Seating Arrangements for Croke Park

**dublinred** · 20/12/2004, 3:09 PM

Heard from good sources that the govt and the GAA are going to cut a deal reagarding the lease out of Croke park for soccer and rugby , just wondering what would be the equivalent of the east stand also have they put seats on Hill 16 yet . Being from Sligo I haven't hade much reason to go to Croke park , also what are the acoustics like and would it be an intimidating venue.

**strangeirish** · 20/12/2004, 3:13 PM

Originally Posted by londonred

Heard from good sources that the govt and the GAA are going to cut a deal reagarding the lease out of Croke park for soccer and rugby , just wondering what would be the equivalent of the east stand also have they put seats on Hill 16 yet . Being from Sligo I haven't hade much reason to go to Croke park , also what are the acoustics like and would it be an intimidating venue.

Hope it works out. Can't wait to hear 'Up Ireland' ringing 'round the place

**Peadar** · 20/12/2004, 3:16 PM

Originally Posted by londonred

have they put seats on Hill 16 yet.

Hill 16 is a terrace and they've no plans to seat it as far as I know.
Certainly weren't any seats on it Friday 2 weeks ago.

**roboyle** · 21/12/2004, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by londonred

Being from Sligo I haven't hade much reason to go to Croke park , also what are the acoustics like and would it be an intimidating venue.

Sligo have been in Croker a few times in the last few years - beat Tyrone there two years ago, then lost the Tommy Murphy Cup final (the 'B' championship) back in August...

**liam88** · 21/12/2004, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by Peadar

Hill 16 is a terrace and they've no plans to seat it as far as I know.
Certainly weren't any seats on it Friday 2 weeks ago.

Terraces arn't allowed in international football are they? Would this mean closing off Hill 16?
Never having been there myself but can imagine it to be very intimidating!
What's the capacity?

**cullenswood** · 21/12/2004, 11:39 AM

Capacity is 80,000 but that includes the Terrace. Dunno how much Hill 16 holds. Would bucket seats be allowed seeing as it would only be in a temporary capacity until LR is refurbished?

**fosterdollar** · 21/12/2004, 11:51 AM

sure they're using bucket seats in LR as it is aren't they?

**cullenswood** · 21/12/2004, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by Magoo

sure they're using bucket seats in LR as it is aren't they?

Because of a special dispensation that UEFA dont like giving.

**Macy** · 21/12/2004, 12:04 PM

Been there once (it's okay I burned the shoes I was wearing afterwards

) and gotta say I don't think the atmosphere would be that great in there. There's quite a shallow gradient in the lower teir so you're quite far from the action, plus the roof is so high it might as well be uncovered with regard to directing any singing out to the pitch.

**Peadar** · 21/12/2004, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by cullenswood

Capacity is 80,000 but that includes the Terrace.

When Hill 16 is finished the total capacity, including the terrace, will be 82,500.

Originally Posted by cullenswood

Would bucket seats be allowed seeing as it would only be in a temporary capacity until LR is refurbished?

The new Hill 16 is very steep so I'm not sure how usable the conventional type bucket seats currently used in Lansdowne Road would be.
I think a new solution would be required.

**Don Vito** · 21/12/2004, 2:18 PM

Anyone who says there's no atmosphere in Croker is talkin crap, it mite be a different type of atmosphere to soccer but it can still be amazing all the same. I've been to loads of games where the hair was really standing on the back of my neck, Cork/Wexford All-Ireland Semi Final this year is an example, the build up before the throw in and the colur was somthing I'll never forget, even my neutral friends at the game couldn't believe how good it was. Game turned out to crap, I'll admit that. The only atmosphere that has come close for me was the Stade de France in October.

**Pablo** · 21/12/2004, 2:46 PM

it all goes to a vote at GAA Congress in the new year. one way or another it will be decised long before Franca and Switzerland come to town

**Eirambler** · 21/12/2004, 3:29 PM

The atmosphere at Croke Park for GAA matches is excellent, but I don't think it would be so good for soccer. The pitch at Croke Park is nearly twice as long and twice as wide as a soccer pitch, so the supporters would be miles away from the pitch.

They wouldn't be allowed to put in temporary seating so the hill would just be empty. It holds about 8,000 people so that would leave the capacity at 74,000. I don't think 74,000 people would come to watch most of the games, only the really big ones, so the atmosphere would probably be poor enough most of the time.

**onenilgameover** · 21/12/2004, 10:16 PM

The atmosphere in Croker for GAA matches is moving...it really is...and I'm not a GAA fan at all...I don't reckon there could be a solution to Hill 16 but it would still be great to pack out the rest of the Ground for the French and The Swiss. We could get a campaign running from here to cover every part of Hill 16 with Flags Etc so it would look intimidating..The noise does seem to flow around the ground and go out through the vacant hill but hey what ya gonna do. It means that the capacity would jump a huge amount. It means that those fans who would dearly love to go but cant get tickets can go. ie meself on the block booking waiting list. We probably wont get offered the return tickets from the French and Swiss Associations cos there probably won't be any returned and if there are I imagine the FAI would give the few given back to a better class of people then those waitin for years on the list. Come on Croker!

**dublinred** · 23/12/2004, 8:56 AM

Originally Posted by Conor74

Your friend either has a crystal ball or a lot of GAA delegates at the end of a phone, because there's the small matter of having to vote for a change in the rulebooks before any deal cutting.

But apart from that Croke Pk only has an okay atmosphere, and crap compared to most football stadia.

Word on the street is the GAA is in serious money trouble from the top all the way down to the junior club level. Serious money has flowed out of the clubs to managers expenses , fitness coaches , team bonding weekends etc. as they have become virtually professional with the exception of offical players wages.

The govt are to table a deal worth circa 35m yoyos with a condition they can lease Croke Park from the GAA while lansdowne is been develeped , in addition the GAA will charge substanial rent for each game. One by one the county boards are voting for the opening of Croke park.

**Pablo** · 23/12/2004, 2:13 PM

Originally Posted by londonred

Word on the street is the GAA is in serious money trouble from the top all the way down to the junior club level. Serious money has flowed out of the clubs to managers expenses , fitness coaches , team bonding weekends etc. as they have become virtually professional with the exception of offical players wages.

The govt are to table a deal worth circa 35m yoyos with a condition they can lease Croke Park from the GAA while lansdowne is been develeped , in addition the GAA will charge substanial rent for each game. One by one the county boards are voting for the opening of Croke park.

i would doubt the government will give the GAA more money. They handed over a condition free 60million grant only last month.......

The Gaa is cash rich. Only Croke Park stadium(which is a separate company) has a large debt and this will be the reason it is passed in congress.

Then the money the stadium generates in future will be put back into the game rather than to pay off the debt.
And renting the stadium out will do that sooner.

**Beavis** · 23/12/2004, 2:33 PM

Old hill capacity was around 9,000 and the new hill will have 14,500(now stretches entire Clonliffe Road end).

**gspain** · 23/12/2004, 3:00 PM

Originally Posted by londonred

Word on the street is the GAA is in serious money trouble from the top all the way down to the junior club level. Serious money has flowed out of the clubs to managers expenses , fitness coaches , team bonding weekends etc. as they have become virtually professional with the exception of offical players wages.

The govt are to table a deal worth circa 35m yoyos with a condition they can lease Croke Park from the GAA while lansdowne is been develeped , in addition the GAA will charge substanial rent for each game. One by one the county boards are voting for the opening of Croke park.

I think there is too much wistful thinking here.

I can't see the government handing over another wad of cash just to lease Croke Park. They may give more grants though. Heavy rent goes without saying.

The county boards are not lining up to support this. quite a few have and will - mainly Leinster, Roscommon and Kerry. However Frank Murphy will lead a vanguard and they'll bitterly oppose it. Limerick have already come out against. At least 5 of the 6 NI counties will vote en bloc against too.