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

Started by Joxer, October 06, 2010, 02:42:28 PM

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Banana Man

QuoteQuote
How long before the row erupts about changing the name of the stadium too if it is to be funded by the government..

Sure wasn't Casement a knight of the British Empire.

right enough they can't argue about the name sir roger  ;D

pointlad

Theres all this talk about funds being short, and all off a sudden this grant has appeared. As you may be aware Casement only has a new Stadium Control Tower built just over a year. What will happen to this if the new stadium gets the go ahead? Many thousands being wasted for no reason. The Ulster GAA board should of had a bit of logic before building this if they knew the new stadium was in the pipeline. The new Control Room is magnificent according to the links below :

http://vimeo.com/5319563

http://www.pilkington.com/europe/uk+and+ireland/english/news/pilkington+watches+over+casement+park.htm

Maguire01

Quote from: pointlad on October 14, 2010, 04:48:04 PM
Theres all this talk about funds being short, and all off a sudden this grant has appeared. As you may be aware Casement only has a new Stadium Control Tower built just over a year. What will happen to this if the new stadium gets the go ahead? Many thousands being wasted for no reason. The Ulster GAA board should of had a bit of logic before building this if they knew the new stadium was in the pipeline. The new Control Room is magnificent according to the links below :

http://vimeo.com/5319563

http://www.pilkington.com/europe/uk+and+ireland/english/news/pilkington+watches+over+casement+park.htm
Buttons in comparison to £50m though. And i'd imagine that even if it all goes ahead, it will be at least 5 years before a new stadium would be in use.

snatter

Quote from: pointlad on October 14, 2010, 04:48:04 PM
Theres all this talk about funds being short, and all off a sudden this grant has appeared. As you may be aware Casement only has a new Stadium Control Tower built just over a year. What will happen to this if the new stadium gets the go ahead? Many thousands being wasted for no reason. The Ulster GAA board should of had a bit of logic before building this if they knew the new stadium was in the pipeline. The new Control Room is magnificent according to the links below :

http://vimeo.com/5319563

http://www.pilkington.com/europe/uk+and+ireland/english/news/pilkington+watches+over+casement+park.htm

Did you actually read the Pilkington article you linked to?
It clearly states that the control tower was " funded under Sport Northern Ireland's Stadia Safety Program. " If there were thousands wasted, they weren't the GAA's.

And again, a few thousand is nothing compared to £50 million, if Nelson can ever bring himself to give it to us. Will his fear of NI being forced to play abroad overcome his loathing of the GAA?

I take it there's no outline plans ready for Casement yet?

Orangemac

Could we not just throw some new toilets and some bigger dugouts and spend the rest elsewhere?

It's not like Nelson or Tom Elliott will ever be there to see what work has went on ;)

snatter

Quote from: nintythree on October 20, 2010, 11:16:16 PM
Is this project under threat from today's spending review announced by the British Government?

Probably, but moving on.....

We now have a little more detail on the plans for Casement. Noteworthy that it's planned to be 80% covered seating. I'd assume that the other 20% (8000 people ) will be standing. Sitting in the rain has got to be the most unpleasant way to watch a match and I'd hope the architects would reflect that.

From the Andytown News:

"the plan would involve demolishing the Casement Park stadium and building, on the same site, a new stadium which, in contrast to the existing 32,300 capacity, would accommodate maximum spectator capacity of 40,000.

The new Casement Park stadium would have 80 per cent covered seating and would include about 2,000 premium seats, 580 corporate seats and car parking facilities.

http://www.belfastmedia.com/features_article.php?ID=1343

The Worker


armaghniac

I  don't see how this can go ahead in the times that are in it, with layoffs in the public sector. The stadia can do another while until times are better and if the IFA don't like that then they can collect some money themselves to do up Windsor Pk.
If at first you don't succeed, then goto Plan B

snatter

Quote from: nintythree on October 29, 2010, 01:13:14 AM
The green light may only be 3 weeks away. Days really!

perhaps,  but just watch Poots and co throwing every possible delay against it at the planning stage.
For an insight, just look at how they delayed a decision for the Bryansford, County Down application.

JPGJOHNNYG

I think people are missing the point of this discussion. The money is going to Casement end of story. What we should be discussing is what approach the GAA will take.

Will they do the right thing and build a top class stadium capable of hosting a wide range of events(small version of croke park)?
50 million is the amount from Stormont but several papers in the past have mentioned a budget of 100million for the stadium. If this was indeed the money involved then the potential is huge. To quote one of the above bloggers the stadium would be 40000 with 32000 seats and 8000 terrace - this is ideal. All those moaning about standing - well guess what you stand at the terrace, the vast majority of people like to sit and have the option to stand when they want! I would like to think that the whole stadium is roofed as the GAA seem to think Ireland is in the tropics and that it never rains - we need covered stadia even the terrace. The terrace should also be easily fitted with temporary seating if needed.
If done right then not only will the big Ulster GAA games be played there but as it would be by far and away the best stadium in Ulster  it could be used for a wide range of other events and concerts and maybe even the odd Heineken cup match earning Ulser GAA even more money!

The main arguments against Casement are unfounded. Locarion - in the city where hundreds of thousands of people live - as oppossed to a field in the back of beyond. Beside the M1 - okay can be a bottle neck at the juction but other options such as park and ride alleviate this, also potentially plenty of parking at Boucher or Musgrave park both of which only a short walk away. I think I would be right in saying nowhere in the 9 counties is more than 2 1/2 hours drive away.
Another argument against the development is that there is no room around the stadium - you can say that about anywhere - look at the previous aerial shots of Croke - pretty tight fit. Most of the people oppossed to this development were probably against the upgrade of Croke or Lansdowne also and now look at the facilities there - pretty impressive not to mention the knock on effect such developments have on the local area and certainly West Belfast is crying out for investment

My greatest fear is the GAA will do the half hearted effort they have done many times  in the past. Take a look at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick for a modern stadium it looks like it was built in the 1920's not to mention again the fact that it has no cover at all - at least put a simple roof on - even somethng like the new RDS stand is better than nothing.
A similar GAA project at the moment is the new Pairc ui chaoimh. That project has gone in 2 years form a state of the art 60000 stadium to eclipse Lansdowne road to suddenly the more modest plan of a new two tier stand on one side and upgrade of the terracing -  :-[

Lets hope we have the stadium we need/deserve - interesting times ahead!

armaghniac

QuoteIf done right then not only will the big Ulster GAA games be played there but as it would be by far and away the best stadium in Ulster  it could be used for a wide range of other events and concerts and maybe even the odd Heineken cup match earning Ulser GAA even more money!

Is there even a shred of evidence that the GAA would allow the stadium be used like this or that any of the users would want it?

QuoteThat project has gone in 2 years form a state of the art 60000 stadium to eclipse Lansdowne road to suddenly the more modest plan of a new two tier stand on one side and upgrade of the terracing -


Reality sometimes imposes on people and Páirc Uí Chaoimh is going to get more big games than Casement.
If at first you don't succeed, then goto Plan B

angermanagement

Concert promoters will be reluctant to bring any big concerts into West Belfast for the fear of alienating half of the community.

Ulster rugby will never have the need to use Casement regardless if the GAA was to change its rules. Is it there really any need for another white elephant which will be full maybe once/twice a year. Yes redevelop Casement but not at a cost of £100 million.

JPGJOHNNYG

Is there even a shred of evidence that the GAA would allow the stadium be used like this or that any of the users would want it?

No but surely it makes financial sense. The stadium is going to be upgraded anyway so seeing its located in a big city then why not look at other options. If the GAA buried its head in the sand and built it soley for the Ulster final then yes it would be a massive waste of money and a white elephant and I would agree with you then that they should leave the stadium as it is. However a new stadium run well will pay for itself

Concert promoters will be reluctant to bring any big concerts into West Belfast for the fear of alienating half of the community.

Times have moved on and will hopefully continue to do so. We all have to try and live together at some stage. Obviously located in a Nationalist area but also right beside the mixed Balmoral area and not very far from the Kings Hall which served as Belfasts main concert venue for decades

Ulster rugby will never have the need to use Casement regardless if the GAA was to change its rules. Is it there really any need for another white elephant which will be full maybe once/twice a year. Yes redevelop Casement but not at a cost of £100 million.

It wont do any harm to ask them. Im sure Ulster rugby wouldnt mind a share of the bigger profits they would get from a 40000 crowd as oppossed to 15000 crowd at Ravenhill.

thewanderer

it wouldnt work, think of the many top of the range cars that would be stolen during a game ;)

Maguire01

Quote from: JPGJOHNNYG on November 03, 2010, 11:04:30 AM
The main arguments against Casement are unfounded. Locarion - in the city where hundreds of thousands of people live - as oppossed to a field in the back of beyond. Beside the M1 - okay can be a bottle neck at the juction but other options such as park and ride alleviate this, also potentially plenty of parking at Boucher or Musgrave park both of which only a short walk away. I think I would be right in saying nowhere in the 9 counties is more than 2 1/2 hours drive away.
You'd be wrong. Parts of Donegal are a good 3 hours from Belfast.

As for the city where "hundreds of thousands of people live" - they may well do, but they're not the people who go to GAA games.

And as for 'park and ride' - as i've said before, you can do that anywhere if people are willing to use it.