Stadium Updates (All Clubs)

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Originally Posted by wonder88

The FAI didn't own the land Eircom Park was to be on, had an option. It is where City West Hotel is. The IRFU owned land at Newlands Cross, but at the time they were fully behind the Bertie Bowl. Sold it over a year ago for 25million profit.

Good article here on the saga https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2020...e-bertie-bowl/

The contract for the consultant, where the bigger the cost the more she got paid, had a big negative influence on public opinion towards the project. Also awarding the contract to run the swimming pool to a shelf company didn't help either.

Bertie current proposal for 25,000 capacity stadium for Dublin has some merit, could be handy for League of Ireland teams in Europe etc.

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Thanks for that. I'll have a look at the link. Come to think of it, I don't recall at any point discussions about the consultant (probably not the interesting debate for a 16 yr old), but do recall objections raised in the media about floodlights and Baldonnel Aerodrome. That's the main think I recall.

Bertie Ahern deserves absolutely **** all say in what politicians of this day should be doing. He's playing the GAA card with his call for a 25k "national" stadium. Interesting that he didn't rmake that call publically before the GAA shelved the plans for their own 25k in the Spawell.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

You'd need a pretty big "etc" to justify that stadium. Probably Legia, Juve and Spurs are the only two games in the past decade that could have been moved to a 25k ground - and even then there's a strong argument to keep games in Tallaght/Oriel where possible for home advantage.

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I agree with this now, probably wouldn't have done so 5 years ago. When Tallaght is done (2022 probably), it's a 10k all-seater stadium, on the main artery out of Dublin with access via efficient public transport to the main country station hubs.
When Dalymount is done (likely 2024 at this stage), it's a 6k all-seater stadium on the north artery out of Dublin with access via efficient public transport to the main country station hubs. Those two alone will be sufficient for Rovers, Bohs, Dundalk, Drogheda, Pats.

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Originally Posted by wonder88

FAI Cup finals and pre-season friendlies v example Chelsea last summer. Dublin gaa footballers league games. Other inter-county gaa, plus athletics.

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You can't play Inter-county GAA. and have official standard athletics in the same stadium pitch size doesn't allow it.
The FAI cup final deserves to be in the national football stadium. It is a highlight of the domestic game. Bottom-tier Lansdowne, full, with both ends assigned to the finalists is the right thing to do. The interest is there.

Tallaght Stadium 4th stand and West Stand redevelopment passed by SDCC.

https://twitter.com/theechoonline/st...755375104?s=21

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Originally Posted by WeAreRovers

Tallaght Stadium 4th stand and West Stand redevelopment passed by SDCC.

https://twitter.com/theechoonline/st...755375104?s=21

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It will be some facility when the renovations are finished. The SDCC deserves credit for their foresight, the Dublin City council are dragging their heels on Dalymount and shot us down for our proposals.

In an interview with Peak6 main guy and DFC chairman last week, one of the local papers, they said they had drawn up plans to improve Oriel Park, then it got put on hold due to C-19. Interesting that they have at last said they want to go ahead with this.

I`ll believe it when I see a JCB/ heavy machinery etc on site though.

** And another update in one of this weeks local papers, P6 now talking about a new stand and raising capacity to 8k.

(note to self to check if this is actually 09/06 or 01/04)

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Originally Posted by oriel

In an interview with Peak6 main guy and DFC chairman last week, one of the local papers, they said they had drawn up plans to improve Oriel Park, then it got put on hold due to C-19. Interesting that they have at last said they want to go ahead with this.

I`ll believe it when I see a JCB/ heavy machinery etc on site though.

** And another update in one of this weeks local papers, P6 now talking about a new stand and raising capacity to 8k.

(note to self to check if this is actually 09/06 or 01/04)

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Nice one. Which end or side would the new stand be on?

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Originally Posted by Buller

Nice one. Which end or side would the new stand be on?

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Haven't seen the paper yet Buller, only reading updates from the author on twitter @jamesdundalk he mentions 'standS' and also p6 looking to extend to 8k.

As ever though, actions > words.

Harps looking to upgrade Finn Park to enable a return to football at the venue. We recognize that whenever football returns to grounds, we need upgrades to play at Finn Park.

https://www.finnharps.ie/post/finn-h...-football-home

Has there been any news regarding the new stadium recently?

Work continues with the department AFAIK, we were sent forward to the Strategic Review section of department of Sport with the 'successful' projects following the funding announcement earlier this year when we kicked up a fuss about being excluded and pointed out it was spread that we had not provided an economic assessment when we absolutely 100% had done so. So we're in the system somewhere and will do all we can to progress it.

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Originally Posted by Mr A

Work continues with the department AFAIK, we were sent forward to the Strategic Review section of department of Sport with the 'successful' projects following the funding announcement earlier this year when we kicked up a fuss about being excluded and pointed out it was spread that we had not provided an economic assessment when we absolutely 100% had done so. So we're in the system somewhere and will do all we can to progress it.

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So your idea is on file, in a filing cabinet?

Is that a play on the Donegal Catch ad?

Dont answer just had a look at the ad lol. :o

Still no confirmed updates since the DFC chairman based in US said he would look at building 'stands', and to increase Oriel Park up to 8k, direct quotes given to one of the local papers 3 weeks ago. In a follow up he said C-19 put paid to getting work done, plans are in place and steering committee also set up, so we'll see. For me, I'll need to see a big yellow JCB up there first, action > words etc.

Anyway the 0.75m now spent on the YDC, now re-named Oriel Training Centre is looking well worth the investment, recent photo shoots of charity cheque presentations and a new signing were all shot on the new balcony stage, looks like they have built a veranda to the side entrance, looks well from the few photos I saw, and I think they will publish more later this season with a full PR of the place, would be good to see.

As would a JCB in other parts!

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Originally Posted by oriel

Anyway the 0.75m now spent on the YDC, now re-named Oriel Training Centre

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https://www.dundalkfc.com/wp-content...514-scaled.jpg

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Originally Posted by oriel

Still no confirmed updates since the DFC chairman based in US said he would look at building 'stands', and to increase Oriel Park up to 8k, direct quotes given to one of the local papers 3 weeks ago. In a follow up he said C-19 put paid to getting work done, plans are in place and steering committee also set up, so we'll see. For me, I'll need to see a big yellow JCB up there first, action > words etc.

Anyway the 0.75m now spent on the YDC, now re-named Oriel Training Centre is looking well worth the investment, recent photo shoots of charity cheque presentations and a new signing were all shot on the new balcony stage, looks like they have built a veranda to the side entrance, looks well from the few photos I saw, and I think they will publish more later this season with a full PR of the place, would be good to see.

As would a JCB in other parts!

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I thought Bill was living across the road from Oriel these days.

Where did the 750k figure on the YDC come from, quoted twice on this forum today? It's gone from 300k originally to 500k to now 750k!

That veranda was always there btw. Gerry Matthews put it there.

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Originally Posted by The Lilywhites

I thought Bill was living across the road from Oriel these days.

Where did the 750k figure on the YDC come from, quoted twice on this forum today? It's gone from 300k originally to 500k to now 750k!

That veranda was always there btw. Gerry Matthews put it there.

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Ah Gerry, the man who saved and then nearly destroyed the club.

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Originally Posted by The Lilywhites

I thought Bill was living across the road from Oriel these days.

Where did the 750k figure on the YDC come from, quoted twice on this forum today? It's gone from 300k originally to 500k to now 750k!

That veranda was always there btw. Gerry Matthews put it there.

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Its def up there close to 750, 300 was never a figure, 500 was, then other items added. Veranda looks to have been added to then.

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Originally Posted by dundalkfc10

Ah Gerry, the man who saved and then nearly destroyed the club.

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Well considering the Fastfix lads didn't put a single penny into facilities at Oriel, it's actually welcome PEAK6 have done something, even if it is in Gerry Matthews' building and for players only. Hopefully supporters' facilities are actually on their agenda and not just talk about it.

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Originally Posted by oriel

Its def up there close to 750, 300 was never a figure, 500 was, then other items added. Veranda looks to have been added to then.

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It was originally announced as a 300k upgrade, according to the below article. Then it jumped to 500k, now 750k has come out of somewhere (probably to make the losses recorded last year look better?)

https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/...82218011928650

I think the veranda maybe looks different as it used to say Reilly's on it (covered by Dundalk FC now).

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Originally Posted by The Lilywhites

Well considering the Fastfix lads didn't put a single penny into facilities at Oriel, it's actually welcome PEAK6 have done something, even if it is in Gerry Matthews' building and for players only. Hopefully supporters' facilities are actually on their agenda and not just talk about it.

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Wrong Dundalk own the building, Gerry does not own it.

The fastfix lads stepped in to save the club because of Gerry and left the club in the best state its ever been, bank wise and on the field.

Peak 6 have stated from day 1, improvements on ground will be done after success on the field, facilities for the team etc. They have provided the first 2 and have now confirmed they have some plans done for Oriel which were put on hold during Covid.

Gerry's building Hahaha

Does the person who built my house own it since they had it first?

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Originally Posted by dundalkfc10

Wrong Dundalk own the building, Gerry does not own it.

The fastfix lads stepped in to save the club because of Gerry and left the club in the best state its ever been, bank wise and on the field.

Peak 6 have stated from day 1, improvements on ground will be done after success on the field, facilities for the team etc. They have provided the first 2 and have now confirmed they have some plans done for Oriel which were put on hold during Covid.

Gerry's building Hahaha

Does the person who built my house own it since they had it first?

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You know what I meant but if you want to be technical about it, Dundalk own nothing, we rent Oriel. The Casey Family own it.

"Put on hold during Covid" or not happening because of Covid is a ready made, easy excuse with a lot of things. Lets see what happens.

To be really technical about it Dundalk own buildings, fixtures and fittings on land owned by the Casey Trust on long term lease to the club (80+ years left?). Hence how Gerry was able to threaten to demolish buildings (some might claim that wouldnt have been a bad thing) if he didnt get his pound of flesh and the Casey's couldnt have stopped him. As for the lease being practically held to ransom, well it got sorted but was an unfortunate end to the saga of a former owner that contributed a lot to the club - hopefully history will be a bit tad kinder on his tenure.

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Originally Posted by Nesta99

To be really technical about it Dundalk own buildings, fixtures and fittings on land owned by the Casey Trust on long term lease to the club (80+ years left?). Hence how Gerry was able to threaten to demolish buildings (some might claim that wouldnt have been a bad thing) if he didnt get his pound of flesh and the Casey's couldnt have stopped him. As for the lease being practically held to ransom, well it got sorted but was an unfortunate end to the saga of a former owner that contributed a lot to the club - hopefully history will be a bit tad kinder on his tenure.

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Well, yeah. 72 years left on it. Hopefully PEAK6 actually do knock down some things!

I don't think history will be kind to Matthews at all, even though he put a lot into the club. The way it ended, over the last couple of seasons, and some of the other things, will taint it. Hiring Sean Connor (especially after the treatment of Gill) was the start of it really, that 2009 season left us in a hole.

Still shouldn't be forgotten what he did. On the football side got us back into the PD (and by a large stroke of luck Europe), and a cup final which at the time was huge for us.

Probably isn't given enough credit for the facilities side of it. Built the Shed, toilets and extra dressing rooms in the ground, seats in the ground, put a new roof on the stand, built the club shop and offices, the sponsors lounge, the YDC (ok you can talk about the rates etc but it's now a very valuable asset to the club), put in the entrance and roadway around the ground and the underground carpark obviously.

I don't think there's been a tap done since he left (bar the toilets on the Carrick Road end) and the Enda McGuill Suite (which was ok as it was I thought) in the past year.

But yeah, all the other stuff that went with it and the way it ended will be in people's memory most I suppose.

Happens with a lot of owners, although not the Fastfix lads who funnily enough walked away with a very handsome reward at the end of their tenure. Fair play to them, it's been some run, but very rarely it works out that way for owners.

I shall be a sprightly 111 years old before having to worry about the club ending up without a home. Time flies by as tbh I thought there was a bit longer on the lease. On Sean Connor, at that time, on paper, it wasnt the worst appointment. Bohs fans would differ but Sligo fans would probably have a more positive slant. I'd aso say that he was appointed more by the board than the owner who was a self professed non football man so deferred a lot of the football side of things to others. But then Trevor Anderson was initially considered as a good appointment too. Hindsight is a wonderful thing! I'd hate to think how much worse Oriel would be if it wasnt for Gerry Matthews so why I think in due course people will be more forgiving of his stubborn messing circa 2011/12. The public meeting where he demanded to know the identities of contributors to Oriel Web was, for me, the strangest moment of that ownership and there are no shortage of strange moments that era.

Peak6's policy on development spectator facilities is justified by the above examples. Fastfix lads focused on the team and are legends but never touched the ground. Matthews did stuff in the ground and while it was a complex situation he is vilified. If I was a new owner I know what route Id be inclined to follow initially anyway.

We would not have a positive slant on Sean Connor and would have warned Bohs and Dundalk fans what they were getting themselves into at the time

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Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

We would not have a positive slant on Sean Connor and would have warned Bohs and Dundalk fans what they were getting themselves into at the time

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I dont get it Nah Nah Nah Nah he got ye promoted in 05. What was it about SC that you dont like about? I have heard the stories the last few mths bout him but was he always like that?

Yes he was and he reads LOI forums!

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Originally Posted by Martinho II

I dont get it Nah Nah Nah Nah he got ye promoted in 05. What was it about SC that you dont like about? I have heard the stories the last few mths bout him but was he always like that?

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Our budget was way bigger then anyone else in that division that year

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Originally Posted by Martinho II

I dont get it Nah Nah Nah Nah he got ye promoted in 05. What was it about SC that you dont like about? I have heard the stories the last few mths bout him but was he always like that?

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Sean Connor has an amazing ability to rub people up the wrong way, but the reality of it was he achieved a lot at Sligo Rovers in his short time there. He won the First Division title in 2005 and then guided the club to fifth place in the Premier Division in 2006 along with reaching the FAI Cup semi-finals. According to Sean Connor he took Sligo to their "highest league position for eight years or more"

His resignation near the end of 2006 season seemed to trigger more resentment then celebration in Sligo

Does anyone have any recent pics of the inside of the YDC, couldn't find any online.

Some of the other Dundalk lads on here might, but I believe DFC might be looking at publishing new photos of the inside of it later this year. By all accounts it seems to have been an excellent investment with new dressing rooms, new players canteen, upgrades to the gym, video - mini cinema - media room / recovery room / car paking along with the indoor pitches etc.

Waiting for The Lilywhites response.........................

On the point of Sean Connor, we knew exactly what we were getting ourselves into at the time, particularly on the back of his time at Bohs.

Although we qualified for Europe under him (because of Cork's and Derry's issues) we required a 100k loan that year after all the on-field and off-field antics (all too long and boring to list tbh - the board falling for his promise of a Barcelona friendly is worth mentioning though).

It was a circus, from the very first game against Bohs until the very end. The one blessing was that Connor was only given a one year contract, otherwise God knows where we would have ended up.

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Originally Posted by oriel

Some of the other Dundalk lads on here might, but I believe DFC might be looking at publishing new photos of the inside of it later this year. By all accounts it seems to have been an excellent investment with new dressing rooms, new players canteen, upgrades to the gym, video - mini cinema - media room / recovery room / car paking along with the indoor pitches etc.

Waiting for The Lilywhites response.........................

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I'd love to see pictures of it too, to see exactly where the "750k" went. The dressing rooms are meant to be particularly impressive. I'd be interested to see what has happened to the upstairs area where the bar was - the Fastfix lads were meant to have done some work to the bar area there (to the point where it was almost ready to open) but never saw that so don't know if that was the case.

While tapping the wallet against Bohs that first game back lacked class, we had a decent side really. Maybe a circus act but not so sure that we knew what to expect in advance. Bar an N'Do master class we'd have won that game well. Again Sligo lads would be better positioned to comment. If the basis of a SC circus is on the budget then Terry Eviston, Martin Murray, Jim Gannon, T****r A******N even, it was Moffetts in Oriel long before Seanie! Could possibly throw Fossie in there too.

Dundalk got about 6 red cards against Bohs that season too. Absolute hatchet jobs. Filthiest LOI team I've ever seen under SC.

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Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Sean Connor has an amazing ability to rub people up the wrong way, but the reality of it was he achieved a lot at Sligo Rovers in his short time there. He won the First Division title in 2005 and then guided the club to fifth place in the Premier Division in 2006 along with reaching the FAI Cup semi-finals. According to Sean Connor he took Sligo to their "highest league position for eight years or more"

His resignation near the end of 2006 season seemed to trigger more resentment then celebration in Sligo

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He wasn’t popular long before he resigned and the resentment was around the fact that everyone knew he had been talking to Bohs before he resigned and was tapping up players to go with him. I have seen nothing from him since to disprove the thoughts around him.

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Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

He wasn’t popular long before he resigned and the resentment was around the fact that everyone knew he had been talking to Bohs before he resigned and was tapping up players to go with him. I have seen nothing from him since to disprove the thoughts around him.

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Yeah that brings back memories for me all of a sudden. Harpal Singh one of yer better plyr followed him to Bohs and then did a disappearing act!Who else from Sligo followed SC ?

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/oth...vour-1.4295774

Good piece in the times about the morton stadium , I never took to it as a football ground.

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Originally Posted by Martinho II

Yeah that brings back memories for me all of a sudden. Harpal Singh one of yer better plyr followed him to Bohs and then did a disappearing act!Who else from Sligo followed SC ?

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Liam Burns and Darren Mansaram as well anyway. Can’t remember if there was more

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Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

Liam Burns and Darren Mansaram as well anyway. Can’t remember if there was more

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Chris Turner signed in the mid season transfer window

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Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Chris Turner signed in the mid season transfer window

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Ah Tina, he was a decent player for Rovers, played in the Euro team, mad cúnt though

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Originally Posted by vinnie

Ah Tina, he was a decent player for Rovers, played in the Euro team, mad cúnt though

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Controversial signing with many questions about the probity of the player and both Rovers clubs at the time!