Stadium Updates (All Clubs)

[Burnsie]

Do those pitches not have a 10yr lifespan?

typically seven years I think

[sbgawa]

is it not substantially cheaper to replace an existing one in terms of the groundwork being significantly in place already.

[Elfman]

It is but Dundalk are doing it the Max Power way – that's the wrong way... But faster!

Jokes aside, I vaguely recall someone claiming that to save money Dundalk opted against laying a shock absorbing pad when the 2017 pitch went down. So possibly that or costs have just gone up again.

[Nesta99]

You wouldnt get a pitch to pass testing without the shock absrobing layer. Now maybe that wasnt relayed or needed relaying. A lot of the issues with the deterioration of these surfaces are the quality of the initial laying. One previous owner had the surface layer relaid by his own company workers and it wasnt right. Not convinced by the last installation either, if you can see joins... Keeping maintenance up to scratch is where this last iteration significantly deteriorated the last 3 years or so. There is modifications to this pitch dimensions which require foundation work. It has to be moved/extended I presume to increase the distance between goal line and perimiter wall behind the Carrick Road goal.

[ToberonaTornado]

Louth girls under-age combo league played about 9 finals final matches on the old surface on Saturday.(Albeit not full 90min games) packed stand cheering them on (vital Community link)
The main pitch @ Oriel is in huge demand 7 days a week.
If we get a pitch half as good as Bray have I'll be ok with that.
The Floodlights are also getting an upgrade
Small steps as we look to recover.....

[John83]

They come out in a rash at the thoughts of getting a red line Luas.
They're just uncomfortable with the concept of free travel for the unwashed.

[Nesta99]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2025/1127/1546158-no-grand-designs-footballs-infrastructure-logjam/

First time ive heard that a long term lease eg the one on Oriel precludes from capital grant applications, it would make sense in terms of nothing done but the lease is a long time on the go and still has 70+ years left. Greenfield site should top the options but that not what the club and consultants opted for.

[Dalymountrower]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2025/1127/1546158-no-grand-designs-footballs-infrastructure-logjam/

First time ive heard that a long term lease eg the one on Oriel precludes from capital grant applications, it would make sense in terms of nothing done but the lease is a long time on the go and still has 70+ years left. Greenfield site should top the options but that not what the club and consultants opted for.

The article is well worth a read.

[Martinho II]

The article is well worth a read.

Superb read this piece. It brings back memories of the long period of time we had to wait between moving out of Abbeycartron for Bishopsgate. The groundworks at Bishopsgate stalled for close to a decade !