Shambos. (That's the bo in Cabo just in case there is any confusion :)
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Shambos. (That's the bo in Cabo just in case there is any confusion :)
Didnt want to put this in the League Cup thread, it would probably be moved anyway, so in answer to Martinho -
That's something I can answer reasonably well though its heading for 12 years since working with the sports section of LCC so i'm open to additional details/correction! They are basically neutral. The budget in general is really tight - a couple of reasons are legacy debt, huge tracts of land that were bought c2007-8 for a lot more than actual value with a view to future housing development obviously not expecting a crash in the value and use of the land*; Compliance of business rates are poor, somewhere around 40% in arrears or not payed (a different debate that). The other reason is that the elected members have annually voted to keep taxes/rates etc at the lowest level. There is an annual standoff between the CEO & Directors of Service and the elected members and when the budget is rejected non essential services get cut and so on. One of the first things to go is the sporting budget.Quote:
Originally Posted by Martinho II
The focus has been on improving things that currently exist and accessible to everyone in the county eg parks, playgrounds, walkways and so on. There is a lot of money being spent on developing and extending walkways eg the Carlingford-Omeath greenway which the plan is to extend the full length of the county coast. In a similar way hillwalking routes in the Cooley area are being made more accessible with 'road' improvements and car parking. You will see quite a few outdoor 'gym' points on walkways.
Any significant money spent is nearly always via SCGs for any municipal facilities like Dundalk Sports Centre, Lourdes Stadium in Drogheda (running track but only 4 lanes so always the bare minimum really). A new 4g football pitch and multi-surface playing area were installed over the last few years at the sports centre. As the centre is in Muirhevena Mór, an extensive social housing area with associated issues, they get additional funding for that area.
The recent County Ground plans were nearly scuppered by both the council and GAA as one wanted the land transferred in to sole ownership for nothing and the council wanted prime development land predominantly for housing and extension of the retail park - I suppose to generate funds via levies. I'm pretty sure the council owned the land in question so wouldnt have been willing to give it away for a non multi use facility. DkITs involvement I'm sure helped smooth things over in that regard.
*Drogheda's new ground amounts to really just giving a site to Drogheda United, land that was purchased that there is little need for and is costing too much to hold on to. LCC are not financially assisting Drogheda United directly. This will only benefit the Drogs if or when they sell United Park and dont have to pay for a new site. It's workable in this case as United Park is an area badly needed by the HSE/Council for expansion of the existing Hospital and social amenities in the vicinity. The County Ground issue also has this in mind as developing the existing county designated ground at O'Raghallaighs GFC would box in any potenial for development and they would need to use HSE car parks on matchnights for example. I wouldnt rule out LCC looking for payment if United Park was sold for a premium, or that they expect a sale to a government agency not to be costed at a premium for the land. Drogheda could sell to whom they liked but they'd have to be careful as it could be swings and roundabouts in what it could cost them out of the sale money.
The Director of Service if thats what they are still called over Dundalk Municipal District is a dyed in the wool Drogheda United fan, and the Director of Corporate Services at LCC is a big Dundalk FC fan and season ticket holder. The CEO's family would be GAA people but I dont think the CEO herself has any particular agenda for or against other sports.
LCC as much as possible would go easy with planning as long as there are no contraventions, indeed the YDC development was a bit too lax when details emerged of it being built partly on land the then club owner didnt own. Oriel Park will undoubtedly need exemptions on things like car parking if it is ever redeveloped. There is also a good possibility that what currently exists at Oriel, if changed extensively, will mean that more recent planning regulations come in to play eg traffic impact, accessability etc. Hiney Park, Joes Field, land owned by Iarnrod Eireann behind the town goal, Furry Glen even the Derryhale Hotel, if owned or had been kept in ownership of the club, such regulations could be overcome.
I'm sure its the same in all counties but my eyes were seriously opened on the excessive cost that things seemed to be when it was a council purchase or project, regardless of the tenders submitted. One of the smaller playgrounds in the county needed fencing installed due to repeat vandalism and the cost was nearly €100k - it would barely be an acre in terms of size. So LCC dont want to get caught up paying for municipal facilities that have significant ongoing costs. Again when looking at lawsuits and payouts against the councils facilities it was eyewatering!! The outdoor gym equipment and insurance never mind playgrounds run to €100k's.
It should be noted that LCC particularly in Dundalk have rightly used CPOs regularly on vacant housing (Ard Dealgan probably the highest profile example) to grow social housing stock. This seems to be their primary focus on any signiicant current spending.
There wont ever be a Tallaght like municipal facility in Louth unless it becomes a central directive. But LCC wont unnecessarily obstruct sports facility develoments. They would assist projects from preplanning, grant applications, even agree to service sites. They wont drop planning levies eg and set that precedence - that was tried by a number of GAA clubs (and probably with the YDC). There is a difference with SDCC and LCC in terms of Tallaght being a central focus of the SDCC area. For LCC build a municipal ground in Dundalk and one will be expected in Drogheda and even a scaled down version in Ardee also. The county is too small to duplicate big projects but big enough not to be able to centralise such projects for Dundalk and Drogheda's use, when the Drogheda stadium plans were announced there was some gnashing of teeth in Dundalk also. There is a reason why redrawing the county boundary to move Drogheda fully in to Meath was a semi serious proposal not so long ago. It's only about 5 years ago that counsellors of Drogheda Corporation voted on a proposal that Scotch Hall Shopping Centre be purchased to open 'Drogheda Institute of Technology,' DkIT is a 20 minute drive to the north and DCU among others is about 20 mins south, that doesnt matter though as what one town has the other wants and tbh its more an issue in Drogheda. There are already GAA clubs in south Louth that propose a boycott of the new County Ground in Dundalk. So LCC tend to stay clear of large non essential projects as it becomes a political football in the county to the detriment of the county tbh.
Cant edit above post but LCC recieved €400k for the land that the County Ground is being built on so there was no freebie for the GAA which is consistant with how they operate.
That Louth GAA ground has a stand the length of the field with no seats.
If you're going to do something do it right, you wouldn't get that in the Conference.
That's Louth GAA summed up - not even non league! Buutt there isnt the need for much more than 4000 seats and the terraced side is being built with a view to installing seats in the future. It could be in the future developed to 20k capacity mainly covered seating. The GAA seem to like leaving parts of grounds open to the elements...
Its a terrace (covered) holding near 10,000 people. WTF is their to complain about that?Quote:
Originally Posted by Shearer
I hope if Oriels ever done up, ita not an all seater stadium. Terraces like Dortmund, Celtic Park in the corner at one end ia the way to go. Spurs new ground has been set up to remove the seats behind the goals if/once safe stading is allowed in Prem League
Not much but why seem so touchy about it?Quote:
Originally Posted by dundalkfc10
Any chance someone up in Finn park cud get someone to give the cross bars a wipe there f****** filthy looks so unprofessional on tv highlights
Is it both ends or just one in particular?
In fairness a bit of dirt on the crossbar is the least of the problems that Finn Park has.Quote:
Originally Posted by Guitd
Haha.Quote:
Originally Posted by Guitd
Hahaha!
Do many people listen to the RTE LoI podcast? This week there was chat about league facilities and some valid observations but there was really a sense of a lack of awareness of the reality of LoI by the pundits!
In the above long post I mentioned the annual issue with taxation and the setting of budgets at LCC. The annual issue has reared it's head again although I'm suprised that that amount raised would only have been €1.44m. It indicates what a massive outlay Tallaght Stadium was for SDCC and why other Local Authorities wont or cant commit to similar projects if there is less than €1.5m in (additional) discretionary spending ability.
https://www.talkofthetown.ie/local-p...again-in-2020/
I used to when it was an LOI podcast, I unsubscribed two episodes in this year when it was mostly talk about Liverpool.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nesta99
I assumed reading it that it was away fans on the basis that why would home fans trash their own stadium ??.
Sounds a bit mad
I posted as I assume the only reason nobody else did was because it wasn't Rovers fans being accused.Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
The persecution complex is alive and well.Quote:
Originally Posted by hoopy
That was my first though exactly when reading Hoopy's 2nd comment. My own initial reaction before reading the statement was 'I hope to fook it wasnt the section Dundalk fans were in', certainly not a post to prove it wasnt Dundalk fans responsible or would have assumed Rovers were somehow responsible due to lack of comment!Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezeikial
I am glad that I just dont understand why such cretins would behave in such a manner in general never mind to their own home facilities! I hope that the decent fans of Derry that were in that section and witnessed anything will report the idiots culpable. It is just not something that you'd expect at all in the Brandywell!
https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...le38557030.ece
What's the latest on Dalymount anyway?
I'm not so sure I totally agree with SK on this. Tallaght with a 4th stand will be what 12k capacity (could the corners also be used to increase capacity further if there is ever a need? albeit it would likely be pricey for the relative additional capacity?). To have a range of capacities is useful from an international team perspective especially across the different ages and womans teams. There is nothing wrong with showing and having ambition and maybe the Dalymount project should be around 8-10k. What should be done is for the development to be planned in such a way that option for future increased capacity is factored in without need for demolishing anything again. Just need Pats to build a 20k stadium and all bases are covered...or build a ground for a provincial town, half way between Dublin and Belfast would be handy in case there is ever a future need with an island league and international team...