Antrim Hurling

[Milltown Row2]

So you guys would prefer that game to have been at ballycastle on Sunday - than at the old Casement?

I would suggest the players wouldn't, and the majority of supporters wouldn't.
The atmosphere at Casement on county final days was excellent.
The facilities for supporters were light years ahead of club grounds like sunday.
I don't any players that didn't love hurling in Casement.

If ye can't see it for yourselves - open you mind and think of the hundreds of people soaked (some had to leave early) and young & old who paid £10 to not to see long spells of the game.
Does every other county with a proper ground leave it sitting and have their county finals at smaller pitches for supposed better atmosphere? No chance.

Sorry guys - ya's are full of it.

Yes good argument we're full of it. All the players would rather play there. Can you tell me how many players you surveyed?

The atmosphere for the last 2 county finals has been significantly better than most, if not any, I can recall in casement. When it was not full, which was pretty much every game in it, then the stand was too far from the pitch so it didn't generate an atmosphere like you would get with players close to the pitch. Also you only ever got one side full.

Best pitch I ever played on and we definitely generated a lot of atmosphere during club finals, i think most people are getting mixed up with county finals rather that the county team playing there and that was hugely different, but who's to blame for that?

Us as supporters unfortunately are at fault as I've been to many a county championship game at Casement when other teams are there and its been a great atmosphere... So if we are looking to see why that is then ask yourself or your clubsmates why the didn't bother going to support their team!

[theskull1]

1. So you guys would prefer that game to have been at ballycastle on Sunday - than at the old Casement?

2. I would suggest the players wouldn't, and the majority of supporters wouldn't.
3. The atmosphere at Casement on county final days was excellent.
4. The facilities for supporters were light years ahead of club grounds like sunday.
5. I don't any players that didn't love hurling in Casement.

If ye can't see it for yourselves - open you mind and think of the hundreds of people soaked (some had to leave early) and young & old who paid £10 to not to see long spells of the game.
Does every other county with a proper ground leave it sitting and have their county finals at smaller pitches for supposed better atmosphere? No chance.

Sorry guys - ya's are full of it.

1. No... The old Casement would have been better a better venue insofar as there is much more space for umbrella users to spread out. 70% of the crowd on Sunday would still have got wet.
2. I have no clue where you get that from. Yes Casement was a great surface... but it always lacked atmosphere compared to club grounds. I prefer well attended club grounds to Casement for this reason.
3. When spectators are hanging over the wire supporting their team/baying for blood etc etc, its always better. Casement pitch was always too far away from the spectators
4. No surprise there
5. Anyone who played in Casement, was involved in a game worth playing in, so it always is going to be enjoyable, especially when it was always in good order.

[btdtgtt]

So you guys would prefer that game to have been at ballycastle on Sunday - than at the old Casement?

I would suggest the players wouldn't, and the majority of supporters wouldn't.
The atmosphere at Casement on county final days was excellent.
The facilities for supporters were light years ahead of club grounds like sunday.
I don't any players that didn't love hurling in Casement.

If ye can't see it for yourselves - open you mind and think of the hundreds of people soaked (some had to leave early) and young & old who paid £10 to not to see long spells of the game.
Does every other county with a proper ground leave it sitting and have their county finals at smaller pitches for supposed better atmosphere? No chance.

Sorry guys - ya's are full of it.

Yes good argument we're full of it. All the players would rather play there. Can you tell me how many players you surveyed?

I did make an argument - then said ya's were full of it - but you ignored those points (for obvious reasons)
And I said all players I know loved playing in Casement - I didn't say I surveyed all the players from Sunday.


The atmosphere for the last 2 county finals has been significantly better than most, if not any, I can recall in casement. When it was not full, which was pretty much every game in it, then the stand was too far from the pitch so it didn't generate an atmosphere like you would get with players close to the pitch. Also you only ever got one side full.

The atmosphere is debateable - the rest of my points are not.
A covered stand? No, we'll stand here and get soaked.
Wanna see the game? No I am just here doing an umbrella survey.
Take these steps? No thanks I will slide down a grass hill on my arse

You boys want to head over and tell the other 31 counties they should ditch their county ground and head of to some club pitch for better atmosphere? It seems everyone else in Ireland is doing things wrongly!.

One other point - funny not so long ago I was defending other grounds as being fit for semi finals! Irony!
My point remains - the old casement or a new (properly sized) county ground would be preferable to them all!
To suggest otherwise is just bonkers.

[theskull1]

My point remains - the old casement or a new (properly sized)county ground would be preferable to them all!
To suggest otherwise is just bonkers.

Your point? 

Its not bonkers to suggest that a properly sized county ground is needed rather than a redeveloped Ulster Football Final sized Casement. That's what we've been saying ya eejit

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Got soaked to the skin on sat in creggan at the intermediate football final, as did everyone else. Same on Sunday for both matches. I did have a brolly but it didnt matter, the rain was coming down sideways. From chatting to people around me on Sunday and sat all everyone wanted was a ground with cover whether it be ballycastle, Corrigan etc etc.

I agree with Skull here, we need a decent sized ground that is relevant to the attendances that our games generate. Casement park for county final day was great to go to and watch a game at but it had a poor atmosphere. I found this years and last years finals as a neutral great to watch for the atmosphere that was created by the large crowds.

casement park is so far off the thoughts of most our Gaels at the moment it never gets mentioned. Its at the point now where people are losing interest in it, which is sad to see.

[theskull1]

[Usain]

Old Casement - No Atmosphere
New Casement - Too big and still no atmosphere
Club ground - Great atmosphere but open to elements

Its simple. If you want to stay cosy but not get the atmosphere lets have county finals in the new casement monstrosity.
If you want atmosphere and don't mind a soaking, lets go to Ballycastle for county finals.

Personally I'd rather have the atmosphere.

[Seamroga in exile]

The rain was running down my back into the nether regions and i was soaked through, It mattered not a jot to be honest. I actually thought the atmosphere was more subdued than normal. Perhaps the elements played their part in that. Whatever the answer is it needs to be sorted.

[Jeepers Creepers]

in my playing days ( many moons ago) everyone wanted to play in Casement. If one man and his dog came to watch it was a bonus.

[btdtgtt]

My point remains - the old casement or a new (properly sized)county ground would be preferable to them all!
To suggest otherwise is just bonkers.

Your point? 

Its not bonkers to suggest that a properly sized county ground is needed rather than a redeveloped Ulster Football Final sized Casement. That's what we've been saying ya eejit

Oh dear skull.
My point is the old casement is preferable to current club ground for county finals.
Leading on from that the new casement will also be - especially if it's reasonably sized.
And also that current club grounds are not good enough for 31 other counties -  and Not for our finals either.
Simple.
But continue your love fest with that atmosphere you talk of and ignore everything else.

[theskull1]

My point is the old casement is preferable to current club ground for county finals.
Leading on from that the new casement will also be

logical fallacy.

There is zero guarantee if it is not sized to suit OUR needs.....and I'd bet OUR needs have nothing to do with it. Others have said the same so stop thinking I'm the only one saying it

[btdtgtt]

My point is the old casement is preferable to current club ground for county finals.
Leading on from that the new casement will also be

logical fallacy.

There is zero guarantee if it is not sized to suit OUR needs.....and I'd bet OUR needs have nothing to do with it. Others have said the same so stop thinking I'm the only one saying it

Including myself.
You are making assumptions about the size - and indeed atmosphere - of a stadium not yet a reality.
But it's a safe assumption the new stadium will have better shelter, viewing, and facilities.
A new casement or ballycastle? It's not even worthy of debate.
Like I said - we hold our county finals in the least equipped ground of any of the 32 counties. Fact.

[imtommygunn]

So can you show us pictures or give us details of all these other 31 grounds? Since it is a fact.

[btdtgtt]

So can you show us pictures or give us details of all these other 31 grounds? Since it is a fact.

Well you can do your own googling and I'm not posting 31 pictures here.
But to keep it simple every single county in Ireland was given infrastructure grants from central council to provide for full facilities for supporters and floodlighting. The advent of the "control tower" for each stadium coincided with this. Most noticeably - all 31 have a covered stand. So put simply do you know of any county ground of lesser standard than ballycastle. Clue: there isn't one.

NB: I should point I think ballycastle is an outstanding club ground!

[erinsboy]

Dunsilly has to be the place for a new county ground
1 we already own the land and have pitches made
2 it is in a central location
3 it has excellent road structure and easy to find
4 the first pitch has a slope along one side where you could build a stand and concrete terrace the other side
There is a issue about safety exits but if you look at a satellite view you can see they only need to buy a small piece of land at the corner and they will have access onto the main road I don't think we need anything bigger than 7000 capacity and let the Ulster council build casement if they want to but we will only use it when we need to
I'm not sure what the total capacity is at own-beg but the stand is 2000 so the total can't be anymore than 7000 and that would be more than big enough for Antrim !