No Grounds Safe In The North

[full back]

Dozens of major sports grounds in Northern Ireland fall below current safety standards.

The details are in a letter written by Sports Minister Gregory Campbell, which has been released to the BBC.

In the letter Mr Campbell lists venues which he has been told do not meet safety criteria by varying degrees.

He said it was every soccer venue in the top two tiers of the Irish League, all six county GAA grounds and also rugby's Ravenhill.

Mr Campbell wrote his letter last month to Stormont's Culture, Arts and Leisure committee which discussed stadium safety on Thursday.

Assembly members of the committee spent about two hours hearing from government sports officials, asking them why legislation on ground safety introduced here in 2006 still has not been implemented fully.

Committee chairman Barry McElduff claimed the government had lacked urgency in dealing with the issue.


How the fcuk is this possible?
Sure the Athletic Grounds is just finished
I would say cnutface was listening to Dildo on his I-Pod while he was inspecting them

[thejuice]

Maybe he just felt it wasnt safe for him to go there.

[armaghniac]

o not meet safety criteria by varying degrees.

there might not be a major problem but these grounds are probably not the best in the World either.

[Donagh]

He's up to something, most likely laying the groundwork for a big handout to soccer.

[ziggysego]

He's up to something, most likely laying the groundwork for a big handout to soccer.

[Maguire01]

Are these safety standards actually defined? Anyone got the details? Who inspected the grounds?

[Chrisowc]

He's up to something, most likely laying the groundwork for a big handout to soccer.

I am almost agreeing with you

I would say Rugby and GAA will be getting some funding if he has sited their stadia as unsafe too.

[phpearse]

He actually didin't say the grounds were unsafe but did say that they

do not meet safety criteria by varying degrees.

Now the varyig degrees could be from a broken gate at the turnstile in the case on one ground (a GAA or rugby ground) to a roof about to collapse at another (Windsor anyone??). The cynic in me thinks that, as Donagh says, he is preparing to lay the ground work to pump a lot of cash into Windsor Park, with some money to other soccer, rugby and GAA grounds. In response to the backlash from all after he announces this, he will say that I'm undertaking funding to improve the safety of all sporting facilities on the grounds of bringing them all up to safety code.

[Donagh]

I am almost agreeing with you

I would say Rugby and GAA will be getting some funding if he has sited their stadia as unsafe too.

He said two soccer divisions - whats that 24 clubs? - and 6 GAA grounds, so he's clearly identifying who should get the money which was previously earmarked for the new stadium. We all know here there's little or no safety issues with GAA county grounds in the north so his letter is disingenuous - he's just thrown in GAA in for a mask of balance. 

[Canalman]

Experienced a mild crush exiting the back of the main stand in Healy Park after a Dublin lge game some years ago. Presume what he means is that the stadia are not equipped to deal with crisises.
Nothing imo can compare to the death trap that was Hill 16 in the 1980s with the barb wire fences to front and grass incline to rear.

[FermGael]

Now the varyig degrees could be from a broken gate at the turnstile in the case on one ground (a GAA or rugby ground) to a roof about to collapse at another (Windsor anyone??). The cynic in me thinks that, as Donagh says, he is preparing to lay the ground work to pump a lot of cash into Windsor Park, with some money to other soccer, rugby and GAA grounds. In response to the backlash from all after he announces this, he will say that I'm undertaking funding to improve the safety of all sporting facilities on the grounds of bringing them all up to safety code.

You have hit the nail on the head.
All the redevelopments done in the last couple of years must meet the safety standards, otherwise you do not get the grants

[Donagh]

Experienced a mild crush exiting the back of the main stand in Healy Park after a Dublin lge game some years ago. Presume what he means is that the stadia are not equipped to deal with crisises.
Nothing imo can compare to the death trap that was Hill 16 in the 1980s with the barb wire fences to front and grass incline to rear.

Pretty much all of the GAA county grounds in the north are able to disperse crowds of 20-35k under 20 minutes without any problems, so I wouldn't think there are any serious problems and certainly nowhere near as bad as we had in the past with grass banks everywhere - though the kerb around the pitch at Casement could be looked at. The only time I've ever feared for my safety in those situations in the past ten years was the crush after the Killers concert in Ormeau Park recently - I've never experienced anything on that level since Clones or Athletic grounds in the 80s and early 90s.