Antrim, the way forward

Started by Milltown Row2, October 30, 2015, 09:53:31 AM

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Tony Baloney

Quote from: Milltown Row2 on August 22, 2018, 09:05:51 PM
The simple thing that should have been done was to close Casement, once it was agreed on all counts and the deal and money spent signed up. Casement should have been open till the day the demolition men arrived.
Yep. Last match on a Sunday, diggers on a Monday. It's absolute madness they way this has been handled.

imtommygunn

Was it not basically deemed not fit for purpose with health and safety stuff though so that wasn't feasible?

imtommygunn

Oh right. I thought there were big concerns about the stand.

Milltown Row2

Quote from: imtommygunn on August 22, 2018, 09:52:47 PM
Oh right. I thought there were big concerns about the stand.

If there was a problem with the stand then there was plenty seating that was safe
None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Ea

imtommygunn

Ah. Cheers for detail - didn't realise all of that.

armaghniac

Quote from: Tony Baloney on August 22, 2018, 09:08:59 PM
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on August 22, 2018, 09:05:51 PM
The simple thing that should have been done was to close Casement, once it was agreed on all counts and the deal and money spent signed up. Casement should have been open till the day the demolition men arrived.
Yep. Last match on a Sunday, diggers on a Monday. It's absolute madness they way this has been handled.

Is there a half-intelligible account as to why this is not the case? Even if certain parts of the spectator accommodation was closed  before that date.
If at first you don't succeed, then goto Plan B

Gold

Watch this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeUCwq2mDFw 

A hard and depressing watch and listen

Casement's and Antrim/Belfast's demise played out on National Airwaves
"Cheeky Charlie McKenna..."

NAG1

Quote from: armaghniac on August 22, 2018, 10:46:18 PM
Quote from: Tony Baloney on August 22, 2018, 09:08:59 PM
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on August 22, 2018, 09:05:51 PM
The simple thing that should have been done was to close Casement, once it was agreed on all counts and the deal and money spent signed up. Casement should have been open till the day the demolition men arrived.
Yep. Last match on a Sunday, diggers on a Monday. It's absolute madness they way this has been handled.

Is there a half-intelligible account as to why this is not the case? Even if certain parts of the spectator accommodation was closed  before that date.

It came down to money pure and simple.
The insurance (tens of thousands) on the ground was not paid, as the thought at the time was the process would start the day after the last match or close enough, so continuing to pay the insurance was a waste of money.

When the process dragged further out and all the recriminations started, it was no longer feesible to reopen the ground.

It has been a disaster from day one, ill conceived and badly implemented on numerous levels.

Milltown Row2

Quote from: Gold on August 23, 2018, 09:12:07 AM
Watch this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeUCwq2mDFw 

A hard and depressing watch and listen

Casement's and Antrim/Belfast's demise played out on National Airwaves

Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!! embarrassing
None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Ea

Spike

If someone is serious about reopening casement with limited opening terrace sections then it needs a full survey, health and safety review, clean and, which is the longest part, a brand new pitch laid, grew and maintained. a Quick once over with the mower isn't going to do it.

Feasibility isn't the word here - Antrim board realise its cheaper to have casement closed and use clubs grounds than it is to maintain and insure a stadium the size of casement.

Like it or loathe it, they'd be better picking a club ground to put money into to get up to a realistic capacity (it would be clubs responsibility to look after it), or put their money into a stand at Dunsilly. Poor attendances at antrim's poor county products means poor revenues




paddyjohn

Quote from: Spike on August 23, 2018, 09:47:04 AM
If someone is serious about reopening casement with limited opening terrace sections then it needs a full survey, health and safety review, clean and, which is the longest part, a brand new pitch laid, grew and maintained. a Quick once over with the mower isn't going to do it.

Feasibility isn't the word here - Antrim board realise its cheaper to have casement closed and use clubs grounds than it is to maintain and insure a stadium the size of casement.

Like it or loathe it, they'd be better picking a club ground to put money into to get up to a realistic capacity (it would be clubs responsibility to look after it), or put their money into a stand at Dunsilly. Poor attendances at antrim's poor county products means poor revenues

Agree, Tir Na og or Creggan. Central venue. Even St Endas.

Antrim Coaster

The only issue with Casement was the stand.

The Belfast City Council would not award a safety certificate unless the electrics in the stand were rewired.

The cost to complete the job was £10,000.

The Antrim County Board decided not to proceed at that time as the new stadium funds were in place and the safety certificate was not issued. 

In hindsight this was a bad move but the Ulster Council has ran roughshod over the entire project and made a complete hames of everything.

Their incompetence has left Antrim without a county ground. The idea of a 38,000 all seater stadium in West Belfast is a complete joke.

Milltown Row2

Quote from: paddyjohn on August 23, 2018, 11:32:17 AM
Quote from: Spike on August 23, 2018, 09:47:04 AM
If someone is serious about reopening casement with limited opening terrace sections then it needs a full survey, health and safety review, clean and, which is the longest part, a brand new pitch laid, grew and maintained. a Quick once over with the mower isn't going to do it.

Feasibility isn't the word here - Antrim board realise its cheaper to have casement closed and use clubs grounds than it is to maintain and insure a stadium the size of casement.

Like it or loathe it, they'd be better picking a club ground to put money into to get up to a realistic capacity (it would be clubs responsibility to look after it), or put their money into a stand at Dunsilly. Poor attendances at antrim's poor county products means poor revenues

Agree, Tir Na og or Creggan. Central venue. Even St Endas.

Why not two? one up the Glens for the hurlers and one in Belfast/SW for the footballing crowd?
None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Ea

Antrim Coaster

The county have some land at Ballygrooby that was purchased prior to the Dunsilly project. It wasn't deemed to be large enough to accommodate a training facility which is why they went for Dunsilly when that land became available.

Not 100% sure if they sold Ballygrooby to channel the funds towards the development of Dunsilly.

If they still have that land, it would make sense to develop it into a second county ground with stand and covered terracing, something similar to the main pitch at Owenbeg.

However finances will dictate any future development and the Antrim Board are not in the best of financial health.

The Club Aontroim project quickly descended into a farce, mismanaged and improperly run.

Milltown Row2

Quote from: Antrim Coaster on August 23, 2018, 11:46:55 AM
The only issue with Casement was the stand.

The Belfast City Council would not award a safety certificate unless the electrics in the stand were rewired.

The cost to complete the job was £10,000.

The Antrim County Board decided not to proceed at that time as the new stadium funds were in place and the safety certificate was not issued. 

In hindsight this was a bad move but the Ulster Council has ran roughshod over the entire project and made a complete hames of everything.

Their incompetence has left Antrim without a county ground. The idea of a 38,000 all seater stadium in West Belfast is a complete joke.

Look about 40 odd years ago they said having a two lane motorway running from Mid Ulster to Belfast was too much, would never get used and at the time no one had the amount of cars available to actually make it look busy.. fast forward 40 years and we'd need a 4 lane motorway for getting out of Belfast and flyover at Yorkgate and the westlink re designed..

Just because at the the minute a 38,000 seater stadium may seem too much I'd say they'd have it well used for lots of events to cover the use of it over the years.. concerts like last few weeks that were held in the Falls park could be facilitated in Casement, bringing more than the 10,000 odd that went to those concerts.. chartity soccer games  ;)  Hosting rugby world cup games or All Ireland quarter finals.... how many times a year will PUC be used?

I give up, I head to my mums on a Sunday and drive past it wondering will I ever get to step back inside the place, I've given up hope of refereeing in the place again, and I remember my last game managing their and playing there, never thinking that I wouldn't get the chance to get back out on the sod again..

I've some lovely personal memories of Casement, as a supporter watching our seniors pull off some cracking wins. would be a shame if I never got any more memories of Casement.

as for the size, 38,000 seater or 28,000 seater, just get the fecking thing built
None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Ea