Yes, not a bad video, although not intirely accurate he took the time to pull it together. While the grounds don't look too bad in the video, when you attend it's a different matter. The exception being Tallaght.
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More nonsense from the GAA to get money to upgrade a stadium that is probably still in better condition than most LOI grounds and will never let a "foreign" sport be played on it. I can hardly see U2 playing a gig there or Daniel O Donnell filling it. So it will sit in pristine condition few a few games a year and they will still complain.
FAI confirm this evening they won't be going ahead with the Glanmire project.
A real shame but no surprises. Another great effort by John Delaney
A new club shop to be opened within the next few weeks in Waterford which will also be the new Office HQ and Ticket Office.
It'll be situated right across from the RSC itself which is handy but it's a bit of a trek from town for those without a vehicle, but it's a very good step in the right direction.
https://waterfordfc.ie/waterford-fc-...ew-club-store/
I see Larne's 4g pitch isn’t up to scratch to host european games. I haven’t seen their pitch but I can’t imagine it’s much worse than Oriel or the Brandywell so you’d wonder if those pitches could be turned down too…
https://larnefc.com/european-home-fixtures-set-to-move/
I found this quote pretty amusing, shock horror that a pitch with a 5 year lifespan has become substandard after… 5 years :D
Quote:
“When our 4G playing surface was installed back in 2018, the pitch had an expected lifespan of 5-7 years. Despite still being considered a top-quality surface for NIFL Premiership and all domestic fixtures, we have unfortunately fallen just short of the increasingly high criteria imposed by FIFA.
It is no worse than Brandywell/Oriel and with any luck both of those will be turned down also as much as it might be a short term pain in the backside it might put nail in coffin for these pitches once and for all as surely no club would be stupid enough to put another one in knowing the tide has very much turned against them and they could be outright banned soon anyway.
I don’t know the answer to that question. What I have based that statement on is other associations banning them at a professional level (i.e the Netherlands). My thinking (perhaps wrongly) is that this something thay may spread rendering them essentially banned… perhaps there will be exceptions as you point out or perhaps I have just jumped the gun… either way my main concern was here in Ireland. Get rid of them all ASAP.
Larne's pitch in probably the best artificial pitch in the province. It's about 4 years old and now not up to standard required for champions league qualifiers. Derry and Dundalk will probably have to play at alternative venues unless the standard isn't as high for the lesser competitions.
Would have thought the requirements would be the same in both? Tends to just get tighter as you progress through the rounds
Planning permission for the new terrace in the Brandywell has been lodged.
It'll be a covered, 2.5k capacity terrace, allowable for European matches.
It will involve taking away part of the Southend Stand, that's block A and half of B, where the away fans usually go.
Away fans will be moved to the opposite end of the stand, Blocks K/L/M.
Assuming permission is granted, construction is due to start in October.
The pitch has been ruled out because it's had too much usage, and its life span said it would need replacing round about now anyway. UEFA haven't just decided on a whim that they don't like it.
So long as Oriel and Brandywell surfaces aren't similalrly worn out before their recomennded life span, they will be passed to play on. More clubs continue to install plastic pitches all the time, including in Ireland (e.g Coleraine). Something like half the Irish League clubs (?) have artifical grass now.
I am very aware of all that, my comment on it being no worse than the Brandywell or Oriel is in relation to their current states. Larne have the exact same pitch as Derry and installed at the same time. The pitch in Inver was in no worse condition in terms of wear etc than the Brandywell definitely from what I seen of it a few months ago. This is obviously to the naked eye so hardly scientific but I imagine Derry at least must be very concerned now.
Derry and Larne are full time, so we asume they train on the pitches daily. As far as I know Larne don't ground share but Derry do with institute. It also depends if the clubs academies and underage teams also use the pitches.
There could be a Dear John letter on its was to Derry. Don't know about Dundalk pitch usage.
I would guess it's the frequent/non-stop community usage on both pitches that is the issue, rather than underage teams training there a couple of times a week. Both pitches seem to be rented out/used by the community a lot, so presumably even if the underage teams weren't using it that slot would be rented to someone else instead anyway.
This puts a question mark over the whole model of cluhs installing artifical pitches to raise income by renting them out (and often securing capital grants to install them by portraying them as community hubs).
Losing block A and half of block B will mean they’ll lose about 300-ish seats.
So net increase would be 2200.
Current capacity is 3700, so the new terrace would bring total capacity up to 5900.
When the Mark Farren stand is extended at both ends that would then add another 1300 or so, bringing the total to around 7200.
Very interesting, thanks.
With that new stand being terracing, the stadium wouldn't meet the requirements for UEFA Category 4 games (min 8,000 seats). So if Derry ever do a Dundalk/Rovers and reach the last qualifying round before the Conference group stages (?), you'll presumably be on the road to Tallaght to fulfil the fixture. Either that or find somewhere to aqueeze another 3,000+ seats into the Brandywell ?
Behind the Showgrounds goal could be used, though it would be a squeeze alright.
With the change in UEFA regulations about the use of terracing, can a terrace count towards the 8k capacity, or is is specifically seats?
I think this talk is all premature, but if we were required to change our ground for a European match, I'd hoenstly like us to consider Windsor instead of Tallaght.
Windsor would be an interesting one :D I think it's much more difficult to use/nominate a ground that's outsde of your jurisdiction than it is one within. It's not impossible, and has obviously happened before (e.g. Shels played Rangers at Tranmere), but I think you need a good reason for it (which in Shes' case was security). The fact that other suitable stadia are available within the FAI's remit - and that we're not talking vast distances here - could well make it difficult to try to play in Windsor.
Planning Permission being submitted for 2900 capacity stand behind goal in Brandywell. Seems the area where away fans sit to be demolished as part of plan
https://www.derrystrabane.com/ryanmc...ndywellstadium
Will take capacity to 6,242
Application up on the Planning Portal now.
https://pp2niprsa.blob.core.windows....TzSjtK%2Fu4%3D
That shows the drawings of the new terrace. Also useful as a guide to where the planned Phase 2 of the Mark Darren stand will go, on either side of the existing stand.
The Brandywell pitch has got it's approval from UEFA for the next year.
Don't know. If we were going to replace it, the off-season is the only option, bar moving back to Maginn Park for a while.
Of course, that would involve moving Institute to somewhere else, which isn't ideal either, but easier to deal with, you'd imagine. They played in Limavady before.
There was a story in the local press last offseason about O'Doherty being willing to fund the changeover to grass.
Any change over of grass would take longer than just the off season. You'd expect Derry would have to play half a season at Maginn again to be able to put a grass surface down in the Brandywell again.