Last game in Belfield Park

[pineapple stu]

Seeing as Athlone have their own thread too...

Think tonight's going to be our last game in Belfield Park after 76 years (I think) there before moving across campus to the Bowl by the Sports Centre. That's going to depend on when the upgrade works there get finished, so we may start out next season in Belfield Park. Got a grant of E1.25m from the Government - which I think is only 50% of total capital costs? - so there's up to E2.5m going into improving the existing Bowl. This after a certain Derry chairman called J Roddy - no that's too obvious...Jim R - personally assured me that the Government weren't interested in "wasting" money on clubs as small as ourselves or Athlone!

Anyways, good to see the league taking tangible steps forward after the shambles of this season.

[Ash]

Phase 1 of our new stadium cost in the region of €4 million

[Jerry The Saint]

Thread title in the not-too-distant future.

[Dodge]

Good riddance to Belfield Park. Soulless anti-Pats kip

[John83]

Good riddance to Belfield Park. Soulless anti-Pats kip
Don't worry, we'll continue to draw tedious games with you in the Bowl.

[Dodge]

Don't worry, we'll continue to draw tedious games with you in the Bowl.

Jeesh, you couldn't even allow me the idea taht things might improve... Harsh

[Celdrog]

Stu, much as I am delighted that Belfied will be a much better place next season, how did UCD manage to get a grant of €1.25M form the government. Will it be used for a lot of other things?

[Dodge]

Stu, much as I am delighted that Belfied will be a much better place next season, how did UCD manage to get a grant of €1.25M form the government. Will it be used for a lot of other things?

Rugby for a start. Dressing Rooms etc are shared by loads of sports

[Peadar]

Don't see any mention of free admission into Belfield? Not that it would make any difference anyway.

[Calcio Jack]

Seeing as Athlone have their own thread too...

Think tonight's going to be our last game in Belfield Park after 76 years (I think) there before moving across campus to the Bowl by the Sports Centre. That's going to depend on when the upgrade works there get finished, so we may start out next season in Belfield Park. Got a grant of E1.25m from the Government - which I think is only 50% of total capital costs? - so there's up to E2.5m going into improving the existing Bowl. This after a certain Derry chairman called J Roddy - no that's too obvious...Jim R - personally assured me that the Government weren't interested in "wasting" money on clubs as small as ourselves or Athlone!

Anyways, good to see the league taking tangible steps forward after the shambles of this season.

More like the Irish Govt won't be interested in giving grants/wasting money on a club not based in the ROI

[londonhoop]

I for one always enjoyed a trip to belfield.
RIP old fella.:(

[Soper]

I also liked Belfield, had a lovely charm about it.

[Stuttgart88]

My second favourite ground after Milltown.

[DvB]

I have to be honest, i've never liked Belfield, ist always been a souless miserable place to go at the best of times, however, enjoy your last outing & best of luck with the Bowl next season, however games v Kilkenny & Kildare will hardly pull the cowds, fnar fnar!! ;)

Koh

[Mouthpiece]

The Bowl is not likely to be ready for the start of the season so we'll have the joy of Belfield for a couple more games.

[Peadar]

The Bowl is not likely to be ready for the start of the season so we'll have the joy of Belfield for a couple more games.

I pity the first division teams who have to go there at the start of next season.

[dublin15bohs]

i didnt like it until this season when 2 bohs fans fell down one of the gaps in the stand and didnt spill a drop out of there cans

[John83]

i didnt like it until this season when 2 bohs fans fell down one of the gaps in the stand and didnt spill a drop out of there cans
Yeah, fantastic anti-spillage design. Pity the bear trap didn't work though.

[pineapple stu]

Stu, much as I am delighted that Belfied will be a much better place next season, how did UCD manage to get a grant of €1.25M form the government. Will it be used for a lot of other things?
Why wouldn't we? As Ash noted, Athlone got far more, and Bray got over half a million as well, so crowd size isn't a factor. We're a club in our own right, so entitled to whatever's going for the rest of the clubs, so any link with UCD is irrelevant. And as Dodge noted, the rugby club play there too, so it covers two sports.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Is that for sure that they (UCD) will be in the First next year ?
No, December 8th I think is when everything is announced.

[1 9 2 8]

Think tonight's going to be our last game in Belfield Park.
Thanks be to fcuk:D

[Comic Book Guy]

Farewell to Belfield and St.Mel's, always enjoyed going to games at both, both were not woithout their charms, St.Mel's tv gantry was a feat of engineering, my last visit to Belfield I noticed a small tree growing up between the seats behind one of the goals

[John83]

Is that for sure that they (UCD) will be in the First next year ?
No, it's just Peadar's bitter raving.

[John83]

Farewell to Belfield and St.Mel's, always enjoyed going to games at both, both were not woithout their charms, St.Mel's tv gantry was a feat of engineering, my last visit to Belfield I noticed a small tree growing up between the seats behind one of the goals
That stand's been effectively condemned for quite a while now.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Farewell to Belfield Park.

[Celdrog]

Why wouldn't we? As Ash noted, Athlone got far more, and Bray got over half a million as well, so crowd size isn't a factor. We're a club in our own right, so entitled to whatever's going for the rest of the clubs, so any link with UCD is irrelevant. And as Dodge noted, the rugby club play there too, so it covers two sports.
Where did I mention crowd size. I only asked a civil question.

[pineapple stu]

I know, yeah. Didn't mean to get narky! I was trying to find reasons why we, as you suggested, wouldn't get the grant money. Low crowds is one which the Derry chairman mentioned to me, so I put it in there.

Anyway, the word last night is that the Bowl's expected open date is April, so we'll be starting off next season in Belfield Park.

[CollegeTillIDie]

I know, yeah. Didn't mean to get narky! I was trying to find reasons why we, as you suggested, wouldn't get the grant money. Low crowds is one which the Derry chairman mentioned to me, so I put it in there.

Anyway, the word last night is that the Bowl's expected open date is April, so we'll be starting off next season in Belfield Park.

So we can do the freebie Final farewell thing at a League game in March then.. :D

[Celdrog]

I know, yeah. Didn't mean to get narky! I was trying to find reasons why we, as you suggested, wouldn't get the grant money. Low crowds is one which the Derry chairman mentioned to me, so I put it in there.
Anyway, the word last night is that the Bowl's expected open date is April, so we'll be starting off next season in Belfield Park.
Stu - more a case of how you did get it - fair play!!
That chip on your shoulder whenever a Drogs fan is anywhere near is turning into a sack of spuds :)

[Bald Student]

Stu - more a case of how you did get it - fair play!!I don't think it's that difficult. If you put a realistic plan together and have your books in order you just apply to the government.

[pineapple stu]

Stu - more a case of how you did get it - fair play!!

Wasn't that difficult like - Athlone have gotten four million, Bray half a million, and so on. There's annual grant awards for the last few years anyway.

I see in the programme last night taht the rugby club also got E1.25m for the same developments.

[Snoop Drog]

Belfield was always out bogey ground. It was only, I think, 3 seasons ago when we registered our first win ever there.

For that reason alone I was never a big fan of the place. The stadium announcer though was brilliant- Classically trained radio actor by the sounds of it :)

[pineapple stu]

You won on your first ever trip there - a League Cup tie in 1979. Next win was March '05!

[Snoop Drog]

Wow- A long time between drinks...

[John83]

...The stadium announcer though was brilliant- Classically trained radio actor by the sounds of it :)
We think he's just posh. :p

[Ash]

Wasn't that difficult like - Athlone have gotten four million, Bray half a million, and so on. There's annual grant awards for the last few years anyway.

I see in the programme last night taht the rugby club also got E1.25m for the same developments.

Sorry, I meant to say the total cost of the stand was 4 million,
of which around 80% or so was funded by grants etc.

[Blueman]

Athlone Town Stadium has recived €1,650,000 in Capital Funding from the Sports Council. The land the new ground is being built on was given to them by Athlone Town Council/ Westmeath County Council in exchange for St Mel's Park.

[Gerrit]

Is Belfield then remaining as it is for at least some more months? I'd love to photograph it for my collection before it is taken down.

I liked the place (maybe also because I always enjoyed chats with the UCD fans as well). It's a kinda unique stadium environment, it's bizarre but in a good novelty way. I can imagine many won't like the environment and find it too small and such, but all in all I enjoyed visiting Belfield. That new ground, is it the one next to the big sports hall? :confused:

[Red&White]

I love Belfield. First away ground I ever went to in the league. There's something about it when the sun's out out a summer day, the atmosphere there is unique. Still, progress is progress, but I'll be sad to see it go.

[Student Mullet]

Is Belfield then remaining as it is for at least some more months? I'd love to photograph it for my collection before it is taken down.

I liked the place (maybe also because I always enjoyed chats with the UCD fans as well). It's a kinda unique stadium environment, it's bizarre but in a good novelty way. I can imagine many won't like the environment and find it too small and such, but all in all I enjoyed visiting Belfield. That new ground, is it the one next to the big sports hall? :confused:If you're in Dublin, there might be one more U21 game played. You can come along then.