Ground Improvements

[NY Hoop]

Great to see further improvements made. Check www.finnharps.com

Is the far end where all the flags are gonna be terraced?


KOH

[pete]

The works also included electricity supply and plumbing to the new toilets and to the press box which journalists will be pleased to see will now have power sockets.

Press box without power probably not very popular with journalists.

[Poor Student]

Have the abandonded plans for a new stadium?

[Schumi]

Have the abandonded plans for a new stadium?

I'd say this has happened due to the complaints from Derry fans about the $hit view from that side the first time they were there this year. I doubt it has any bearing on their new stadium.

[Neish]

New stadium still very much on track, still sorting out a few stipulations that we needed before construction can comemce.

Improvements at Naveeney are only short-term and yes also to shut the muckers up

I'd imagine any sizeable travelling support will be placed there untill we move

[fbtn]

Yeah, planning permission approved and it should be going out for tender in the next few months.

The first phase they hope to have ready for 2007 with a new pitch, new stand, changing rooms, admin block, etc etc and continue the work on the rest of it while allowing us to play on it.

You couldn't blame the Derry lads about complaining the last time in fairness and fair play to the club for getting it sorted for them.

[Krstic]

Great news about your new stadium, canny wait to beat you's in there as well

[NY Hoop]

Yeah, planning permission approved and it should be going out for tender in the next few months.

The first phase they hope to have ready for 2007 with a new pitch, new stand, changing rooms, admin block, etc etc and continue the work on the rest of it while allowing us to play on it.

You couldn't blame the Derry lads about complaining the last time in fairness and fair play to the club for getting it sorted for them.

Super news. You'll probably be in before us

2 questions: Where is the new ground? And will the flag end be terraced before then?

KOH

[Neish]

Super news. You'll probably be in before us

2 questions: Where is the new ground? And will the flag end be terraced before then?

KOH

New ground is going to be located at Railway Road Stranorlar about a five minute walk from the current location at Naveeny Street

See link below thnew ground will be located between the waste water treatment works & Finn Valley Athletic club, just behind the livestock mart (here come the sheep shagger puns)

http://www.johnthemap.co.uk/pages/donegal/balbofey.html

[Krstic]

just behind the livestock mart (here come the sheep shagger puns)

Naah, would be too easy

[fbtn]

I don't think they will terracing the River End, where the flags go, unfortunately. Derry are our biggest crowd and there is enough room to accomadate them down the far side of the ground, where the Rovers fans were at the start of our last match. It's a pity as we traditionally watched one half from there, whenever Harps played into that end.

How are you getting on with the book NY Hoop? Patsy is a header hi! Published the book himself, got a bit of advertising, but fair play to him. Had to get telling his side of things.

[NY Hoop]

I don't think they will terracing the River End, where the flags go, unfortunately. Derry are our biggest crowd and there is enough room to accomadate them down the far side of the ground, where the Rovers fans were at the start of our last match. It's a pity as we traditionally watched one half from there, whenever Harps played into that end.

How are you getting on with the book NY Hoop? Patsy is a header hi! Published the book himself, got a bit of advertising, but fair play to him. Had to get telling his side of things.

Finished it there a while back. Super read. Some of the stories are typical LOI! Doesnt seem to like the Harps fans. Take away the fact that he might be a header getting a team to win the Cup and get into Europe only 5 years after entering the league is an incredible achievement.

Are you selling Finn Park to fund the new ground? If not why not do it up instead?


KOH

[fbtn]

He doesn't like gloryhunters. I get on excellent with Patsy, as do a lot of the hardcore supporters. It was Patsy that built the team that got us promoted in 96 and believe me, if he had of been manager in the Premier, we would not have been relegated. Brilliant judge of a player and footballers seem to really respect him.

I meant he was a header with slagging off so many locals in it! Didn't make him too popular about the town as you can guess but he really went out of his way to get them books for me when you were up and wouldn't take a cent for them. He's a true football man at the end of the day and loves Harps. Patsy never took sh!t from anyone and that ultimately led to his downfall as he could rub people up the wrong way. His chairman that he was on about went on to be President of the FAI for years and was there during Italia '90 leading the team off the plane at their homecoming! Some craic.

I have to laugh at some Harps fans that give Patsy crap as without him there would probably be no senior football in Donegal and most definitely no Finn Harps.

RE: The Ground. We don't have the money to develop Finn Park but we have an alternative site a ten minute walk away and Finn Park is in a prime commerical area and is worth millions. There is a new road going through the town which will make FP at the new town centre. We can sell FP and build a state-of-the-art 6,000+ all seater stadium with training facilities etc with little extra cost. Most fans would rather stay where we are but it just isn't feasible.

Did you ever read Eamonn Sweeney's 'There's Only Red Army'? Quality book too. The life of a true LOI fan, any of us could of written it

[NY Hoop]

He doesn't like gloryhunters. I get on excellent with Patsy, as do a lot of the hardcore supporters. It was Patsy that built the team that got us promoted in 96 and believe me, if he had of been manager in the Premier, we would not have been relegated. Brilliant judge of a player and footballers seem to really respect him.

I meant he was a header with slagging off so many locals in it! Didn't make him too popular about the town as you can guess but he really went out of his way to get them books for me when you were up and wouldn't take a cent for them. He's a true football man at the end of the day and loves Harps. Patsy never took sh!t from anyone and that ultimately led to his downfall as he could rub people up the wrong way. His chairman that he was on about went on to be President of the FAI for years and was there during Italia '90 leading the team off the plane at their homecoming! Some craic.

I have to laugh at some Harps fans that give Patsy crap as without him there would probably be no senior football in Donegal and most definitely no Finn Harps.

RE: The Ground. We don't have the money to develop Finn Park but we have an alternative site a ten minute walk away and Finn Park is in a prime commerical area and is worth millions. There is a new road going through the town which will make FP at the new town centre. We can sell FP and build a state-of-the-art 6,000+ all seater stadium with training facilities etc with little extra cost. Most fans would rather stay where we are but it just isn't feasible.

Did you ever read Eamonn Sweeney's 'There's Only Red Army'? Quality book too. The life of a true LOI fan, any of us could of written it

Yeah you'd know by reading it that he knew the game inside out. Is it true that he refuses to go to FP after he got sacked the last time? Someone like that should be running the league but the crap he'd have to put up with in Merrion Sq would drive him nuts, again!

Said chairman had an international game as his testimonial. Absolute disgrace but nice payoff! Agree with your last line sure didnt he help build the ground??

Re: The ground. Fair play for making millions from it and FP will be the new town centre? Did I pick that up right?


KOH

[fbtn]

Yeah you'd know by reading it that he knew the game inside out. Is it true that he refuses to go to FP after he got sacked the last time? Someone like that should be running the league but the crap he'd have to put up with in Merrion Sq would drive him nuts, again!

Said chairman had an international game as his testimonial. Absolute disgrace but nice payoff! Agree with your last line sure didnt he help build the ground??

Re: The ground. Fair play for making millions from it and FP will be the new town centre? Did I pick that up right?


KOH

Aye, he built the Stand that is still there with a few others. There aren't many about that can say they built a LOI club with their own bare hands! Although Patsy will says that he never steps foot in Finn Park, which is true - the house next door to the ground has shed with a window in it that overlooks the pitch so not only does he not miss a home game, he has a better view that anyone else! He has a contraversial page in the Donegal Democrat called 'View From The Shed'. He really is some boy.

Where FP is now, is where the new town centre will be. Ballybofey is a major bottleneck for traffic and there is going to a major redevelopment in the town with the area that you know enter FP being the town centre.

Just beside Finn Park, work is to commence an a major shopping centre, offices, car park etc very shortly as well. The last evaluation on FP was €5 million and that was some time ago.

Because the ground is held in Trust, the move cannot go ahead unless the building of the new ground is water-tight, meaning that the new pitch, stand etc must be ready for Harps to play on before FP can be sold. Thankfully that should mean that we don't end up with the sorry situation happened yourselves with Tallaght.

Hopefully now that yis are running the club yourselves, you will be in it for 2007 as well.

[NY Hoop]

Heard the rumour that he literally lived next door to the ground but to find its true is hilarious!

Anyway best of luck with the new ground. Bet you a pint that you'll be in before we will

KOH

[Martinho II]

lads i have read a vast majority of the eircom league books but I have never had the pleasure of reading the patsy mcgowan book when da town next play finn harps in ballybofey,any chance I can borrow the book for a read?

cant get the book in any library!

[gael353]

New ground is going to be located at Railway Road Stranorlar about a five minute walk from the current location at Naveeny Street

See link below thnew ground will be located between the waste water treatment works & Finn Valley Athletic club, just behind the livestock mart (here come the sheep shagger puns)

http://www.johnthemap.co.uk/pages/donegal/balbofey.html

am i missing something here but has donegal ever had a railway?

[harpskid]

Patsy's some boy alright. His column in the Democrat is gettin' repetative at this stage though. He always comes across as if he hates Harps but that is most certainly not true.

He has a column in the Sunday People now too

[Neish]

am i missing something here but has donegal ever had a railway?

Yes we had a railway for years built by those lovely neighbours of ours who goverened us for a couple of years. I live on Railway Road ballybofey ,and the new ground will be on Railway road stranorlar.