Best football stadia under 12,000 from around the world?

[dong]

Ya I'd much prefer the atmosphere up in Oriels away section on a cold wet night. Modern is the way to go ffs.

I think it's pretty obvious what he meant and you've either taken him up wrong on purpose or you're a dimwit.

[SalvadorSanchez]

10,000 capacity for Dalymount? Are ya mad? Too big to fill or come close to filling regularly. Too small for FAI cup final or International friendly. It costs about €1.5 million per thousand to build a new ground..... so €15million! that much could build a 6000 seater and almost refurbish Richmond. Drogs and Bray as well. A big ground with a small crowd is a disaster for atmosphere and it costs a lot to maintain a big ground. A good modern 6000 would be plenty. Even at that you might have to close an end or a side on most match days...

[pateen]

Few old (10 years or so) pics from Irish stadia here

http://www.ifgrounds.com/ucd.html

That stand in Buckley park for Kilkenny FC is fairly decent

[pateen]

I adore the floodlights legendz in that stadium you posted. A modern take on old school floodlights. It would be brilliant to incorporate something like this if a redevelopment of Dalymount Park ever comes to fruition.

A high quality 10,000 capacity Dalymount Park would be truly magnificent. Its a great location for a ground in the centre of Dublin and has a massive history in the context of Irish Football.

pic.jpg

I do love the North Korean style myself

[gufcfan]

I do love the North Korean style myself

What, imaginary?

[mastershake]

I agree with you SalvadorSanchez regarding the capacity, but I believe that a new Dalymount should have an enclosed feel and a finished look to it regardless. Not just a 4 independent stand ground which a 6000 seater capacity might often imply. In any event I hope that a decent "stadium" gets built and one that can cater for all Irish underage and Womens internationals at the same time.

[nigel-harps1954]

I see nothing wrong with a 10-15,000 seater Dalymount that'd get used for smaller international games, League Cup final, Setanta Cup final, under-21 international, concerts, major events, etc.

If it were only filled twice a year it'd be worth it. Dalymount deserves it, and Irish football needs a proper Dalymount Park.

[punkrocket]

I agree Nigel, might as well have at least one decent mid sized venue. I take the point that it is probably a bit big for regular Bohs/Shels games but the use of the Aviva for cup finals has shown that stadia not completely full can still generate plenty of atmosphere by keeping the crowd nearer to the pitch. It just needs to be well designed to cope with the variation of attendances.
That metal box place looks like a prison. Funky lights though.

[harps1954]

The old stand is there since the mid-90s I think and the new stand was opened in 2007. The seats in the old stand were also replaced in 2007.

The old stand wasn't there in 1999 anyway, that's for sure. The Cup semi-final between Harps and Galway at Terryland in 1999 was an all open ground - it was pouring that day and I was standing where the "old stand" is now - no cover anywhere in the ground that day.

[SalvadorSanchez]

I agree with you SalvadorSanchez regarding the capacity, but I believe that a new Dalymount should have an enclosed feel and a finished look to it regardless. Not just a 4 independent stand ground which a 6000 seater capacity might often imply. In any event I hope that a decent "stadium" gets built and one that can cater for all Irish underage and Womens internationals at the same time.

Closed in corners like the Parken in Copenhagen is the only way to go. closes it in, makes ya feel close to the play and keeps all the noise and atmosphere. Parken but smaller please Mr Delaney, never mind your open corners.....

[Longfordian]

The old stand wasn't there in 1999 anyway, that's for sure. The Cup semi-final between Harps and Galway at Terryland in 1999 was an all open ground - it was pouring that day and I was standing where the "old stand" is now - no cover anywhere in the ground that day.

Really? I was at a Galway-LTFC league game in December 2000 I think it was and I was sitting in the stand. It was lashing down that night. It certainly didn't seem new.

[Mr A]

That's 100%.. no roof there in 1999.

[wonder88]

Story in Guardian Newspaper of the Bury FC owner, a property developer, taking a 1 million pounds loan out for one of his companies secured on the Gigg Lane ground. That is always a big danger when clubs own the grounds/stadium they play in.

[GalwayFrancis]

That's 100%.. no roof there in 1999.

The concrete terrace was there for the Finn Harps cup semi final in '99. No roof tho, I remember being sick and having to watch the game on the tele at home. It was lashing throughout.

Maybe the roof came in 2000 and the seats a couple of seasons later.

[Longfordian]

Seats were definitely in by the time we played there in 2000. I remember they were quite cramped. I'd always assumed the stand had been there a good while before that but obviously it wasn't.

[gufc2000]

The seats went in to the old stand around late Spring 2000, as far as I remember. That Harps cup game was around a year previous to that so I'm assuming the roof went up in mid to late 1999

[pineapple stu]

Few old (10 years or so) pics from Irish stadia here

http://www.ifgrounds.com/ucd.html

Seeing as you start off with Belfield Park, you can see some great older shots of it again in this video from 1998 -



By the end (2007), it had been developed to this (which I'm linking partly because I had completely forgotten taking that video) -



And now of course there's the Bowl, which is that bit better again. (Not in the league of some of the grounds posted, of course, but certainly much improved on 16 years ago)

Most clubs have a similar story. In fairness, there has been lots of improvements in the past two decades.

[BonnieShels]

I never realised ye wore red at one stage? What was that about?

[Titan]

Away kit harps had white and blue away kit which no doubt "clashed" with the UCD home kit and the ref probably made UCD change! Just a guess but I'd say I'm not a million miles away!!

[BonnieShels]

I thought that. But then you sometimes never know in the LOI. I wouldn't have been the biggest fan of the LOI at that stage so I wouldn't have known either way.