Harps allocated almost €4m by the government for their new stadium. Along with the Champions League money that should be a great boost. Fair play.
https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/...harps-stadium/
Upwards to the vanguard where the pressure is too high.
This is fantastic. Over the moon.
Just what football in donegal needs. This could be huge for harps beyond just the stadium itself
I'm no FF supporter but Jack Chambers seems to be willing to fund LOI football to a greater extent than many of his predecessors.
Upwards to the vanguard where the pressure is too high.
April Fools!
Still not entirely sure I'll believe it until I see a digger on site again..
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
Can you not just use the same one that's used to maintain the Finn Park pitch? 😉Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954
Apologies for not being able to maintain a surface as high quality as that of the concrete in Oriel Park.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
Suits your lot just fine
Welcome news for us, cautious about getting too excited with it just yet until to we see work on site but hopefully it's the real deal!
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
Harps should look at raising the pitch like at old trafford (not a fan btw) with a drop off all around to help with drainage.
Any idea how long it wil take to get underway
Do harps not have to come up with a matching number themselves to trigger release of this money?
No not a matching figure but the "balance of the construction costs". You would imagine that they could complete the existing stand, fit it out internally, erect floodlights and lay the pitch, put in a carpark and landscaping. I'd doubt that would cost much more than €4m
That's great news. If work started tomorrow (hypothetically), how long would it take until the ground could open? You're presumably still talking a year or so?
Longer than that- the new pitch would take at least 18 months to bed in
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
Good to hear you talking Grass anyway
Great news (finally) for Harps. How are things with the balance of funding to draw down the €3.9mil, it used to be 20% but that could have changed. Be grand to move in in 2022 as League Champions!
*should aim for a hybrid pitch that has the benefits of grass but not needing constant maintenance.
You'd be surprised how little you get out of construction money these days. Especially if it has to be publicly accounted for.
It's such a relatively small sum of money that you wonder why it took so long for it to be allocated.
What's the route to providing any extra money that's required ?
You wont get much for 4 million these days. 4 floodlights alone be about half a million. About the same for a hybrid pitch. 6 million be a closer estimate for Harps id say.
Manager: Fergal, have you your boots with ya?
Fergal: Ya, I have them here.
Manager: Ah good stuff, well give them to this man so, he forgot his!
Say 900k for the pitch and floodlights, Completing the stand and 2 small terrace ends at 2mil and the remaining for ground works, basic under stand facilities, could be eked out. The grant would be pretty much allocated so there'd be an idea of how far it'll go though any delays messes up costing. There doesnt have to be extensive and costly car parking eg functional gravel areas would do imo. Newer construction methods thats precast rather than poured concrete has cut costs for ground development though only with additional stands for this with a main san started There could be conditions where money is actually granted as the project meets certain points rather than the whole lump of money given up front even with the clubs own contribution? The important bit is that the money is now allocated and its up to club/builder to get cracking to get it drawn down. From what has been said previously here Harps have a schedule well in place. A concrete plastic pitch would only take weeks to install rather than wait 18months for grass even if building is done and ready to go - it could happen yet and plans have been revised before.
I know there were issues with Finn Park being in trust etc but the new development is no longer dependent the old ground generating money so if the sale of Finn Park could top up grant money it couldnt be that far off there being enough in the coffers to complete the more recent set of plans!? If its in any way an option.
Last edited by Nesta99; 04/04/2021 at 5:27 AM.
I am not to sure about this piece , but I don't see it linked anywhere, so here it is. Quote about the Showgrounds 'The ground has three stands; all of which are quite dilapidated and seemingly outdated.'
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021...-loi-stadiums/
Posting Permissions
Quote
Bookmarks