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

[Main Street]

I think where the NI supporters club is coming from is not an upgrade to Windsor but funding for Irish league grounds. I think that was cut recently. It's surely a different pool of money but won't stop those cretins whining. GAA of course should be given a bigger chunk of the stadium fund on participation numbers alone.

All of a sudden, after decades of ingrained repressive social, economic and political  inequality,  in modern (progressive) times when it is perceived that nationalist interests are to benefit more, then the equality card is waved high.
So do the NI supporters have a conditional opposition to the Casement redevelopment, that its okay to rebuild Casement as long as soccer receives equal funding?

[Baile Brigín 2]

I think where the NI supporters club is coming from is not an upgrade to Windsor but funding for Irish league grounds. I think that was cut recently. It's surely a different pool of money but won't stop those cretins whining. GAA of course should be given a bigger chunk of the stadium fund on participation numbers alone.

But soccer has higher participation numbers... Did you mean attendance?

[Walter Cronc]

I think where the NI supporters club is coming from is not an upgrade to Windsor but funding for Irish league grounds. I think that was cut recently. It's surely a different pool of money but won't stop those cretins whining. GAA of course should be given a bigger chunk of the stadium fund on participation numbers alone.

But soccer has higher participation numbers... Did you mean attendance?

In the north? Are you sure? In South Derry I could list 15+ GAA clubs and perhaps 4-5 soccer clubs with 3 being in anyway decent.  I would be shocked if soccer participation numbers in the north are higher than GAA. This isn't Dublin pal

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

I think where the NI supporters club is coming from is not an upgrade to Windsor but funding for Irish league grounds. I think that was cut recently. It's surely a different pool of money but won't stop those cretins whining. GAA of course should be given a bigger chunk of the stadium fund on participation numbers alone.

But soccer has higher participation numbers... Did you mean attendance?

In the north? Are you sure? In South Derry I could list 15+ GAA clubs and perhaps 4-5 soccer clubs with 3 being in anyway decent.  I would be shocked if soccer participation numbers in the north are higher than GAA. This isn't Dublin pal

Of course soccer has massively higher participation rates in the north.

[Walter Cronc]

I think where the NI supporters club is coming from is not an upgrade to Windsor but funding for Irish league grounds. I think that was cut recently. It's surely a different pool of money but won't stop those cretins whining. GAA of course should be given a bigger chunk of the stadium fund on participation numbers alone.

But soccer has higher participation numbers... Did you mean attendance?

In the north? Are you sure? In South Derry I could list 15+ GAA clubs and perhaps 4-5 soccer clubs with 3 being in anyway decent.  I would be shocked if soccer participation numbers in the north are higher than GAA. This isn't Dublin pal

Of course soccer has massively higher participation rates in the north.

I wasn't aware of that. Any links to the figures/numbers of clubs?

[Armagh18]

I think where the NI supporters club is coming from is not an upgrade to Windsor but funding for Irish league grounds. I think that was cut recently. It's surely a different pool of money but won't stop those cretins whining. GAA of course should be given a bigger chunk of the stadium fund on participation numbers alone.

But soccer has higher participation numbers... Did you mean attendance?

In the north? Are you sure? In South Derry I could list 15+ GAA clubs and perhaps 4-5 soccer clubs with 3 being in anyway decent.  I would be shocked if soccer participation numbers in the north are higher than GAA. This isn't Dublin pal

Of course soccer has massively higher participation rates in the north.

I wasn't aware of that. Any links to the figures/numbers of clubs?

Given the demographics you'd imagine soccer to be higher in the north. Theres plenty of ussun's that play the foreign stuff but a tiny amount of themmun's playing GAA. Depends where you are I suppose. I know in rural South Armagh and the nationalist areas in north armagh gaelic is big but theres a lot of soccer in Newry and in the north armagh towns.

[imtommygunn]

Derry City very big soccer city either side of the fence too and then you have your portadowns, ballymenas, coleraines, larnes etc where you'd expect a lot more to play soccer than GAA. Not really a bit surprise.

[Jeepers Creepers]

young lad started playing soccer in Belfast and was very surprised at the number of clubs going with 2-3 teams at each age group at juvenile level. We are always saying there are to many GAA clubs in West Belfast. Now i'm starting to think there are enough clubs just not enough kids choosing GAA

[Walter Cronc]

When we talk participation I assume 5 a side isn't included?? That would sway numbers greatly. I'm sure it's better organized in the bigger towns but in south Derry bar a couple of clubs it's pub teams.

[general_lee]

When we talk participation I assume 5 a side isn't included?? That would sway numbers greatly. I'm sure it's better organized in the bigger towns but in south Derry bar a couple of clubs it's pub teams.

I estimate there's about 66 teams in the mid-ulster league. That stretches from Fivemiletown to Newcaslte in Co Down. In the same catchment area, would there be less than 66 GAA clubs? I don't think so.

[LeoMc]

When we talk participation I assume 5 a side isn't included?? That would sway numbers greatly. I'm sure it's better organized in the bigger towns but in south Derry bar a couple of clubs it's pub teams.

I estimate there's about 66 teams in the mid-ulster league. That stretches from Fivemiletown to Newcaslte in Co Down. In the same catchment area, would there be less than 66 GAA clubs? I don't think so.

F&W has around 54 teams, including reserve teams competing. They will all have the various underage grades also.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland_football_league_system

There are 141 teams at Senior and intermediate level, before you get to the various local leagues, F&W, etc.

Now those clubs may not have to many watching them but at that level it is easier to play than to watch.

[Evil Genius]

Some strange stadium choices for the Euro bid

Croke Park is bigger than the Aviva
Casement doesn't exist
Old Trafford is bigger than Etihad
New Everton stadium doesn't exist

Evening all.

Only just logged on to this thread - yes, what an exciting life I lead on a Friday evening lol - and first up on this.
1. The FAI part-own the Aviva, and so don't want to pay rent for Croke, which in any case is not ideal for soccer (far too far from the pitch etc, while standing is not permitted at internationals);
2. Agreed, but that's really a sop to the IFA/Belfast - if Casement should not get built in time, they can easily substitute another existing stadium eg Sunderland;
3. Man Utd could not guarantee that OT would be available during that period (redevelopment plans of their own);
4. Everton is already half built and is set to open in time for the 2024/25 season. (Anfield's pitch is not big enough to satisfy UEFA's minimum dimensions, and cannot be enlarged without knocking down a couple of stands, which in turn cannot be replaced on such a cramped site).

More to follow.

[Evil Genius]

Some strange stadium choices for the Euro bid
Croke Park is bigger than the AvivaCasement doesn't existOld Trafford is bigger than EtihadNew Everton stadium doesn't exist

I think its reasonable enough. London's the only city with two stadiums and its about 10 times bigger than Dublin. Croker isnt a good experience for a Soccer game at all either, the pitch is far too big. The assumption is that Croker will get Casement's games if Casement isn't built in time.

Old Trafford is likely to be getting redeveloped in 2028. Everton's planned stadium looks great and Liverpool as a city was always going to get games, and half of Anfield is very behind the times. That Everton stadium is already half complete

Sorry, only just seen this reply to 'dec' now.
Agree with all of it, except your assunption that Croke is on standby for Casement. Afaik, UEFA doesn't like one city hosting two different groups in two different stadia, so I think Croke has been ruled out (not certain, mind).
London is an exception since as well as Tottenham - arguably the "best" stadium in Europe - they also have the 90k Wembley for the Final and semi-Finals etc.

[Evil Genius]

I'm not sure that the process being hoped for here has anything to do with the DUP. To my mind, the original £62 million is sitting there for this stadium and I'm assuming the GAA will stump up their £15 million. The planning approval is in place.

The extra money is never going to come from Stormont but possibly from another body who are pushing for the Euro bid.

What is it you think the DUP could object to? The release of the £62 million?

Sorry if subsequent posts have addressed this, but when the Maze Stadium was pulled (by the bean counters at Stormont, btw), they reallocated the money to the three sporting bodies, to build their own Regional Stadia, as follows.
Ulster Rugby was granted £20m, which they used to rebuild Ravenhill.
While it having been agreed (effectively between Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness) that soccer and GAA would get equal shares, this worked out at £62.5m each.
The IFA decided to spend £26m on rebuilding Windsor, with the remaining £36.5m going towards sub-Regional stadia throughout NI, plus a national training centre.
While the GAA opted to spend all its allocation, along with £15m from its own resources, on a (then) 38k rebuild of Casement.

Now that the estimated cost of Casement has spiralled to £120m(?), no-one is sure where the extra £40-50m is going to come from. Stormont, with whom the original £145m was ring-fenced) doesn't have it without raiding other budgets, which is unlikely to get past Nationalist ministers with responsibility for schools, hospitals and housing etc, never mind Unionist ministers.

It may be that Westminster might come up with some extra dosh, in order to make it a truly UK and ROI-wide event. Which is why the IFA and GAA are united in pushing Casement - it's in both their mutual interests.

But the problem there is that if the extra money went solely to GAA without some further allocation to soccer and rugby etc, then you would effectively be "punishing" the IFA and Ulster Rugby for their competence in building Windsor and Ravenhill basically on time and within budget, while at the same time "rewarding" the GAA for their incompetence in failing even to get the first spade in the ground after a decade.

Though a newspaper report from July 2021 quoted unnamed sources at the IFA in saying that they would accept it if they (IFA) in turn got half the extra sum which the GAA  are seeking. (Pragmatism, I'd guess).

Anyhow, that's it from me for now - back sometime later - if you can contain your excitement! 

[Wildweasel74]

If some of the rumours going about about serious budgets cuts on Education are true, there no chance this pipedream gona get of the ground. Should used it to at the time to spend in the 6 county grounds and a 20/25k stadia for Antrim. Could actual put a decent pitch in Omagh, fired in a covered stand in Newry, Owenbeg,