'New' Lansdowne Questions

**republic** · 22/01/2004, 7:43 AM

Amongst all the hype and self-congratulations about yet another proposal and artist's 'impressions' of a new stadium, serious questions have yet to be asked.

1. Who will own the stadium?? A serious issue. Both the FAI and IRFU plan to invest in excess of a combined 80 million euro. Surely an investment of 40 million euro by the FAI cannot mean that they will remain tenants and should have some ownership rights.

2. The *minimum* redevelopment period will be two years - from 2006 through 2008. Given recent public developments this will probably take considerably longer. Where do the FAI and IRFU senior teams play during this period?

3. Does anyone seriously believe that Lansdowne Road/Ballsbridge/D4 residents will acquiese in the redevelopment? The planning process will be delayed for years at a minimum.

**Junior** · 22/01/2004, 9:01 AM

Digital impression for those who haven't seen it.

http://www.irishrugby.ie/newspage/45553.html

**Macy** · 22/01/2004, 10:29 AM

Originally posted by republic
1. Who will own the stadium?? A serious issue. Both the FAI and IRFU plan to invest in excess of a combined 80 million euro. Surely an investment of 40 million euro by the FAI cannot mean that they will remain tenants and should have some ownership rights.

Think the plan is to have a jointly owned management company. I assume the IRFU would have the majority share in this - afterall they're providing the land.

Originally posted by republic
2. The *minimum* redevelopment period will be two years - from 2006 through 2008. Given recent public developments this will probably take considerably longer. Where do the FAI and IRFU senior teams play during this period?

Hopefully the bigots will have opened up by then, but if approved at least we'll get the derrogation.

Originally posted by republic
3. Does anyone seriously believe that Lansdowne Road/Ballsbridge/D4 residents will acquiese in the redevelopment? The planning process will be delayed for years at a minimum.

Think it's hoped that keeping the two ends at a similar height as now will help. One thing that f�ckin annoys me is the moany residents (same around Bigot HQ)..... Sod all of them have been living there since before the grounds were there. If they didn't like it, they shouldn't have moved near it....

**tiktok** · 22/01/2004, 10:57 AM

Originally posted by Macy
Hopefully the bigots will have opened up by then, but if approved at least we'll get the derrogation.

I would have expected the GAA to open their doors at that stage, but there are still those who are opposed to the idea....

Former President Boothman goes on Croke Park offensive
Former GAA President Jack Boothman has come out in defiance of current supremo Sean Kelly and revealed his opposition to the opening up of Croke Park to other sports.

A string of motions to amend the controversial Rule 42 are on the agenda for April's Killarney Congress but Boothman called on "all elected leaders of Cumann Luthchleas Gael" to vote no.

Boothman said: "To offer our keenest rivals our prime marketing asset is ludicrous in the extreme. If such a decision is taken it will prove to be the most disastrous decision ever taken in our history."

from www.breakingnews.ie

**republic** · 22/01/2004, 11:09 AM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by tiktok
I would have expected the GAA to open their doors at that stage, but there are still those who are opposed to the idea....

Former President Boothman goes on Croke Park offensive
Former GAA President Jack Boothman has come out in defiance of current supremo Sean Kelly and revealed his opposition to the opening up of Croke Park to other sports.

A string of motions to amend the controversial Rule 42 are on the agenda for April's Killarney Congress but Boothman called on "all elected leaders of Cumann Luthchleas Gael" to vote no.

Boothman is one of the well known bigots. He was president of the GAA over a decade ago and his hardline stance has not softened since then.

When once asked by a reporter what the GAA would say to the government if they were asked to open up Croke Park to 'foreign' sports, Boothman replied that they would tell them "to f**k off'.

Amazing that these dinosaurs are still in existence.

**Peadar** · 22/01/2004, 11:16 AM

Originally posted by republic

Amazing that these dinosaurs are still in existence.

Sure they were going to call it "Jurassic Park" but apparently that was taken

**Xlex** · 22/01/2004, 11:21 AM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by republic
[B]

Originally posted by tiktok
Boothman is one of the well known bigots.

he's a strange type of Bigot too... First protestant president of GAA

**gspain** · 22/01/2004, 12:59 PM

Problem re residents is more acute here. Residents around the "broken glass spreaders" HQ are more likely to be from a lower socio economic background than Lansdowne residents. Lansdowne is surrounded by the richest and most indluential people in the country. They won't be easy to take on and could delay the stadium for years.

I always find it amazing how the GAA never gets bad press on its bigots. The Cork county board outdid themselves trying to impress Frank Murphy invoking memories of 1916 and talking about not letting football into the car park yet hardly a bad word.

**lopez** · 23/01/2004, 10:12 AM

I know I run the risk of repeating myself, but there's a stadium there already. Why should the local toffs be allowed to oppose what is in essence a redevelopment? No houses are going to be knocked down; No light is going to be lost; The pretty cottages are going to be removed which is sad but hey that's progress; the capacity is going to be reduced from its all time high. To use Jack Bigotman's words: Tell them 'to f*ck off'.

**Duncan Gardner** · 23/01/2004, 10:20 AM

Aye. I suppose money will talk to the owners of the pretty cottages. Didn't a similar thing happen when Liverpool redeveloped Anfield- one old dear held out for years, and millions

**republic** · 23/01/2004, 11:31 AM

Originally posted by lopez
I know I run the risk of repeating myself, but there's a stadium there already. Why should the local toffs be allowed to oppose what is in essence a redevelopment? No houses are going to be knocked down; No light is going to be lost; The pretty cottages are going to be removed which is sad but hey that's progress; the capacity is going to be reduced from its all time high. To use Jack Bigotman's words: Tell them 'to f*ck off'.

It would be nice to be able to tell the owners of the big houses on Lansdowne Road to do precisely that but unfortunately it doesn't work like that

.

If Lansdowne gets the go-ahead from the government following the cabinet meeting next Tuesday then expect a *very* lengthy planning process complete with all sorts of objections and delaying tactics from some very affluent people. The completion date of 2008 is a pipe dream and will never be achieved.

Just think of all the problems Arsenal have had moving to a new stadium a mile down the road from Highbury. Arsenal are building a new stadium on an eyesore of a waste depot in a not-too-salubrious part of N5 and the delays caused by a relatively small number of residents was incredible. Multiply that by 100 and you will start to imagine what it will be like with Lansdowne.

**Macy** · 23/01/2004, 12:15 PM

The stadium has a 2 year build time afaik, so presumably they are already factoring in 2 years of planning issues as well. As for the toffs arguement, it'll be the Havelock Square end that will most effect residents, and those houses aren't palatial or full of influence...

btw The Cottages mentioned are the one's inside the ground, not people's houses...

**gspain** · 23/01/2004, 12:29 PM

The residents won't want a building site on their front doors for 2+ years.

The objections will be based around the new stands overshadowing houses (things will change so some hosues will be affected).

BTW while Havelock Square is not as salubrious as the other sides of the stadium try buying anything there for less than 500K. One advertised in November was "offers in excess of 590K"

Suffice to say there will be plenty of objections and plenty of locals who will fight tooth and nail to delay the stadium.

**lopez** · 23/01/2004, 7:48 PM

Originally posted by Macy
The Cottages mentioned are the one's inside the ground, not people's houses...

And therefore uninhabitable. DG is more a league man when it comes to the egg game, so forgive him.

Originally posted by gspain
The objections will be based around the new stands overshadowing houses (things will change so some hosues will be affected).

Looking at the new stadium some houses will have more light. I'm surprised they didn't buy the other strip off Wanderers/Lansdowne and put the stadium bang in the middle of the park. As for building site, surely if the land was sold off for houses, that argument would be just as present, or would the folks round here want a wasteground opposite their fine mansions. Not picking arguments, but surely the residents are talking b*llocks. Can't they be bought off with a lifetime seat with their own name to shut the f*ck up. I would!