Long Kesh Park takes another step forward

[Maguire01]

The GAA is still committed to building one higher quality stadium in Ulster - 40k plus, two thirds seated and covered (see strategic review report).

Where is this Strategic Review report? Can it be viewed online/downloaded? To the layman, it looks as if the Ulster Council/GAA have no strategic direction in terms of its stadia.  All they seem to want to do is build vast concrete terraces (to be filled once a year if lucky) with primative toilet (and other) facilities.

[nifan]

Just because nobody on OWC came out and said it, doesnt mean some might not be thinking that way.

So its OK to say that people are posting stuff on OWC because some of them might be thinking it?

[SammyG]

In the document Sammy offered as evidence of £100 ticket prices, PWC are calculating income from regular ticket sales, corporate boxes, premium seats, sponsorship, merchandise catering, naming rights, car parking.

Operating revenue calculated from regular ticket sales are based on current pricing models.

I just seen that. From what I can see on p79, they only need to raise £1.3 million per year through standard ticket sales.

The table on Page 79 is projected operating revenues, for the Maze (which apply were ever the stadium is built) . I am talking abouut the rationale for picking the Maze over Belfast, which is in section 11 of the report 'Conclusions and Reccommendations', from page 121.

This says that the reason for picking the Mze is that it will have a net cost of only £37 million after four years and this is based on projected cost of £240 million with £203 million revenue from spectators. And just for good measure those figures assume 0 running costs, in the first 4 years.

You need to read the whole report and not try and chery pick individual tables.

[SammyG]

Total horseshit! You directly accused OWC fans of being "happy" to overlook distance and scarcity of bars, restaurants etc around DB Park, since "there's no Fenians about" (a complete invention  of yours, btw, since no-one on OWC ever posted anything of the sort)

Here is your exact quotation:
"It's very amusing to watch the reaction to the proposed DB over on OWC. It doesn't matter anymore that it's not within walking distance of the city centre or that there are no pubs of restaurants nearby, so long as there's no Fenians about they're all happy. Just confirms what we all knew in the first place"

Your bigoted and offensive post was nothing whatever to do with the GAA's attitude to any stadium anywhere in Belfast, never mind the DB and seeing as it was only just after 10 o'clock this morning, so you can hardly pretend you had forgotten what you posted.

Disgraceful.

Dry your eyes EG 
Just because nobody on OWC came out and said it, doesnt mean some might not be thinking that way.

WTF are you on about? You now read peoples minds to decide what they mean even if they post something completely different.

Considering the bigoted and offensive posts I received on OWC (much worse than Donaghs post), which you didnt condemn btw, your crying on here is a bit ironic.

More pathetic allegations, I presume you'll be able to back them up this time?

[Maguire01]

Just because nobody on OWC came out and said it, doesnt mean some might not be thinking that way.

So its OK to say that people are posting stuff on OWC because some of them might be thinking it?

Indeed, two wrongs do not make a right.  If some people display a lack of standards, there's no need to join them!

[his holiness nb]

Just because nobody on OWC came out and said it, doesnt mean some might not be thinking that way.

So its OK to say that people are posting stuff on OWC because some of them might be thinking it?

No its not, I never said it was.

[SammyG]

Just because nobody on OWC came out and said it, doesnt mean some might not be thinking that way.

So its OK to say that people are posting stuff on OWC because some of them might be thinking it?

No its not, I never said it was.

That's exactly what you said.

[his holiness nb]

WTF are you on about? You now read peoples minds to decide what they mean even if they post something completely different.

I never claimed to know what they think, this is why I said they "might" think that way.
I'm not a mind reader you know.

More pathetic allegations, I presume you'll be able to back them up this time?

I certainly wont be logging on to that site again, as well you know, for those very reasons.

But anyone interested can log in and check the threads I was involved with.
I certainly dont need to back them up to you Sammy as you were part of those very threads!

[Jim_Murphy_74]

I haven't read too much into this but can someone let me know who the GAA are interested in this stadium at all when we have so many others that we can use?

Also, as for the "no Fenians about"  comment relating to Blanchflower stadium - that's my home soccer pitch and never had a problem there at all!  (Hence I'm against this alternative to the Maze!!)

My understanding is that the GAA are in it for two reasons:

1) A free stadium is a free stadium.  Central Council have undertook to help Ulster Council to fulfill any obligations vis a vis number of fixtures
2) GAA were advised by two major contributors (both governments) that they wanted them in and it would be in their interest to be involved.

If the new stadium goes to a site unsuitable for the GAA it wouldn't be in the end of the world by any means.  However I would hope that they would get a capital grant equivalent to that which other sports received.  It's worth pointing out that the Lansdowne Road "National" stadium started out accomodating GAA but was amened due to "planning issues".   Again this wasn't the end of the world but the timing (3 weeks after Croke Park was made available) was very unfortunate.  Also means that FAI/IRFU end up getting a lot more financial support than Croker did. (Although this can be used for future negotiations for capital grants).

/Jim.

[his holiness nb]

Just because nobody on OWC came out and said it, doesnt mean some might not be thinking that way.

So its OK to say that people are posting stuff on OWC because some of them might be thinking it?

No its not, I never said it was.

That's exactly what you said.

I never once said what Donagh posted was ok. I merely pointed out the irony of EG only condemning one "type" of bigotry.

[SammyG]

Just because nobody on OWC came out and said it, doesnt mean some might not be thinking that way.

So its OK to say that people are posting stuff on OWC because some of them might be thinking it?

No its not, I never said it was.

That's exactly what you said.

I never once said what Donagh posted was ok. I merely pointed out the irony of EG only condemning one "type" of bigotry.

No you didn't. You said "Just because nobody on OWC came out and said it, doesnt mean some might not be thinking that way." You8 never mentioned irony or bigottry or anything else. YOu said that OWC should be condemend because some people might think something.

[snatter]

The GAA is still committed to building one higher quality stadium in Ulster - 40k plus, two thirds seated and covered (see strategic review report).

Where is this Strategic Review report? Can it be viewed online/downloaded? To the layman, it looks as if the Ulster Council/GAA have no strategic direction in terms of its stadia.  All they seem to want to do is build vast concrete terraces (to be filled once a year if lucky) with primative toilet (and other) facilities.

GAA Strategic Review Report: Go to page 20 and read section 8.4.3

http://www.gaa.ie/files/archives/official_reports/strategic_review_2002_part2b.pdf

8.4.3  No such policy or plan is currently in place; instead investment in infrastructure is being undertaken on a haphazard and uncoordinated basis.

Therefore, it is recommended that:

The strategic planning and implementation of the Association's entire programme of investment in physical facilities should be controlled by Central Council, or by a dedicated sub-committee of that Council.
One 'major' stadium should be developed in each Province with the exception of Leinster; (A 'major' stadium would involve a capacity of 40,000 to 60,000, of which at least two-thirds would be seated and a minimum of 35% of the seats would be covered.)

In Leinster, consideration should be given to the development of two stadia - one with a capacity of approximately 25,000 and one with capacity of 35,000 to 40,000, both strategically located within the Province;
no 'major' stadium is recommended for Leinster, since that Province's 'major' games can be played in Croke Park.

One other 'medium sized' stadium (with capacity of 25,000 to 30,000 and with a similar proportion of covered seating as in a 'major' stadium) should be considered for each province, where demand justifies it.

The Main County Ground in each county should have a minimum capacity of 15,000 and a maximum capacity of 25,000, of which at least 35% should be seated; grounds with a capacity greater than 25,000 (other than those designated by Central Council for further development, as described in the preceding points) should not be given any financial help.

The projects outlined above should be prioritised in the following
order:
   (i) the major stadium in each Province should be developed in an agreed sequence, one each year, commencing in 2005,to be used for the Provincial finals.
   (ii) the four, or five, smaller capacity Provincial grounds, as detailed above, should then be developed.
   (iii) the Main County Grounds should be brought up to the minimum standards required and Senior Inter-county Championship games should not be fixed for such venues unless the required standards are met.
   (iv) other projects, as listed elsewhere in this report, should be developed
   (v) finally, all other physical development projects should be developed.

UCC Dept of Economics - independently validates GAA's costings of building new Ulster staium:

http://www.ucc.ie/en/economics/research/workingpaperseries/downloads/DocumentFile,21945,en.pdf

According to the boffins at UCC, the proposed stadium makes sense.

Of course, getting the Govt to build it for you makes even more sense.

[Evil Genius]

Total horseshit! You directly accused OWC fans of being "happy" to overlook distance and scarcity of bars, restaurants etc around DB Park, since "there's no Fenians about" (a complete invention  of yours, btw, since no-one on OWC ever posted anything of the sort)

Here is your exact quotation:
"It's very amusing to watch the reaction to the proposed DB over on OWC. It doesn't matter anymore that it's not within walking distance of the city centre or that there are no pubs of restaurants nearby, so long as there's no Fenians about they're all happy. Just confirms what we all knew in the first place"

Your bigoted and offensive post was nothing whatever to do with the GAA's attitude to any stadium anywhere in Belfast, never mind the DB and seeing as it was only just after 10 o'clock this morning, so you can hardly pretend you had forgotten what you posted.

Disgraceful.

Dry your eyes EG 

You're at it again! Donagh is quite capable of answering for himself - neither of us needs you to speak for him, so if you haven't something new and constructive to add to the debate, do us all a favour and butt out!

Just because nobody on OWC came out and said it, doesnt mean some might not be thinking that way.

Pathetic, even by your standards.

Considering the bigoted and offensive posts I received on OWC (much worse than Donaghs post), which you didnt condemn btw, your crying on here is a bit ironic.

Donagh made up an offensive and insulting slur against the whole of OWC and then tried to pretend he was referring to something else entirely. As a member of OWC, who posted on the very thread in question, I stood up for myself. (Note I didn't ask you or anyone else to do so on my behalf, btw)

Whereas, when you posted on OWC, I debated the issues with you in what I hope was at all times a moderate and respectful manner. As such, I will happily answer for everything I posted. Now as it happens, I have no problem in condemning any posters who may have subjected you to "bigoted and offensive posts" - some examples, please? - but I'm not responsible for them, neither do I have any responsibility or duty to intervene on your behalf. As with this Board, each poster is perfectly entitled/enable to speak for him/herself. There is also a mechanism for any poster on OWC to complain if he/she feels they have been unfairly treated. You seem quick enough to complain to the Mods on this Board, so don't whinge when you didn't even try to avail of the complaints procedure on OWC.

The OWC is rampant with bigotry, more than I have experienced anywhere else.

And I have experienced my share of bigotry on this Board. However, unlike you, I don't flounce off in a hissy fit, nor do I hold it against the great majority of posters on this Board who I find, as with OWC, to be fair and reasonable.

Instead, I stay and fight my corner, dry-eyed throughout, and even when compelled to respond to the sort of sanctimonious drivel such as you have posted above...

[his holiness nb]

YOu said that OWC should be condemend because some people might think something.

I said some people might think that, I never said the OWC should be condemned for it. that would be silly.

I did say they should be condemned for the things they have said.

[Evil Genius]

YOu said that OWC should be condemend because some people might think something.

I said some people might think that, I never said the OWC should be condemned for it. that would be silly.

I did say they should be condemned for the things they have said.

You made an idiot of yourself on OWC, now you're doing it on this Board. And I say that not on the basis of something that "you might be thinking", but solely on the basis of what you're posting.   

At least Donagh appears to have the sense to keep his head down for a while after he posts crap...