Antrim Football Thread

[Antrim Coaster]

Insurance was one reason, the stand was condemned also I think. Antrim/Ulster had thought the builders were heading in after planning was sought, I assume they decided it be easy to not pay a year’s insurance on a stadium that would be developed

Belfast City Council would not issue a safety certificate unless the electrics in the stand were rewired. As a result the Antrim County Board decided not to invest £10,000 to replace the electrics as the promise of a completely new stadium was on the way. The Safety Certificate expired resulting in no events being permitted to take place at Casement and it has fallen into a state of despair as a result.

[Gold]

Could 20,000 of us loyal fans not throw a quid in each to get it rewired, grass cut, a pick of paint and a year's insurance paid?

Get it up and running again ASAP?

[Kickham csc]

thought asbestos in the main stand was the issue that the ground went off limits

[hardstation]

Lol. We can’t even agree on a lie.

Yeah, so the stand was condemned, it was structurally unsafe, the electrics were fcuked, couldn’t get a safety certificate, issues with insurance, asbestos, nuclear warheads found buried under it (insert your own, it’s fun), rendering the entire ground completely useless.

Isn’t it amazing that the vital yet elusive safety certificate caused us great difficulty right on the eve of us knocking the stadium down? Never a problem any other year. No coincidence, just a mighty stroke of luck that we had the new stadium coming.

Yet and all the same city council has been able to provide the social club with trading licenses and certificates to allow them to operate in the same stand, using the same electric system. Nor has the social club had any bother getting insurance.

It’s just amazing! Or, at least it would be if you were happy to consume every nugget of shite you are fed by those responsible for closing it.

I mean, is it beyond the realms of possibility that when people start asking questions and the spotlight is shone on someone for prematurely & unwisely closing our beloved ground and leaving us in a mess, that they may attempt to muddy the waters, embellish half truths or completely spoof in order to distance themselves from responsibility?

It couldn’t have been incompetence, pig headed ignorance or sheer arrogance- not in Antrim. There must have been another reason.

Anyway, it wasn’t the decision to close the ground that did the damage, as bafflingly idiotic as it was. It could always have been opened again with a relatively small bit of work. It was the decision to rip every bit of scrap out of the ground that left it in a holy mess, and ended the chance of a quick fixer upper.

[bannside]

Note to WhatwillB. I can say with total 100% certainty that Antrim have not sold the naming rights of Casement Park.
That's from the very highest authority.

[bannside]

Re Casement....all the signs are pointing to a difficult phase ahead, politically and financially, and whilst many still dare to dream of the full completion, others I talk to form a pragmatic view that maybe we need to cut the cloth to suit.

If there is £70m in the pot (safe and ringfenced) but the project needs £110m to deliver (full of risks and uncertainty)... what would the wise man do?

Would he hold out for the grand prize and hope at least three funding partners stump up £30 - £40m between them (all denying the possibility of this under evolving circumstances) or would he (she) propose a complete redrawing of the project to fall within an upper limit of the £70m that we know is available?

I've heard arguments for both sides. Would you settle for a top of the range Mercedes, or hang on in the hope of the flashy Ferrari?

[imtommygunn]

It's a no brainer BS. There is no need for the big white elephant of a stadium. A modernised version of what we had would be perfectly fine.

[Milltown Row2]

Re Casement....all the signs are pointing to a difficult phase ahead, politically and financially, and whilst many still dare to dream of the full completion, others I talk to form a pragmatic view that maybe we need to cut the cloth to suit.

If there is £70m in the pot (safe and ringfenced) but the project needs £110m to deliver (full of risks and uncertainty)... what would the wise man do?

Would he hold out for the grand prize and hope at least three funding partners stump up £30 - £40m between them (all denying the possibility of this under evolving circumstances) or would he (she) propose a complete redrawing of the project to fall within an upper limit of the £70m that we know is available?

I've heard arguments for both sides. Would you settle for a top of the range Mercedes, or hang on in the hope of the flashy Ferrari?

I'd settle for a decent Vespa at this stage, with all the trimmings that is..

[bannside]

https://www.northernsound.ie/podcast-monaghan-gaa-chairman-declan-flanagan/

Some interesting thoughts on the subject. Very well worth a listen.

[Jeepers Creepers]

I'd settle for 'The Hoppy Dobbins arena' Capacity 25k.

[whatwillbwillb]

Note to WhatwillB. I can say with total 100% certainty that Antrim have not sold the naming rights of Casement Park.
That's from the very highest authority.

You're totally in the wrong paddock Bannside, never once said it was to do with the stadium or the naming of it. Come on I credit you with more intelligence, and highest authority !  Please 

[bannside]

I really am genuinely struggling to keep up with what you're saying. I asked four very simple questions yesterday, and haven't got an answer. Please keep it simple so that I can keep up. Or pm me if you want....anything.... but please no more riddles!

[JimStynes]

I haven’t a clue what is going on with all these riddles. Just come out with it ffs

[paddyjohn]

Riddle me this and riddle me that.

Say what you mean and mean what you say!

[NAG1]

Riddle me this and riddle me that.

Say what you mean and mean what you say!

Hasn't a clue what he is on about on any level of this discussion. Therefore refers to innuendo and riddles trying to hide this.

Most people are aware of the mistakes made around the closing of the ground, which to some extent could have been avoided.

The debate has moved on now and it should be about how we now get this project moving and get the groundworks moving. The damage is done in terms of access etc which I argued about at the time, but we need something in place so we go ahead with the overall plan.