No more Ulster finals in Croke Park?

Started by Star Spangler, December 07, 2006, 09:43:13 AM

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Star Spangler

Quote

Clones in line to undergo a massive €30m facelift
Irish Independent, Thursday 7th December 2006

ST TIERNACH'S Park in Clones is set to undergo a €30m facelift which could transform the Monaghan venue into one of the country's top grounds.

All that is required for the go ahead for the ambitious project, which would increase the ground's capacity from 35,000 to approximately 50,000, is for the Ulster Council to provide an undertaking that, except in the case of exceptional circumstances, the provincial football final will take place at Clones.

If this agreement is secured, the government is set to provide a significant level of financial assistance to make the project a viable proposition.

"We would hope that the government would come up with funding in the region of €12 million, and that the bulk of the remaining outlay would be provided by grants from the GAA and Ulster Council," explained Monaghan chairman John Connolly.

The top Monaghan official and members of his county board have already discussed the issue with Ulster Council president Micheál Greenan and secretary Danny Murphy.

And last week Connolly wrote to the council requesting a further meeting with the management committee of the provincial body.

"We know people are busy coming up to Christmas, but we hope that a meeting will be set up shortly after that," pointed out Connolly.

Helpful

"We have already met with John O'Donoghue (Minister for Sport) and we have found him to be very helpful. But we fully understand that he doesn't want to fund a white elephant, which Clones would become if the Ulster final wasn't played there on a regular basis."

For the last three years, the Ulster Council opted to stage their annual show piece at Croke Park with the 2004 tie between Armagh and Donegal and the 2005 clash involving Armagh and Tyrone attracting attendances in excess of 60,000.

But for this year's fixture between Armagh and Donegal just over 50,000 passed through the turnstiles.

"We can fully understand the Ulster Council opting for Croke Park when they are guaranteed a huge crowd, but we feel that Clones would have been adequate for this year's final," said Connolly.

"Between the corporate box and premium level seats you are virtually guaranteed 10,000 people before you start in Croke Park.

"As well as the Ulster final, we would also hope to stage games like league semi-finals at Clones," added the Monaghan official, who is confidently anticipating a Saint Tiernach's Park setting for the 2007 final because big crowd-pullers Armagh, Tyrone and Donegal are all in the same half of the draw.

The Monaghan official went on: "We've got an engineer to do a sketching of the proposed ground improvements which would incorporate putting another deck on the covered stand and putting a double deck stand at the road end where there is now terracing.

"Fifteen years ago, Clones was a fine ground but the time has now come for it to be substantially upgraded. As well as the increase in the capacity for the ground, we would hope to considerably improve the catering facilities."

An indication of the enterprise and ambition of the Monaghan county board is that they recently opened a €2.2m new county team training ground facility at Cloghan near Annyalla, with five training pitches, two of which are floodlit.

Paddy Hickey

thewobbler

I'm 100% behind any move to get the Ulster Final back to Clones and keep it there. I'd also love to see money being ploughed in to put a cover over the terraced stands. But I really don't want another 15,000 people travelling in and out of this town on match days.

Maximus Marillius

#2
I would also like to think that road planning and parking is a major consideration in this proposal, if not, why not, because it is one of the major negative points pertaining to Clones

Star Spangler

Road access is a major problem for Clones.  It's bad enough as it is - with 50,000 people it would be impossible.  The Ulster Council should take this opportunity to rethink its strategy for the location of Ulster finals.  Healy Park is the obvious choice due to its location in the centre of Ulster and also its road access.  Unfortunately though the Irish government isn't going to invest €12 million (although they paid for the floodlights via the Ulster Council!) into a sports facility in Northern Ireland and there's no chance the British government will make a significant contribution to the GAA.  Obviously Casement is another option but it's distance from a lot of Ulster counties doesn't help its case.

Goats Do Shave

Quote from: thewobbler on December 07, 2006, 09:47:11 AM
I'm 100% behind any move to get the Ulster Final back to Clones and keep it there. I'd also love to see money being ploughed in to put a cover over the terraced stands. But I really don't want another 15,000 people travelling in and out of this town on match days.

It'll hardly matter where it is for you Wobbler...for another few years anyways!   :o  :D


....Only jokin'  ;)

Fuzzman

I can't understand why they would spend all this money on Clones.
Nobody likes going there mainly due to traffic congestion and the whole out-dated feel of the place.

Also, Croker only gets a limited No of games per year where they get more than their so-called break even point so taking away the Ulster final would be another loss of income.

Teams & managers love playing in Croke park & fans like going there, even if it does take longer to get home from.

thewobbler

Star Spnagler - I wouldn't be so sure about your Omagh roads theory. One of the longest trips I've ever had home from a game was from Healy Park in 2005, and there was only 16k at that game. Clones gets a lot of stick for its roads, but it also holds crowds twice the size of anywhere else in Ulster bar Casement. This doesn't mean it could handle a 50% hike in attendance by any means though.

David McKeown

I never liked the idea of the Ulster final beeing moved but if there going to bring it back to Clones they should announce that now as otherwise it might be seen as a slight on the teams involved espically if neither of them are Armagh
2022 Allianz League Prediction Competition Winner

Donagh

Never mind the facelift, sort the feckin roads out and provide some parking.

Blue06

A new road from Monaghan to Clones is imperative if this is to go ahead.  It could also help with the hospital situation in Monaghan.
It would take people in Nth Monaghan about an hour to get to their 'local' hospital in Cavan. 

Bogball XV

clones is a shithole, i hate going there (and  not just cos the last time I saw Derry win there was 2001 (that was nice though!).  Casement is Ulster's best and most accessible ground.

guy crouchback

where does all this leave the new stadium at the maze. if the ulster council are promising x number of games a year to the new stadium whats the point of redevoloping Clones?

Fuzzman

Has there ever been a Ulster final in Casement?

What was the largest attendance at a match in casement?
How many of you would be happy to have the final held in Belfast?


snatter

Imho, a brand new fully covered stadium @ the Maze beats either Clones or Casement.

The simple truth is that it would cost us too much to bring Casement or Clones up to the level of what is proposed at the Maze.

The big problems with Clones are
1. location - it never made any sense to have Ulster's main stadium in in its far south west corner.
2. transport infrastructur is appalling. No matter how much it improves, it will never match having the M1 motorway at your front door.

The big problem with Casement is that it will never have the space to expand to be a fully covered, 2/3 rds seated stadium, which is what the GAA in Ulster are looking for.

Goats Do Shave

Quote from: Fuzzman on December 07, 2006, 10:10:10 AM
Nobody likes going there mainly due to traffic congestion and the whole out-dated feel of the place.

I like going to Clones...I'd imagine most Cavan, Monaghan & Armagh people prefer Clones. Even South & East Tyronies would be happy enough with Clones!

Parking isn't a problem in Clones....not compared to Croke Park anyways!