Casement upgrade proposed by GAA

[rrhf]

You mean its not costing the GAA anyting.  My understanding was that it would ciost the GAA 60 mill and  they would be grant aided 40??

[Stall the Bailer]

How much did it take to build the new stand in Healy Park?
How about building something similair
to replace the Gerry Authur and the stands behind the two goals in Clones
Likewise in Casement, a similar stand to replace the existing stand and behind the two goals
Another one in Omagh at the opposite side.
Cover the current cost at Celtic Park and the Atheltic Grounds.
What is left (should be at least 50m) goes to each club (and county board) for development purposes if they can show how it will be used.

[Maguire01]

My reckoning one Stadium Maguire. Anyway there's no chance Campbell would give money to Clones.

Re Clones, I wouldn't expect him to - and i don't mean that because he's a very bitter DUP man - even a Nationalist politician wouldn't be able to, from a legal perspective.

[armaghniac]

This talk of feeding the money down to County grounds and Club grounds is a non running.

If Gregory is distributing dosh to IFA clubs then some distribution of moeny to the county grounds for safety upgrades is warrented.

He can give money to Clones just as Donegal council could co fund a swimming pool in Strabane (say) on the basis that people from Donegal could use it. But in practical terms a 6 county venture is the way forward, there might not be all that much money anyway , public finances may have to be devoted to essential things like hospitals or schools in the future rather than things that it is nice to have.

[Donagh]

Basically the GAA can name their price with this, but it needs to be done quickly. The money is ring-fenced by the OFMDFM, so it can't be released to Campbell without the approval of McGuinness. At the same time we all know how much Campbell hates the GAA and will try his best to give them as little as possible. From what I understand the money will be released to Campbell's department once he's went to the Executive with proposals to how it will be spent.

However it will be a one time offer i.e. there needs to be firm proposals on the table so the money can be divvied up quickly. So from the GAA's point of view we can't propose an application for funding for a capital development programme because (i) that type of thing should come from a separate pot of money in that Department (and we'll be doing ourselves out of money there); and (ii) nobody trusts Campbell not to pull the plug on the money after a year or two.

As I remember there's £260 million to be spent so the GAA has to go for a grant of one big capital development project to maximise the share they'll get from the money available. Peter Quinn and the Croker architect are on board with this, so I'd be pretty confident it's all in safe hands.

It won't do our games any harm to have 100k cars passing by our shiny new 40k seater stadium every day either, plus having it close to the city opens up the potential for extra revenue with conferences and concerts – given that Maguire's point about us not being able to do this if we went it alone at Maze was very valid. Casement is only a stones throw from the motorway and is the fringes of WB really, so could have serious potential for attracting more business and investment to the area.

[Maguire01]

It won't do our games any harm to have 100k cars passing by our shiny new 40k seater stadium every day either, plus having it close to the city opens up the potential for extra revenue with conferences and concerts – given that Maguire's point about us not being able to do this if we went it alone at Maze was very valid. Casement is only a stones throw from the motorway and is the fringes of WB really, so could have serious potential for attracting more business and investment to the area.

Again, I still don't see a GAA ground (especially in Casement's location) getting concerts that would attract 30/40,000. Promoters won't run the risk of 'alienating' people who wouldn't go near a GAA ground or West Belfast. That's the unfortunate truth.
As for conferences, would there be even room for such facilities on that site?

[mylestheslasher]

The 100 mill isn't the Ulster GAA's money. It's our rightful share of the spoils from the failed Maze/Long Kesh. We'll only get the money to redevelop a stadium or build a new one. This talk of feeding the money down to County grounds and Club grounds is a non running. So if we can get 100 mill off the Stormont to redevelop Casement Park, I say grab the money with both hands and show the IFA we didn't need them!

And if you did the responsible thing and said, "thanks but we don't need a new stadium in Ulster" that money could remain in government coffers to fund Hospitals, schools etc. I'm not one to quote Michael McDowell but I remember when Bertie was hell bent on developing the Bertie Bowl McDowell compared him to Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, there is a bit of that going on here at too. Is part  of this just showing off maybe to the soccer & rugby groups or maybe if them ones get money to build a stadium we want the same too! Its childish, pointless and a waste of your (i.e. Taxpayers) money. Ulster does not need a new stadium and no one on this board has shown me a justification or return on investment for a new stadium.

[ziggysego]

The money for the Maze / Long Kesh Stadium Project was money coming from the British Government, which didn't come out of the existing Stormont coffers. I'm assuming that still stands.

[Donagh]

The money for the Maze / Long Kesh Stadium Project was money coming from the British Government, which didn't come out of the existing Stormont coffers. I'm assuming that still stands.

You're right Ziggy. It was a Tony Blair vanity project. If we don't get the money it goes back to the Brits to allow them to build maybe a quarter of a submarine.

[RadioGAAGAA]

Total bullshit idea.

Casement is a hole. It always will be.

We don't NEED another big stadium to sit empty for 360 odd days of the year.

Take the money, and reinvest it in all the counties. Better facilities for schools and clubs to train youngsters will benefit the GAA more than another 'millenium dome'.




Going off at a tangent:
We especially don't need an all-seater stadium. We aren't a bunch of f**king soccer fans that cannot handle standing. I know I always prefer to stand at a game than sit. Many others may feel the same.

[mylestheslasher]

The money for the Maze / Long Kesh Stadium Project was money coming from the British Government, which didn't come out of the existing Stormont coffers. I'm assuming that still stands.

You're right Ziggy. It was a Tony Blair vanity project. If we don't get the money it goes back to the Brits to allow them to build maybe a quarter of a submarine.

Which is now some Ulster GAA peoples vanity project! Where the justification and ROI and isn't most of the money floating around storment from the British government coffers. Your simply wasting your own money on a folly.

[Donagh]

Which is now some Ulster GAA peoples vanity project! Where the justification and ROI and isn't most of the money floating around storment from the British government coffers. Your simply wasting your own money on a folly.

No, the money is not floating around Stormont, it is ring-fenced and at present can only be spent on a new stadium at the Long Kesh and Maze sites. It's still possible for the Brits to take their money back again as the multi sports stadium has fallen through. At present it is not within the gift of anyone here to do something with that money, but the Executive will have to agree on a plan and then go and ask the Brits to give it to us anyway.

[Donagh]

Can we not just have a couple of bizarres to get the money up? Sean McGettigan swears by them.

Wonder how much this boy costs:

[mylestheslasher]

Which is now some Ulster GAA peoples vanity project! Where the justification and ROI and isn't most of the money floating around storment from the British government coffers. Your simply wasting your own money on a folly.

No, the money is not floating around Stormont, it is ring-fenced and at present can only be spent on a new stadium at the Long Kesh and Maze sites. It's still possible for the Brits to take their money back again as the multi sports stadium has fallen through. At present it is not within the gift of anyone here to do something with that money, but the Executive will have to agree on a plan and then go and ask the Brits to give it to us anyway.

And is it outside the capability of the executive to agree on a sensible project to use the money for. A new road, a new hospital, new schools etc and go back to the brits and ask the money to be diverted? Of course it is if a bit of maturity and if ye actually thought of what was good for the people. Probably not as  there is too much childishness, vanity and "them ones" in the thinking of those holding political office in the North. As a matter of interest what was SF position on the Bertie Bowl.

[Donagh]

And is it outside the capability of the executive to agree on a sensible project to use the money for. A new road, a new hospital, new schools etc and go back to the brits and ask the money to be diverted? Of course it is if a bit of maturity and if ye actually thought of what was good for the people. Probably not as  there is too much childishness, vanity and "them ones" in the thinking of those holding political office in the North. As a matter of interest what was SF position on the Bertie Bowl.

Myles, I'm not sure why you are finding this so difficult to understand. The money is ring-fenced by the Brits for capital development of the stadium i.e. not to be used for anything else. As far as I know, none of the Parties have a policy or stance on what shape it should take or where it should be built. The driving forces are the three sports bodies not the Parties.