Long Kesh Park takes another step forward

[snatter]

and if PWC leaks are correct, lost the argument that its cheaper to develop existing stadia. 

More lies, do you never stop?

That's right Sammy, the whole world's telling lies and you're right...............or maybe not.........


http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=87616&pt=n

Consultants back stadium sited at Maze

A multi-million pound sports stadium for Northern Ireland should be built at the former Maze prison, a leaked consultants' report revealed today.
   
     
The fully costed feasibility study found that the site outside Lisburn represented the best value for money for a 38,500-seat venue for rugby, football and gaelic games.

The business case, which was compiled by consultants from PricewaterhouseCoopers, is currently being reviewed by Stormont Finance minister Peter Robinson before being passed to his Executive colleagues.


According to the Press Association, the PWC report examined a range of options including a hypothetical stadium in north Belfast and the refurbishment of the three sporting bodies` existing venues.

It has recommended that the government press ahead with plans for the all-seater venue at the Maze/Long Kesh (MLK) site.

[SammyG]

and if PWC leaks are correct, lost the argument that its cheaper to develop existing stadia. 

More lies, do you never stop?

That's right Sammy, the whole world's telling lies and you're right...............or maybe not.........


http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=87616&pt=n

Consultants back stadium sited at Maze

A multi-million pound sports stadium for Northern Ireland should be built at the former Maze prison, a leaked consultants' report revealed today.
   
     
The fully costed feasibility study found that the site outside Lisburn represented the best value for money for a 38,500-seat venue for rugby, football and gaelic games.

The business case, which was compiled by consultants from PricewaterhouseCoopers, is currently being reviewed by Stormont Finance minister Peter Robinson before being passed to his Executive colleagues.


According to the Press Association, the PWC report examined a range of options including a hypothetical stadium in north Belfast and the refurbishment of the three sporting bodies` existing venues.

It has recommended that the government press ahead with plans for the all-seater venue at the Maze/Long Kesh (MLK) site.

FFS you're hard work. I know what it said, it was me that quoted it, earlier in the thread. The issue is that their figures don't add up, unless the stadium has zero running costs and tickets cost £101.50 each.

p.s. You are aware that this report was commissioned by Poots and co at DCAL and isn't independent.

[snatter]

and if PWC leaks are correct, lost the argument that its cheaper to develop existing stadia. 

More lies, do you never stop?

That's right Sammy, the whole world's telling lies and you're right...............or maybe not.........


http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=87616&pt=n

Consultants back stadium sited at Maze

A multi-million pound sports stadium for Northern Ireland should be built at the former Maze prison, a leaked consultants' report revealed today.
   
     
The fully costed feasibility study found that the site outside Lisburn represented the best value for money for a 38,500-seat venue for rugby, football and gaelic games.

The business case, which was compiled by consultants from PricewaterhouseCoopers, is currently being reviewed by Stormont Finance minister Peter Robinson before being passed to his Executive colleagues.


According to the Press Association, the PWC report examined a range of options including a hypothetical stadium in north Belfast and the refurbishment of the three sporting bodies` existing venues.

It has recommended that the government press ahead with plans for the all-seater venue at the Maze/Long Kesh (MLK) site.

FFS you're hard work. I know what it said, it was me that quoted it, earlier in the thread. The issue is that their figures don't add up, unless the stadium has zero running costs and tickets cost £101.50 each.

p.s. You are aware that this report was commissioned by Poots and co at DCAL and isn't independent.

and several times in the thread I've advised you to at least wait until the report is published in full before you attempt to smear it.

I have made clear that IF the report stands up to scrutiny (from sane people who actually read it, not delusional fanatics who don't even bother ), that IF it is correct, then this must be the death knell for your anti Maze campaign on all grounds to do with the stadium itself.

As stated before, if the PWC report stands up to scrutiny, the only remaining obstacle to the Maze is the CRC issue.
Well that, and ingrained anti GAA hostility.

[stew]

Sammy, just throw Armagh in there five or six times a year, do the same for Tyrone and we will carry the sawker and rugby boys to the finish line.

If Armagh and tyrone can attract 20.000 for a McKenna cup game imagine what they could do for a first round Championship match?

[magickingdom]

forget armagh and tyrone, if the place is ever built and when kerry play there all ye boys will come along to learn a thing ot two from the masters.. 

[ziggysego]

forget armagh and tyrone, if the place is ever built and when kerry play there all ye boys will come along to learn a thing ot two from the masters.. 

Donegal?

[stew]

forget armagh and tyrone, if the place is ever built and when kerry play there all ye boys will come along to learn a thing ot two from the masters.. 

aye we probably would but the twelve supporters you would bring with you wouldnt help pay for the feckin stadium now would they?

[Main Street]

Abu, a bigot is normally defined as one who sticks to their views after they have been proven to be false. Would you care to have a go in backing up your allegation?

That's a definition of dogmatic.

[Evil Genius]

However, iirc, did Martin McGuinness not say that "No Conflict Centre = No Stadium"? Moreover, a GAA commentator (Bradley?) also was of the opinion that a behind-the-scenes understanding between the GAA and SF may have been reached, whereby the GAA would go along with the Stadium/CC plan, in return for SF making no trouble for the GAA over opening Croke to the IRFU and FAI? (My recollection may not be correct)

EG,

Sounds like you're harking back to the days of the paranoid DUP'ers and their once upon a time "Pan-Nationalist Front".
Remember the likes of Sammy Wilson when he claimed that the GAA were the IRA at play.

Now you're running out of arguments, lets throw muck that the GAA are in cahoots with / run for the benefit of the Provos.
Nice....utterly sectarian...devoid of proof...devoid of logic....utterly brainless.
Just what influence do you think the shinners have in a 32 county GAA?

I thought we'd moved on from that, but obviously if there's nothing left to throw in your attempts to scuttle the Maze, then why not?
After all, it looks like the rejectionists have failed to come up with alternative Belfast sites, and if PWC leaks are correct, lost the argument that its cheaper to develop existing stadia.  Soccer and rugby have happily existed at Croker fro several years, so that argument's out the window as well.

Face it - you're stuffed, and your GAA/SF is innuendo. Nothing more than the bitter rantings of a lost cause.

Surely by now, there must be some recognition that the GAA support this because its good for the GAA.
Nothing more, nothing less.
It delivers the 40k plus high quality Ulster stadium envisaged in our last strategic review report.
And all for a massively lower cost (and risk) than developing it ourselves.

Calm down. This suggestion of a possible deal between SF and the GAA came from Jarleth Burns, not me and I never claimed that it definitely happened this way. And even if it did, I can't really blame the GAA for engaging with local politicians in order to secure their own interests, even if I personally loathe those particular politicians and dislike the arrangements which may ensue. Indeed, I have actually applauded the GAA for the clever way in which they have played their hand over the Maze.

However, just as the GAA is entitled to make arrangements with certain political parties which suit their own sporting needs and the political needs of the latter, are not fans of the other sports which may be sharing this stadium entitled to criticise such manoeuvering, especially if their (i.e. the other fans) own political views are very different from the GAA's negotiating partners?

(As to the appropriateness or otherwise of the GAA possibly negotiating with SF as Burns suggests, I will leave it to GAA members to decide on that, since it is none of my business as a non-Member)

[Evil Genius]

Good job I'm no tout either

You may be the last man in SF who can say that, the way things are going these days...

[his holiness nb]

(As to the appropriateness or otherwise of the GAA possibly negotiating with SF as Burns suggests, I will leave it to GAA members to decide on that, since it is none of my business as a non-Member)

I think most GAA members, including me, would be strongly against it.
Then again the fact that it was only a theory from Burns, not even born of any evidence presented to him, I think we can safely disregard it, unless someone can come up with a bit more evidence than the hunch of an ex player who is working for the media.

[Evil Genius]

I would imagine if there was no conflict centre the maze project would be well under way by now.

I would say 50% of the norn iron fans who are against the stadium would be for this reason.

In my experience, which I guess is more accurate and authoritative than yours, NI soccer fans are opposed to the Maze for a whole variety of reasons. But whereas some even many, may have grave concerns about the whole H Block/Conflict Centre aspect of the proposal, I am sure it is only a small, even tiny, minority of whom it could be said that the H Block/CC is the main sticking point. And I've not seen even one who is otherwise happy with moving to the Maze, but still opposes it solely because of this aspect.

Therefore I think your 50% estimate is nonsense.

P.S. Even if you are correct, are interested parties to this whole important subject not entitled to object to an avoidable mixing of politics with sport?

[SammyG]

Both the Sunday Tribune and Irish Times are reporting that the business case doesn't add up and Peter the punt is about to announce that the Maze plans are to be scrapped. Can't find the Tribune story online but this is the one from the Times.

Stadium on Maze site 'unlikely'

Plans for a £240 million multi-sports stadium project at the site of the former Maze prison is unlikely to get government go ahead, it emerged today.

The Stormont Executive is set to scrap the proposals for the 38,000 seater arena for rugby, football and gaelic games at the Long Kesh site on the outskirts of Lisburn.

Senior sources within Stormont's largest party, the Democratic Unionists, have indicated that concerns about the financial feasibility of the project are likely to see it rejected.

One source said: "As the business case is unlikely to stack up it is unlikely that the Maze stadium will go ahead."

While the DUP is citing economic factors, the controversial proposal for a Conflict Transformation Centre in restored prison buildings on the same site is also an issue of real concern for unionists, many of whom claim it could become a shrine to terrorism.

DUP Finance minister Peter Robinson is currently reviewing the business case for the stadium project and will give his official recommendation to the Executive in the coming weeks.

The predicted rejection of the Maze site has increased the likelihood of an alternative development in Belfast.

It is understood a site in the east of the city, at the present Danny Blanchflower sports complex, is now being seriously considered.

The source added: "The DUP is still keen on a sports facility for Northern Ireland and will consider the possibility of a venue at the Danny Blanchflower site.

"However the party has taken no firm decisions on any of these issues."

The Gaelic Athletic Association, which along with the Irish Football Association and Ulster Rugby has signed up to the Maze development, is highly unlikely to use any facility at the Blanchflower site.

The GAA already owns Casemount Park in the west of the city and has expressed concerns that other suggested sites in Belfast would not be suitable.

It is understood a 25,000 seater stadium at Blanchflower Park would also become the new home of Irish League side Glentoran, which is actively seeking a move away from its nearby Oval ground.

Absolutely fantastic news, if it's true. Good to see an outbreak of common sense.

[ziggysego]

No decision has been taken on the Maze stadium project, Culture Minister Edwin Poots has told the BBC.

There was speculation in a Sunday newspaper that plans for a £240m multi-sports stadium would be scrapped.

Mr Poots, who is in the United States, said that the Department of Finance and Personnel, is currently examining the economic appraisal.

He said that this would take another month, and then a political decision will be made.

He added that the project has been discussed by senior members of the party but there has been no firm decision.

There are plans for Northern Ireland's national stadium to be built on the site of the former Maze Prison.

The Gaelic Athletic Association, Irish Football Association and Ulster Rugby have all confirmed they would play games at the venue.

The site is just outside Lisburn in County Antrim.

The Maze site is opposed by some unionists due to plans to build a conflict transformation centre alongside the stadium and by some Northern Ireland football fans who want any new stadium to be in Belfast.

Sourced BBCi: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7286098.stm

[SammyG]

No decision has been taken on the Maze stadium project, Culture Minister Edwin Poots has told the BBC.

There was speculation in a Sunday newspaper that plans for a £240m multi-sports stadium would be scrapped.

Mr Poots, who is in the United States, said that the Department of Finance and Personnel, is currently examining the economic appraisal.

He said that this would take another month, and then a political decision will be made.

He added that the project has been discussed by senior members of the party but there has been no firm decision.

There are plans for Northern Ireland's national stadium to be built on the site of the former Maze Prison.

The Gaelic Athletic Association, Irish Football Association and Ulster Rugby have all confirmed they would play games at the venue.

The site is just outside Lisburn in County Antrim.

The Maze site is opposed by some unionists due to plans to build a conflict transformation centre alongside the stadium and by some Northern Ireland football fans who want any new stadium to be in Belfast.

Sourced BBCi: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7286098.stm

Given the BBC's record of bullshit/lies on the Maze, I'd rather trust some real journos, in Dublin.

I've always said that it would come down to the business case not adding up and it's looking like being that way. The next couple of weeks will be interesting.