I was checking FAI App earlier, that is some swing by Dundalk in terms of attendances for the last 2 home games, and with respect same modest away support of probably 15 or so for each game.
UCD - 26 Sept - 1,607
FH - 10 Oct - 3,356
An increase of 1,749 and shows there is the backing of the locals when it matters, overall though the FD can be a very 'hard sell' and a hard watch to be frank, so hopefully we can get 6-7 new players in and keep away from it for a long time !
Last edited by oriel; 12/10/2025 at 7:47 PM.
#DundalkFC - First Irish club to win an away game in Europe (1963), only Irish club to win a game / points in Europa League Group Stage (2016).
Yes it shows there is the backing of the locals when it matters, all the bandwagon fans come out on the day that matters!Originally Posted by oriel
Unfortunately the FD is just not attractive, very limited away fans attending this season, some cases 10 or less wouldn't have helped.
It was still great to see so many kids and families at the FH game last friday, hopefully they will all be back for the PD season, and even basic improvements can be done to the ground over the winter.
#DundalkFC - First Irish club to win an away game in Europe (1963), only Irish club to win a game / points in Europa League Group Stage (2016).
Well done to Dundalk and I am really glad for the fans having Premier games to attend next season. The only regret is the unfortunate away fans that will have to put up with the very poor state of Oriel Park!
Any chance we might see some basic improvements like some covered terracing!
Who knew that Finn Harps were such a draw.
Eh you do know its no palace for home fans either?
But you accept it as nothing as been invested in the ground over the years, especially during the recent glory years of Kenny!
The Kenny glory years was 10 yrs ago.
Most of the clubs in the league have moved on significantly since then
It's up to Dundalk,it's owner's and most importantly supporters if they want to join the rest of us in the Premier Division and stay there/become successful again.
Nr637 the Dundalk fans on here have acknowledged on here numerous times that Oriel is not fit for purpose. Needs serious investment like most grounds in both divisions.
I would stake promotion on there being more spent on Oriel over recent times than St Colemans or a bunch or other antiquated grounds in the league. Firstly Oriel Park passes Premier Division and UEFA (early rounds) licencing albeit currently the pitch needs replacing. So maybe the FAI via licencing need to step up on this. Off the top of the head, new roof on stand and refurbishment to meet H+S requirements was done and exterior was recladded, shed was demolished and rebuilt, YDC built, S+C facilities done, video analysis rooms, team canteen/catering rooms, media rooms, surfacing of concourse/ entry to Oriel, rewiring, water/wastewater upgrades, multiple iterations of the pitch, 'the puddle' fixed at huge cost etc. An old ground sucks up money and barely touching front of house or spectator facilities. Do you hold back and just maintain an old ground to a minimum or do you spend money on something you hope to demolish and do a new build on? Of course if money is witheld on what would amount to cosmetic work youd hope that money is put aside to help fund poper redevelopment i due course hmmmm. It is a kip, its our kip so loved warts and all by us. We know what it is for away fans AND home fans bar maybe those who sit in the stand.
Id love a Turners Cross, ED Park, or smaller Tallaght Stadium but without local authority and/or football association support, going it alone is more likely to end up with a Shamrock Rovers/ Finn Harps situation. This is where Sligo Rovers stand out as an exceptional club, I wish I could say that would have been the course possible on ground improvements. Its not just LoI that run in to issues with public funding not being full and complete of course, Louth GAA have millions allocated in grants for the County Ground since 2018 and its still a building site with funding and inflationary issues. Casement Park! Even Derry City with public funding have been battling for money allotted to the Brandywell. I will take Oriel as it is until such time as we are unlikely to have a half bult stand on our hands like Rovers did and Harps do. I think people underestimate the sort of costs involved, the quagmire that the process can be. I doubt that covering the seated terraces in Oriel Park with slightly fancy farmyard type 3 sided barns would have been cost prohibitive but I do reckon that that planning issues raise their heads making it not so straight forward. Many of our grounds recieve planning type exemptions due to age, touch the place and those exemptions can be on the table. An example for Oriel Park would be traffic management, never mind the opportunity for neighbouring residents to pop their heads above the parapet. Its a long winded way of saying i wish it was as easy as having money nr, or simply thinking oh they got x money from Europe (which was a lot smaller than reported which is always gross figures not including things like charter flights to flipping Euraisa that aint Ryanair cheap or player demands). What club has circa €30mil to go to a greenfield site. Id rather Oriel than Athlone tbh. Drogheda will probably have one stand in a new ground realistically and I know many that would rather stay in United Park until there is at least a 2nd side covered terracing in the mix.
Well the last league title was 6 years ago, same as the first of Rovers 4 in a row now, last cup 5 years so while the Kenny era moves in to the distance, success isnt so far removed. While I know the Kenny era as something ye want to wipe from memory as soon as possible and hence you have moved on 24 hours after his last title but there is a wee bit after too. Europe 2 years ago. It shows the remarkabe mismanagement for whatever reasons and rapid decline. The folly of fans callin for billionaire owners to leave without a whole lot in place to come after. With the value of hindsight of course. Rovers 4 in a row foundations were built on Dundalk dismantling a title winning squad in favour of the Zahibos, Abibis, and Natestads - maybe Bill and Jim were Rovers agents taking down opposition from the inside! Its a more reasonable conspiracy than most of the ones floating about the internet
Its is now up to Dundalk fans and owners to make something of this promotion. Id like to think it would start with various supporters groups aligning, 3300 fans regularly truning up to games rather than a last home game of the season with half that prior, even season ticket purchases. Owner being willing to take on investment or partnerships. I dont think any club can reasonably expect to thrive within the simple means of matchnight revenue, sponsorship etc. Some form of subsidising (preferably not an overdraft) or benefactor is needed, players sales help short term but could dry up. With Dundalk eg. money gained that could go in to a squad will have to be directed at drawing down grants for pitch and floodlight so to the tune of about 500k this year. Do we have that even? I would suggest all involved in playoffs prepare applications for Premier Division licences!!
Last edited by Nesta99; 16/10/2025 at 12:57 PM.
I would stake promotion on there being more spent on Oriel over recent times than St Colemans or a bunch or other antiquated grounds in the league. Firstly Oriel Park passes Premier Division and UEFA (early rounds) licencing albeit currently the pitch needs replacing. So maybe the FAI via licencing need to step up on this. Off the top of the head, new roof on stand and refurbishment to meet H+S requirements was done and exterior was recladded, shed was demolished and rebuilt, YDC built, S+C facilities done, video analysis rooms, team canteen/catering rooms, media rooms, surfacing of concourse/ entry to Oriel, rewiring, water/wastewater upgrades, multiple iterations of the pitch, 'the puddle' fixed at huge cost etc. An old ground sucks up money and barely touching front of house or spectator facilities. Do you hold back and just maintain an old ground to a minimum or do you spend money on something you hope to demolish and do a new build on? Of course if money is witheld on what would amount to cosmetic work youd hope that money is put aside to help fund poper redevelopment i due course hmmmm. It is a kip, its our kip so loved warts and all by us. We know what it is for away fans AND home fans bar maybe those who sit in the stand.
Id love a Turners Cross, ED Park, or smaller Tallaght Stadium but without local authority and/or football association support, going it alone is more likely to end up with a Shamrock Rovers/ Finn Harps situation. This is where Sligo Rovers stand out as an exceptional club, I wish I could say that would have been the course possible on ground improvements. Its not just LoI that run in to issues with public funding not being full and complete of course, Louth GAA have millions allocated in grants for the County Ground since 2018 and its still a building site with funding and inflationary issues. Casement Park! Even Derry City with public funding have been battling for money allotted to the Brandywell. I will take Oriel as it is until such time as we are unlikely to have a half bult stand on our hands like Rovers did and Harps do. I think people underestimate the sort of costs involved, the quagmire that the process can be. I doubt that covering the seated terraces in Oriel Park with slightly fancy farmyard type 3 sided barns would have been cost prohibitive but I do reckon that that planning issues raise their heads making it not so straight forward. Many of our grounds recieve planning type exemptions due to age, touch the place and those exemptions can be on the table. An example for Oriel Park would be traffic management, never mind the opportunity for neighbouring residents to pop their heads above the parapet. Its a long winded way of saying i wish it was as easy as having money nr, or simply thinking oh they got x money from Europe (which was a lot smaller than reported which is always gross figures not including things like charter flights to flipping Euraisa that aint Ryanair cheap or player demands). What club has circa €30mil to go to a greenfield site. Id rather Oriel than Athlone tbh. Drogheda will probably have one stand in a new ground realistically and I know many that would rather stay in United Park until there is at least a 2nd side covered terracing in the mix.
Well the last league title was 6 years ago, same as the first of Rovers 4 in a row now, last cup 5 years so while the Kenny era moves in to the distance, success isnt so far removed. While I know the Kenny era as something ye want to wipe from memory as soon as possible and hence you have moved on 24 hours after his last title but there is a wee bit after too. Europe 2 years ago. It shows the remarkabe mismanagement for whatever reasons and rapid decline. The folly of fans callin for billionaire owners to leave without a whole lot in place to come after. With the value of hindsight of course. Rovers 4 in a row foundations were built on Dundalk dismantling a title winning squad in favour of the Zahibos, Abibis, and Natestads - maybe Bill and Jim were Rovers agents taking down opposition from the inside! Its a more reasonable conspiracy than most of the ones floating about the internet
Its is now up to Dundalk fans and owners to make something of this promotion. Id like to think it would start with various supporters groups aligning, 3300 fans regularly truning up to games rather than a last home game of the season with half that prior, even season ticket purchases. Owner being willing to take on investment or partnerships. I dont think any club can reasonably expect to thrive within the simple means of matchnight revenue, sponsorship etc. Some form of subsidising (preferably not an overdraft) or benefactor is needed, players sales help short term but could dry up. With Dundalk eg. money gained that could go in to a squad will have to be directed at drawing down grants for pitch and floodlight so to the tune of about 500k this year. Do we have that even? I would suggest all involved in playoffs prepare applications for Premier Division licences!!
While I understand all the above, it just baffles me how clubs that had money and successful glory years never seem to do some basic modifications. Why have Dundalk for example, never added extra terracing to the town end to replace the grass bank for instance? And I am not saying now, but not even to consider it over the last 25 years!
Look at Finn Harps for ever seemingly struggling financially, but over the years were still able to add some additional terraced standing areas in the "Town End," the "River End," and the "Gantry Side," of their ground that provide better under footing for fans.
It's 20 years since the ground was concreted and the river end has been closed for the same length of time.While I understand all the above, it just baffles me how clubs that had money and successful glory years never seem to do some basic modifications. Why have Dundalk for example, never added extra terracing to the town end to replace the grass bank for instance? And I am not saying now, but not even to consider it over the last 25 years!
Look at Finn Harps for ever seemingly struggling financially, but over the years were still able to add some additional terraced standing areas in the "Town End," the "River End," and the "Gantry Side," of their ground that provide better under footing for fans.
Maybe, but the fact is that Finn Harps over the years were still able to fund some improvements which were some benefit to the fans attending, while the likes of Dundalk have for some reason carried on as if things are fine!
Eh did you miss the suff on refurbishing the stand, demolishing and rebuilding the shed, I should probably have added the instalation of seating. Could also add (re)opening of the McGuill Bar, extension/renovation of Lilywhite Lounge and opening of YDC to fans on matchnights. Yes these things are over a proracted time period but as Nigel has said that things in done in Finn Park were 20 years ago and are considered imrovements, to disregard work done in Oriel over a similar and more recent periods lacks balance.
Now if the argument was in relative terms of success=income that should have been used then I get your argument. I dont disagree and the vast majority of Dundalk fans wouldnt also.
The question on the grass bank behind the town goal has been asked plenty by fans and to the club. There is a mix of answers, do crowds justify additional capacity and the cost that goes with. The fact that adding a terrace potentially adds to official 'safe' capacity which brings in county fire officer and egress assessents and there is no way that currently that one side of Oriel Park can safely evacuate aditional people. It may involve planning and Ive outlined opening that can of worms. Im sure there are solutions if there is will to do so so on that I would agree that more should have been done or state why not. The fact that people stand on that bank doesnt meant that the bank is included in capacity calculations, other sections are not full as a resulr. If the bank is wet and slippy and someone lands on their aras and decide to sue, Im sure they'd have a case and that section of the ground would probably be closed. I happen to stand at the back wall behind that goal so it would bug me if it was closed. European games e.g. stewards are placed to prevent people from trying to stand in that area albelt more to do with being an unseated area, a terrace would still be closed on those occasions.
I wish something was done, if it was easy it would, there is a lot more to these things than meets the eye. An example of this would be what is now the away terrace. I cant recall exactly when that was done but Ill guess early 90s. It is a bank, a stable mound of muck formed that that then had concrete poured on it to form the terracing. foundation, reinfocing steel? I doubt it. Wouldnt at all be allowed today. It has been assessed as safe but apart from being uncovered, poor sightlines etc., build a basic covering and the entire structure has to be fully compliant with current regulations. Soooo solution, domolish it, leave it as a flat open extension of the Lilywhite Lounge and put away fans behind the goal in some kind of modular thing. Or ...maybe...use the Carrick end of the shed, preferably with the roof extended and move the home fans further down the shed toward the town goal with the roof also extended. Away fans enter and leave straight on and off busses behind the goal. It would reduce the away section capacity but if needs must. Or we leave things as they are until plans and grants are secured. My preference starting with extensions to each wing of the stand as was the original plans back in the 60s - yes it could be argued that Oriel Park is the longest LoI ground project so take that Finn Harps! Then convince Louth CoCo or Dundalk TC to facilitate road access off the Ardee Road and develop that side and behind the goals. Easy!
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