RSC New 2000 seater stand gets go ahead

**The Man Himself** · 03/04/2007, 9:25 PM

the goverment chipped in another 1.6 million today on top of the fai grant of 600,000 towards the new 2000 seater stand on the far side of the rsc,
waterford city council expects a total bill of around 3 million euro in which they said they will fund the rest towards it.

hopefully they spend a few bob on buying a roller and a few sprinklers for the pitch aswell.

**adamcarr** · 03/04/2007, 10:02 PM

Great news! It won't be such a kip of a stadium anymore.

**SPXcyan** · 03/04/2007, 10:27 PM

thats true! I wonder if we will be gettin a plastic pitch! heard we are supposed to be gettin one in! would be great if we did.. that pitch is just plane awefull! but hearin bout the new stand is welllll welcomed! its about feckin time too!

**Peadar** · 04/04/2007, 7:52 AM

Waterford could build a whole ground for €3m
Something is very suspect here.
You'll spend all that money and only have a stand? There's got to be more to this story???

**Bluebeard** · 04/04/2007, 8:11 AM

Originally Posted by Peadar

Waterford could build a whole ground for �3m
Something is very suspect here.
You'll spend all that money and only have a stand? There's got to be more to this story???

Classic case of Local Politics, Peadar. We could have had a second stand built about a year ago, plans were laid down and there was preparatory work done, I heard that could have been done for something between �250K and �400K. But all of a sudden nothing - fell out of the club's control.

I suspect two unspoken causes:

1. Corporation land - WUFC don't own the ground, therefore ultimately no say - and the club had not been looking to "accepted contractors", if you catch my drift.
2. No election last year. I'm reckoning that by election time, it will be three quarters built, and everyone will mention it as "their personal mission" coming to fruition - it appears to be a much closer election than usual and the usual suspects are so uncertain that they are even looking to get votes from Waterford United supporters (hasn't been done on a grand scale in years). Then, after elections, it will remain three quarters built for the rest of the season, as Corpo money is channelled into the greyhounds and horses or something else.

Not that I feel cynical about things.

**Peadar** · 04/04/2007, 8:20 AM

Sorry for getting annoyed about this but you'd never see it happen in any other sport. I hope they actually make good on their promises and glad Waterford United aren't footing the bill.

**bigmac** · 04/04/2007, 9:19 AM

Originally Posted by Peadar

Waterford could build a whole ground for �3m
Something is very suspect here.
You'll spend all that money and only have a stand? There's got to be more to this story???

Not sure about the plans, but given the layout of the present stand, I'd imagine that the new one will also be all bells and whistles in terms of facilities within it.

For anyone who hasn't been inside the RSC, I competed in track & field competitions there regularly and the changing rooms etc are top notch. I reckon that the bare stand structure could be built for a fraction of the cost though.

**dcfcsteve** · 04/04/2007, 9:39 AM

What ever happened to Kilcahoan Park, out of curiousity ?

**passinginterest** · 04/04/2007, 9:43 AM

The money being thrown at the ground may have some relation to the 2012 Olympics too. The government has lots of ambitions to attract teams to train here before the games in London. If the RSC is developed into a top class facility then Waterford could look to attract one of the bigger nations for training purposes.

That may be complete fantasy though. And how an olympic team training there would affect Waterford Utd I dunno.

**Paraic** · 04/04/2007, 9:48 AM

Cost seems a bit high alright but sports capital grants require 20% to 30% of total costs to be generated locally, so the stated cost of �3m may be tied to that.

We built our 1600 seater for �1m in 00/01 and constructoin inflation isn't so high that it should cost �3m but then I'm not an expect on construction economics in the South East, nor do I know the spec for the new stadium.

It would be interesting to know the cost of Athlone's new stand/facilities to compare.

Anyways, well done, best of luck with the project.

**Ceirtlis** · 04/04/2007, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

What ever happened to Kilcahoan Park, out of curiousity ?

I work out there, its a greyhound stadium. It doesnt look like it would be any use for soccer in this day and age which is a pity because the RSC is **** imo.

**stann** · 04/04/2007, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by Peadar

Waterford could build a whole ground for €3m
Something is very suspect here.
You'll spend all that money and only have a stand? There's got to be more to this story???

All the seats will be Parker-Knoll recliners.

**dcfcsteve** · 04/04/2007, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by Ceirtlis

I work out there, its a greyhound stadium. It doesnt look like it would be any use for soccer in this day and age which is a pity because the RSC is **** imo.

Feck - the greyhounds are taking over......!

That's what i was thinking meself. I've never been there, but the RSC strikes me as a bert place for football. Kilcahoan was a nice wee ground - always liked it. As the likes of Bohs, Drogs and Athlone can attest (and as Derry know painfully) it's always best to own your own ground.

When did you leave Kilcahoan ?

**bigmac** · 04/04/2007, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Feck - the greyhounds are taking over......!

That's what i was thinking meself. I've never been there, but the RSC strikes me as a bert place for football. Kilcahoan was a nice wee ground - always liked it. As the likes of Bohs, Drogs and Athlone can attest (and as Derry know painfully) it's always best to own your own ground.

When did you leave Kilcahoan ?

To be honest, the nostalgia for Kilcohan strikes me as a bit strange. I think most of it is founded on the fact that Waterford played there during the glory days rather than any other reason. As far as I remember going there, you were even further away from the pitch than you are now in the RSC!

**Risteard** · 04/04/2007, 10:19 AM

Sounds like WCC are doing terrible business. 3million for a stand?
Is it going to be inside / outside / on the running track?
Is the track used?
The RSC is a kip and ye'll never be able to attract / retain decent players there.

Conversely, if it stays as it is, it'll still have that depressing misery air about it which has helped in City always ****ing up down there for years.

**noby** · 04/04/2007, 10:23 AM

The track was newly relayed, so the stand will be outside this. And, yes, the track is used.

**Schumi** · 04/04/2007, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by SPXcyan

I wonder if we will be gettin a plastic pitch! heard we are supposed to be gettin one in!

Can athletics (javelin, etc.) use a plastic pitch?

**NY Hoop** · 04/04/2007, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by The Man Himself

the goverment chipped in another 1.6 million today on top of the fai grant of 600,000 towards the new 2000 seater stand on the far side of the rsc,
waterford city council expects a total bill of around 3 million euro in which they said they will fund the rest towards it.

hopefully they spend a few bob on buying a roller and a few sprinklers for the pitch aswell.

And putting in some tv gantry facilities. It looks absolutely appalling on tv now. I have a lot of time for WUFC but cant understand why this isnt done. If you're trying to sell a product taping games from the stand is not going to work looking out at fields.

KOH

**bigmac** · 04/04/2007, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by Schumi

Can athletics (javelin, etc.) use a plastic pitch?

As it is, there's a separate area out beyond the track with a throwing circle (to avoid the hammer taking chunks out of the pitch) so if there was a plastic pitch installed I'd imagine that a strip of tartan could be layed out there to facilitate the javelin as well.

Risteard, thanks for the constructive criticism, some excellent ideas there