Stadium Updates (All Clubs)

[Mr A]

Does the Aviva naming rights not restrict internationals to Lansdowne for the time being?

Correct.

[GypsyBlackCat]

Is there any plans online of what is planned for Dalymount? What will the capacity be?

Nothing set in stone but the plan is for Dalymount to become a sports center or village like they have at Barnet or Harlequins. So the rumors say. It's also been said that the DCC hope to put a gym, museum and retail stores. I'd imagine that'll be all done at the Tram End if the Phisboro SC is to be redeveloped too. Also there is a possibility that we'll have an astro turf pitch so many be the pitch will be smaller than it is now. As for capacity, anything between 5,000 to 10,000 has been thrown around.

As I said, nothing official just rumors and speculation atm.

[White Horse]

I'd imagine the surface will be artificial judging by the number of games to be played on it. If this is to be a municipal sports facility for the entire community, the pitch may also have to be big enough for GAA games.

[nigel-harps1954]

If they're doing this, I hope they do it right. Call it a bit of an oversight, but I'd really love to see Dalymount developed into a circa 15,000 seater stadium with top of the range facilities that could be used for FAI cup finals, potentially large European ties, the likes of Rugby World Cup, part of a Euro Under-21 championships bid, things like this.

Let's face it, while it's well and good having the FAI Cup final in Lansdowne, as alluded to already, it's a two-thirds empty most years. It'd be much better to see somewhat of a ticket scramble, and a packed out Dalymount for Cup final, as was the case years ago when Dalymount held the final.

I don't buy into the argument of "It'd be empty most of the year", as, really, at the minute, it is anyway with half of the ground closed. Linfield play in Windsor Park up the North with no bother in a similar sized stadium. I don't see why it couldn't be done here.
Look right across Europe and you see similar instances, even in larger leagues.

Closer to home, look at the GAA, Croke Park is full about four times a year, if even. Early Championship games struggle to attract 30,000 there. The same goes for Castlebar, Clones, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Gaelic Grounds Limerick and several other large stadiums.

A developed Dalymount, with better family facilities, more comfortable grounds, better seating, and an all round nicer ground to visit would certainly attract bigger crowds. I know Shamrock Rovers moved to a better populated area, but their Tallaght move has worked excellently for them, with an average attendance around 3,500-4,000 each year since moving there. There's no reason Bohs couldn't get the same in a redeveloped Dalyer. They only need to keep open two stands, one for home fans, one for away fans.

I firmly believe the League is starting to grow a lot in the last year or two. Better facilities and more impressive stadiums can only add to that growth.

Besides, Dalymount deserves it. Of all grounds in the league, it arguably has the most history, the biggest legacy, and would be a shame to see it only developed into a 5,000 seater ground not fit for further rounds in European competition should Bohs ever get that far. Clubs need to be more ambitious.

[Dodge]

Lads, the FAI is broke (and paying back their Aviva loans), DCC are practically broke (only paying a minimum for this) and Bohs and Shels are broke. Talk of 15k seater stadium is crazy. No one has the money to pay for it here

Clubs need to be more ambitious.

The one thing LOI clubs are never short of is ambitions. They all have ambitions of super stadiums. But int he real world it's pretty hard to get going

[Nesta99]

Talk and hope of a 15k stadium isn't crazy at all, it makes sense that that capacity would be hoped for. To actually expect that to happen under current circumstances might be foolish or naive. PPP could become a factor as plans and costings start to bite!

[Dalymountrower]

Talk and hope of a 15k stadium isn't crazy at all, it makes sense that that capacity would be hoped for. To actually expect that to happen under current circumstances might be foolish or naive. PPP could become a factor as plans and costings start to bite!

It's now or never for the ground.The local TD ,Pascal O Donnohoe, is a key Minister in securing funding for sport and has been very supportive, ditto Joe Costelloe.
DCC''s perspective on this is that Phibsboro is a disjointed multi ethnic community that needs a focal point and that sport and particularly football is a way of bringing the community together.
I would be confident that significant capital investment from the State will be announced before the end of the year and that redevelopment work on a 6-8 k stadium will begin in early 2016.
I don't expect any investment from the FAI, but Delaney has done the sort of unheralded behind the scenes hard work on this, as he did when elements of the continuity GAA were trying to scupper Rovers and S DCC in Tallaght
.
With this development and the work in Limerick and Galway, possible new developments in Tallaght,Derry Dundalk and Harps and the finished product in Cork and Sligo, the facilities can't be an excuse for poor crowds for much longer.

[EAFC_rdfl]

Just need Harps to get promoted soon so!!

[Mr A]

Suggestions on twitter that Bray may move from the Carlisle Grounds to another part of town having made €6 million for the selling the lease back to council. Only one source thus far- anyone got anything more concrete?

[Nesta99]

Where are the councils getting all this cash? Louth CoCo need to start digging deep. If only we could give Drogheda to Meath...

[White Horse]

Where are the councils getting all this cash? Louth CoCo need to start digging deep. If only we could give Drogheda to Meath...

Being a two club county gives the council a great excuse to help neither club.

[peadar1987]

Suggestions on twitter that Bray may move from the Carlisle Grounds to another part of town having made €6 million for the selling the lease back to council. Only one source thus far- anyone got anything more concrete?

We'd be daft to move away from the DART line unless the money was really good. Effectively cutting Greystones out of the catchment area if they move the ground up Fassaroe or Ballywaltrim way.

[Nesta99]

Being a two club county gives the council a great excuse to help neither club.

Drogheda tried their best with that - I vaguely recall their planning application stating that Drogheda United was an essential part of the social and sporting fabric of County Louth and therefore were seeking a €1.6million contribution to their new ground from Louth CoCo and a further sum from Drogheda Borough. The council were then offered the ownership of all the needed ground works, roads, sewage system etc in lieu!?!

[pineapple stu]

We'd be daft to move away from the DART line unless the money was really good. Effectively cutting Greystones out of the catchment area if they move the ground up Fassaroe or Ballywaltrim way.

Almost easier to get to Fassaroe than the Carlisle from Greystones?

Quick spin out the N11, no worrying about getting stuck in Bray's notorious traffic jams or missing the DART and waiting another half hour for the next one, easy parking if a greenfield site?

[legendz]

I'll take in a game in the Markets Field soon enough. Great to hear Limerick are back in their spiritual home.

[Charlie Darwin]

We'd be daft to move away from the DART line unless the money was really good. Effectively cutting Greystones out of the catchment area if they move the ground up Fassaroe or Ballywaltrim way.

If this goes through you'd imagine "we" and the club are being decoupled. If you move off the DART line you can kiss travelling crowds goodbye.

[gufcfan]

If you move off the DART line you can kiss travelling crowds goodbye.

If there was cover there might be no drop in away crowds.

[Dodge]

If there was cover there might be no drop in away crowds.

There would be from Dublin clubs. No question at all about that

[Charlie Darwin]

If there was cover there might be no drop in away crowds.

Cover's not much use if you can't get there. As Dodge says, fans from outside Dublin generally drive or get chartered buses. In Dublin, where the teams who bring the biggest crowds to Bray are, most of us use public transport. And many fans from other clubs do too, either if they live in Dublin or travel in on the way.

[peadar1987]

Almost easier to get to Fassaroe than the Carlisle from Greystones?

Quick spin out the N11, no worrying about getting stuck in Bray's notorious traffic jams or missing the DART and waiting another half hour for the next one, easy parking if a greenfield site?

It might make it easier for people who drive to games, but that would need adequate parking facilities. I suppose aiming for a different demographic might be no bad thing, it's not as though the current policy is massively successful in terms of crowds!

If any new ground has adequate transport links, I'd be happy. If the Luas extension ever gets built, for example, and there's plenty of parking space and bus stops around the new ground, it would be great. If they just plonk a few stands in a greenfield site in the middle of nowhere, it will be a disaster, and I don't trust the people in charge not to do something like that.

Like it or not, we're a club who are massively reliant on away crowds. We need to make Bray an attractive away day. If the ground is easy to get to, a nice place to be, and has good bars and places to get food nearby, people will follow their team there.