Stadium Updates (All Clubs)

[disgruntled]

Latest on new stand in Tallaght:
http://www.intallaght.ie/oconnor-calls-for-progress-on-new-tallaght-stadium-stand/

Also noticed at the Ireland match in Turners Cross that they'd taken a few rows of seats out behind the goal of the St Anne's stand, any reason for this?

There were some broken seats in the center section of the St Annes stand so they took out several rows at the front which enabled them to fix the broken seats & make the stand look complete.

[Charlie Darwin]

Latest on new stand in Tallaght:
http://www.intallaght.ie/oconnor-calls-for-progress-on-new-tallaght-stadium-stand/

Also noticed at the Ireland match in Turners Cross that they'd taken a few rows of seats out behind the goal of the St Anne's stand, any reason for this?
Beating Dundalk fans to the punch?

[Nesta99]

I was thinking they should put the broken seats back for tonight!

[Nesta99]

Were they physically removed or just covered up? They been out of use for years, for whatever reason.

You mean it wasnt the fault of Dundalk fans last season? Cannot be true....

[brendy_éire]

Derry have tweeted that the LC game against Limerick will be on 1st August at 19:45 at the Brandywell.
Presumably this means we'll be playing there into August at least.

[D24Saint]

Derry have tweeted that the LC game against Limerick will be on 1st August at 19:45 at the Brandywell.
Presumably this means we'll be playing there into August at least.

Seems safe to assume that our game will be in Derry now & not Buncrana.

[brendy_éire]

Further update to move, Shields has said we'll be in the Brandywell to the end of August at least, so that would cover up the third round of the cup.
First home match in September is Galway on 2nd.

[brendy_éire]

"Costing issues" delaying start to work at the Brandywell. We're hearing October now, maybe. I personally doubt we'll be playing in Buncrana this year at all.

[gufcfan]

What's the current state of play with Oriel?

Being held to ransom basically?

Any end in sight?

[jinxy lilywhite]

Des Casey (owner) is taking Gerry matthews (leasee) to court to be evicted.

God knows when it will end

[legendz]

With Dundalk and Cork doing well in Europe, I would like to see the day that Dublin (2), Cork, Limerick, Galway, Derry and some provincial towns e.g. Sligo and Dundalk have stadia that meet the requirements for European group stages.

[brendy_éire]

With Dundalk and Cork doing well in Europe, I would like to see the day that Dublin (2), Cork, Limerick, Galway, Derry and some provincial towns e.g. Sligo and Dundalk have stadia that meet the requirements for European group stages.

I don't think it's realistic for all those towns to have a Category 4 stadium unless it's in partnership with the GAA. And the motion for opening up county grounds to other sports was heavily defeated at this year's congress.

[Philosophizer]

Des Casey (owner) is taking Gerry matthews (leasee) to court to be evicted.

God knows when it will end

Has a court date been set. Have Des Casey's legal representatives give any indication about how long these types of cases usually take?? I know court date's can be set sometimes but they can mean practically nothing as everyone will turn up in court only for a solicitor to say that they need more time for something or other and the whole thing is pushed back for another 6 months before it even begins...

[Philosophizer]

With Dundalk and Cork doing well in Europe, I would like to see the day that Dublin (2), Cork, Limerick, Galway, Derry and some provincial towns e.g. Sligo and Dundalk have stadia that meet the requirements for European group stages.

I'd agree with Brandy Eire, having minimum 8k seater grounds would largely be a waste of money unless the ground was municipal and shared with other sports. The "build it and they will come" rhetoric from Field of Dreams has proven to be untrue time and time again. Rovers have a smashing ground for eg but the average gate is about 2k. Better off spending money on underage/training facilities, marketing and promotion, community endeavours, then gradually improve the size of your ground as needed.

In fairness though, at the moment i think we have fairly decent grounds for most clubs. Rovers, Cork, Galway, Sligo, Limerick, Longford, Athlone, St Pats, UCD, Waterford, Youths all have fine grounds for the crowds they get. (UCD, Limerick and Waterford in particular have outstanding grounds, especially considering they're currently 1st Div sides.)

Derry, Harps, Bohs all have plans in place to bring their grounds up to a v good standard. Plans are often v different than the real outcome but at least it's some progress.

All in all our grounds aren't that bad nowadays so there's something to be positive about.

The Louth clubs have the biggest need for ground improvements. They're not lucky enough to have big populations or big councils to help bail them out on that front, but Dundalk's recent bonanza will mean they should have a nice ground whenever they redevelop or build a new ground.

[legendz]

I don't think it's realistic for all those towns to have a Category 4 stadium unless it's in partnership with the GAA. And the motion for opening up county grounds to other sports was heavily defeated at this year's congress.
It's not something I expect to see happen overnight and not if they are getting nowhere near the crowds for it to be viable.

Cork and Dundalk at the moment seem best placed to have a stadium of Category 4 status within current progress. Tallaght stadium seemed to have been heading in that direction. Is Dalymount Park supposed to be upgraded? I think the staged plan of the Markets Field is to expand to 8000. I imagine they'll keep any expansion in line with their regular support. It seems realistic for up to 5 grounds in the league to achieve Category 4 status.

Leinster Rugby are to avail of plans for the RDS being a respectable 21000 seater venue. That might be a more viable European venue in a few years? Thomond Park is available in the Midwest. It'll be interesting to see what ground developments Connaught might have. Lol clubs possibly have a realistic chance as always of dealing with their rugby neighbours.

[El-Pietro]

Converting Turners Cross to Category 4 is virtually impossible. Its a fantastic little stadium but it is completely boxed in. We can't possibly meet the criteria without knocking houses nearby or building something new.

[nigel-harps1954]

Highly unlikely Cork would leave Turners Cross either given the amount of money spent on it over the past decade or two.

[legendz]

Converting Turners Cross to Category 4 is virtually impossible. Its a fantastic little stadium but it is completely boxed in. We can't possibly meet the criteria without knocking houses nearby or building something new.
Oh right. Didn't realise there was wriggle room. Is it 1000 short of 8000 seating? Is it the other parts of the criteria the ground would struggle to meet?

[El-Pietro]

Oh right. Didn't realise there was wriggle room. Is it 1000 short of 8000 seating? Is it the other parts of the criteria the ground would struggle to meet?

Its not seating that is the main problem, its the lack of parking and vip/media facilities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_stadium_categories

This is the neighbourhood around Turners Cross. As you can see, perfect for our needs, but we're limited in what we can do with it.
https://goo.gl/maps/meyGPQAvgx52

[fionnsci]

The new Parc Uí Chaoimh will surely fit the bill if Cork ever get to a group stage. Of course, as things stand, the GAA wouldn't sign off on it.

That being said, we've come quite far in ten years from no "foreign games" at all to a temporary, albeit one-off, home for soccer and rugby, and a RWC bid. Not on the cards now but the environment might have changed by the time it happens for Cork.

[Lim till i die]

:D

The cork county board would take to the hills and start a flying column before they let "soccer" into the pairc.

There's fellas blowing themselves up in market squares in Syria who's thinking is more modern and moderate.

[legendz]

The new Parc Uí Chaoimh will surely fit the bill if Cork ever get to a group stage. Of course, as things stand, the GAA wouldn't sign off on it.

That being said, we've come quite far in ten years from no "foreign games" at all to a temporary, albeit one-off, home for soccer and rugby, and a RWC bid. Not on the cards now but the environment might have changed by the time it happens for Cork.
The GAA are shrewd. Supporting the RWC bid is in their interests as it's a once off opportunity for external funding to improve some of it's grounds. While Musgrave Park has been improved for Munster, it's possibly a pity for Cork that it's not an improvement to a higher standard.

[legendz]

:D

The cork county board would take to the hills and start a flying column before they let "soccer" into the pairc.

There's fellas blowing themselves up in market squares in Syria who's thinking is more modern and moderate.

With public money supporting the RWC bid, the FAI should be lobbying for municipal stadia in Cork and Galway meeting Category 4 criteria. The RWC in political speak should be leaving a legacy. Cork and Galway should have high level stadia fully available for rugby use. Soccer would expect to benefit also. The argument in Galway is for Connaught. The argument in Cork is for when Munster play down there.

[gufc2000]

There has been rumours of Connacht Rugby moving into a new stadium as part of the redevelopment of Galway docks, along with suggestions that Galway Utd & Connacht should go as a joint venture. However I think most United fans would prefer us to remain at Eamon Deacy Park, a venue which is more than capable of catering for us at present and the crowds we get. Moving into an 8,000 capacity stadium wouldn't be in our best interests at this moment in time

[pineapple stu]

Yeah, Terryland's a nice ground now with that second stand; it it fits ye well. Maybe a bit out of town, though I think the walk feels longer than it really is!

Is there much space around it to expand (if it was ever a requirement)?

[Mr A]

A stadium at the Docks would have the advantage of being very central, though the size would be a concern. Am surprised the option of Connacht looking to share and help develop Terryland never seems to be looked at.

[gufc2000]

Yeah, Terryland's a nice ground now with that second stand; it it fits ye well. Maybe a bit out of town, though I think the walk feels longer than it really is!

Is there much space around it to expand (if it was ever a requirement)?
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n57/guisasaigon/Terryland.jpg
There would be room for another stand at the car park end there if ever needed, and possibly a smaller structure at the clubhouse end, another block could be added to either end of the Comer Stand (new stand).


A stadium at the Docks would have the advantage of being very central, though the size would be a concern. Am surprised the option of Connacht looking to share and help develop Terryland never seems to be looked at.
I don't think it's something Connacht have suggested, it's been suggested by councillors and people around town. The redevelopment of the Docks itself seems to be on the cards for ages too but it hasn't happened yet. A potential stadium out there is probably a bit off.

[legendz]

There has been rumours of Connacht Rugby moving into a new stadium as part of the redevelopment of Galway docks, along with suggestions that Galway Utd & Connacht should go as a joint venture. However I think most United fans would prefer us to remain at Eamon Deacy Park, a venue which is more than capable of catering for us at present and the crowds we get. Moving into an 8,000 capacity stadium wouldn't be in our best interests at this moment in time
If ye remain in Terryland as most of ye're supporters seem to want, I'm sure ye will be able to avail of a Connaught ground for European games if a stadium is built to the required level. Limerick will be under no pressure in the Markets Field. Thomond Park is always available. Developments in the RDS could be good news for Dublin clubs and surrounding areas. Only Cork of the large urban areas will be falling behind.

[GUFCghost]

I think Connacht are just bluffing about building a new ground so they can have more influence on developments in the Sportsgrounds. Deacy Park is obviously the best place for Galway United,but at present there's no where in Galway that has UEFA category four status. The GAA stadium has 8,000 seats but I doubt it meets the other requirements. Perhaps the Sportsgrounds will one day be category four,there's plenty of room to expand but standing terraces makes a lot more sense for the IRFU's point of view.

It'd be nice to have a category four stadium in each province,presently we have Thomond in Munster (least I presume it's category four) Windsor in Ulster (presuming Finn Harps & Derry City would be allowed in) and the Aviva in Leinster.Connacht has nothing.

[legendz]

Perhaps the Sportsgrounds will one day be category four,there's plenty of room to expand but standing terraces makes a lot more sense for the IRFU's point of view.

It'd be nice to have a category four stadium in each province,presently we have Thomond in Munster (least I presume it's category four) Windsor in Ulster (presuming Finn Harps & Derry City would be allowed in) and the Aviva in Leinster.Connacht has nothing.
Ulster has Ravenhill as well. Standing terraces behind the goals makes sense for the IRFU. In terms of hospitality, season tickets and so on, Connaught rugby will probably require around 8000 seats and VIP areas not too dissimilar from Category 4.

[pineapple stu]

Windsor in Ulster (presuming Finn Harps & Derry City would be allowed in) and the Aviva in Leinster.Connacht has nothing.
You'd need special dispensation to play a European game outside of your home territory for a start. (Don't actually know how that would affect Derry)

[nigel-harps1954]

You'd expect Harps or Derry to travel to Belfast for a home game?

[pineapple stu]

Harps should need special dispensation to play in Europe, so it shouldn't come to deciding where ye play. :)

[ForzaHoop]

Agh now sure the FAI or Government are gonna give Harps the money to finish the new stadium, no need to travel anywhere

[GUFCghost]

Well if they're in the Europa League and they don't have a category four ground,what else can they do?

[nigel-harps1954]

Well if they're in the Europa League and they don't have a category four ground,what else can they do?

We'll worry about that when it happens. We'll have our own stadium built by then and won't need anything bigger. There'll be special dispensation awarded by UEFA.

[redarmyfaction]

Bit OT, but I caught a bit of West Ham today at the Queen Brenda Stadium, what a kip, hated it on sight but it took bit too realise that the stand on the camera side is about 50m from the pitch.

[nigel-harps1954]

Bit OT, but I caught a bit of West Ham today at the Queen Brenda Stadium, what a kip, hated it on sight but it took bit too realise that the stand on the camera side is about 50m from the pitch.

It's also missing a couple of blocks of seats. Seen a picture of people sitting on the bare concrete where the seats were meant to be.

[D24Saint]

http://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-rugby/connacht-weigh-up-terryland-switch-35005668.html

would destroy the pitch rugby & football grounds shares don't work imo.

[Macy]

http://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-rugby/connacht-weigh-up-terryland-switch-35005668.html

would destroy the pitch rugby & football grounds shares don't work imo.
Doesn't have to be a grass pitch though, for either sport. But even a grass pitch depends on the number of games - the Belfield Bowl always seems to be in good nick even in winter/ rugby season. But then with all the other pitches, it's probably only used for a limited number of games for both sports.

[pineapple stu]

The Bowl alwats starts off the football season in a jocker, but quickly improves - and even each year, it's slightly better at the start of the season than at the same time the previous year.

No reason it can't work.

I don't know how astro rugby pitches are still a thing; the amount of injuries I've seen on them is something else.

[White Horse]

http://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-rugby/connacht-weigh-up-terryland-switch-35005668.html

would destroy the pitch rugby & football grounds shares don't work imo.

Terryland is located on a narrow country lane. How on earth would 12,000 people get safe access?

[nigel-harps1954]

Where the hell would they fit a 12,000 seater into that space?

[fionnsci]

I think it's a great idea, municipal stadiums with better facilities are better than two mediocre ones. Not that Galway United are crying out for an increase in capacity but they only stand to benefit from improved facilities and greater capacity to grow.

[Philosophizer]

Isn't Tallaght some kind of hybrid pitch. Maybe that would work for Galway. They play American football in Tallaght and I know Leinster u20s have played there before. Pitch always looks perfect to me.
I'm all for this. As mentioned already, one quality venue is better than 2 mediocre ones. Ive been saying for years that every sports ground in the country should be municipal. That'll probably never happen becuase of the GAA but if more grounds were to become municipal I can only see it as a good thing for our league.

[gufcfan]

There is absolutely no chance of the above happening. Zero. Connacht are trying to negotiate with the dog crowd who own the Sportsground and all this talk of the alternate "options" Connacht supposedly have are just nonsense to try to pressure Bord na gCon into agreeing to whatever.

There is no room to develop Terryland. Eamonn Deacy Park is held in trust. Connacht wouldn't own anything and wouldn't have ultimate say over anything even if it did happen.

[Nesta99]

Play in ED park and i'm sure a move a few hundred metres could be organised if need be to a developed Connaught Showgrounds on an occasion, why get involved at all ED Park is a fine ground and with something at the Showgounds end and kill the gale that cuts the nuts off ye it would be in the top 3 in the league!

[Longfordian]

Sounds like the Shels and Bohs groundshare will be going ahead, with the two playing in Tolka for two seasons while Dalymount is rebuilt. I assume some basic improvements will be made to Tolka first.

http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepage/sport/irishfootball/7230615/Shelbourne-and-Bohemians-groundsharing-deal-moves-closer.html?CMP=spklr-_-Editorial-_-TWITTER-_-IrishSunSport-_-20160831-_-Football-_-558221737

[BonnieShels]

Isn't Tallaght some kind of hybrid pitch. Maybe that would work for Galway. They play American football in Tallaght and I know Leinster u20s have played there before. Pitch always looks perfect to me.
I'm all for this. As mentioned already, one quality venue is better than 2 mediocre ones. Ive been saying for years that every sports ground in the country should be municipal. That'll probably never happen becuase of the GAA but if more grounds were to become municipal I can only see it as a good thing for our league.

Municipal grounds are the way forward. Not the GAA's* fault though that National government and local government policy wrt infrastructure is non-existent for the most part unless it's a bypass.










*Tallaght excluded.

[pineapple stu]

* UCD Bowl excluded too.