gag about coming on late in the second half is almost too much to resist :D
Please don't. :o

I was enquiring about the hockey bit because MK Dons over here are using the Hockey Stadium as their temporary ground, I don't porofess to know a lot about the game but it's clearly unsuitable from the reply's above.
The hockey stadium MKD are playing in may not have a synthetic surface.
I'd agree with the people above - the National Hockey Stadium is neither available nor suitable for football.

[BohsPartisan]

You also won't have to look at a decreipt unsafe wreck behind one goal.

Why is Vinny Arkins being banned from attending games there?

[Tenderloins]

Must confess I enjoyed watching games in the RDS, very roomy ground. When they knocked down the old stand there was no way Rovers could have stayed there. In effect they would have been playing with
three sides of the ground empty.
Another inconveience was that each year fior a period after the Horse Show players had to get Anti-Tetanus injections.
The RDS was as close to Mlltown that we'll ever get agaian. In a way as we were the only team playing there it was our 'home' also.

[Peadar]

What would you call them for one?

Can't really call themselves FC Superfund (http://www.fcsuperfund.at/) because that name is already in use... :eek:
Shame they lost 2-0 to Livorno.

[passerrby]

seen some great games at the RDS but the pitch was very poor, maybe it was all the heavy nags prancing about on the pitch ....and it was used by horses as well.