Messages

A big week for the club off the pitch, interested to hear the breakdown of Radcliffe's bid. People forgot that 30% of the club is floated on the stock exchange with some heavy hitters involved, the share price is going to tank later on today; There not going to be happy but just hope there's no legal challengers which slow the process down.

You'd think Radcliffe was a pauper not someone who's business has a turnover of $61 billion.

He has really made a go of Nice. Turned them into world beaters... oh wait.
We really need the Glazers gone and not someone to enable them or prolong their reign of terror.

If you looked into Hamas a bit more and didn't blindly follow Israeli propaganda/hasbara you would know they won elections in Gaza, offered a 10 year ceasefire but US/eu decide not the right type of democracy for them. I am not trying to paint them as the good guys but in terms of evidence of atrocities, there is far more examples and evidence of Israel committing them.

Hamas may be made peaceful overtures in the past but I have the example of Hamas recent actions. They could have made a useful point by attacking military bases and tearing down the fence, but instead their main objective was killing random civilians at a rock concert.

Definitely a step change in public opinion in regards to Hamas. Their recent attacks have done nothing to help the Palestinian cause.

[The thing is that the evidence in economics about the benefits of hosting sporting tournaments is that the economic benefits are mixed at best, especially if you have to build infrastructure. There's a long list of places that built expensive infrastructure for tournaments thinking it was going to lead to long-term economic growth that failed to materialise.]

It's unreal that the DUP would rather NI wasn't represented in a UK & Ire project that would bring in £Ms to the local economy, just to be able to say fcuk you to the nationalist community. Part of me would love to see it happen and then see the whining when none of the games are held in NI. Bob, Rodney and William won't be happy seeing the partying in Dublin, London etc when it's on, and shining a light on this cesspit of a place. I honest think with the younger voters this is actually a stance that would harm them. And god knows there's few things that seem to impact their votes after RHI, corruption, racism etc. had little impact.

The thing is that the evidence in economics about the benefits of hosting sporting tournaments is that the economic benefits are mixed at best, especially if you have to build infrastructure.  There's a long list of places that built expensive infrastructure for tournaments thinking it was going to lead to long-term economic growth that failed to materialise.

A lot of the projected benefits of the Casement project are pretty much the same as was claimed for PuC in Cork before work was started. The only advantage of the Casement situation is that the GAA is on the hook for limited funds. If the Euro 2028 situation hadn't come around, the GAA would have been in serious bother with Casement.

[One a related note - the latest "hope" for PuC is that it will be debt-free by 2048. https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41235151.html]

A lot of the time you have imbeciles in charge. London worked out ok. The area around the Olympic park has been rejuvenated and obviously the Stadium is getting good use.
Casement will be well utilised and should help West Belfast / Belfast economically.
Building any huge infrastructure is always over budget and over time. We should just accept that.

I've no doubt Hamas have performed atrocities, but not at the same scale as the Isreali state has against the Palestinian people. There has been a systematic process of ethnic cleansing by Isreal for decades, landgrabbing and murdering, all in contravention to international law.
What does the world expect to happen under those circumstances? Isreal breaking the law, Palestinians suffering under their boot and yet Isreal is backed by the West. People will try to fight back themselves or they will support/elect people who will fight back on their behalf. Not all Palestinians will fully buy into the ethos of Hamas but they will still elect them as they will see them as their protectors. Hamas can only exist whilst the Palestinian people are being treated in this way by Isreal.
Hamas being declare terrorists is like calling the people of Ukraine terrorists for fighting back against a Russian agressor/occupier. I'm sure the Ukrainians have performed despicable acts, but they have the backing of the west (rightly in my opinion) as it's against the Russians. In this case the Isreali's have so much foreign clout that they have the backing of the west even though they are the agressor/occupier.

Hamas has not committed the same scale of atrocity because it has not got the capacity, it is not because it is not their policy to do so. It is not analogous to Ukraine, the Ukrainians have no particular wish to invade Russia or exterminate its people and the Russians had no reason for any military action whatsoever in Ukraine.

Do the Israelis not see the irony of starving & denying 2.2 million people their basis human rights. Whats their end game, death to all Palestinians. This is a reverse holocaust. Really disgusting stuff, as the leaders of the western world look on & support.
A ceasefire immediately, peace keepers from the UN, with humanitarian aid should be the worlds number 1 priority. 

Of course many Israelis do, as recent editorials in newspapers etc show. But there is a hard line faction in government. It is an extreme version of what you see in England, the majority in England did not support a macho Brexit but the extremists had the louder voice. 

The whole thing is depressing.

At least Varadkar and now Mary Robinson on radio are quite clear about the crimes of cutting off water and she is demanding that Isreal and Hamas both be held to account before the International Criminal court

Wow, what you just wrote is Israel is just doing this as they have a very right wing govt, what accuse are you willing to provide for the other 75 years and 16 years of a blockade on Gaza.

and to top it off you suggest Hamas are just a murderous grp who would commit more atrocities if they could when you have 75 years plus of evidence of Irsaeli atrocities including the funding and creation of Hamas if you like.

If you looked into Hamas a bit more and didn't blindly follow Israeli propaganda/hasbara you would know they won elections in Gaza, offered a 10 year ceasefire but US/eu decide not the right type of democracy for them. I am not trying to paint them as the good guys but in terms of evidence of atrocities, there is far more examples and evidence of Israel committing them.

Murdering those people at that festival is not the behaviour of a government army. Their leaders should be on trial for war crimes and I hope one day that they are.
I also hope the Netanyahu is equally tried.

Whataboutery is not a defence.

Jeffrey is not happy. Quelle surpise.
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/jeffrey-donaldson-raises-big-questions-over-casement-park-funding-and-euro-2028/a942025444.html

Surely the IFA agreed  in advance with the other FA's  that the only way NI would be  included in the joint bid would  mean that  casement, and not Windsor,  would host games?

Why  did Jeffrey not have a  dig at them?

The pressure has come on from the no men.

Themmuns get everything mentality.

The IFA don't own anything, Linfield own Windsor.

Dundonald Ice Bowl - £52m

Lowe and Hansen make the team but Ryan is out. Looking forward to this now. Too close to call imho.

I like Henderson, especially for the lineout where I think he's marginally better that Ryan.

[bow out and shut up.]

Trailer if you cannot make coherent and accurate statements, bow out and shut up.

Jews don't all support Israel and Israel doesn't represent all Jews. the resistence is against the occupiers, Israel. The murder of Jews is a narrative used to align palestinian resistence with Nazis who carried out the Holocaust.

Hamas was financially supported and encouraged by Israel to split the Palestinians when it started in the 80s, so not only is the 75 years of massacres and occupation responsible for where we are now, Israel is again directly responsible for the creation of Hamas. 

both siding the argument is only required if you support the rights of Palestinians to resist their occupier, look at the World leaders statements over the last few days, there is no both siding they are unequivocally standing with the occupier.

the caging of 2.2m civilians is not enough for 16 years with frequent slaughters, now they cut water, electric (more than normal), hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed and now don't even have fuel.

Israel is responsible.

Excuse me? You are not the sole authority on this. Your view is not the truth.

you were throwing out anti semitic tropes a few days, I am vastly more knowledgeable on this topic than you based on your posts. I never claimed my view is the true, I said your view aren't accurate.

Mentioning the word Jewish anywhere in any sentence appears to be anti semitic now.
We are grateful for your knowledge. Pity it is wasted on a Gaaboard.

The murder of babies is abhorrent and a war crime. There does seem to have been a rush to report beheadings which may or may not have happened, and may in some publications have fed an agenda, but at the end of the day babies being murdered by whatever means, and on whichever side, is horrific and completely unjustifiable. 

We can argue all day on here about where to apportion blame, but for me personally there is no cause on earth that can ever justify the above.

100%

[bow out and shut up.]

Trailer if you cannot make coherent and accurate statements, bow out and shut up.

Jews don't all support Israel and Israel doesn't represent all Jews. the resistence is against the occupiers, Israel. The murder of Jews is a narrative used to align palestinian resistence with Nazis who carried out the Holocaust.

Hamas was financially supported and encouraged by Israel to split the Palestinians when it started in the 80s, so not only is the 75 years of massacres and occupation responsible for where we are now, Israel is again directly responsible for the creation of Hamas. 

both siding the argument is only required if you support the rights of Palestinians to resist their occupier, look at the World leaders statements over the last few days, there is no both siding they are unequivocally standing with the occupier.

the caging of 2.2m civilians is not enough for 16 years with frequent slaughters, now they cut water, electric (more than normal), hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed and now don't even have fuel.

Israel is responsible.

Excuse me? You are not the sole authority on this. Your view is not the truth.

I honestly don't think it will be built in time.

Ack 2 years put a quare hole in it.

here the head of the EU is doing some justification for murdering Palestinians

https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1712026324724773083?t=iZqIhVjGoUF5dYSXLRUpLg&s=19

It is perfectly rational to state the Israel should defend itself, while still having reservations about the manner of the actions that they take.
One characteristic of this issue is people backing either side unconditionally, when all we have is shades of grey.

total and utter bullshit... there is no reversations in the statement about the 'manner' of response, there is no comment on the 75 years of oppression, no comment on the 260 dead children on Gaza, no comment on Palestinian right to defend themselves, no mention of turning off financial support to Israel who acts like terrorists.

side with the occupier or the those occupied.. it is very simple.

It isn't that simple though. What is your solution to all this?

Simple is standing with the people who are caged and oppressed and occupied.

I never said there was a simple solution but a start would be to end indiscriminate bombing of Gaza, let humanitarian aid into Gaza, turn back on the water and power, hand control back to Palestinians, end the occupation, the blockade of Gaza, hold Israel accountable for its crime of occupation and apartheid and mass murders it had committed for 75 years, returned to 1967 borders at least, and the then deal with the issues of the right if return of refugees from the nakba and since then

You can't hold Israel to account and not Hamas. Everyone must take responsibility for their actions. I agreed entirely with you in regards to Gaza, aid, water, the bombing, everything, but Hamas must do likewise and stop their rocket attacks, and the indiscriminate murder of Jews.
I think both groups are utterly deplorable at this point. I wouldn't support either groups actions.

[A penalty kick.]

A penalty kick.

Northern Ireland is looking forward to a "huge economic" windfall after the news that five Euros 2028 matches will be played here, with great potential for the hotel sector to "unlock new markets, bolstering Belfast's global profile".
One regional hotel group said the prospect of the event would be an incentive to make further investments.

Consultancy firm Deloitte estimated that the tournament would bring a £2.6bn economic boost to the UK and Ireland. �

A spokesman for the Irish FA said: "The five associations believe the tournament will have a huge economic impact within the UK and Ireland, generating many millions of pounds for their respective economies."

In its Tournament Requirements for the 2024 Euros, Uefa said that 1,600 rooms would be required for its 'target groups' alone, including Uefa officials, broadcast staff, teams, commercial partners, members of the media and suppliers.

It says 75% of the 1,600 rooms must be in four or five-star hotels, with all located no further than a 45-minute drive from the stadium.

A fly-through of the proposed Casement Park redevelopment for the 2028 Euros

Northern Ireland Hotels Federation chief executive Janice Gault said hosting the Euros was a "very positive development" for the industry.

"Hosting globally recognised events provides a remarkable platform for Northern Ireland, enabling us to showcase the region, attract a fresh influx of visitors and garner international attention," she added.

"Currently boasting over 5,000 hotel bedrooms in the city, accommodating over 10,000 guests, coupled with additional provisions in other serviced accommodations and a substantial stock of self-catering options, Belfast is well-prepared to host such prestigious events.

"This presents a significant opportunity for the entire region, with teams based both within and beyond the city, and visitors traveling between fixtures and across countries.

"With a robust pipeline, including a new hotel opening next week and three additional properties expected to be operational by 2025, we are witnessing a substantial wave of investment.

"Global events of this magnitude not only invigorate the business landscape but also unlock new markets, bolstering Belfast's global profile."


Casement Park will be ready for Euro 2028 but GAA funding up to them, insists IFA chief Patrick Nelson
According to a federation report, Northern Ireland has 141 hotels with 9,432 rooms.

There are four five-star hotels, offering 365 rooms, and 41 four-star hotels, offering 3,920 rooms.

Room2 on the corner of Queen Street and College Street will open on October 16.

Other hotels planned for the city in the next few years include the Moxy Hotel, the Dean and the Mountainview in west Belfast.


Rajesh Rana, the director of Andras Hotels, which has six hotels and serviced accommodation in Belfast, said: "Andras Hotels have plans for new hotels in the city, and the Euros will encourage us to keep investing and developing in Belfast."

Earlier this year, the Birmingham Live news website reported that with the city likely to host five matches, it would bring £117.1m in economic benefits, according to analysis by its council, along with Deloitte and UK Sport.

Gerry Lennon, chief executive of the tourism body Visit Belfast, said he was keen to work with partners to make the most of the benefits of the Euros to Belfast and the wider region.

"Sports tourism is a growth area, and with an exciting line-up of international events over the next few years, the Euros 2028 is a key event helping to provide a significant boost to the economy, positioning both Belfast and Northern Ireland on the map for future events," he added.

A Tourism NI spokesperson said the event brought "immense opportunities" to promote Northern Ireland.

"We have enjoyed a lasting impact from the international events staged here over the last decade, from The Open, the Irish Open and the Giro d'Italia to UK City of Culture," they added.

"These events generated civic pride and economic benefits across the country and have improved the perception of Northern Ireland in all our key tourism markets."

here the head of the EU is doing some justification for murdering Palestinians

https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1712026324724773083?t=iZqIhVjGoUF5dYSXLRUpLg&s=19

It is perfectly rational to state the Israel should defend itself, while still having reservations about the manner of the actions that they take.
One characteristic of this issue is people backing either side unconditionally, when all we have is shades of grey.

total and utter bullshit... there is no reversations in the statement about the 'manner' of response, there is no comment on the 75 years of oppression, no comment on the 260 dead children on Gaza, no comment on Palestinian right to defend themselves, no mention of turning off financial support to Israel who acts like terrorists.

side with the occupier or the those occupied.. it is very simple.

It isn't that simple though. What is your solution to all this?

I will be surprised if this is built on time. As with the A5 road there will be a group monitoring this and if one item is over looked they will pounce and you will see delay after delay.

I heard Heron Bros were in line to build it but that's not the case anymore

Surely the fact it's included in the Euros bid means it will be completed on time by all means necessary?

In a normal society this would be the case, unfortunately we have a shower of bigots who have too much power.

Focus the minds. No stadium, no games in NI and no qualification spot should they not qualify via the group stage and require one.

Spurs stadium was built by companies in the North. The Concrete for the stands poured offsite here, the steel ring supplied from here and the fit out as well.

[I sincerely hope you are not basing it on Ireland being ranked no.1]

Let the experts give the advice

What an utterly bizarre comment on a discussion board of all places. Crazy.

Ok tell me way they are going to win by -10 ..

Really?

Yeah, I'd like to know the ins and outs of it, you seem to have a lot of knowledge of the game..

I sincerely hope you are not basing it on Ireland being ranked no.1 and if that is it I'd be very disappointed lol

You want me to give you a complete breakdown of a 80 min game of rugby on a GAA discussion board because I opined that Ireland would win by at least 10 points?

Being No.1 is a key f**king metric. They're the best team in the world. Like what more do Ireland have to do to go in as favourites?
They beaten NZ in NZ in the last test series they played them in... their smallest win being by 10 points!
They have completed a Grand Slam in the 6N
They've beaten South Africa already in this competition.
Everything points to an Ireland win, it is crazy not to be ultra confident about this team.

Probably slight favourites but we can take nothing for granted. World rankings mean feck all though. Sure if Scotland had beat us we'd have dropped down a few places

THEY DIDN'T!! We humped them.