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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Maguire01

Quote from: The Worker on February 17, 2012, 10:27:17 PM
Would be great if they put a roof on the stadium. Would be a real jewel in the gaa crown.
A 15-20,000 capacity stadium with a roof would be a much more sensible use of this money. Something that we don't already have and something that would be properly used.

Maguire01

Quote from: trileacman on February 17, 2012, 10:06:17 PM
Half the size but twice the stadium. Thomond is a stadia nearly always full and this enhances the atmosphere and image when recorded on tv. Just because the GAA build a stadium that 50,000 people can go to, doesn't mean 50,000 people will.

Build it and they will come is bullshit. If it were the Gaelic Grounds would not currently be the white elephant it is.
Agreed. Thomond looks great for its capacity. Why can't the GAA design small stadia like this? Why do we end up with stands like that in McHale park in this day and age?

Leo

I wonder if some of these projects are monuments to some GAA egos.....

Pairc Esler rebuilt to hold 20,000. Down might get that crowd once in 5 years (against Armagh or Tyrone) - how can that be justified?
I'm told it costs over 50 grand a year to run the place - certainly won't scratch that from gate mony even in a good year.
Healy Park has similar issues despite the massive Tyrone bandwagon of recent years.
New Morgan stadium is dinky and will be full to capacity probably once in the next 10 years.
Enniskillen & Ballybofey are just fields with some dodgy seating.
Casement 40,000 ? - the first Ulster final in it might fill it, after that once in a blue moon ....... maybe.
As for concerts or other events there - are you serious? Given the "issues" with its location the only chance is for a Wolfe Tones concert with Wolfe himself headlining it.
Now a neat fully covered ground holding about 15,000 - 20,000  for all Ulster championship games might make some sense - although hard to find the right location for 9 counties - somewhere around Dungannon maybe - too late now.

White elephant it most assuredly is.
Fierce tame altogether

armaghniac

Pairc Esler, Armagh and Omagh are one thing. Even a National League game might make use of more than half the capacity several times a year. These stadia have a single large stand which is well enough used at league games, McKenna cup games, county finals and the like. The rest of the ground is terracing, relatively cheaply provided, Morgan has a small roof over some of this. Casement Nua will have seats all around, mostly covered I expect, so the whole stadium will be like the stand in Pairc Esler.  An expensive pigeon roost mostly.

If Casement could be built with a roof, perhaps an inflatable affair, it would be great for all manners of concerts and the like and perhaps something could be done for other sporting brethren.
If at first you don't succeed, then goto Plan B

Leo

Armaghniac

"and perhaps something could be done for other sporting brethren"

Life will certainly be upside down before that happens.

Fierce tame altogether

Tony Baloney

A monumental waste of money. Can't believe this shit is proceeding. 20k tops might be viable but I would guess it will be at capacity a handful of times in 10 years.

I wonder will the stewards let all the McCooeys through the main gate in the new place?!

Ulick

Quote from: Leo on February 17, 2012, 11:08:06 PM
Given the "issues" with its location

10 minutes walk from the M1, 20 from the train halt, 20 on bus or taxi from city centre. What's the issue with location?

Minder

Quote from: Tony Baloney on February 17, 2012, 11:31:53 PM
A monumental waste of money. Can't believe this shit is proceeding. 20k tops might be viable but I would guess it will be at capacity a handful of times in 10 years.

I wonder will the stewards let all the McCooeys through the main gate in the new place?!

As Leo has said above I think some officials egos are getting the better of them. Nothing a Gaa official likes more than a bit of back slapping and a photo opportunity.
"When it's too tough for them, it's just right for us"

Ulick

Quote from: Tony Baloney on February 17, 2012, 11:31:53 PM
A monumental waste of money. Can't believe this shit is proceeding. 20k tops might be viable but I would guess it will be at capacity a handful of times in 10 years.

I wonder will the stewards let all the McCooeys through the main gate in the new place?!

Croker only needs 25k or 35k to break even so I'd guess this would only need about 7-10k so big events subsidise the smaller. Couple of rugby lads in work were asking me earlier what the chances would be for getting for their big games and five or six years down the road I don't think there would be a problem.

Leo

Quote from: Ulick on February 17, 2012, 11:35:24 PM
Quote from: Leo on February 17, 2012, 11:08:06 PM
Given the "issues" with its location

10 minutes walk from the M1,

Where do you park to make this walk?

20 from the train halt,

What, from Balmoral?? - half hour plus

20 on bus or taxi from city centre.

Will the black taxis let the buses run on match day??

What's the issue with location?

Now I haven't started on lack of a decent place to eat or drink anywhere near the place..
Fierce tame altogether

Ulick

Quote from: Leo on February 17, 2012, 11:46:23 PM
Quote from: Ulick on February 17, 2012, 11:35:24 PM
Quote from: Leo on February 17, 2012, 11:08:06 PM
Given the "issues" with its location

10 minutes walk from the M1,

Where do you park to make this walk?

20 from the train halt,

What, from Balmoral?? - half hour plus

20 on bus or taxi from city centre.

Will the black taxis let the buses run on match day??

What's the issue with location?

Now I haven't started on lack of a decent place to eat or drink anywhere near the place..

1. You get off a bus or park in one of the shopping centres or that big field on Boucher where they have the fairs.
2. I walk it most Sunday mornings and can do it in 20. Still not a fraction of distance of Connolly to Croker.
3. There's more than one route to Andytown Rd from city centre, but on match days I would anticipate park-and-ride from Sprusefield and city centre. Black taxi to cover pub trade on the Falls.
4. See above.

ONeill

I've never found parking or access to/from a problem.

I would worry about the financial viability. Increased TV coverage, increased ticket prices and less dough flying about might mean they'll do well to make a profit in any given year - unless Antrim become a force themselves.
I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.

Ulick

Quote from: Maguire01 on February 17, 2012, 10:29:40 PM
All ery ptimistic. Bar the Ulster Finals that were in Croke Park, there has never been a problem getting tickets. For plenty of years, Clones was a few thousand under capacity - around 30-33,000. Last year was well under capacity, was it not?


Not too many neutrals would consider battling their way to Clones to watch an Ulster final. Shit roads to a ground in the middle of nowhere which takes a whole day to get to and return wouldn't be a problem with Casement, particularly for families.

ONeill

Quote from: Ulick on February 18, 2012, 12:07:34 AM
Quote from: Maguire01 on February 17, 2012, 10:29:40 PM
All ery ptimistic. Bar the Ulster Finals that were in Croke Park, there has never been a problem getting tickets. For plenty of years, Clones was a few thousand under capacity - around 30-33,000. Last year was well under capacity, was it not?


Not too many neutrals would consider battling their way to Clones to watch an Ulster final. Shit roads to a ground in the middle of nowhere which takes a whole day to get to and return wouldn't be a problem with Casement, particularly for families.

Clones is another ground I never found a problem with.
I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.

Ulick

But you wouldn't take your family for a big game unless your county was playing.