Stadium Updates (All Clubs)

[EatYerGreens]

https://youtu.be/CesXXFyDHSA
Found this today on YouTube.

Nice aerial shots, but I switched off 3 clubs in as it had got pretty much every stat in there wrong.

- Wrong capacity for Dalymount and Brandywell.
- Wrong foundation date for Turners Cross and Brandywell.
Cork's in particularly - "mid 1800s" - is hilarious, as that would have it pre-date all codes of football. They just lifted that off of Wikipdeia, which itself states it without any justification. As for the Brandywell being opened in 1928 - again, it's just wrong and lifted from Wikipedia. Derry City was founded that year, but the Brandywell was around long before them.

[joey B]

https://www.offalyindependent.ie/2023/02/23/athlone-town-fc-reveals-major-upgrade-plans/

Upgrade development plans for Athlone’s ground,interesting it’s driven by the increasing popularity on the womens side of the club….

[Nesta99]

Shels ground sharing obviously would have had a risk but a period of success and Bohs in the doldrums and ye never know over time Dalymounts association with Bohs could be diluted so there's some risk there also. 2 stadia so close was never going to be publically funded.

[dahamsta]

The handbag convo was binned. Knock it off.

[Dermobohs]

Well played

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2023/0302/1359922-sligo-rovers-stadium-plans-move-forward-as-funding-eyed/?fbclid=IwAR3v71RGozmr3GW_pVzvyIqSGxGQuqja2cSfaBqR oCTzb1Xm6vsMRjBZ0yc

[EatYerGreens]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2023/0302/1359922-sligo-rovers-stadium-plans-move-forward-as-funding-eyed/?fbclid=IwAR3v71RGozmr3GW_pVzvyIqSGxGQuqja2cSfaBqR oCTzb1Xm6vsMRjBZ0yc

The Showgrounds will be a great wee stadium when this is finished. Hats off to the Bot o' Red.

[brendy_éire]

The Showgrounds will be a great wee stadium when this is finished. Hats off to the Bot o' Red.

Do hope they include the existing town side stand in any work. It's in a terrible condition, and is a thoroughly unpleasant place to watch a match from.

[EatYerGreens]

Do hope they include the existing town side stand in any work. It's in a terrible condition, and is a thoroughly unpleasant place to watch a match from.

That's true. The only bit of the ground that doesn't need work done is the main stand. The open stand behind one nets (the pet shop or VW one) needs a roof over it, and the stand you mentioned needs completely re-done. The away section there is particularly antiquated.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Do hope they include the existing town side stand in any work. It's in a terrible condition, and is a thoroughly unpleasant place to watch a match from.

New stand there and behind the goals where you walk in

[JC_GUFC]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned here before but walking through UCD last night I saw a sign up that they were developing a 4G Rugby pitch.

You’d have to imagine when complete that the AIL Rugby team will play there and the Bowl will be exclusive to football.

I wonder with attendances this season will any games in The Bowl sell out? Capacity is surely only about 2k. Plenty of room to build more stands or terraces if required in the future.

[EatYerGreens]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned here before but walking through UCD last night I saw a sign up that they were developing a 4G Rugby pitch.

You’d have to imagine when complete that the AIL Rugby team will play there and the Bowl will be exclusive to football.

I wonder with attendances this season will any games in The Bowl sell out? Capacity is surely only about 2k. Plenty of room to build more stands or terraces if required in the future.

Has it ever sold out ?

[2 Year Contract]

Has it ever sold out ?

Wiki has the record attendance as 1,986 in October 2010 when rovers clinched the league title there. I’d imagine that was more or less a sell out crowd

[total hoofball]

Sun reporting positive progress between Shels and DCC regarding final purchase Tolka in spite of Shakespeare running off his big mouth recently


https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/10335885/shelbourne-tolka-park-dublin-city-council/

[EatYerGreens]

Sun reporting positive progress between Shels and DCC regarding final purchase Tolka in spite of Shakespeare running off his big mouth recently


https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/10335885/shelbourne-tolka-park-dublin-city-council/

"To buy or not to buy ? That is the question...."

Fair play to Shels. Shakespeare is right to question what will happen if/when they buy Tolka and turn their backs on Dalymont. But in that he's also ignoring the bigger question of what would happen to them if they don't. There is a real possibility of Shels dying a slow death if they end up ground sharing with Bohs - especially as Bohs have proven adept at developing a locall support base and strong community roots. So it is likely that Shels calculate that buying Tolka - even wthout a clear idea of what to do with it yet - is better in the long-term than moving into Dalymount.

[bohsmug]

"To buy or not to buy ? That is the question...."

Fair play to Shels. Shakespeare is right to question what will happen if/when they buy Tolka and turn their backs on Dalymont. But in that he's also ignoring the bigger question of what would happen to them if they don't. There is a real possibility of Shels dying a slow death if they end up ground sharing with Bohs - especially as Bohs have proven adept at developing a locall support base and strong community roots. So it is likely that Shels calculate that buying Tolka - even wthout a clear idea of what to do with it yet - is better in the long-term than moving into Dalymount.

I just hope the position of the club isn't exploited for a land grab. Still feel like Shels are in a precarious position and whoever owns the ground could potentially be sitting on a lot of money.

[JC_GUFC]

I just hope the position of the club isn't exploited for a land grab. Still feel like Shels are in a precarious position and whoever owns the ground could potentially be sitting on a lot of money.

Didn't the Save Tolka Park campaign successfully get Tolka Park rezoned as a green space? I don't know if that can be reversed in time but I guess for the moment it means the value is much reduced for them to buy it and there wouldn't be the same attraction for some nefarious takeover who'd then sell the ground to build apartments etc.

I'm not sure of the long-term viability of Tolka Park though. There probably isn't much scope to make the "main stand" much bigger. The Riverside definitely could be expanded to have safe standing either side of the covered seats. I've no idea what the situation is with the "new" stand. Is there any easy fix there or is it totally condemned?

Dressing rooms are still there so maybe it's not a massive problem to fix.

[nigel-harps1954]

No reason Shels couldn't go down the modular type ground, similar to the new Finn Harps stadium, or Salford City ground. Great space saver, and a cheaper build. Parts of the ground just need refurbishment rather than total rebuild too.

[bohsmug]

No reason Shels couldn't go down the modular type ground, similar to the new Finn Harps stadium, or Salford City ground. Great space saver, and a cheaper build. Parts of the ground just need refurbishment rather than total rebuild too.

For most clubs it's probably the way forward. The new stand in Dalymount is grand, an extended version of that would improve every ground in the league bar Tallaght or Turners Cross. For me the Finn Harps plan is the ideal one. One big fancy stand and then the more basic modular builds everywhere else. Still need access to decent toilets, food etc regardless of where you are obviously.
You can probably fit a 4 sided ground in Tolka if you move the pitch slightly. The ends behind the goal don't have to be big, the terraces Harps are building would fit I think. They'd need to fit another access point in though and that's a challenge.

[Nesta99]

Modular units are the only way to go now but for some reason there are a lot of people hung up on the old poured concrete system. One of the biggest advantages is that as long as a proper base is laid the modular system can start small and then easily be extended if or when needed with a modicum of planning eg not selling or restricting future access to the ground. The Tolka example, at current needs could possibly get away with a modular installation behind the north end goal that could service that end of both stands initially. Incorporate some of the front rows of the ballybough end as a terrace and an additional unit could service that end of the stands also. Yes they are fit for demolition but unless you can pay for the whole thing in one go, and miss out on match night revenue etc when the work is being done/pitch being relaid, its the only way to bridge things imo. Have flooding issues been resolved or would this need to be factored in to any redevelopment? Maybe the whole ground and pitch has to be raised which could force things to be done in one go.

I'd like to see something out of Oriel said, anything, that plans are in the mix for when major funding becomes available under different programmes. We are heading into a sweet spot for funding of capital infrastructure in LoI, public purse strings are being properly loosened for sports again - acknowledgement of how much is needed by LoI, attendances and interest justifying it, Euro bids, the development of the women's game, brakes at least partially being put on GAA being bankrolled beyond already committed funding, the demise of the Delaney regime where undoubted whispers had Dept and SI standing off never mind his disinterest in LoI. European money significant enough to be able to contribute (yeah yeah I know), People seeing similar sized leages with vastly superior grounds and dont have to be EPL or bust! Open talk of directing increased taxes on the gambling industry to be channelled in to sport. Reducing energy/carbon footprints. Talk of cheap loan-assisted funding through local authorities - there is concern (at last) about duplicating funding just to placate oneupmanship type stuff thats evident in he history of GAA grants, hence the forthright nature that Tolka's redevelopment has been spoken about recently imo.

It'd be crazy not to have ground development at the top of the agenda at a club, left picking up scraps. Sligo have always impressed in how they went about managing the Showgrounds with or without external help and they certainly have the run on most if not all clubs, timing, ambition, and arguably good justification for a project of its size too - many clubs could justify the same and more but wont be ready....

[EatYerGreens]

Not to mention the hugely negative environmental impact that poured concrete has.

[sbgawa]

Not to mention the hugely negative environmental impact that poured concrete has.

Are you a bohs fan in disguise :)

[EatYerGreens]

Are you a bohs fan in disguise :)

If you want to address me, please use the correct pronoun

[SkStu]

bohs fanx

[Nesta99]

Is it a bohs fan.

[D24Saint]

Good bit of info appeared on twitter today via a council meeting. Looks like the DCC are buying up property along Emmett road in view of renovating Richmond. The removal of the housing along the street would clear up a nice bit of space with the new stadium fronting directly on to the street.

[Glen Of Aherlow]

https://twitter.com/Irish_Grounds/status/1633847048519966723

Interesting regarding Pats and Richmond

[D24Saint]

https://twitter.com/Irish_Grounds/status/1633847048519966723

Interesting regarding Pats and Richmond

Excellent progress imo , we need to secure the factories at the Inchicore end and we would have the space we need.

[Glen Of Aherlow]

Excellent progress imo , we need to secure the factories at the Inchicore end and we would have the space we need.

But even if we got those , is the river not still a problem ?

[sbgawa]

But even if we got those , is the river not still a problem ?

If the river was piped there is a resonable amount of ground on the other side
Have a look on google maps , i was surprised

[Glen Of Aherlow]

If the river was piped there is a resonable amount of ground on the other side
Have a look on google maps , i was surprised

True and i may be wrong but i thought i saw somewhere before that Pats own that land

[D24Saint]

But even if we got those , is the river not still a problem ?

The River is an issue alright but we have to work with what we have now. If the council can come up with some regarding the camac it would really open excellent space on the other bank.

[pateen]

Are the council planning to buy all the premises on Emmett Road that sit in front of Richmond?

[D24Saint]

Are the council planning to buy all the premises on Emmett Road that sit in front of Richmond?

Nothing official but it’s safe to assume they are. We sold McDowells pub so something would have to be worked out there and with another business that is a few doors down. I wouldn’t assume like some are that the front of the houses will be preserved to keep the look of the street. I’m looking forward to seeing the official plans whenever they are revealed. Hopefully when we hear something it’s that it’s funded and ready to proceed.

[pateen]

Fair play. Great to see progress with any club.

[sbgawa]

Nothing official but it’s safe to assume they are. We sold McDowells pub so something would have to be worked out there and with another business that is a few doors down. I wouldn’t assume like some are that the front of the houses will be preserved to keep the look of the street. I’m looking forward to seeing the official plans whenever they are revealed. Hopefully when we hear something it’s that it’s funded and ready to proceed.

Do they already own a good few of the houses or are they existing council houses?
Will you get held up by a few "i was born in this house and i amnt leaving types" ?

[D24Saint]

Do they already own a good few of the houses or are they existing council houses?
Will you get held up by a few "i was born in this house and i amnt leaving types" ?

We own 125 and the archway. The old dry cleaners on the corner has been derelict for years. What the council own I’m not sure but to make the plan viable they must had more property on the street than I would have thought. It’s hard not to see a scenario where a few hold outs look for a better deal from the corpo.

[sbgawa]

We own 125 and the archway. The old dry cleaners on the corner has been derelict for years. What the council own I’m not sure but to make the plan viable they must had more property on the street than I would have thought. It’s hard not to see a scenario where a few hold outs look for a better deal from the corpo.

Compulsory purchase out anyone who looks for more than the house is worth if they can be offered a house locally.

[Martinho II]

Whats going to happen to McDowells lads?

[wonder88]

In relation to Saint Pats, it a private company that run the club I think, which getting money from the public purse for a stadium is problematic. Also, this might have been sorted, but was Richmond Park a collateral for a loan of something like 16million. Pats fans will know better and these issues may have been sorted, so the latest news is positive for them especially with the better crowds they are getting.

[sbgawa]

I was standing behind the goal in Tolka up the back and realised id never noticed before they have a fence walling off the back half of the away end.
Some Rovers fans went in there and were moved out by the Guards as they had been let in by mistake.
The only difference i could see was the metal holders for the seats that used to be thee were stilll in that section but had been removed where we were standing.
With big crowds traveling now from the Dublin clubs could Shels not take out the holders and move the fence back?
We were jammed in , didnt feel unsafe at all but whats the point in jamming people in when there is half as much space again.

[D24Saint]

In relation to Saint Pats, it a private company that run the club I think, which getting money from the public purse for a stadium is problematic. Also, this might have been sorted, but was Richmond Park a collateral for a loan of something like 16million. Pats fans will know better and these issues may have been sorted, so the latest news is positive for them especially with the better crowds they are getting.

The council rejected our plan to fund and build own stadium so they can’t have it every way.

[D24Saint]

Whats going to happen to McDowells lads?

It will be knocked Id say. In its current guise it will be no loses It hasn’t been the same since the wards sold it. The current owner ripped out the snug and has ran it into the ground. It’s absolutely filthy.

[EatYerGreens]

In relation to Saint Pats, it a private company that run the club I think, which getting money from the public purse for a stadium is problematic.

I'm not sure this is true ? Surely at least some of the greyhound tracks that received funding must be under a private company. The GAA is also essentiually a private company - though it may structure itself to be a community/cooperative-style one ?

[Longfordian]

It will be knocked Id say. In its current guise it will be no loses It hasn’t been the same since the wards sold it. The current owner ripped out the snug and has ran it into the ground. It’s absolutely filthy.

Shame. I had many good nights in there back in the day. I always enjoyed going to Richmond, partly because of McDowell's. The Pats fans were always sound in there.

[Nesta99]

Shame. I had many good nights in there back in the day. I always enjoyed going to Richmond, partly because of McDowell's. The Pats fans were always sound in there.

It was a great spot, pre-game and at HT for a while; though when HT exit for away fans stopped, one game we were front row of the away end of the stand and chatting to a really sound steward, he said if we wanted in to the bar at HT just head to the gate and mention his name. It was obviously full of only Pats fans and is one of the stand out lovely LoI moments for me over all the years chatting to the home fans. Caught up with a few again post match and in Dundalk that season(2013 iirc). A shame it couldnt be incorporated in to a develpment in some way, or that any club can have an unsegregated bar, as besides income, one of the things I liked most about LoI was being able to mingle with fellow fans. Derry in general, (+some others), before heading up the hill to the Brandywell was great too. As a home fan be it Kennedy's or the Lilywhite Lounge same type of thing applies. In the grand scheme of things its not a biggy, just part of the old appeal of LoI imo.

[dundalkfc10]

It was a great spot, pre-game and at HT for a while; though when HT exit for away fans stopped, one game we were front row of the away end of the stand and chatting to a really sound steward, he said if we wanted in to the bar at HT just head to the gate and mention his name. It was obviously full of only Pats fans and is one of the stand out lovely LoI moments for me over all the years chatting to the home fans. Caught up with a few again post match and in Dundalk that season(2013 iirc). A shame it couldnt be incorporated in to a develpment in some way, or that any club can have an unsegregated bar, as besides income, one of the things I liked most about LoI was being able to mingle with fellow fans. Derry in general, (+some others), before heading up the hill to the Brandywell was great too. As a home fan be it Kennedy's or the Lilywhite Lounge same type of thing applies. In the grand scheme of things its not a biggy, just part of the old appeal of LoI imo.

Rovers fans seem to go out fo the forge bar on the border sometimes when they play ua

[Nesta99]

Rovers fans seem to go out fo the forge bar on the border sometimes when they play ua

The Forge and a few in Bridge St are much of a muchness, serve anyone!

[2 Year Contract]

So the Irish government are putting €500k into a stadium in New York. Wow, just wow.

https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/press-releases/press-release-archive/2023/march/tanaiste-announces-strengthened-support-for-gaa-overseas.php

[Shinkicker]

So the Irish government are putting €500k into a stadium in New York. Wow, just wow.

https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/press-releases/press-release-archive/2023/march/tanaiste-announces-strengthened-support-for-gaa-overseas.php
While 500k is not much, they still gave it to a rich organisation to fund an overseas stadium in one of the richest country's in the world. LOI clubs could do with it more than the yanks. Its a shame but that's the government for you.