Shels to seek rezoning of grounds for housing

Ollie Byrne last night said an announcement on a new home for the club would be made in July. the Richmond Road site, which is located close to the city centre in a settled residential area could be worth over €45 million if it is rezoned. However, the biggest beneficiary of any sale would be the council itself, which leases the land on a long-term basis to the club. the council is "amenable" to the move. The FAI is considering a new stadium at Abbotstown to cater for the three Dublin clubs, Shels, Pats and Bohs. Other speculation has linked Shels with a move to Santry Stadium.

For full story see todays Irish Times Page 3.

Looks like they are leaving Tolka Park!

Fintan Cassidy (supporters club) was on the radio this morning saying eh favoured move to Santry. Personally I think they'd be better off making the bigger move to Swords which is a faster growing area which they could eb identified with.

Morton Stadium Santry is first and foremost an athletics venue. The tenders for new operators of the stadium are about to be advertised, if not already, in the national newspapers. So if Ollie Byrne is to announce a new stadium in July its certainly not Santry, as no decision has been made by Fingal Co Council.

As regards the rezoning of Tolka, most money made from its sale will go to Dublin City Council who own the property. If Shelbourne cannot pay their players wages, moving a mile up the road, and paying rent is not going to generate any extra cash. In fact, when the money for the sale of Tolka is gone they will be in a worse situation. Perhaps Ollie is cashing in before he gets out.

Santry was advertised a while ago. Terms would be very good, as Fingal want rid of it as it's a huge burden, despite the other councils helping out. I'd say they'd do alright out of a Tolka sale - any money for the council is better than none, plus the Dublin councils get shut of a loss making stadium. Ollie wouldn't be doing it if it didn't make financial sense for Shels.

Fintan Cassidy was suggesting that the developer who bought Tolka wouild have to build their new stadium before Shel$ moved from Tolka. No mention of local authority ownership. Maybe Ollie trying to pull a fast one again?

Good luck to shel$ if they can pull it off. They the best organised eL club although won't stop them been slagged for no fans.

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Originally Posted by pete

Fintan Cassidy was suggesting that the developer who bought Tolka wouild have to build their new stadium before Shel$ moved from Tolka.

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Or finish off Tallaght? ;)

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Originally Posted by Macy

Santry was advertised a while ago. Terms would be very good, as Fingal want rid of it as it's a huge burden, despite the other councils helping out. I'd say they'd do alright out of a Tolka sale - any money for the council is better than none, plus the Dublin councils get shut of a loss making stadium. Ollie wouldn't be doing it if it didn't make financial sense for Shels.

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Fingal advertised for expressions of interest in January. Then interested parties had to submit their plans. I think 5 parties submitted plans. The next step was for Fingal to advertise for Tenders in papers. Up to a couple of weeks ago it wasn't advertised. Besides there are members of the athletics bodies on the committee of Fingal, who would be opposed to Shelbourne gaining control of the stadium. However, Fingal has been granted 340,000 to widen pitch which wold suggest they do want football there.

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Originally Posted by eoinh

For full story see todays Irish Times page 3

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And here is that article in full....


Shelbourne club to seek rezoning of grounds for housing
Paul Cullen

Shelbourne soccer club is seeking the rezoning of its grounds at Tolka Park in Drumcondra for housing.

The club, which has been based in the area for over 10 years, has applied to Dublin City Council to have the 9,200-capacity ground and surrounding lands rezoned from recreational to residential use.

The club would then use the proceeds from any sale to fund the development of a new stadium elsewhere in the city.

Chief executive Mr Ollie Byrne said last night an announcement on a new home for the club would be made in July.

The Football Association of Ireland is considering a new stadium at Abbotstown to cater for the three Dublin clubs, Shelbourne, St Patrick's Athletic and Bohemians. Other speculation has linked Shelbourne with a move to Santry Stadium.

The Richmond Road site, which is located close to the city centre in a settled residential area, could be worth over €45 million if it is rezoned.

However, the biggest beneficiary of any sale would be the council itself, which leases the land on a long-term basis to the club.

Mr Byrne said the council was "amenable" to the move by the club, which has over 100 years left on its lease. The aim was to provide a permanent home that could accommodate the senior team and 17 youth teams under one roof.

In its rezoning application, the club claims Tolka Park suffers from limitations, including a lack of space, the proximity of housing and an inability to accommodate floodlighting to international standards.

It points out that it has teams training and playing at seven locations across the city, at an "increasingly intolerable" cost of more than €100,000 a year. The geographical dispersion of facilities makes it "impossible" to foster a unified club spirit.

Local residents would not suffer a loss in amenities if the stadium is sold and redeveloped because other land in the area is zoned for recreational use, it says. Redevelopment would increase the vitality of the area by removing match-day traffic and putting an end to road closures that are a source of "constant annoyance" to residents.

The club says the Tolka Park stadium is "visually incongruous" and claims a redevelopment would create the opportunity to upgrade and improve the site.

Shelbourne FC was founded in Ringsend in 1895, where it remained until the 1950s. Since then, the club has moved frequently; after spells in Milltown, Harold's Cross and Dalymount Park, it found a new home at Tolka Park in the early 1990s.

Since moving to Drumcondra, Shelbourne has won the league title four times and has qualified for European competition in every year but one.

Although originally a southside club, it says its support now is equally drawn from both sides of the Liffey.

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Redevelopment would increase the vitality of the area by removing match-day traffic and putting an end to road closures that are a source of "constant annoyance" to residents.

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Ha. Nice to see Ollie so wearing his local resident hat now he wants to leave :D

45m is a pipe dream.

Developers are usually quotes saying making 50k profit per unit so even if built apartments would mean would need 900 units to break even.

:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by pete

45m is a pipe dream:rolleyes:

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€15-20 million were the figures being bandied about earlier this year

I must be the only person in Ireland sad to see Tolka Park going.
I attended my first ever football match there in 1972. I saw my club play in Europe there and win the Cup there in 1984. For me it has particular sentimental value.

It must be very disheartening for everyone connected with Shelbourne Football Club. They have for all it's shortcoming the best stadium for club football in Dublin, if not the entire country. More leg room than Richmond, more seats than Dalymount etc.

Shelbourne have tried to do the right things on and off the field.
They had the best ground, played attractive football, and went professional.
Despite this, the crowds have not been what one would expect from a successful outfit like they have been since moving back to Tolka in 1989 ( Irish Times please copy ) This is in fact the club's 3rd spell on Richmond Road.

I am of the opinion that moving out of Tolka will not address the crowds issue but will address the issue of having all the teams connected with the club playing in the one plot of land so to speak, which appears to be the crux of the matter.

Shelbourne have proved the following point conclusively.
One cannot get a decent regular crowd to attend football week in and week out in the city of Dublin. Sports fans in this city are incapable, for whatever reason , of committing themselves to be in attendance, 17, 18 times a season for League games not to mention League Cup, F.A.I. Cup and U.E.F.A. organised Club competitions. It is too much trouble to the vast majority of people.
I have been a regular attendee at games for 20 years myself and this is the conclusion I have come to.

If a club which does so many things correctly in terms of facilities and style of play and professionalism and indeed trophies and success on the field, cannot get consistently decent attendances more than 3,000 people in a city with this large a population, than I would argue nobody can, or probably ever will.

Shamrock Rovers are very wise moving out to the country to the village of Tallaght, by the same token :D

I agree with most of what CollegetillIdie says in the previous post. I think it is a crying shame to see Tolka being demolished and apartments being built. I was brought to Tolka as a child to watch Drumcondra playing there in the late sixties and early seventies. I dont buy the keep all the youth teams in the same location tread. If they move to Santry they are hardly going to have their under 10s, 11, 12s, on the pitch. Shels have got themselves into a financial bind by going professional. They will make a few bob by leaving Tolka, pay off their debts but if the crowds don't improve they are back to square one. The last club to sell up before they had a new stadium were Shamrock Rovers, 20 years on and look what happened to them.

As regards crowds I think the amount of people actually participating in football here is staggering. I'm involved with an Intermediate Club in the Leinster Senior League who have about 50 odd players on their books, most of whom have not been to EL game.

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Originally Posted by tiktok

€15-20 million were the figures being bandied about earlier this year

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According to the Times the site is worth about 45 million euro. The council own the site and Shels have a 100 year lease.

Whatever fraction of the sale value Shels get they should have more than enough to build a new stadium.

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Originally Posted by drummerboy

I agree with most of what CollegetillIdie says in the previous post. I think it is a crying shame to see Tolka being demolished and apartments being built. I was brought to Tolka as a child to watch Drumcondra playing there in the late sixties and early seventies.

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But isn't that the point, and Shels problem? It's not their area, and Tolka will always be associated with Drums. Sod all locals support them. I agree with Pete, that a move to a new and up and coming area would be better than Santry, but even there they'd have more chance of growing their support.

i know shels dont have massive support but imo it has been growing over the years (admittaly very slowly). they do seem to get a lot of young lads which is a good sign for the future.

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Originally Posted by Macy

But isn't that the point, and Shels problem? It's not their area, and Tolka will always be associated with Drums. Sod all locals support them. I agree with Pete, that a move to a new and up and coming area would be better than Santry, but even there they'd have more chance of growing their support.

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The ironic thing about all this is that Drumcondra have being playing in Morton Stadium for the last 10 years. The people of Drumcondra still refer to Shelbourne as the squatters.

The playing surface in Santry has improved immensely since the time Rovers and CHF played there. Fingal have received funding to the tune of 300,000 to widen the pitch and relocate hammer throwing area.

By the way Drums are in the draw for the FAI Cup 2nd round. Here's hoping we draw Cork away.

1200 or so for 1st v 3rd match last night in Tolka so i don't think shel$ could get any less support no matter where they move.

IMO sounds like Ollie Bryne pulling a fast one. Heard him on the news last nigth saying that although the local authority own the ground he didn't think anyone should profit from the sale & any funds should be pumped back into fooball i.e. sell ground & build new stadium with the cash.

:rolleyes:

I'd have no objection to the money being pumped back into local football clubs: ie Drumcondra, Home Farm, Stella Mari but not Ollie's pockets.

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Originally Posted by eoinh

i know shels dont have massive support but imo it has been growing over the years (admittaly very slowly). they do seem to get a lot of young lads which is a good sign for the future.

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That's spot on. It's to be expected that having been homeless for so long it would take time to build up support and become recoginised as a part of a particular area. The Shels support consists mainly of the older generation who supported us in the ringsend days, and a newer generation of northsides, most of whom are teenagers to mid twenties, which bodes well for the future. There's more or less a generation of fans missing from when we were wandering around Dublin doing nothing on the field. The myth that we have no fans is plain ********, but we could and should get bigger crowds than we do. If we leave Tolka, and sadly that's not really looking like an 'if' anymore, we should move further into North East Dublin, someone mentioned the Swords area, that would be a good move, somewhere like that or Baldoyle. That general area is where most of our Northside support comes from, we could further build on the progress we've made with getting crowds in.

Also the youth teams thing is an issue, and that side of the club can't be ignored. I'd be very sad to see Tolka go though, it's been a fantastic ground for many a year now.

The el suddenly ment soooooo much to RTE they did a 2 minute special about
tolka on it the other day on 6.1 :eek:

I think it would be stupid to leave tolka, imagine if it turned out like tallaght :eek: :eek: :eek:
or if we couldnt fill the new ground. Why doesent ollie just try and buy tolka from Dublin City Council

P.S. how much work would need to be done on Morton Stadium in Santry
if we went there

New floodlighting is the first thing that will have to be rectified. Although there is floodlighting already there it is not up to Standard. Fingal Council have been approved €300,000 to widen the pitch and relocate the hammper pit off the pitch. There is room on the city end of the ground to build an all-weather training area. The uncovered stand would have to be upgraded and a roof installed. The surface of the pitch has improved since SR days there.