All Ireland Multi-Sports Groundsharing

**pete** · 26/03/2006, 5:35 PM

With all the current groundshare talk in the eL for DUblin clubs would it not make more sense for the state to invest in municipal stadiums around the country that could have anchor tenants & also rented out to other sports teams as needs arise? Size of thr stadiums might vary depending on the population centres...

Could have provincial rugby or eL sides as anchor tenants & also make grounds available to the GAA for bigger games. Lets face it a lot of county GAA grounds don't have great facilities & only get the bigger crowds in the summer.

Maybe force the GAA into municipal stadiums if they want extra funding similar to whats been done to some eL sides.

**dcfcsteve** · 26/03/2006, 6:07 PM

This is a sensible idea - particularly for such a small nation. Any sensibly run country would look at doing something similar.

However - this is Ireland. Things are done because they're politically expedient. There are power groups within sports (primarily the GAA) who want everything their own way. and we've a government that's minded to play along with their games and give it to them. Hence - the senible never, or at least rarely, happens.

We've never really been the home of 'doing the right thing'.

**Dr.Nightdub** · 26/03/2006, 6:36 PM

Not entirely sure about the real feasibility of that Pete - two main factors:

1. Different pitch size requirements. GAA minimum is 130 x 80 yards, UEFA-compliant football minmum is 110 x 70, that'd leave a fair amount of empty space around the football pitches. Not as bad as a full running track (a la RSC) but not as on-top-of-the-players as Richmond either.

2. Virtually impossible to have football matches on any surface after the rugger buggers have been let loose on it. There were complaints in this regard after the Ireland-Sweden game in Lansdown recently. Try cramming in matches in three codes per weekend and any groundsman on the planet would be on valium after a fortnight.

**pete** · 26/03/2006, 6:44 PM

Originally Posted by Dr.Nightdub

2. Virtually impossible to have football matches on any surface after the rugger buggers have been let loose on it. There were complaints in this regard after the Ireland-Sweden game in Lansdown recently. Try cramming in matches in three codes per weekend and any groundsman on the planet would be on valium after a fortnight.

I wasn't really suggesting 3 tenant clubs. Rugby & Football co-exist in the UK. I know pitch suffers but its still playable - the fact eL is summer based & most rugby in the winter would help too. Lansdowne is poor because surface is not good enough anyway.

GAA would only be feasable in osme counties which don't have large stadiums already e.g. Louth, Longford, Sligo etc...

I know there are geographic concerns but very surprised no mention of Leinster-Dub eL club share.

Cork City - Munster
Limerick - Munster
Athlone - Connacht
Galway United - Connacht
Longford Town - Longford GAA
Drogheda United - Louth GAA
Bray Wanderers - Wicklow GAA
Waterford United - Waterford GAA

I am not saying we need large stadiums now but an eL side will never play in 20k seated stadium of its own.

**dcfcsteve** · 26/03/2006, 6:45 PM

Originally Posted by Dr.Nightdub

Not entirely sure about the real feasibility of that Pete - two main factors:

1. Different pitch size requirements. GAA minimum is 130 x 80 yards, UEFA-compliant football minmum is 110 x 70, that'd leave a fair amount of empty space around the football pitches. Not as bad as a full running track (a la RSC) but not as on-top-of-the-players as Richmond either.

This isn't an issue at all ! So what if there would be a large chunk of green left spare around a football pitch. Is that any worse than an athletics track, or a greyhound track ? Is it much different than Ibrox, from the days when Rangers narrowed the pitch to the smallest possible dimension allowable under football rules in order to give themselves an advantage ??

Originally Posted by Dr Nightdub

2. Virtually impossible to have football matches on any surface after the rugger buggers have been let loose on it. There were complaints in this regard after the Ireland-Sweden game in Lansdown recently. Try cramming in matches in three codes per weekend and any groundsman on the planet would be on valium after a fortnight.

Firstly - not every stadiujm in such a plan would be used for all 3 footballing codes. What rugby team of any note is there in Longford ? Or Kilkenny ? Or Ballybofey ? Or Waterford ? Or.... - you get the idea.

Only in a small number of towns - Galway, Limerick, Cork, Dublin - would there be any scope for involving rugby i a shared stadium. And if both Reading and Wigan managed to win promotion to the English Premiership by playing on a rugby-shared pitch, then it should be good enough for any team in Ireland.

**Macy** · 27/03/2006, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Firstly - not every stadiujm in such a plan would be used for all 3 footballing codes. What rugby team of any note is there in Longford ? Or Kilkenny ? Or Ballybofey ? Or Waterford ? Or.... - you get the idea.

Longford does have a Rugby club (regularly used by Sligo GAA for training!). From the point of view of the clubs, no reason why there couldn't be sharing of facilities though - both main stadium and training.

I don't think sharing with the GAA would work, as even ignoring the fact that they can't be trusted (see Tallaght thread), in Longford there'd be too many games that they'd demand to be played in the county ground (all championship/qualifiers for starters).

**gspain** · 27/03/2006, 1:34 PM

It is the way to go in certain areas. Certainly Munster rugby is in dire need of a larger stadium. Football in Limerick is still a way to go but the potential is there. I'm old enough to remmeber when we had more fans at an away game in cork than the home side. Now we don't even get to play them in the league.

The likes of Longford, Athlone, Sligo, Dundalk, Drogheda, Athlone etc need to stay in their own towns. Hard to see an obvious groundshare here. Maybe connacht rugby in Athlone/Galway. Hard to see the GAA coming on board if they already have venues.

**sullanefc** · 27/03/2006, 2:47 PM

In my opinion the GAA are best left out of any groundshares. We have seen on many occasions that they don't like to share, and I dread to think what they would do if they got their hands on any existing EL or rugby grounds.

**manic da hoop** · 27/03/2006, 3:34 PM

Originally Posted by gspain

Hard to see the GAA coming on board if they already have venues.

Exactly - so how about opening up existing GAA facilities as provincial municipal stadiums, as they themselves suggested re Tallaght. Of course, we all know that's not going to happen, but let's face it, the only way we'll ever have mutil-sport stadiums of any decent size up and down the country is if future state investment in GAA grounds is only forthcoming if they open their doors to football and rugby.

**dcfcsteve** · 28/03/2006, 4:06 PM

Originally Posted by gspain

Football in Limerick is still a way to go but the potential is there. I'm old enough to remmeber when we had more fans at an away game in cork than the home side.

I'm not that old - yet I can rememebr the days when we took more fans to an away game in Cork than the home side ! Despite the 14 hour, 600 mile round trip.....

**anto eile** · 28/03/2006, 8:31 PM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

I'm not that old - yet I can rememebr the days when we took more fans to an away game in Cork than the home side ! Despite the 14 hour, 600 mile round trip.....

that souinds like some session

**monkey magic** · 28/03/2006, 10:11 PM

theres certainly scope in some larger provincial towns/cities such as limerick, waterford, galway, cork and athlone, particularily those with rugby clubs,howeve id have to say id be very wary of any agreement with the GAA

**Dassa** · 29/03/2006, 10:53 AM

agreements with the GAA wouldnt be feasible would they? with the different pitch dimensions.

**gspain** · 29/03/2006, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

I'm not that old - yet I can rememebr the days when we took more fans to an away game in Cork than the home side ! Despite the 14 hour, 600 mile round trip.....

Cup tie in 1986 at the Lodge. Back again a year later again too to the Cross.

And Cork had a big home crowd that day too. Great day - I remember it well. The line sof buses outsid ethe ground and a soecial chatered train too if I remember correctly. I was in college in Cork at the time.

**Dodge** · 29/03/2006, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by Dassa

agreements with the GAA wouldnt be feasible would they? with the different pitch dimensions.

AFAIK the GAA don't haev any minimum/maximum pitch measurements.

**gspain** · 29/03/2006, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by manic da hoop

Exactly - so how about opening up existing GAA facilities as provincial municipal stadiums, as they themselves suggested re Tallaght. Of course, we all know that's not going to happen, but let's face it, the only way we'll ever have mutil-sport stadiums of any decent size up and down the country is if future state investment in GAA grounds is only forthcoming if they open their doors to football and rugby.

Not going to happen though. No government is going to take on the GAA.

At least we can be thankful they weren't allowed to scupper Tallaght and delay it for a few years.

**Dodge** · 29/03/2006, 11:53 AM

Don't be so sure gspain. They're building themselves for a fight in Tallaght. its going to be ugleee

**WeAreRovers** · 29/03/2006, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Don't be so sure gspain. They're building themselves for a fight in Tallaght. its going to be ugleee

Bluster and bull is all we've heard so far and I really don't think that the GAA are ready to take on FF. No sign of any actual action from the bigots. No media backing, no political backing and no real grassroots GAA backing.

Anyway, O'Donoghue has his little heart set on Pats moving to Tallaght.

KOH