Stadium Updates (All Clubs)

[Dunny]

Anyone got a Oriel Park for Dummies/Outsiders guide ? cant seem to grasp the whole story or understand whats going on

Yeah.
The whole fu**ing thing is a p*ss mess!
And i'm not giving you a smart answer here by the way because it is!
If you ever get a spare 2 hours + look it up on google using the search tags DundalkFC - Gerry Matthews- & - Lease.
That'll learn you to be asking

[Paddyfield]

What a strange post seeing that the last few pages have been about the pitch length YDC on the shed side! Did you miss it as you were blinded by your rage at the "plastic pitch"?

Were you stone drunk or something?

Er, I might have been drowning my sorrows.

Before kick off.

[Paddyfield]

What a strange post seeing that the last few pages have been about the pitch length YDC on the shed side! Did you miss it as you were blinded by your rage at the "plastic pitch"?

3 time since circa 1990? We need to know the most recent visit Paddy as if the last of your 3 visits was 2006 well then it's not a surprise you didnt notice much change. If first visit was 1990 when Oriel wouldnt have been out of Place in a Mad Max film, and the last 2015 well then observation skills aren't your strong point. I hope you dont have the same observations on Turners Cross between 1990 and 2015!

You couldn't seriously compare the massive changes to Turners Cross with Oriel Park?
My original comments were an honest reflection.
Oriel Park is an intimidating place to visit and is steeped in history and has an unrivaled tradition.

And your reference to Mad Max? Don't you mean Mad Maxi?

[D24Saint]

Just wondering what Wexford will need to do for next season to get ferrycarrig up to scratch the club house is brilliant but there isn't much else going for the ground.

[Nesta99]

You couldn't seriously compare the massive changes to Turners Cross with Oriel Park?
And your reference to Mad Max? Don't you mean Mad Maxi?

No I wasnt making a comparison more seeking an extreme of change example to refer to. Never noticed the potential pun to I could see him with a crazy mow hawk and crow feathered armour in a post apocalyptic world.

[jinxy lilywhite]

Anyone got a Oriel Park for Dummies/Outsiders guide ? cant seem to grasp the whole story or understand whats going on

The casey family own the land that oriel park sits on. It was as legend has it that des caseys dad stipulated in his will that as long as dundalk had a senior side that oriel park would be available to use and would never be sold.

In 2005 Gerry Matthews takes over dundalk fc purchases Hiney Park (land behind the Carrick road end) from the club for circa 800k. Oriel park gets somewhat redeveloped the old shed is torn down and that end is reduced. Around 2008 work begins on the ydc on the op grounds but also part of it is on Hiney park (which is owned by Matthews).
In 2011 to 2012 Gerry Matthews us struggling to support the club and his other business around town are taking a hammering and he wishes to sell the club.
Including the YDC included there is really no one who can take it on. The groups interested (fast fix and dfc trust) didn't need the ydc at that moment in time and wanted to concentrate on football matters.
As part of the take over deal GM and the fastfix/dfc trust agreed the club would be sublet by gm and he would control the ydc and controlling interests. This was against the wishes of des casey as terms of the op lease forbade subletting but in the interests the club who were probably days from folding he reluctantly agreed.
Because the new owners are in theory only subletting they won't pump much needed funds into oriel development as they are only subletting. Also they can't draw or apply for grants as they don't have any rights over op.
Also Hiney park owned by gm was sold in auction to a secondary school in town on which part of the ydc was built.

Mediation is due to take place. It will be very interesting to see the outcome but there is no love between the club and the gm or gm and the club and it is going to be a no holds barred sagging match between the 2.

Maybe Imo the only reasonable outcome would be the ydc being torn down .

[oriel]

Good summary Jinxy, but remember the lease is one of the biggest issues here, and GM appears to be the YDC as some sort of almost compulsory additional sale item, but as you suggest and are correct, nobody wants it.

I think if the current owners reach settlement in cash terms he might hand over the lease, then we can plan forward for the proper development of oriel park for spectators. I would probably agree removing the white elephant of YDC might well be on the cards.

[Dunny]

Yeah.i still reckon my advice was right.Someone from Dundalk will always come in with a BUT this and a BUT that and the other

[Kingdom]

What facilities does the YDC have? Is it hard surface inside or is there astro?

[oriel]

It has at least two small astro pitches that can be open as one I think, also there is a huge space for things like a convention centre, and they held a European badminton event years ago when it was being used. It may have a gym? Has at least one bar, possibly two, and underground parking. Think there is also office space.

[Kingdom]

Thanks for that. Surely that should be a huge part of the clubs plans for the future if it can be resolved amicably? I'm aware there would be big costs involved in the upkeep, but something like that has to be good for the club as a whole, or does Dundalk not have a schoolboys section?

[nigel-harps1954]

Just wondering what Wexford will need to do for next season to get ferrycarrig up to scratch the club house is brilliant but there isn't much else going for the ground.

Second entrance/exit would be needed anyway for away supporters. I'd imagine that could be put the bottom of the car park easily enough though.

A small temporary stand and a set of toilets, as well as the entrance/exit, would probably keep them going.

[cob655]

It has at least two small astro pitches that can be open as one I think, also there is a huge space for things like a convention centre, and they held a European badminton event years ago when it was being used. It may have a gym? Has at least one bar, possibly two, and underground parking. Think there is also office space.

It has 3 5 a side pitches and one wooden size pitch, under ground parking for 150 cars, two party rooms for kids partys, soft drink bar down stairs, changing rooms& toilets, large bar upstairs and a gym.
pictures of the pitches here: http://www.dundalkfc.com/oriel-activ...s-in-pictures/
pictures of the european badminton here: http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=h...FVM52wodrtYMvg
Picture for outside: http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=h...FUaC2wodwXsLAA

I hope the club gets this issue sorted soon as I believe this has great potential for making extra €€€ for the club, also to have use of the facilities for the first team so close to the ground would be a big bonus, then you have the option of setting up a youth development centre as it was originally ment to be.

[Yossarian]

It has 3 5 a side pitches and one wooden size pitch, under ground parking for 150 cars, two party rooms for kids partys, soft drink bar down stairs, changing rooms& toilets, large bar upstairs and a gym.

While it had had a lot of these facilities when it opened quite a bit of it is gone. The gym is nothing more than an empty room now and the actual bar furnishings including the bar itself have been removed and is now a large part of the new Russells.
It could definitely be a very good facility but it would take a good chunk of money to get it up to a decent workable standard. As it stands the only use it is at the minute is for a bit of five a side and some kids parties.

[jinxy lilywhite]

While it had had a lot of these facilities when it opened quite a bit of it is gone. The gym is nothing more than an empty room now and the actual bar furnishings including the bar itself have been removed and is now a large part of the new Russells.
It could definitely be a very good facility but it would take a good chunk of money to get it up to a decent workable standard. As it stands the only use it is at the minute is for a bit of five a side and some kids parties.

Exactly the main bar was stripped out for Russell. AFAIK the gym also is literally empty. There is also no bar licence though the lilywhite one could be transferred I suppose.

At the moment it is just a big empty shed with a few 5 a side pitches in it . It has been spouted that it can generate revenue in the thousands for the club over a monthly basis but I fail to see how this will happen. Especially now since dkit have a similar facility now in the old jjb.

Tbh if it could generate the revenue then Matthews would be looking for and also the club would probably want it. Personally I think if we took it on it would haemorrhage cash from vital resources. Tearing the white elephant down may be the only viable option considering it sits on land owned by also 2 different individuals (casey family and the grammar school )

I still think we will be in Oriel for the foreseeable future and the mediation attempts will find a solution, hopefully all behind closed doors and away from a public slagging match between Matthews and the club. Though the findings will probably not be acceptable by the parties.

[Charlie Darwin]

Did nobody think about the optics of it? It just looks like a warehouse at the back of the stadium. You wouldn't know it's an indoor sports centre unless somebody told you.

[White Horse]

Did nobody think about the optics of it? It just looks like a warehouse at the back of the stadium. You wouldn't know it's an indoor sports centre unless somebody told you.

With some vision, it could have incorporated a proper stand, corporate boxes, and still have been an indoor sports centre.

[oriel]

Did nobody think about the optics of it? It just looks like a warehouse at the back of the stadium. You wouldn't know it's an indoor sports centre unless somebody told you.

Well that's it, GM is not a football man, never was, all his thinking was to provide additional income streams. When it was constructed it could easily have been modelled to have some football stadium look pitch side, even a better shed albeit with the limited space that is there.

Most supporters see it as just a backdrop to the shed and for something that closes in that side, it's a complete waste of space in my view, to sum it up, there is a site featuring Irish football grounds, think it's run out of UK. The shed side is called 'the factory side' enough said.

Every side of Oriel Park needs work, so if it was torn down, it would give more scope to improve the shed side. If planning could be sought for the stand side, increasing this all one side, but not a the same height would solve a lot problems, not least the away end.

The shed side could be replaced and a new structure along the lines of what Cork City have, camera facing side would be prefect.

I would look at a brand new stand behind the town goal, all of this would probably give a seating and covered capacity of 6k, this would be more than sufficient for European nights and the few domestic games needing this.

All that's missing is around €5 million, getting past the 2nd round in the CL next season would deliver 1.2 million.

[Nesta99]

There was a architects projection done and released that is very different than the reality.

[toffeejay]

I know it would cost more but if the YDC was to go it would be great to flip the pitch. Would make the site a lot more accessible and support future growth and development. The main stand minus the uncovered sides would fit perfectly behind a goal and is steep so would actually give a good view of the pitch.
Done that way decent stands could be added to each side along with keeping the road access.