Turners Cross Arena

**Flynninio** · 27/07/2004, 9:08 AM

just a word on how the the cross looked last night on tv3 eircom weekly. absolutely class!!!!!!!!!!
i was at st annes end and the atmosphere was a lot better than the dutch game. we got crowd going several times which was impossible for dutch game.my one wish would be that the shed would be extended fully across.it looks poor on tv with its position and size.do they still have planning problems?if it was extended it would be by far the best ground in the league.

**Peadar** · 27/07/2004, 9:28 AM

Originally Posted by Flynninio

do they still have planning problems?if it was extended it would be by far the best ground in the league.

I really believe we've thrown enough money into Turners Cross.
It is adequate now and would tide us over until we get a purpose built facility somewhere else. We could easily sustain a 14,000 all seated stadium.
From our travels we must learn from the likes of NEC.
It's a pity there's only one decent team in Cork because a ground share is always a good option to reduce construction and running costs.
If the dubs weren't so pig headed they'd have a northside stadium and a southside stadium with two teams sharing each.

**Peadar** · 27/07/2004, 1:29 PM

Originally Posted by SuperKev

Peadar the club tried to build their own stadium before in bishopstown and look what happened there. Nearly put the club out of bussiness.

That venture was merely ahead of its time.

Originally Posted by SuperKev

but if its not built in turners cross or the general area i believe it wouldnt take off. I know it sounds weird, but if its not in turners cross it just doesnt sound like Cork City FC

That's exactly the narrow minded attitude that resulted in the failure of Bishopstown.

**Flynninio** · 27/07/2004, 1:35 PM

what failed in bishopstown was access. plain and simple and we had pat the plonk as chairman.i used to get two busses there and have to walk for another ten mins.the cross would be daycent if the shed went full width and plus you would have the hardcore fans in there (that is the corner boys).

i love the cross a shelbourne type pub would be the biz to.

**Flynninio** · 27/07/2004, 1:36 PM

what failed in bishopstown was access. plain and simple and we had pat the plonk as chairman.i used to get two busses there and have to walk for another ten mins.the cross would be daycent if the shed went full width and plus you would have the hardcore fans in there (that is the corner boys).

i love the cross a tolka park type pub would be the biz to.

**niamh** · 27/07/2004, 3:11 PM

Bishopstown was ahead of its time but if the team were playing well at the time and the crowds were out there on a constant basis, there might not have been as big a problem.
The crowds are at the Cross at the minute, but you can even look to last season when some of the smaller league games only drew 2-3,000 ppl to the gate.
City will need a big regular increase of their gate before they can consider any opinion IMO. And with Brian having put hand in pocket so much recently I don't any City fan would begrudge us staying at Turners Cross for the forseeable future.

**drinkfeckarse** · 27/07/2004, 3:34 PM

I played at Bishopstown a couple of times when it first came on the scene and I remember even then thinking it was a bit out of the way. On the other hand though, it's not as if it's outside of Cork so true City fans would've followed them wherever and still should if a new stadium ever came about. Turners Cross will always be associated with Cork City but if it wasn't possible to build or occupy a new stadium there or close by then surely the supporters would accept this and follow them to the new destination?

**namloc** · 27/07/2004, 4:18 PM

The Cross is the place for City to play and to stay for the future. Constructing a 14,000 seater stadium would cripple the club financially. why the rush?? We can't even fill the Cross for regular league games so imagine a 14,000 capacity stadium???

**Peadar** · 27/07/2004, 4:28 PM

Originally Posted by namloc

why the rush??

A stadium isn't built over night.
We have to plan for the future.
Having said that, we should careful with our money and stop giving the MFA such a sweet deal by building Turners Cross for them.

**Soko** · 27/07/2004, 5:05 PM

While a new stadium would be lovely and preferentially on the northside cause i live there

I was wondering what why your posts were such rubbish.

**�anna** · 27/07/2004, 6:09 PM

I agree with Peadar. We've put enough money into the cross for the moment. And the time to build a new ground is when the old one is too small- unfortunately thats not the case yet. IMO, we'd want to be getting an average crowd of 6000+ for an entire season before building a new ground.

The best approach would be to look at buying land for a training facility with room for expansion, so if/when the time comes that we outgrow the cross we'll already have the land and we can start building.

GavinZac · 27/07/2004, 6:16 PM

Originally Posted by Soko

I was wondering what why your posts were such rubbish.

wadda gomie like

**tiktok** · 27/07/2004, 7:46 PM

Originally Posted by �anna

The best approach would be to look at buying land for a training facility with room for expansion, so if/when the time comes that we outgrow the cross we'll already have the land and we can start building.

Spot on Eanna.

We haven't outgrown the Cross yet.

GavinZac · 27/07/2004, 8:32 PM

i think the plans for the 'new shed' or 'ludzic stand' or whatever should go ahead. that would do us for 50 years or so i'd say

if they made a proper go of it and joined it to the donie and the st anns, we wouldnt need to move for a long time. our average in the league is 4000. how often are we going to seel out a 10,000 stadium? would it have sold out for the nantes game?

**ollie** · 27/07/2004, 9:48 PM

the priority now is to build a training ground.as eanna said there the land should be bought with a future ground in mind if the need arises some where down the line as long as its not far from town.where are they planning on buying some land?

**A face** · 27/07/2004, 9:57 PM

As regards the planning .... Musgrave park is being redeveloped soon (plans being drawn up soon AFAIK) City should at least look at that option. It might mean becoming tenants again which isn't the best idea but if there were full use of bar and facilities etc. then it might be a good option.

**RedReb** · 27/07/2004, 10:00 PM

i reckon were grand for now but at the same time if city are pushing for the title this season or any season for that matter with a few games to go we all know the pottential that is there. As in the race with pats a few years ago 11,000 plus, lge cup final with rivers another 10,000 plus crowd. Now in my opinion CITY have grown in stature across CORK and not just in the city but the county as a whole. The buzz out the cross is better now than it ever has been thanks to lennox and summer soccer and the SHED in the form of its life. But back to the point of the stadium with the shed end being transformed into an all seater stand {2,000 ish] the donie forde {1,800} and the derrynane {1,200}. Here we will have roughly 5,000 seats all under roof. Now take the st. annes end 2,400 seats with room up the back for maybe 1,600 more seats altogether close on 9,000 seats not bad.

. Now do to the st. annes end wot they are doing in germany at the moment by having a stand that can b transformed into a terrace u could turn your close on 4,000 seater stand into a 7,500 maybe 8,000 terrace therfor bringing ur big match day gate to capacity between 11- 13 k more than enough for our club and we wouldnt even have to leave our spiritual home and pubs.

**Peadar** · 28/07/2004, 8:56 AM

I think you're all too focused on the now.
We should look realistically at a ground share option.
The initial costs of building a stadium are very high but the difference between making it a 10,000 or 14,000 seater would be minor in comparisson.
We should easily average 6,000 at league games and I've no doubt a new stadium would add to the attraction but yet have the capacity to host big European nights, Ireland U21 Internationals and the FAI Cup Final.
I'm looking at a classic example right here.
Reading FC + London Irish RFC = Madejski Stadium Complex incorporating the Millennium Madejski Hotel and Royal Berkshire Conference Centre.
I'm not talking about building something on this scale but along the lines of this idea. The massive carpark is used 6 days a week to facilitate a Park n' Ride scheme to the town centre. The hotel is always busy and we need a decent conference centre in Cork. There's a training facility on the site as well with one of those massive indoor pitches and a number of outdoor pitches.
We need to think beyond the match day if we want to ever have a decent ground.

**ccfcman** · 28/07/2004, 9:02 AM

ok lennox is lennox NOT madejski,he is a multi millionaire with pockets as deep as a $hel$ fan's narrow mindness.the cross with mfa funding and ccfc funding could IMO do the following Ludzic Stand simply extend the donie forde arond the corner by the club shop.Saint Anne's dont cover it at all.it would look awful,because the ground is high at the back,at seat level, there fore a roof at the top say 8ft abovet the highest seat,would be nearly 50-60ft hight at the bottom.

**Peadar** · 28/07/2004, 9:14 AM

Originally Posted by ccfcman

the cross with mfa funding and ccfc funding could IMO do the following

The Cross is not suitable for major European games because of the many safety concerns associated with any ground which is locked in on three sides by residential buildings. I would never expect Brian Lennox to finance the entire project. It could be a joint venture with the likes of Owen O'Callaghan and anyone else interested in a potentially massive commercial venture. The revenue from matchday ticket sales would be virtually inconsequential when compared to those generated from the associated business'.
The facilities at Turners Cross are terrible!
Porta-loos and chip vans just isn't good enough and I haven't even mentioned the reception facilities for visiting teams and officials.