Casement Park in line for major overhaul - 40,000 all seater Stadium.

[twohands!!!]

Nothing too surprising here with the blank cheque from London firmly off the table.
Ulster GAA basically hit the jackpot with London offering that and no surprise the Tories tore up the lottery ticket the first chance they got.

The current promised amounts are Stormont £62.5m, the Irish government €50m (£43m) and the GAA £15m which is a total of £120.5 million.

Hard to guess what Labour would be willing to chip in but if it was something like £100 million I'd imagine it would be with a strict understanding that the GAA would be the ones on the hook for the funds to complete the project - if London offered to underwrite anything over-budget as a long-term loan with guaranteed interest rates that would surely be the best outcome Ulster GAA can hope for now.

I'd still have massive concerns about this debt hanging over Ulster GAA for decades to come (same as the situation in Cork - where the revenue the stadium makes is much lower than what was projected) especially if Ulster GAA don't reduce the capacity some bit to reduce the cost.

'No blank cheque' as Casement Euro 2028 hopes fade
By Niall Glynn,
BBC News NI

Labour cannot write a blank cheque to rebuild Belfast's Casement Park in time for Euro 2028, Labour's Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn has said.
It comes as a former senior strategist with European football body Uefa told BBC News NI plans are now being made for the tournament to go ahead without Northern Ireland.
Belfast is due to stage five games at the west Belfast stadium when the UK and Ireland hosts the tournament.
But the site remains derelict and redevelopment work has yet to begin.
The stadium needs to be built by 2027 in order to be ready in time to host Euro 2028 matches.
However, former Uefa strategist Ian Mallon told the Good Morning Ulster programme he "understands absolutely that Northern Ireland will be rubbed from the roster" of the tournament.

Speaking earlier on the programme, Mr Benn said "we would all like Casement to be built" in time for the tournament.
However, he said it was not even clear what the final cost of the project would be.
When the stadium was first proposed in 2011, the estimated cost was £76m with £61m coming from Northern Ireland's power-sharing government and £15m from the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association), which owns the ground.
However it is now suggested the stadium could cost more than £300m.
Northern Ireland's government has pledged £62.5m, the Irish government €50m (£43m) and the GAA £15m - leaving at least £180m needed to rebuild Casement.
"The question is, where is the rest of the very considerably increased amount of money that will be required," said Labour's shadow Northern Ireland secretary.
"I can't give a blank cheque and you wouldn't expect me to given the huge rise in the costs there have been and we don't yet know what the full sum is."
He added there is a responsibility on the UK government to make a contribution but that he would commit to sitting down with all parties to see whether they could "contribute more".

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said he expects to receive further information on any possible funding for Casement Park when a new UK government is in place after the general election.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member said the lack of a funding commitment from the UK government was "holding up any progression" on the stadium plans.
He told the Northern Ireland Assembly the situation "has not changed" since it was last discussed in the chamber.
"Casement Park redevelopment in its current form does not have the funding package together," he said.
"We don't have that commitment from the UK government and that's what's holding up any progression on that issue and I expect to get further information on that when a new government is in post."

The best international teams in Europe are currently playing across Germany in Euro 2024 to packed out stadiums.
The competition's next edition, Euro 2028, is due to be staged across the UK and Ireland, in cities including London, Cardiff, Glasgow, Dublin and Belfast.
However, Ian Mallon, a former senior Uefa strategist, told Good Morning Ulster he had contacted someone "very senior" involved operationally in the tournament and asked him "would it be fair if I go on this breakfast programme in the morning to say Northern Ireland will not be part of it".
"I just got back a simple 'yep'."
He added that he understood Uefa is now planning for the tournament going ahead without Northern Ireland involved as hosts.
"It's such a huge problem and such a huge disappointment for Northern Ireland," Mr Mallon said.
In a statement, Uefa said: "All stakeholders continue to work closely together regarding the development of Casement Park.
"Further updates will be provided when necessary.
"We have no further information."


Analysis: Final whistle could come soon
by Jayne McCormack, BBC News NI political correspondent

If the Conservatives are preparing to leave the political pitch after 14 years in charge, the party that could be replacing it in government is tip-toeing carefully around Casement Park.
Labour finds itself in a spot not of its making, as it didn't make the initial promise to "get the money" - that rests at the feet of the outgoing Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris.
But Hilary Benn, who could soon be the next occupant of the Northern Ireland Office, wasn't prepared to keep up the pledge and said there could be "no blank cheque".
There are the spiralling costs of the redevelopment to consider, and forking out a large sum of cash in a place where Labour doesn't get any votes may not be a winning move in the fledging days of the next government.
Hilary Benn spoke of sitting down "urgently" to discuss the situation in the event his party wins power in 16 days from now.
But one way or another, it is starting to feel like the final whistle will be blown very soon.
Pacemaker Broken terracing and an overgrown pitch at derelict stadium Casement ParkPacemaker
What is Casement Park?
Casement Park, which first opened in 1953, is a GAA stadium in west Belfast named after Sir Roger Casement.
Sir Roger was an Irish revolutionary who was executed in London for treason in 1916.
The stadium has been closed for more than a decade and has gone derelict, as long-running plans for its refurbishment have been hit by delays.
The news last year that the stadium would be Northern Ireland's host venue for Euro 2028 raised hopes that work would begin soon but that has yet to happen.
Last week, Ulster GAA confirmed attempts were still being made to keep the project alive.
It said it remained "fully committed to doing everything we can in the coming weeks".
Supporters of the project had been clinging to the belief that the next UK government, after the 4 July election, might provide the necessary funding.
One official told BBC News NI: "We're in added time of extra time, but the final whistle hasn't gone yet."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz55jgvl720o

[twohands!!!]

Michelle says "Casement will be built, on her watch ". 
Great.
How?

A bit surprised someone didn't accuse you of sectarianism asking Michelle a question like that.

[weareros]

British Labour were always as big as pricks as the Tories. They committed £3 billion for the 2012 London Olympics and by 2007 the bill was already £9 billion.

https://www.ft.com/content/a78e29a4-d323-11db-829f-000b5df10621

Casement is only a drop in the ocean to be part of hosting Euro28, and since it was part of the official bid, there should be no weaseling out to placate hardline Unionists. Hopefully it's a wake up call for anyone sitting on the fence about Irish unity.

[GTP]

Manchester City moved to the City of Manchester stadium after it was built for the Commonwealth Games and converted for use as a football stadium. Wikipedia says City paid £20 million. Stadiums are financed by government for large events and Casement should be no exception. Why anyone in N Ireland objects to large scale capital injection within the region is beyond me, maybe should we build the Boris Bridge to Scotland instead to cement the union.

[Walter Cronc]

What do West Ham rent the Olympic stadium for. Is it not peanuts? Given the wealth of the premier league with 10 million earned per live game.

As noted before my fear would be Ulster GAA getting into huge debt and ticket prices going through the roof once it opened. Would it cost a fortune to redesign a stadium to a £120 -£150 mill budget?

[tiempo]

Forget Casement as a multi-sport venue or a vanity project/monolith

Create it as a GAA specific venue factoring in the notable features that make the best medium size venues around the country what they are, what contributes to atmosphere, playing surface and amenities ... ditch bells and whistles where they aren't needed

Why not create a really amazing 12-15,000 capacity and have it as the home of the Ulster Club final and Ulster colleges, and of course Antrim club championship and county teams, leaving Clones for Ulster Final at county level

Even Brewster at 18,000 is never filled, quit with the white elephant stadiums already

[AustinPowers]

Was Omagh , Armagh's Athletic grounds or  Ballybofey full for  the respective counties home championship games  this season?

(All of those are 16-18k capacity if I remember  right )

If the answer is 'no' to the above question, then why would a stadium 18k+ be needed  for what would predominantly become Antrim's  home ground? If three well supported counties like Tyrone Armagh and Donegal  can't fill  their own grounds at the height of  the championship ,  Antrim won't be either

Also, given that the  Ulster championship  is  gradually being  removed from the AI series  (becoming as important  as  Mc Kenna Cup),  a 30k+ stadium is madness

[armaghniac]

Was Omagh , Armagh's Athletic grounds or  Ballybofey full for  the respective counties home championship games  this season?

(All of those are 16-18k capacity if I remember  right )

If the answer is 'no' to the above question, then why would a stadium 18k+ be needed  for what would predominantly become Antrim's  home ground? If three well supported counties like Tyrone Armagh and Donegal  can't fill  their own grounds at the height of  the championship ,  Antrim won't be either

Also, given that the  Ulster championship  is  gradually being  removed from the AI series  (becoming as important  as  Mc Kenna Cup),  a 30k+ stadium is madness

The Athletic grounds is a good example, the stand is frequently substantially full, the shed is often full, the terraces at the end less so, but the cost of providing an uncovered terrace is modest enough and it is useful to have the capacity for some games. Whether a ground is full is partly dependent on who you are playing and if they travel. The only Armagh game championship game this year was against Westmeath and very few from Westmeath travelled. In the previous year, the ground was full for the league game against Tyrone.

[Applesisapples]

Surely a GAA ground fit for an Ulster Final can be built for £120m?

[tiempo]

Surely a GAA ground fit for an Ulster Final can be built for £120m?

New Casement, really class 12k stadium for Antrim, Ulster colleges and Ulster club

Clones for Ulster Final

20-30,000 capacity stadium is the last thing needed

[armaghniac]

Let's not admit that all is lost
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c8449vk850wo

[Rossfan]

It'll be built but ......

https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2024/0707/1458666-casement-park/

[tyroneman]

Clones, while great for nostalgia, is objectively an awful venue. Facilities are dreadful, stuck somewhere in the 70s/80s.

Would need serious, serious money to get it even close to being what a modern stadium should be.

Add in the terrible travel infrastructure issues and it's clear why something else is needed to be the figurehead venue for Ulster GAA.

[marty34]

Clones, while great for nostalgia, is objectively an awful venue. Facilities are dreadful, stuck somewhere in the 70s/80s.

Would need serious, serious money to get it even close to being what a modern stadium should be.

Add in the terrible travel infrastructure issues and it's clear why something else is needed to be the figurehead venue for Ulster GAA.

Very true. Casement Park, in whatever shape/size needs to be built.

Going to Clones on Ulster Final day is exciting and is an adventure but i's outdated.  Facilities, namely the toilets, are a joke. I'm not sure what the changing rooms are like? Just looking at the Euros or any modern soccer/rugby stadium, then you'll see the difference.

As already stated this past few years, Casement Park should not have not have been closed until everything was sorted. Bad move by Antrim GAA/Ulster GAA or whoever was at fault and a mess ever since. 

Now let's hope Labour can find a way out in conjunction with Ulster GAA, Dublin government and Stormont etc.

Be great to see it completed in time for the Euros but wouldn't hold my breath. It'd be a great boost, in sporting and tourist terms, for Belfast and the north.   


 

[Saffrongael]

Honestly couldn't give a flying fcuk about the Euros