Dundalk ground improvement plans

Looked around 600 or 700 on the far terraced stand in Oriel. What's are they building behind it?

Originally Posted by red bellied

. What's are they building behind it?

An academy or indoor facility of some type. We're due to get ours in 2078.

Originally Posted by red bellied

What's are they building behind it?

It's a €5.5m Youth Development Centre that is due to be operational by July next year. It will include two indoor pitches, Gym, bar / function facility, multi-media lecture/training room, changing rooms and an undergrounf car park.

This is the original plan, which has since been modified slightly.

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

This is the original plan, which has since been modified slightly.

Thats really nice, really tidy. I am not having a go but you really should built a new stand during the boom years n Oriel, hard now to raise money in this day and age for any club for new stands. We have plans to build a new stand but to be honest with no grants up coming hard to figure out if it will ever be built, i have my doubts.

Originally Posted by Rovers Maniac

Thats really nice, really tidy. I am not having a go but you really should built a new stand during the boom years n Oriel, hard now to raise money in this day and age for any club for new stands. We have plans to build a new stand but to be honest with no grants up coming hard to figure out if it will ever be built, i have my doubts.

I wouldn't call it a boom time! Others have also suggested a new stand as a priority, but I can fully understand the thinking behind the €5.5 Youth Development Centre. It won't be idle, whereas a new stand might well be - current stand has capacity for about 1200 and is rarely full, despite good attendances.

The Centre, apart from the fact that it is more likely to attract larger grant funding, is totally in keeping with the expansion of the club as a community facility. It will also generate revenue, and will play a part in the development of elite talent for the first team, as well as providing a valuable social and sporting outlet for kids of all abilities.

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

I wouldn't call it a boom time! Others have also suggested a new stand as a priority, but I can fully understand the thinking behind the €5.5 Youth Development Centre. It won't be idle, whereas a new stand might well be - current stand has capacity for about 1200 and is rarely full, despite good attendances.

The Centre, apart from the fact that it is more likely to attract larger grant funding, is totally in keeping with the expansion of the club as a community facility. It will also generate revenue, and will play a part in the development of elite talent for the first team, as well as providing a valuable social and sporting outlet for kids of all abilities.

Not a boom time ! god i hope we get what your expecting Anyway call it what you want but they were handing out grants during it mate. There are no Sports grants at the minute and that will continue for many the year and you may need to upgrade spectator facilities as they are poor enough in Oriel to be honest.

Originally Posted by Rovers Maniac

Not a boom time ! god i hope we get what your expecting Anyway call it what you want but they were handing out grants during it mate. There are no Sports grants at the minute and that will continue for many the year and you may need to upgrade spectator facilities as they are poor enough in Oriel to be honest.

Dundalk have been stuck in the graveyard division for most of the last 10 years; with gates sinking as low as 400-500 average, it certainly was no "boom time" for Dundalk (nor for LoI clubs generally!)

Cover is needed for away ground fans at Oriel, but hard to get a return on this (would Sligo have added an extra 200 fans / €3,000 to last Fri's gate if there was cover?). Spectator facilities otherwise are reasonably good.

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Dundalk have been stuck in the graveyard division for most of the last 10 years; with gates sinking as low as 400-500 average

Aye, but 400-500 travelling to Monaghan, or Drogheda to watch a 'home' game while our new pitch (funded in part by the boom time grant money RM's talking about) was being installed. Would take the pitch or the Centre over a new stand any day.

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Dundalk have been stuck in the graveyard division for most of the last 10 years; with gates sinking as low as 400-500 average, it certainly was no "boom time" for Dundalk (nor for LoI clubs generally!)

Cover is needed for away ground fans at Oriel, but hard to get a return on this (would Sligo have added an extra 200 fans / €3,000 to last Fri's gate if there was cover?). Spectator facilities otherwise are reasonably good.

The country was experiencing economic growth the likes of which we never saw before, or you saying that no grants were given to league of Ireland clubs at all? . The celtic Tiger never reached the town of Dundalk? The rest of the country had it and i'm pretty sure Dundalk had it to mate so facts are clearly wrong there.I was not talking about a boom time for the league of Ireland but the government were handing grants out to sports and clubs back then and it would have been easier to get a grant and nearly to a club each club in the league improved their ground.You have a small stand that looks like it is about to fall down (ala Cliftonville) and the whole ground is dated. In next few years there are no or very little grants coming from the government towards our sport, how bad will Oriel look then? You will have to go to Dublin to watch your team if you are ever to play in Europe and will you be happy with that? We built a new stand, installed seats in the other stand built and an all weather pitch at the showgrounds (all while in the first), We have a new Car park that we rent out on non match days to earn income, we have plans to built a new stand as well (can't see any club building for the near future though). For all that time Dundalk built an all weather pitch? Which they were made dig up last year because of it's quality.

By the way how do you calculate you need an 200 extra away fans from far a cover? That seems stupid that you need to justify a simple cover for away fans by taking in an extra 3,000 euro from them on average. So say over 5 years you would an extra quater of a million in monatery terms in order to justify a cover for away fans? And a half million over 10 years for the cover?

Jeez give it a rest man but you should have made ground improvements to Oriel in the last few years.

Originally Posted by Rovers Maniac

The country was experiencing economic growth the likes of which we never saw before, or you saying that no grants were given to league of Ireland clubs at all? . The celtic Tiger never reached the town of Dundalk? The rest of the country had it and i'm pretty sure Dundalk had it to mate so facts are clearly wrong there

No I did not say that at all.

Originally Posted by Rovers Maniac

.I was not talking about a boom time for the league of Ireland but the government were handing grants out to sports and clubs back then and it would have been easier to get a grant and nearly to a club each club in the league improved their ground.You have a small stand that looks like it is about to fall down (ala Cliftonville) and the whole ground is dated.

The "small stand" that you think is about to "fall down" holds 1200 and capacity is plenty sufficient to meet demand. Facilities in the stand are good with 2 public bars, sponsor hospitality suite, merchandise shop, club offices and two refreshment/shop outlets - it's a good match-day experience. Some aspects of the ground are certainly dated, but there has been a lot of ground improvements over the last 3 years

Originally Posted by Rovers Maniac

You will have to go to Dublin to watch your team if you are ever to play in Europe and will you be happy with that?

No I would not be happy about that, if it were the case. But if it is straight choice between a couple of European games away from Oriel in the short term versus a permanent facility that will provide an income and cement the clubs place as a community-focused resource - it's a no-brainer for me.

Originally Posted by Rovers Maniac

By the way how do you calculate you need an 200 extra away fans from far a cover? That seems stupid that you need to justify a simple cover for away fans by taking in an extra 3,000 euro from them on average. So say over 5 years you would an extra quater of a million in monatery terms in order to justify a cover for away fans? And a half million over 10 years for the cover?

I didn't say that either. The point is that while improvements in the away section are badly needed, it would take a long time to be self-financing. Galway and Bray away support is practically non existent. Modest support from Sligo, Derry St Pats and Cork - leaves only Drogheda, Bohs , and Shamrock Rovers with any substantial visiting support to Oriel this season. I personally doubt if the addition of the covered section would add significantly to the visiting support. It's needed - it's just not the number one priority.

Originally Posted by Rovers Maniac

Jeez give it a rest man but you should have made ground improvements to Oriel in the last few years.

As already said, a lot has been accomplished in this area over the last few years - a lot more to be done. The Youth Development Centre is rightly the biggest and most ambitious project - recession is a good time to build!

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

The Youth Development Centre is rightly the biggest and most ambitious project - recession is a good time to build!

Some nice drawings the facility being built were put up on the club site.

http://www.dundalkfc.com/news/091019...evelopment.asp

Originally Posted by White Horse

Some nice drawings the facility being built were put up on the club site.

http://www.dundalkfc.com/news/091019...evelopment.asp

No looks the business alright, good luck with it.

Originally Posted by White Horse

Some nice drawings the facility being built were put up on the club site.

http://www.dundalkfc.com/news/091019...evelopment.asp

Very Impressive....wish we had it.

Originally Posted by Rovers Maniac

There are no Sports grants at the minute and that will continue for many the year and you may need to upgrade spectator facilities as they are poor enough in Oriel to be honest.

Actually Dundalk FC may be in a very good position regarding grand aid. The subject of Sports Grants was discussed on an RTE Radio news programme yesterday and it was said that no new applications for grant aid will be accepted this year or next and that grand aid for the next two years will go to existing projects. If that is the case then Dundalk are sitting pretty.

Have you already applied and been approved for funding?. If not I wouldn't imagine you'll get anything. I assume they'll allow clubs draw down money thats been approved already.

Originally Posted by Longfordian

Have you already applied and been approved for funding?. If not I wouldn't imagine you'll get anything. I assume they'll allow clubs draw down money thats been approved already.

An initital grant of €250,000 has been approved. There is an application lodged for further grant aid.

Originally Posted by White Horse

Some nice drawings the facility being built were put up on the club site.

http://www.dundalkfc.com/news/091019...evelopment.asp

Nice bar area.

Originally Posted by Rovers Maniac

The country was experiencing economic growth the likes of which we never saw before, or you saying that no grants were given to league of Ireland clubs at all? . The celtic Tiger never reached the town of Dundalk? The rest of the country had it and i'm pretty sure Dundalk had it to mate so facts are clearly wrong there.I was not talking about a boom time for the league of Ireland but the government were handing grants out to sports and clubs back then and it would have been easier to get a grant and nearly to a club each club in the league improved their ground.You have a small stand that looks like it is about to fall down (ala Cliftonville) and the whole ground is dated. In next few years there are no or very little grants coming from the government towards our sport, how bad will Oriel look then? We built a new stand, installed seats in the other stand built and an all weather pitch at the showgrounds (all while in the first), We have a new Car park that we rent out on non match days to earn income, we have plans to built a new stand as well (can't see any club building for the near future though). For all that time Dundalk built an all weather pitch? Which they were made dig up last year because of it's quality.

Ohhhh - to be the proud owner of a time machine....

Originally Posted by Rovers Maniac

You will have to go to Dublin to watch your team if you are ever to play in Europe and will you be happy with that?

Or, alternatively, Lurgan. It's slightly nearer. And then there's Belfast

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

An initital grant of €250,000 has been approved. There is an application lodged for further grant aid.

I see, well good luck with it but I wouldn't hold my breath regarding a lot of grant aid. It was always part of our long term plan to put in a second pitch with a youth facility but we never got enough cash together. Don't see it happening for a while yet, but one of the long term objectives of our Supporters Trust is to provide matching funds for future grant applications once the long term creditors have been dealt with.