Antrim Hurling

[maxpower]

I think it's a dreadful decision to play the final in Ballycastle

We have minimum standards for supporters at grounds but to hell with the players, they can play anywhere

This is the showpiece event in Antrim GAA and for Dunloy it will be the worst surface they have played on all year

It will suit neither team, the quality of the game will suffer but hey ho we can squeeze more supporters in at £15 a head

If the county want Ballycastle to host these games then invest in the pitch, bring it up to standard - otherwise give the players the conditions they deserve

[LC]

I think it's a dreadful decision to play the final in Ballycastle

[b]We have minimum standards for supporters at grounds but to hell with the players,[/b] they can play anywhere

This is the showpiece event in Antrim GAA and for Dunloy it will be the worst surface they have played on all year

It will suit neither team, the quality of the game will suffer but hey ho we can squeeze more supporters in at £15 a head

If the county want Ballycastle to host these games then invest in the pitch, bring it up to standard - otherwise give the players the conditions they deserve

Would it be fair to say this would be common across a lot of Antrim, saw clips of the Antrim camogie final last week, people standing on grass slopes.  Quite a few clubs in Derry and Tyrone have covered stands and even those that don't have fairly good concrete terracing.

[Deerstalker]

I think it's a dreadful decision to play the final in Ballycastle

We have minimum standards for supporters at grounds but to hell with the players, they can play anywhere

This is the showpiece event in Antrim GAA and for Dunloy it will be the worst surface they have played on all year

It will suit neither team, the quality of the game will suffer but hey ho we can squeeze more supporters in at £15 a head

If the county want Ballycastle to host these games then invest in the pitch, bring it up to standard - otherwise give the players the conditions they deserve

100%, it's a joke. Didn't they pay for St John's to be relaid earlier this year, well the vast majority of it. If you were asked to rank pitches to play a game on Ballycastle would be well down there.

[NAG1]

Its a capacity issue as much as anything. bigger crowd bigger gate.

Genuinely has anyone ever been to a game in ballycastle where the weather didnt play a big part in the game?
Pitch is probably worse than it has ever been now too.

[paddyjohn]

If only the county ground was made available. 😉🤐

[Torcrua]

Some amount of nonsense being talked about Ballycastle as a venue for the final.

For me, Ballycastle is absolutely the right choice. In terms of capacity, viewing facilities and atmosphere for a big championship occasion, there aren't many grounds in Antrim that can compete.

Is the playing surface perfect? Absolutely not, but we're in the middle of October in the north of Ireland. Anyone expecting a dry, pristine surface at this time of year is being completely unrealistic.

What I find amusing is the criticism of Ballycastle without anyone offering a credible alternative. It's easy to sit and complain about the venue, but where exactly do these people suggest the final should be played? Corrigan has arguably the best playing surface in the county, but if there are genuine concerns around capacity and spectator safety, then surely that has to be taken into consideration.

You can't demand a perfect playing surface, excellent viewing facilities, sufficient capacity and a great atmosphere, then ignore the practicalities of actually hosting the biggest club game of the year.

And this notion that the decision is purely about squeezing another few quid through the gate is laughable. Surely accommodating as many supporters as possible for the showpiece event of the Antrim club season should be a priority?

There's certainly a conversation to be had about investment in playing surfaces throughout Antrim, Ballycastle included, but some of the criticism here is completely over the top.

I'd be genuinely interested to hear what realistic alternative venue people are proposing that ticks all the boxes. It's very easy to criticise a decision when you don't have to come up with a workable solution yourself.

[marty34]

Some amount of nonsense being talked about Ballycastle as a venue for the final.

For me, Ballycastle is absolutely the right choice. In terms of capacity, viewing facilities and atmosphere for a big championship occasion, there aren't many grounds in Antrim that can compete.

Is the playing surface perfect? Absolutely not, but we're in the middle of October in the north of Ireland. Anyone expecting a dry, pristine surface at this time of year is being completely unrealistic.

What I find amusing is the criticism of Ballycastle without anyone offering a credible alternative. It's easy to sit and complain about the venue, but where exactly do these people suggest the final should be played? Corrigan has arguably the best playing surface in the county, but if there are genuine concerns around capacity and spectator safety, then surely that has to be taken into consideration.

You can't demand a perfect playing surface, excellent viewing facilities, sufficient capacity and a great atmosphere, then ignore the practicalities of actually hosting the biggest club game of the year.

And this notion that the decision is purely about squeezing another few quid through the gate is laughable. Surely accommodating as many supporters as possible for the showpiece event of the Antrim club season should be a priority?

There's certainly a conversation to be had about investment in playing surfaces throughout Antrim, Ballycastle included, but some of the criticism here is completely over the top.

I'd be genuinely interested to hear what realistic alternative venue people are proposing that ticks all the boxes. It's very easy to criticise a decision when you don't have to come up with a workable solution yourself.

I don't think it's a dig at Ballycastle but just that Antrim should have somewhere to play county finals etc.


Is it too much to ask that they shouldn't have a good pitch and facilities for the players and then decent facilities for the spectators on the biggest club days of the year.


Could a stand and terracing not be built on the far grass bank in Corrigan? How much would that cost?

[Torcrua]

Some amount of nonsense being talked about Ballycastle as a venue for the final.

For me, Ballycastle is absolutely the right choice. In terms of capacity, viewing facilities and atmosphere for a big championship occasion, there aren't many grounds in Antrim that can compete.

Is the playing surface perfect? Absolutely not, but we're in the middle of October in the north of Ireland. Anyone expecting a dry, pristine surface at this time of year is being completely unrealistic.

What I find amusing is the criticism of Ballycastle without anyone offering a credible alternative. It's easy to sit and complain about the venue, but where exactly do these people suggest the final should be played? Corrigan has arguably the best playing surface in the county, but if there are genuine concerns around capacity and spectator safety, then surely that has to be taken into consideration.

You can't demand a perfect playing surface, excellent viewing facilities, sufficient capacity and a great atmosphere, then ignore the practicalities of actually hosting the biggest club game of the year.

And this notion that the decision is purely about squeezing another few quid through the gate is laughable. Surely accommodating as many supporters as possible for the showpiece event of the Antrim club season should be a priority?

There's certainly a conversation to be had about investment in playing surfaces throughout Antrim, Ballycastle included, but some of the criticism here is completely over the top.

I'd be genuinely interested to hear what realistic alternative venue people are proposing that ticks all the boxes. It's very easy to criticise a decision when you don't have to come up with a workable solution yourself.

I don't think it's a dig at Ballycastle but just that Antrim should have somewhere to play county finals etc.


Is it too much to ask that they shouldn't have a good pitch and facilities for the players and then decent facilities for the spectators on the biggest club days of the year.


Could a stand and terracing not be built on the far grass bank in Corrigan? How much would that cost?

Corrigan certainly has the playing surface, but developing the spectator facilities would require significant investment.

If anything, this whole debate highlights what an absolute disaster the Casement Park saga has been for Antrim GAA.

Surely we either need to scale back the size and cost of the Casement redevelopment to something more realistic and achievable, or seriously consider developing Corrigan or Dunsilly to a standard capable of hosting our biggest occasions.

Although the practicality of developing Dunsilly is an entirely different and potentially complex conversation.

Either way, we can't continue going around in circles every year debating where to play our showpiece fixtures.

[marty34]

Some amount of nonsense being talked about Ballycastle as a venue for the final.

For me, Ballycastle is absolutely the right choice. In terms of capacity, viewing facilities and atmosphere for a big championship occasion, there aren't many grounds in Antrim that can compete.

Is the playing surface perfect? Absolutely not, but we're in the middle of October in the north of Ireland. Anyone expecting a dry, pristine surface at this time of year is being completely unrealistic.

What I find amusing is the criticism of Ballycastle without anyone offering a credible alternative. It's easy to sit and complain about the venue, but where exactly do these people suggest the final should be played? Corrigan has arguably the best playing surface in the county, but if there are genuine concerns around capacity and spectator safety, then surely that has to be taken into consideration.

You can't demand a perfect playing surface, excellent viewing facilities, sufficient capacity and a great atmosphere, then ignore the practicalities of actually hosting the biggest club game of the year.

And this notion that the decision is purely about squeezing another few quid through the gate is laughable. Surely accommodating as many supporters as possible for the showpiece event of the Antrim club season should be a priority?

There's certainly a conversation to be had about investment in playing surfaces throughout Antrim, Ballycastle included, but some of the criticism here is completely over the top.

I'd be genuinely interested to hear what realistic alternative venue people are proposing that ticks all the boxes. It's very easy to criticise a decision when you don't have to come up with a workable solution yourself.

I don't think it's a dig at Ballycastle but just that Antrim should have somewhere to play county finals etc.


Is it too much to ask that they shouldn't have a good pitch and facilities for the players and then decent facilities for the spectators on the biggest club days of the year.


Could a stand and terracing not be built on the far grass bank in Corrigan? How much would that cost?

Corrigan certainly has the playing surface, but developing the spectator facilities would require significant investment.

If anything, this whole debate highlights what an absolute disaster the Casement Park saga has been for Antrim GAA.

Surely we either need to scale back the size and cost of the Casement redevelopment to something more realistic and achievable, or seriously consider developing Corrigan or Dunsilly to a standard capable of hosting our biggest occasions.

Although the practicality of developing Dunsilly is an entirely different and potentially complex conversation.

Either way, we can't continue going around in circles every year debating where to play our showpiece fixtures.

That's my point on the other thread.


Antrim need to do something now. Either upgrade Corrigan or Dunsilly but it needs to be started asap.


Casement Pk, at this point, is years down the line. Could they not build the stand and terrace on the far bank at Corrigan?

[Torcrua]

Some amount of nonsense being talked about Ballycastle as a venue for the final.

For me, Ballycastle is absolutely the right choice. In terms of capacity, viewing facilities and atmosphere for a big championship occasion, there aren't many grounds in Antrim that can compete.

Is the playing surface perfect? Absolutely not, but we're in the middle of October in the north of Ireland. Anyone expecting a dry, pristine surface at this time of year is being completely unrealistic.

What I find amusing is the criticism of Ballycastle without anyone offering a credible alternative. It's easy to sit and complain about the venue, but where exactly do these people suggest the final should be played? Corrigan has arguably the best playing surface in the county, but if there are genuine concerns around capacity and spectator safety, then surely that has to be taken into consideration.

You can't demand a perfect playing surface, excellent viewing facilities, sufficient capacity and a great atmosphere, then ignore the practicalities of actually hosting the biggest club game of the year.

And this notion that the decision is purely about squeezing another few quid through the gate is laughable. Surely accommodating as many supporters as possible for the showpiece event of the Antrim club season should be a priority?

There's certainly a conversation to be had about investment in playing surfaces throughout Antrim, Ballycastle included, but some of the criticism here is completely over the top.

I'd be genuinely interested to hear what realistic alternative venue people are proposing that ticks all the boxes. It's very easy to criticise a decision when you don't have to come up with a workable solution yourself.

I don't think it's a dig at Ballycastle but just that Antrim should have somewhere to play county finals etc.


Is it too much to ask that they shouldn't have a good pitch and facilities for the players and then decent facilities for the spectators on the biggest club days of the year.


Could a stand and terracing not be built on the far grass bank in Corrigan? How much would that cost?

Corrigan certainly has the playing surface, but developing the spectator facilities would require significant investment.

If anything, this whole debate highlights what an absolute disaster the Casement Park saga has been for Antrim GAA.

Surely we either need to scale back the size and cost of the Casement redevelopment to something more realistic and achievable, or seriously consider developing Corrigan or Dunsilly to a standard capable of hosting our biggest occasions.

Although the practicality of developing Dunsilly is an entirely different and potentially complex conversation.

Either way, we can't continue going around in circles every year debating where to play our showpiece fixtures.

That's my point on the other thread.


Antrim need to do something now. Either upgrade Corrigan or Dunsilly but it needs to be started asap.


Casement Pk, at this point, is years down the line. Could they not build the stand and terrace on the far bank at Corrigan?

I'd agree entirely that Antrim need to act now, but there has to be a clear long-term vision and strategy rather than another short-term fix.

On Corrigan, dare I mention the residents immediately behind that bank? I'd imagine any proposed stand or terracing could face significant planning challenges.

The whole Casement saga has highlighted just how badly Antrim GAA needs a realistic, deliverable plan. There are also serious questions for our political representatives about the years of delays, the funding uncertainty and how the county has been left in this position. Surely Antrim GAA deserves better than another decade of uncertainty.

[maxpower]

Ballycastle pitch is crap lads, while all the surrounding pitches have improved immeasurably in recent years with robot lawn movers and actually employing experts to look after the grounds, Ballycastle seems to have gotten worse & don't get me started on the goalmouths

Game should have been all ticket in corrigan, and all finals should be there until other facilities are up to scratch

I accept there is a balance to be had between spectators, revenue and surface but Ballycastle has completely prioritised the quantity of £15's lifted over the quality of hurling played


But hey say nothing and let's get on with it - play in a storm, say nothing, goalkeepers concede because of a plastic square, say nothing, ball doesn't travel on the pitch and we'll say plenty - we'll criticise the usually stylish players who didn't get into the game.

Watching a rip roaring county final will ignite a spark in young lads in local clubs that unfortunately our county team can't do atm, forget podcasts and web articles -
This is our best opportunity to promote our game and we are producing a sub standard product by choice

Ideally you have both surface and capacity but we don't so I'd rather give the players every chance to perform well in front of 3.5k than struggle in front of 5k - the stream service will mean everyone gets to see the game

[Torcrua]

Ballycastle pitch is crap lads, while all the surrounding pitches have improved immeasurably in recent years with robot lawn movers and actually employing experts to look after the grounds, Ballycastle seems to have gotten worse & don't get me started on the goalmouths

Game should have been all ticket in corrigan, and all finals should be there until other facilities are up to scratch

I accept there is a balance to be had between spectators, revenue and surface but Ballycastle has completely prioritised the quantity of £15's lifted over the quality of hurling played


But hey say nothing and let's get on with it - play in a storm, say nothing, goalkeepers concede because of a plastic square, say nothing, ball doesn't travel on the pitch and we'll say plenty - we'll criticise the usually stylish players who didn't get into the game.

Watching a rip roaring county final will ignite a spark in young lads in local clubs that unfortunately our county team can't do atm, forget podcasts and web articles -
This is our best opportunity to promote our game and we are producing a sub standard product by choice

Ideally you have both surface and capacity but we don't so I'd rather give the players every chance to perform well in front of 3.5k than struggle in front of 5k - the stream service will mean everyone gets to see the game

Some amount of hyperbole in that post. You'd swear Ballycastle was a ploughed field and the county final was being deliberately sabotaged.

Firstly, it's Antrim County Board lifting the £15 admission, not Ballycastle, so perhaps direct your accusations about prioritising revenue at the people actually making the decisions.

Nobody is suggesting the playing surface is perfect, but to imply the quality of hurling is being deliberately sacrificed for gate receipts is complete nonsense.

And your solution is to make Corrigan all-ticket and tell potentially 1,500 supporters to watch a stream? Including the very young lads and girls you're supposedly so concerned about inspiring? Some way to promote our game. Surely having as many young people as possible experiencing a county final in person is every bit as important as the quality of the playing surface?

As for the 4G goalmouths, what exactly is the alternative? Go back to the traditional October goalmouths with no grass, full of muck, holes and stones? They're hardly some revolutionary new invention. Artificial goalmouths are there to address a problem that has existed in GAA grounds for decades.

You also seem convinced that playing in Corrigan guarantees a fantastic spectacle while Ballycastle guarantees a poor one. That's a remarkable conclusion to reach before a ball has even been struck. These are the best club hurlers in Antrim, well capable of producing an excellent game in October conditions.

There's a perfectly legitimate debate to be had about improving playing surfaces throughout the county, but the dramatic nonsense about plastic squares, ruined spectacles and £15 notes is completely over the top.

By all means argue for Corrigan, but at least acknowledge the practicalities of accommodating a county final crowd rather than dismissing 1,500 supporters as an inconvenience who can simply watch it on a screen.

[Deerstalker]

When did a hurling final ever sell out in Corrigan ? Tomorrows football final is an anomaly, as much to do with the size of club St Brigids is I would say

[maxpower]

It's not hyperbole at all, and its not a go at Ballycastle club,
Plenty of clubs have pitches not capable of hosting final - Ballycastle st least have the facilities around the pitch and good volunteers to steward it

But this shit about it being good enough doesn't wash with me - is that all it needs to be, playable!

County hurling as you progress you eventually end up on the best pitch in Ireland - in Antrim the further you go the worse the pitches get

Corrigan is fine

[maxpower]

Hopefully next Sunday is a good final but it's hardly controversial to say hurling at its best on a good surface