Casement Park in line for major overhaul - 40,000 all seater Stadium.

[armaghniac]

Who's to say the new Casement won't be the catalyst for a surge in interest in Antrim?

A lot of Antrim posters!

[general_lee]

Who's to say the new Casement won't be the catalyst for a surge in interest in Antrim?

A lot of Antrim posters!

Sure what would they know!

[theskull1]

Maybe 350-400k so?
Even allowing for soccer and Castle Catholics Antrim should be  a pretty big force on the playing fields and terraces.

Every village with a decent nationalist population has a club (so we're the same as every other county in Ireland in that regard)

The towns don't have the interest and thats not going to change by thowing money at the problem. It is what it is. Only a critical mass of interested adults in each of these areas would improve things slowly and it would takes years of selfless sacrifice to acheive anything long term positive. Those people don't exist as far as I can see.

Antrim Town - 1 small club (football only)
Glengormley - 1 large dual club
Newtownabbey - No interest
Ballymena - 1 largish club
Ballymoney - No interest
Carrickfergus - No interest
Larne - Hurling club folded last year due to lack of interest
Lisburn - 1 small football only club -- -have to amalgamate alot due to low numbers
Ballyclare - No interest

[theskull1]

Who's to say the new Casement won't be the catalyst for a surge in interest in Antrim?

A lot of Antrim posters!

Sure what would they know!

Youse are gas men lads. Now please point out the lump of concrete that was cited as the 'catalyst' within other counties. I'm struggling myself here ... but no doubt you have the answer(s)

[general_lee]

Who's to say the new Casement won't be the catalyst for a surge in interest in Antrim?

A lot of Antrim posters!

Sure what would they know!

Youse are gas men lads. Now please point out the lump of concrete that was cited as the 'catalyst' within other counties. I'm struggling myself here ... but no doubt you have the answer(s)

Croke Park? :p

[Jinxy]

Who's to say the new Casement won't be the catalyst for a surge in interest in Antrim?

A lot of Antrim posters!

Sure what would they know!

Youse are gas men lads. Now please point out the lump of concrete that was cited as the 'catalyst' within other counties. I'm struggling myself here ... but no doubt you have the answer(s)

If you don't want it, can we have it?

[imtommygunn]

Well the thing is it's not really ours...

[Croí na hÉireann]

Does the fact the stadium will have a reduced footprint from the previous proposal affect the dimensions of the pitch? A small pitch in Ulster will not encourage an expansive game...

[Jinxy]

The pitch could cover the whole of West Belfast and it still wouldn't encourage Ulster teams to play an expansive game.

[armaghniac]

The pitch could cover the whole of West Belfast and it still wouldn't encourage Ulster teams to play an expansive game.

Are you sure? West Belfast is a very big whole.

[Jeepers Creepers]

The pitch could cover the whole of West Belfast and it still wouldn't encourage Ulster teams to play an expansive game.

Are you sure? West Belfast is a very big whole.

West Belfast's response:

"Not as big as your ma's"

ask yer ma!

[Milltown Row2]

I have no problem with redveloping casement, as someone else said the money will be lost if not used up but I owuld have a problem taking Ulster Finals out of clones.

There is just something specal about ulster final day in Clones, I never liked going to casement but would be a great venue for Antrim gaels and fair play and good luck to them with it

I`d much rather travel to Belfast to a game than to Clones. Clones is a dive, full of drunks, it seems to bring out the worst in our youth and in many cases those who should have a bit more cop on. You dont get that in Casement. You can be back on the motorway within minutes after a game in Casement, you`ll spend hours trying to get out of a muddy field in Clones. Casement is long overdue this revamp, it cant  happen soon enough.

Has there ever been 35,000 people at a game in Casement? Difficult to make any valid comparison, but it has taken me a good while to get out onto the motorway after matches with 20,000 people.

I can remember a McKenna cup match with Tyrone v Armagh that had nearly full capacity

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Maybe not that much - it was maybe 20,000

[Milltown Row2]

Maybe not that much - it was maybe 20,000

Well it was January or some god forsaken winters Sunday... was great game too

[The Gs Man]

Had a wee juke in at the public consultation event in Andytown Leisure Centre yesterday.

Must say I'm very impressed with the whole thing. 

No matter who owns it or whatever, it can only be a good thing for Antrim/Ulster football, no?

I don't get the backlash to be honest.