3 Questions

[Patrick Dunne]

I wouldnt call Terryland soulless. Nothing wrong with being family friendly either. As an Eircom League supporter, Rathbane is one of the most unappealing grounds to visit in the EL, even though the genuine supporters of Limerick FC are always friendly.

[JohnD]

If all the People who went to Landsdowne last Sat are "nescafe Munster rugby set" then We must drink a lot of Coffee in Limerick.

Munster Rugby is the most demographically even spread supported Sports team in the World. People from all walks of Life support their team.

Rathbane and its' Surrounding areas is a Sh**thole no other words to describe a place where you and your car are very likey to get done at any time. I agree with 4th to the fllor completely We will never be a success crowd wise and hence on the field until we move to greenfield site in an areas of town where People are not afraid to come to a match which is played in a dump. As for Terryland it's a a damn site nicer ground than RATbane !!

[Lim till i die]

I wouldnt call Terryland soulless. Nothing wrong with being family friendly either. As an Eircom League supporter, Rathbane is one of the most unappealing grounds to visit in the EL, even though the genuine supporters of Limerick FC are always friendly.

I was waitin to see who would be first to pick up on it, fair play

I absolutely despise Terryland to be honest man, it's so dead and well... am, souless, I honestly can't think of a better word I'm afraid.

Wouldn't be against a family enclosure in any ground as long as it doesn't take up too much room....

As for it being unappealing for away fans and teams, well, no offence, but thats sort of my point

Also, thanks for your kind words about our support

[osarusan]

I think that one of the problems is Rathbane is unappealing to home fans as well as away.

Being unappealing to away fans because of the intimidating atmosphere and lage partisan following is great, but when even home fans feel in physical danger in and around the ground, that is going too far.

The reason away fans dont want to visit is not that they fear a drubbing by our players, but by some of the locals.

[osarusan]

And also, 12 euros is scandalous.

Even here in Japan, the most expensive country in the world, I can watch a professional J-League match for around 15 euros.

12 euros could turn out to be a false economy.

[CraftyToePoke]

I think that one of the problems is Rathbane is unappealing to home fans as well as away.

Being unappealing to away fans because of the intimidating atmosphere and lage partisan following is great, but when even home fans feel in physical danger in and around the ground, that is going too far.

The reason away fans dont want to visit is not that they fear a drubbing by our players, but by some of the locals.

i would go along with that,by and large, although i live in england i do get home to see 2 or 3 games per season and as much as i look forward to seeing us play, i find myself wishing it wasnt at rathbane,my father makes most home games and will continue to do so despite his car being vandailsed last season but he does concede it does lessen his enjoyment of the game, constantly worrying about his car being safe.

I also know several of my friends who still live in limerick county, would like to go along and give L.O.I. soccer a chance but simply wont bring children and park a car in that area of town,and i cant really blame them.

i once brought my girlfriend from england to a game and i know she didnt feel safe,and as a consequence didnt really enjoy the game, the same woman has a season ticket at leicester city and will happily travel all over england with them.

as L.T.I.D. says, we cant isolate the core support, and i understend that, but if rathbane is to be developed to the extent required to make it appealing to all, it will take some doing, so maybe in these circumstances a green field site and a final solution to the problem is the better option long term for senior football in limerick.

[Westside]

Looking for alternative site in or around Limerick City will be near next to impossible, any land on the outskirts of Limerick that becomes available will be snapped up by a developer or would be outbid be one anyway. Rathbane in its current state is not ideal, but looking at the recent developments in the last 6 months (ie.hotel being built opposite & apartments supposed to be built in that area to the left on the way into the ground) I would imagine the whole area being cleaned up in the future. Example who would have thought 20 years ago that the Dock Road area would have hotels(Clarion),restaurants and modern uppie stlye apartments. It was a ****hole in the eighties, and lookat it now.
Question to Gael (as he seems to be the only guy on here in the know) has DD looked into trying to get that area where Roxboro swimming pool was from the council. It would make a perfect carpark as it is a big wide open space, and it wouldn't take much to put an entrance in from that side of the ground. It would be ideal for supporters from the county who wouldn't need to drive through the city, may also be more secure. Just a thought..............

[4tothefloor]

It would make a perfect carpark as it is a big wide open space, and it wouldn't take much to put an entrance in from that side of the ground. It would be ideal for supporters from the county who wouldn't need to drive through the city, may also be more secure. Just a thought..............

The ONLY solution really if Limerick are to stay at Hogan Park. The entrance to the ground has to be changed to the county side longterm. That would eradicate the need to

• Go anywhere near the city side
• Having to park in dodgy areas away from the ground
• Having to walk a distance to the ground in dodgy areas
• Just the feeling of intimidation that the sh!thole entrance gives would be gone

If we are to build a stand in the future it'd be better on that side anyway, if only for the simple reason that things keep getting vandalised/stolen/broken in to on the side that we currently enter through. Remember the merchandise robbery last season? Having said all that, Rathbane will never work IMO. It's a dead duck, a hole and will only continue to turn fans off. Unless Drew buys up land around the ground, ring fences it, builds a huge trench all the way around and finishes the whole thing off with barbed wire and hi-tech security, it's a waste of money. And by then with the cost he'd be half way to owning a greenfield site anyway.....

[guvnor]

Been to a few games when i got a chance at H.P last season and saw potential for a big success with the increase in the number of fans etc. However, I agree with all the arguments that for the only way for LFC to push forward is to move away from the existing site. Not just because of the so called area but the ground itself leaves alot to be desired even after minimal development. My question is - when Limerick were playing up at Pike the previous year what was the average attendance? Did it attract the numbers people expect for a different location?? Especially "a safer location!" It is a pity the club is not able to develop a link with either UL or LIT to use either facility and develop it into a top level facility for an eircom lge club. Perhaps like UCD??

[LFC in Exile]

I find the arguments for a greenfield site very strange indeed. Where would the club get a greenfield site? Even if money was not a problem, we are talking about somewhere outside of town. Then the shouts would all be about how far it is away from the city, and the problems of having to drive to the ground. And if we have the success we want and get 4,000 or 5,000 fans regularly and they all arrive in cars - well, talk about logistical nightmares.

Hogan Park imo has potential. The comments about being intimidated etc are well over the top. I have never once felt intimidated by anybody on my way to or from or within Hogan Park. The area around it is wasteland - or 'room to expand' if we want to look at it that way. Thankfully my car has never been interfered with (its not much of a car) and I can appreciate how frustrating that must be - but ask fans of Cork City, Bohs, Waterford, Shels, Galway etc if cars have been broken into while at matches.

I can see the point of moving access away from its current location - only for cosmetic purposes. There is a lot of hyperbole in this thread. Hogan Park is not as threatening a place as it has been protrayed and I think it is very unfair to residents of the area to suggest that fans "fear a drubbing by some of the locals", "didnt feel safe" or "are very (sic) likey to get done at any time". This has definitely not been my experience.

Whether the ground looks nice is another issue and one I wouldn't argue with but lets not get carried away.

[Lim till i die]

If all the People who went to Landsdowne last Sat are "nescafe Munster rugby set" then We must drink a lot of Coffee in Limerick.

Munster Rugby is the most demographically even spread supported Sports team in the World. People from all walks of Life support their team.

Rathbane and its' Surrounding areas is a Sh**thole no other words to describe a place where you and your car are very likey to get done at any time.

Hook, line and the Inevitable

John if your going to deny there's an element of that kind of support following Munster, fine, thats your perogative. You'd be wrong though.......

You'll notice I didn't tar all munster fans with that brush but hey, why let it get in the way of a rant??

Most demographically even spread... Are you sure??

"You and your car are very likely to get done" Very Likely??? That's nonsense in fairness man.

[Lim till i die]

I find the arguments for a greenfield site very strange indeed. Where would the club get a greenfield site? Even if money was not a problem, we are talking about somewhere outside of town. Then the shouts would all be about how far it is away from the city, and the problems of having to drive to the ground. And if we have the success we want and get 4,000 or 5,000 fans regularly and they all arrive in cars - well, talk about logistical nightmares.

Hogan Park imo has potential. The comments about being intimidated etc are well over the top. I have never once felt intimidated by anybody on my way to or from or within Hogan Park. The area around it is wasteland - or 'room to expand' if we want to look at it that way. Thankfully my car has never been interfered with (its not much of a car) and I can appreciate how frustrating that must be - but ask fans of Cork City, Bohs, Waterford, Shels, Galway etc if cars have been broken into while at matches.

I can see the point of moving access away from its current location - only for cosmetic purposes. There is a lot of hyperbole in this thread. Hogan Park is not as threatening a place as it has been protrayed and I think it is very unfair to residents of the area to suggest that fans "fear a drubbing by some of the locals", "didnt feel safe" or "are very (sic) likey to get done at any time". This has definitely not been my experience.

Whether the ground looks nice is another issue and one I wouldn't argue with but lets not get carried away.

Excellent post, took the liberty of enboldening the bit I liked most

As for being unappealing to home fans I take the point the grounds not great but I can remember thousands in Rathbane, over a thousand a couple of times last season. If the teams playing well people will apparently risk their cars and indeed theirs lives to come out and support them

[JohnD]

FYI : rant (rănt)

v., rant·ed, rant·ing, rants.

v.intr.
To speak or write in a angry or violent manner; rave.

v.tr.
To utter or express with violence or extravagance: a dictator who ranted his vitriol onto a captive audience.

n.
Violent or extravagant speech or writing.
A speech or piece of writing that incites anger or violence: “The vast majority [of teenagers logged onto the Internet] did not encounter recipes for pipe bombs or deranged rants about white supremacy” (Daniel Okrent).
Chiefly British. Wild or uproarious merriment.
[Probably from obsolete Dutch ranten.]

I dont think my description of facts, which apparantly is shared by otheres on this board, fits into the Dictionary definition of the word RANT.
Rathbane and other areas aaround it have been the victim of bad Local government planning in the 50's but it does not still take from the fact that it is a DUMP. Cars,Club, were broken into last season on many occasions.I agree about the Car Park in the old Swimming pool area. This would help things but still think we will would be better off out of it. Oh and while we are on the subject of Rants.

...Sack the Butcher !!!

[LFC in Exile]

Reminds of the joke about the guy who parked his car in Rathbane and asked a young fella nearby whether his car would be there when he got back. The young fella said "You can park it anywhere in Limerick and it will be there when you get back".

In fairness whether something is a rant or not is irrelevant. Talk about a straw man argument.

Cars are broken into at football matches everywhere. Is tehre any info about the number of cars affected? I heard about cars being broken into during rugby matches and Gaelic matches in Limerick. Mayorstone is obviously a hole as well. It happens because those that break into cars are opportunists and know that people parked near matches are likely to be away from their cars for 70 to 90 minutes at least.

The club was broken into once last season afaik. Hardly a crime spree. How often are shops down town broken into? When the pub was in operation how often was it broken into. And we know its demise was not at the hands of "locals".

There will be very little argument about the lack of facilities and terrible state of the ground - but lets not exaggerate (1 : to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth : OVERSTATE "a friend exaggerates a man's virtues" -- Joseph Addison;
2 : to enlarge or increase especially beyond the normal) problems that are not really there.

But even on my first point - what is the option?

[gaidin]

I went to a lot of home games last year and will prob go this year although not happy with the 12euro entrance fee. But I have never felt threatened or uneasy going to the pitch. I always drive up and I am a little weary of parking up there.I normally leave the car across the road by the petrol station. But so far I have had no problems. I dont think the area is as threatening as some are making out.

[4tothefloor]

The club was broken into once last season afaik. Hardly a crime spree. How often are shops down town broken into?

1. The club shop was broken in to and robbed
2. The ticket huts outside the ground were vandalised - thus the concrete ticket huts/holes this season
3. Cars were vandalised and robbed during games last year.

Already this season:
1. Scumbags sniffing around the ground and threathening to vandalise it unless.....
2. Players dressing room robbery foiled during first game of the season

And it's not going to get any better. If you go back to our last stint at Rathbane the club had the same problems with vandalism, break-ins, even arson attacks.

The club needs an official car park for an area like Rathbane. Cars being vandalised is not hyperbole, it's a fact! Relocating the entrance wouldn't be just a cosmetic move either. If you relocated the main entrance to the county side of the ground, car parks could be developed here at this side and maybe around the back of the shed end. It could be made mandatory that all cars enter by this side, and there would be no problems with traffic as there is motorway access to the county and Dooradoyle etc from this side. Don't under-estimate value of peace of mind for car owning supporters, especially when you own a nice car. Personally, I take the radio, cd's and anything valuable out of the car before I head to home games. Yet you still can't fully relax at the games because there is no peace of mind in parking the car at Roxboro S.C. etc. That's what turns the floating supporter off of going to games. Rathbane is a turn off, simple as that.

Regarding the wasteland around the ground, it'd be great if someone bought it and developed it for commercial/industrial purposes. Hopefully some small retail park or shopping mall could be built there. If Drew bought it there isn't a lot he could do with the land entering the ground, unless he went for training facilities or something along those lines.

I still think suggesting sharing Thomand Park is the best option. The ground is/will be ready made and there's little rugby there during the summer soccer season. Parking nearby in LIT. And the money we'd save could be used to buy quality players and build up the club to a strong financial position. Nice ground too!

[LFC in Exile]

And the money we'd save could be used to buy quality players and build up the club to a strong financial position. Nice ground too!

What money would we save by paying rent to the Munster Branch for a 26,000 seater stadium?

Also, I agree that the cars issue might be a big one - the thing is I don't know and there is a big problem here with exaggeration. Cars are also broken into in Ballynanty and Killeely during Munster matches. Remember Limerick will be playing at night too. Parking in LIT - think for a second. LIT are going to allow people to use their facilities for car parking - there are no insurance issues for them - they'll just stump up.

Thomond Park is not a runner. We need our own ground. Whether or not that is Hogan Park is for debate absolutely - but what kind of a future do we have forking out for Thomond Park?

Also, there are other things raised in your post that again make me question whether this is just exaggeration. Like the arson attacks - afaik the arson attack that destroyed the clubhouse was not the actions of local disaffected youth. Of course there will be break-ins - but this is part of doing business. And my point was to keep things in perspective. Nobody believes that Thomond Park is intimidating even if it was the target for the most high profile vandal attack in recent years.

[Lim till i die]

Rathbane and other areas aaround it have been the victim of bad Local government planning in the 50's but it does not still take from the fact that it is a DUMP.

Ya the ignorance of folk not from around there who assume "You and your car are very likely to get done at any time" while in the area doesn't really help matters either......

BTW John how likely do you class as "Very Likely"?? Say our average attendance last year was 600....

Is a 50% chance very likely which would mean 300 people "getting done" at every game??

25% would mean 150 people "getting done", is that classed as very likely??

10% would mean 60 people "getting done" at every game, is that very likely??

1% would mean 6 people "getting done", how about that??

Feel like retracting your ridiculous slur on the area in which I was born and raised yet??

I do of course bow like the prole I'm sure you feel I am before your patently superior grasp of the English language Never went to school much you see I was too busy out "doing people" and their cars.....

[JohnD]

No !!!

Fact is as Sec of the SC last year I had dealings with people whose cars were broken into whilst at the match

stats are great things all the same

[Brucie]

I think you protest too much "Lim till I Die" !!!

All the lads have benn saying is True We will never get massive crowds there :

Parking brutal and yes, not Secure
Poor entrance to ground - dark and threatening
Awful facilities

need i Go on for more