Antrim, the way forward

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

Previous topic - Next topic

NAG1

Quote from: Belfast GAA man on August 22, 2018, 09:12:11 AM
Not spouting just looking forward - the process you mention means the new stadium will likely be another 4/5 years so that will leave us without a county ground for a decade - you are a patient person NAG1 - I believe our ultimate leaders should lead

If you are referring to our ultimate leaders being those in Croke Park then you will need to learn some patience yourself. They have about as much influence on this as you or I do.

We are looking at 4/5 years at the earliest and that is if it ever happens.

There is no appetitie to approve any big public spending projects currently and I dont see this changing any time soon.

cfclg

Quote from: NAG1 on August 22, 2018, 09:32:38 AM
Quote from: Belfast GAA man on August 22, 2018, 09:12:11 AM
Not spouting just looking forward - the process you mention means the new stadium will likely be another 4/5 years so that will leave us without a county ground for a decade - you are a patient person NAG1 - I believe our ultimate leaders should lead

If you are referring to our ultimate leaders being those in Croke Park then you will need to learn some patience yourself. They have about as much influence on this as you or I do.

We are looking at 4/5 years at the earliest and that is if it ever happens.

There is no appetitie to approve any big public spending projects currently and I dont see this changing any time soon.

We need a short term (5 year) plan. Pick a club ground that is capable of hosting inter county games somewhere in middle of county and erect a temporary stand for 5 years. At least then we have the same venue all the time.

Off the top of my head and I know people will have varying opinions on this but I would suggest Randalstown for this. They have done a mighty job with their new club rooms etc. Parking potentially one of the main issues.

The main point I'm making here is that county leadership need to step in now with a short term plan that gives our county teams a home for next 5 years. No more moving around from club to club like Duffys circus.

Belfast GAA man

When Kildares finances were going under Croke Park stepped in. There is precedent for Croke Park involvement in failing counties. Leaving local politicians to sort out casement is leaving the lunatics in charge of the asylum!
Yes we need an interim home for Antrim GAA asap

NAG1

Quote from: Belfast GAA man on August 22, 2018, 11:55:44 AM
When Kildares finances were going under Croke Park stepped in. There is precedent for Croke Park involvement in failing counties. Leaving local politicians to sort out casement is leaving the lunatics in charge of the asylum!
Yes we need an interim home for Antrim GAA asap

Antrim's finances are not going under, Casement is completely separate to the day to day running of the county.

It is exactly those luncatics who control the money that is 'set aside' for Casement. Without that money, it simply will not happen. That is the reality.

Not meaning to be negative about this but a interim home is not viable either. We are going to have to settle for being nomadic in the mean time. The only interim solution which would be close to viable would be Dunsilly and I dont think that is workable for any sort of a 'big game'.

johnnycool

Quote from: Belfast GAA man on August 22, 2018, 11:55:44 AM
When Kildares finances were going under Croke Park stepped in. There is precedent for Croke Park involvement in failing counties. Leaving local politicians to sort out casement is leaving the lunatics in charge of the asylum!
Yes we need an interim home for Antrim GAA asap

If you think Croke Park went in and bail county boards out, you're very much mistaken.

They'll assist in restructuring debt but they won't pay it and rightly so.

themac_23

Surely something could be done at casement to accomodate 5-6k in the meantime, we dont need what was there previous, something is bound to be doable

bannside


themac_23

Quote from: bannside on August 22, 2018, 01:32:01 PM
AT CASEMENT???

Yeah, surely wouldnt take that much to close off majority of stadium and keep some open for 5-6k supporters, sitting doing nothing anyway may as well try get some use until we find out whats happening

NAG1

Quote from: themac_23 on August 22, 2018, 01:41:34 PM
Quote from: bannside on August 22, 2018, 01:32:01 PM
AT CASEMENT???

Yeah, surely wouldnt take that much to close off majority of stadium and keep some open for 5-6k supporters, sitting doing nothing anyway may as well try get some use until we find out whats happening

Jesus wept  :-[

themac_23

#489
Quote from: NAG1 on August 22, 2018, 01:55:04 PM
Quote from: themac_23 on August 22, 2018, 01:41:34 PM
Quote from: bannside on August 22, 2018, 01:32:01 PM
AT CASEMENT???

Yeah, surely wouldnt take that much to close off majority of stadium and keep some open for 5-6k supporters, sitting doing nothing anyway may as well try get some use until we find out whats happening

Jesus wept  :-[

what, no stadium has ever went from unused to used?

http://stadiumdb.com/news/2015/06/czech_republic_legendary_stadium_brought_back_to_life_by_fans

Belfast GAA man

Quote from: johnnycool on August 22, 2018, 12:11:29 PM
Quote from: Belfast GAA man on August 22, 2018, 11:55:44 AM
When Kildares finances were going under Croke Park stepped in. There is precedent for Croke Park involvement in failing counties. Leaving local politicians to sort out casement is leaving the lunatics in charge of the asylum!
Yes we need an interim home for Antrim GAA asap

If you think Croke Park went in and bail county boards out, you're very much mistaken.

They'll assist in restructuring debt but they won't pay it and rightly so.
I've no expectation that Croke will pay off debt. I'm merely highlighting that when things are badly wrong in a county Croke can intervene:
- Div 4 football
- Hurling make no progress and probably going backwards (remember we used to be in the All Ireland proper)
- No home ground for 5 years and counting

These are reasons for Croke Park to take an active part in all things Antrim. We are part of a 32 county organisation and because we are above the border we should not be left out in the cold to deteriorate even further

bannside

I really wasn't sure The Mac whether your post about bringing Casement back to life was a wind up or for real. It seems that you think this can be done, and the example of a previous attempt does give your proposal a bit of credibility, albeit not much.

Do the maths.

It took 17 weeks of 11000 man hours (per week) to complete the transformation. That's 187,000 man hours.

So let's assume (A) that you could muster 50 similar thinking South Antrim gaels to join you....far from a given....and (B) that you could get them all to offer 10 hours a week each to the project.

On that basis it would take 374 weeks....or seven years to complete. That's a long time to wait!

Just saying!

themac_23

Quote from: bannside on August 22, 2018, 06:00:54 PM
I really wasn't sure The Mac whether your post about bringing Casement back to life was a wind up or for real. It seems that you think this can be done, and the example of a previous attempt does give your proposal a bit of credibility, albeit not much.

Do the maths.

It took 17 weeks of 11000 man hours (per week) to complete the transformation. That's 187,000 man hours.

So let's assume (A) that you could muster 50 similar thinking South Antrim gaels to join you....far from a given....and (B) that you could get them all to offer 10 hours a week each to the project.

On that basis it would take 374 weeks....or seven years to complete. That's a long time to wait!

Just saying!

In fairness it was just a throw away comment in the first instance, but I remember reading that article a good while ago and thought it was great. I wasn't comparing the fact it was fans done it and saying our Gael's should do it, just an example that it can be done.

My point being, we currently have a project which is years away from being a reality, on the current site we have a decaying stadium that most would agree was fit for purpose before its doors were closed. We also have no home, if we get a decent championship draw we have nowhere to hold it. We as a county need a home, casement is our home and I believe it should be where antrim play their home games. The sad thing is we are no closer to getting casement built than we were the days we closed the gates

bannside

Too true but in fairness no one could really have predicted the reasons for the delay. So the only option now is to wait and hope that the remaining hurdles can be cleared, politically and with regard to red tape.

Accepting that best case scenario we are still 4 or 5 years from completion, I don't see any problem taking the county games around the county. One thing for sure there's not too many attending our county footballers at Corrigan, so under our unusual circumstances I don't think the fixtures crowd would object too heavily if we shared the games around a bit.

There's not too many games that Antrim hurlers or footballers play that would cause that much traffic congestion from my experience at any one of a dozen club grounds I could think of.

In the meantime anyone suggesting that the lack of a regular venue is the reason we arnt winning games...well personally that's a feeble excuse in my book. If we arnt good enough to beat a team at Corrigan, Ballycastle or anywhere in between I wouldn't be sure we would beat them anywhere.

Milltown Row2

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