Antrim Football Thread

[Milltown Row2]

It was just one on many factors, it didn't close the ground on its own but with the insurance costs they were deemed to be the right move at the time... Hindsight would say, keep it open till the planning was completed and rubber stamped

As for the residents they had their concerns and as I said there was no consultation its seems that met their concerns or their needs..

Like any construction or project that has to be taken into account, as we see with the road that is being held up by some concerned farmers, as you'll have sympathy with their plight no doubt

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Thank Christ for the residents and the Judicial Review because it seems the original stadium plan was a Health & Safety ticking time bomb.
The GAA didn't go away and tweak a couple of things to put it right. They had to go right back to the drawing board and design a different stadium. It must have been a fcukin mess.

[Milltown Row2]

Thank Christ for the residents and the Judicial Review because it seems the original stadium plan was a Health & Safety ticking time bomb.
The GAA did go away and tweak a couple of things to put it right. They had to go right back to the drawing board and design a different stadium. It must have been a fcukin mess.

They did or didn't go away?

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Sorry, didn't...

[GTP]

Thank Christ for the residents and the Judicial Review because it seems the original stadium plan was a Health & Safety ticking time bomb.
The GAA didn't go away and tweak a couple of things to put it right. They had to go right back to the drawing board and design a different stadium. It must have been a fcukin mess.

There were insufficient exits to ensure a capacity crowd could get out of the stadium in 8 minutes if the Andersonstown Road was closed due to an emergency. At least that is how I understand it: Assembly 2015

[Spike]

who is actually running this mess at the moment?

demolishing 20 year old concrete terraces this year to put in identical concrete terraces makes a lot of sense in no way.

[Torcrua]

I still think one of the biggest mistakes in this whole saga gets overlooked.

Ulster Council deserve plenty of criticism for how the project was managed once they took control, but Antrim County Board also have to accept responsibility for handing over Casement so readily and effectively giving up control of their own county ground without enough safeguards.

Closing the stadium before planning was secure and before there were firm guarantees on timelines, funding and delivery was a huge gamble. Once the keys were handed over, Antrim were largely passengers while decisions affecting their home were being made elsewhere.

Every major project carries risk, but you don't surrender your principal asset without legally robust assurances on what happens if delays, planning issues or funding problems arise. Instead, Antrim ended up homeless for years with no meaningful leverage.

The lesson isn't just about poor project management, it's about governance. County boards should never again hand over ownership or control of their county ground without watertight guarantees on delivery, accountability and contingency plans. Unfortunately, Antrim have paid the price for that.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Pretty much spot on. And was anyone ever held to account? Nope. Our reps continued as nodding dogs, year after year after year.
We actually managed to free ourselves from those major decision makers, only to bring them straight back in in a different role. Sometimes ya get what ya deserve.

[whatwillbwillb]

Pretty much spot on. And was anyone ever held to account? Nope. Our reps continued as nodding dogs, year after year after year.
We actually managed to free ourselves from those major decision makers, only to bring them straight back in in a different role. Sometimes ya get what ya deserve.

No one mentioning the political involvement, the virtue signalling has begun early ahead of next May, who's holding them to account for their role in all this?  So have we really freed ourselves from the real major decision makers? However I do concur with you, ya do da get what ya deserve.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Pretty much spot on. And was anyone ever held to account? Nope. Our reps continued as nodding dogs, year after year after year.
We actually managed to free ourselves from those major decision makers, only to bring them straight back in in a different role. Sometimes ya get what ya deserve.

No one mentioning the political involvement, the virtue signalling has begun early ahead of next May, who's holding them to account for their role in all this?  So have we really freed ourselves from the real major decision makers? However I do concur with you, ya do da get what ya deserve.

While I don't disagree with you, the real decision makers in this case are those involved in Ulster GAA who have £207 million to build a stadium and who continue to fanny about. They aren't held to account either.

[BigGreenField]

With so many different parties involved, when everyone is responsible then no-one is and everybody sails on.

The accountability and consequence gap is a permanent feature of life here across pretty much everything, no surprises it applies here.

[BigGreenField]

Is the county management team intact for next year?

[ck]

All of the above comments are accurate however I have sympathy for Antrim county board. They did what they believed was right at the time to progress the project. They were influenced by a number of people from Ulster council, one in particular, who is no longer working for Ulster GAA. This man single handedly made a mess of the relationship between the GAA and the local residents, was responsible for the early closure of Casement and made several very poor decisions.
He then jumped ship (perhaps was pushed) and now works elsewhere without a care in the world.

With the benefit of hindsight Antrim should never have handed over the keys without planning in place but key personnel in Ulster GAA should be held to account for presiding over a complete disaster of a process from the very start.

The Euros debacle will go down as a missed opportunity with unionists taking joy in cutting their noses off despite their faces (nothing new there) and the British Gov doing a U-turn on their support (nothing new there either!). Like most things in this failed statelet, we have to do them ourselves and not expect support from anyone which is the point we are back to again. 

Downsize, make sure it can hold Ulster Finals as a minimum and proceed with planning. A generation has been lost here, lets not lose another one!

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

All of the above comments are accurate however I have sympathy for Antrim county board. They did what they believed was right at the time to progress the project.

I don't. They were hateful hoors. They sent threatening letters from O'Hare solicitors to people, including many past players, officials, supporters and our only ever football all star for simply being a member of a social club that raised and continues to raise a lot of funds for Antrim GAA.
I think you are playing down their role in the terrible decision making and all round shithousery.

[Spike]

I think it highlighted the ineptitude of the county board at the time.  Ulster gaa have royally messed up the journey but Antrim gaa were incredibly naïve with handing over the keys.

What professionals were advising them at the time? What was the point of getting the cash at all if it cant hold Ulster finals - surely that was the whole point given ravenhill and windsor were upgraded? 

The figures still being discussed for this downgraded project are mindbogglingly high for what is essentially a simple construction project. The new stand being discussed must be a smaller version of the recently constructed Camp Nou given its purported cost!  At this rate the cost of designer and planners will be higher than construction costs.

The capacity of the old stadium with a 1950s stand and basic terracing was approximately 31,500 - surely a decent sized stand and the same terracing will achieve that otherwise the project team need to be held accountable.

1 stand and terracing at the figures mentioned is taking the proverbial. Again who is advising or guiding these people?

Would go down as one of the worst stadium value for money projects ever but at least it gives us something to play in.