Originally Posted by
EalingGreen
Removing restrictions ...
Excuse me, but the "difference" is not Sports funding vs non-Sports funding. It is the difference between £62m of Sports (specifically GAA) funding and £150m(?) of Sports funding, necessitated by the GAA's own monumental screw-ups, and the "need" to host 4 or 5 Euro games in NI in a stadium which after 2028 will only ever be filled once a year for sport, plus maybe a couple of Garth Brooks concerts etc. And that is a difference which cannot in all conscience be justified.
As for being "against capital spending for sports", I'm sorry, but as a sports fanatic (not just football), how could I ever be opposed to that, especially in a place like NI, where sport has been chronically underfunded for years?
Quite simply, of course NI deserves greater sports funding, and not just Football, nor excluding GAA. But that funding has to bear some relation to justifiable need, rather than an outrageously expensive White Elephant like Casement, especially when after it is built, then that will effectively have used up the entire NI sports budget for years to come. For as sure as eggs are eggs, the minute the next Sports Minister applies for his/her share of the Stormont budget, then he/she will be told: "You've already received all your Christmas and Birthday presents for the next ten years, so go to the back of the queue again."
You do indeed need "correction".
For one thing, the AONISC did not raise any objection to public money being allocated to the GAA, nor that it be spent by them on Casement, if that is what they want.
Rather they pointed out that the reason given for massively increasing public spending on Casement is that it will enable NI to host a Euro's Group...
So what else might this massive increase in spending do to create a (genuine) legacy for football in NI? It seems that for practical reasons, Windsor cannot be expanded to 30k capacity. Fair enough, so in that case I would suggest that the Euro28 funding allocation for NI be spent instead on a desperately-needed NI National Football Training Centre, with accommodation included. That way it could also be used as a centre to host some of the teams who've qualified for the Finals and who are playing their games in the AVIVA - 2 hours away by road/train. Or even teams playing their games eg in Liverpool or Glasgow - a 35 or 40 minute flight from a choice of 2 Belfast airports.
Let's get this straight. The only people who were in favour of The Maze Stadium were (a ) some politicians in Westminster and Civil Servants in Whitehall, with their ludicrous notion of "bringing communities together at a shared stadium etc"; (b ) the IFA, who with WP facing an imminent ban by UEFA/FIFA, were desperate for anything which would prevent NI having to play "home" games outside NI; and (c ) the DUP's Edwin Poots. And you can probably guess in which MLA's constituency The Maze sits!
I repeat, the GAA were completely apathetic towards the whole scheme - and opposed to the "National" in the name - merely saying that if the Brits were going to spend all this money it, then they (GAA) might use it for an occasional game, and then only after insisting it be 48k capacity.
While Rugby didn't give a stuff either way, which is why if they never actively opposed it, neither did they ever commit to play any games at it either!
You need to get to Specsavers, my friend.
It was an ill-thought out, economically bonkers idea at the time and just because Casement is another bad idea doesn't make it any better now. I mean, absolutely no-one of note complained when The Maze was binned, in fact our local politicians (Poots excepted) were secretly delighted when that happened, since it saved them the embarrassment of arguing for years over issues like the Prison Museum which was also meant to go on the site etc.
While the three sports were delighted, since the reallocated funding meant they were able to breed their own preferred racehorse, rather than having to accept a particularly ugly-looking camel which couldn't even run, never mind race.
Which £36m do you mean? That figure was earmarked for Football for Sub-Regional stadia after WP was rebuilt (for £26m).
While £62m was due to the GAA, along with their own £15m to make £77m (obv). Now it is being said that Casement might cost £150m or more, meaning that even with Leo's €50m/£43m, HMG is going to have to come up with a minimum extra £30m, possibly much more.
In which case, and on the basis that both Football and GAA were originally due to receive equal funding, then Football should also receive an equal sum to whatever is bunged by HMG to Casement. Now from a selfish pov, I'd love that, but as a taxpayer, could anyone really justify GAA and Football receiving maybe £200m or more for stadia, one of which will be at 34k capacity maybe once a year, with the others being small Irish League grounds attracting average crowds of c.1-5k?
Madness.
But why does NI have to host 4 or 5 Euro games, esp if the NI team isn't even playing in them? Seriously, Finland v Romania or Belgium v Azerbaijan in West Belfast - who gives a stuff?
Let GAA do whatever they like with the money they're due and give the IFA the same amount to do whatever it likes to benefit the game for the long term throughout NI, eg more qualified coaches, better grassroots facilities, more money for women/girls and a National Training Centre.
We don't need NI to host games, at least not at the costs being talked about. When NI men qualified for Euro2016, thousands of fans were happy to travel to France, and when NI Women qualified for Euro23, we had loads who went over to Southampton too. Meaning Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool or Cardiff etc would be the same brilliant crack!
What a shame. You started out so well before losing the run of yourself with your "shared venue of 40k+".
That turkey was proposed nearly 20 years ago, it failed to fly then, it isn't going to fly now. (And before anyone interjects, my own objections are nothing to do with politics, religion or anything of the sort, but solely to do with what Football wants, needs and deserves. Thereafter, the GAA may do what they like with their proper share - and Good luck to them)
