I understand entirely the sentiment behind your post, CRC, but I don't think the Maze will solve the problem of sporting division in NI, because I don't see how/why the Ulster rugby crowd trooping out to the Maze on a Friday evening, followed by the NI crowd attending on a Saturday afternoon, followed by the GAA crowd watching a game on Sunday afternoon will change the attitudes or demographics of the three sports' respective fanbases. Why should it? Am I really going to change my current apathy towards GAA, and lukewarm interest in rugby into something more concrete merely because
they occasionally share a stadium on different days, at different times of the year?
Not only will a shared stadium not do anything for the problem but if anything, it will merely make things worse, since if it is the wrong design of stadium, in the wrong location, with hopelessly inadequate infrastructure, it will deter the more casual supporters amongst all three codes from attending their own preferred sport. This will then just leave the "hardcore" fans, who almost by definition, show the least crossover to other sports anyhow.
As an analogy, the nearby Sprucefield Shopping Centre draws shoppers of all sorts from all over NI, to shop in the same shops at the same time, yet it doesn't do anything to break down the barriers which we know all exist.
P.S. On a point of information, there is no way significant public money would go towards redeveloping Windsor whilst it remains in the ownership of Linfield (nor should it, imo). As it happens, Linfield are reasonably keen to sell Windsor and move to a smaller, purpose-built stadium in a location of their own choosing (possibly Newtownabbey?). A major sticking point for the IFA is, however, that they are tied into 80-odd years remaining on a 100 year lease for playing internationals at Windsor and they can't afford to buy themselves out. (This Lease was forced upon the IFA by the Government, by the way
)
Bookmarks