Shels Stad move still on?!

**Buller** · 26/03/2005, 9:01 PM

I found this on my computer from a while back.. Are shels still goin ahead with this?!

14/12/2004 1:14 PM
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Shelbourne to sell Tolka Park in move to Donabate

Shelbourne FC is planning to sell off Tolka Park stadium in Drumcondra, North Dublin for EUR40m to developers and open an integrated facility in North County Dublin

SHELBOURNE FC is planning to sell off Tolka Park stadium in Drumcondra, North Dublin for EUR40m to developers.

This will allow it fund a top-of-the-range integrated sports campus in Donabate capable of holding up to 8,000 people.

The current Eircom National League champions have already held discussions with developers and with Dublin city councillors going back over 18 months about getting its Drumcondra power base rezoned as suitable for residential use.

At the same time, Shelbourne is in talks with Fingal Country Council about getting a greenfield site in Donabate rezoned to allow them fulfil their ambitious stadium plans that will also include a gym, junior soccers pitches and all-weather playing field.

The complexity of these negotiations, according to club chairman Finbarr Flood, means the club is unlikely to leave Drumcondra until at least three years' time.

"Our objective is to get all of our activities on to the one site," he said, adding the club currently uses five different locations to train and play matches.

Mr Flood said having everything on the one site would lead to major synergies both in terms of improving the quality of facilities available to its players and eliminating the EUR130,000 a year it currently costs it to rent pitches around North county Dublin.

The Shelbourne chairman stressed that any move would be subject to getting local councils' approval and was ultimately designed to allow the club to better compete in Europe.

The story first emerged in the Fingal Independent which quoted Senan Turbull, a senior Fingal County Council executive, as saying the move was "a great opportunity to have a premier team in Fingal".

It is understood the FAI has had no direct talks with Shelbourne.

However, they are expected to do so next year as part of major talks with all of the Eircom League teams about their structural development.

**Slash/ED** · 26/03/2005, 9:06 PM

Yeah it's still going ahead.

**thejollyrodger** · 26/03/2005, 9:27 PM

I would love to see some graphics of the new stadium

**Buller** · 27/03/2005, 11:32 AM

Yeah, someone on shels web said it will have two tiers and look something like this when its fully finished!!! Although thats very doubtful!!!

The two tiers would mean that the atmosphere would not be badly affected for eircom league games by closing the upper tiers when crowds are smaller. Then opening them for european matchs when the crowds come flocking in...

**Stevo Da Gull** · 27/03/2005, 4:52 PM

If thats really what it will look like it will be the best in the league by a long way(it's Elfsborgsstadium http://www.stadiumguide.com/borasarena.htm), followed by the Cross which should look brilliant after they have their improvements (cover the seats behind the goal and demolish the shed and replace it with 1500 all-seater stand).

**Slash/ED** · 27/03/2005, 4:56 PM

Originally Posted by Buller

Yeah, someone on shels web said it will have two tiers and look something like this when its fully finished!!! Although thats very doubtful!!!

The two tiers would mean that the atmosphere would not be badly affected for eircom league games by closing the upper tiers when crowds are smaller. Then opening them for european matchs when the crowds come flocking in...

It wont look like that at first, we're building a smaller one to begin with that can be 'easily expanded' into a 15-20,000 seater stadium later, so I'd assume when it first opens it'll be like that ground without the top tiers and then we'll look at adding them on. I agree two tiers is absolutley ideal, means we can play big European matches there with big crowds and not lose the atmosphere when the regular league games are on.

**CollegeTillIDie** · 27/03/2005, 5:00 PM

Without wishing to rain on anyone's parade.... I have one question.
If it is nigh on impossible to attract crowds to Tolka Park which is in Drumcondra and easily accessible from the City Centre and a lot of other points..... and I think over the years Home Farm and now Dublin City and Shelbourne have successfully proved that is impossible to attract crowds there on a consistent basis, despite the fact that it is the best stadium in Dublin......... why does anyone think that it will be easier to attract crowds to Donabate?

Having everything in the one site makes sense though and saving �130,000 a year in renting other facilities would go some way towards paying wages etc.

**Slash/ED** · 27/03/2005, 5:07 PM

Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie

Without wishing to rain on anyone's parade.... I have one question.
If it is nigh on impossible to attract crowds to Tolka Park which is in Drumcondra and easily accessible from the City Centre and a lot of other points..... and I think over the years Home Farm and now Dublin City and Shelbourne have successfully proved that is impossible to attract crowds there on a consistent basis, despite the fact that it is the best stadium in Dublin......... why does anyone think that it will be easier to attract crowds to Donabate?

Having everything in the one site makes sense though and saving �130,000 a year in renting other facilities would go some way towards paying wages etc.

It's as high as 300,000 a year.

I agree with you about the location, it's not good, the plan is that that area is planned for massive expansion with thousands and thousands of houses supposed to be going into the area, so we'll establish ourselves as part of the growing community and get support from the local residents on top of what we already have, which was never going to happen in Drumcondra. Short term it wont help crowds at all and seems like a strange move but long term it could ultimately pay off big time, it's a risk and we'll see how it goes, but opinion on if it's a good idea or not is 50/50 atm, if anything the majority are against it.

The club will really have to run buses from the city centre and maybe Drumcondra to help get people out to it because there's little to no public transport in the area so if they don't people will struggle just to get there.

**BobtheDrog** · 27/03/2005, 6:37 PM

Originally Posted by Slash/ED

It wont look like that at first, we're building a smaller one to begin with that can be 'easily expanded' into a 15-20,000 seater stadium later, so I'd assume when it first opens it'll be like that ground without the top tiers and then we'll look at adding them on. I agree two tiers is absolutley ideal, means we can play big European matches there with big crowds and not lose the atmosphere when the regular league games are on.

sounds very similar to the drogs new stadium, we're also apparently planning on putting in seats on wheels so that they can be easily removed

**Buller** · 27/03/2005, 7:45 PM

Originally Posted by BobtheDrog

sounds very similar to the drogs new stadium, we're also apparently planning on putting in seats on wheels so that they can be easily removed

At least the drogs new stadium will HAVE seats!!

**CollegeTillIDie** · 27/03/2005, 8:21 PM

Originally Posted by Slash/ED

It's as high as 300,000 a year.

I agree with you about the location, it's not good, the plan is that that area is planned for massive expansion with thousands and thousands of houses supposed to be going into the area, so we'll establish ourselves as part of the growing community and get support from the local residents on top of what we already have, which was never going to happen in Drumcondra. Short term it wont help crowds at all and seems like a strange move but long term it could ultimately pay off big time, it's a risk and we'll see how it goes, but opinion on if it's a good idea or not is 50/50 atm, if anything the majority are against it.

The club will really have to run buses from the city centre and maybe Drumcondra to help get people out to it because there's little to no public transport in the area so if they don't people will struggle just to get there.

Yes but you will still be facing the same problem lazy jackeens who cannot be arsed to commit themselves to supporting a football team every fortnight will be living in Donabate then ... some are there already!

**thejollyrodger** · 27/03/2005, 8:24 PM

I seen that stadium before. It looks great and would really suit the Eircom League. If anyone takes a look at the attendence figures they will see a big jump from last year. Thanks to the TV deal probably and Shels good run last year which raised the profile.

So if clubs keep doing well in Europe no doubt the crowds will increase. As long as they keep improving the league etc.

Im in favour of the new stadium out in Donabate. its going to be awkward for anyone living in the city at the start but Shels really need a long term home. Somewhere were they can properly develop a football club alongside a growing population.

�300,000 savings each year is not to be sneezed at. Personally I think the government should be invovled to build the extra tiers on the proposed stadium. Or give some kind of finanical help. The league really need stadia like this if they want to raise the profile and attrack supporters.

**A face** · 27/03/2005, 8:33 PM

Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie

Yes but you will still be facing the same problem lazy jackeens who cannot be arsed to commit themselves to supporting a football team every fortnight will be living in Donabate then ... some are there already!

To be fair i think every club suffers from this laziness from the general public ..... just more evident/highlighted more often/not actually true with Shels.

If the current market that Shels are trying to appeal to are not interested ... then target the schools etc. and work on the crowds that way. And to be honest ...... are Shels even advertising properly ? are any dub clubs advertising properly ? are any clubs advertising properly ?

**Slash/ED** · 27/03/2005, 8:38 PM

Originally Posted by A face

To be fair i think every club suffers from this laziness from the general public ..... just more evident/highlighted more often/not actually true with Shels.

If the current market that Shels are trying to appeal to are not interested ... then target the schools etc. and work on the crowds that way. And to be honest ...... are Shels even advertising properly ? are any dub clubs advertising properly ? are any clubs advertising properly ?

Shels put posters up around Dublin with upcoming fixtures on it.

**A face** · 27/03/2005, 8:42 PM

Originally Posted by Slash/ED

Shels put posters up around Dublin with upcoming fixtures on it.

Thats not enough !!

**higgins** · 28/03/2005, 9:34 AM

That stadium was mentioned on the site as a good example of what we should be looking at. However the new stadium is only set to have 7,000 seats and is based on the rushden and diamonds stadium ??

There will not be two tiers and im not sure what they mean by saying it can be 'easily' expanded

Its not very often we get a crowd of 7,000 and Im sure the crowds will drop for a time when we move at first but Id prefer to at least keep the 10,000 capacity that we have at the moment. Im probably being blindly optimistic but Id hate to see Shels become popular and only have 7,000 seats

**dougdub** · 28/03/2005, 10:41 AM

I live in Donabate and I cant imagine a big interest in Shelbourne in the Donabate Portrane area. At the moment there's only a population of around 4,000 in the immediate area. For instance there's no direct bus from the city,and the railway station is at least 2 miles from the site.

I think if they were in Donabate they'd be looking at moving more centrally to Drumcondra ! Step backwards I think !

I know I'll only be nipping in when the Bohs are in town if they do move!

**higgins** · 28/03/2005, 3:06 PM

Its not in Donabate Dougdub. Its a site in Lissenhall and I believe its roughly the same distance from Swords centre as to Donabate. There is more then 4,000 living within a few km radius so the numbers are there to at least continue with the crowds we get at the moment.

will it help crowds?? who knows. Tolka for whatever reason doesnt seem to get us anywhere and staying in Tolka will never let shels grow past a small stadium. Im sure a site closer to town is preferred but the cost is against us and we have to move away from town.

There is no Direct bus from Town but there are buses to Swords and trains to Donabate. There seems to be a bus linking Donabate to Swords that runs through and stops in Lissenhall. Have you ever used this service or could you not really call it a service

**like a badger** · 28/03/2005, 4:33 PM

Lissenhall is even worse than Donabate, at least people live in Donabate, the M1 is the only resident in Lissenhall. Good man Ollie, move to a motorway...........

**higgins** · 28/03/2005, 5:12 PM

Yes that does seem to be true ....

You dont have to live beside a ground to become a fan. The current fans of shels will probably travel longer distance then someone going from swords to Lissenhall. I dont think distance or whats around the ground will matter.

Its access to the site thats crucial, and on that issue we have yet to hear any decent plan from Ollie and Co.?? Probably means there is no plan but I'll remain optmistic until its further down the line.