Derry Club Football & Hurling original

[HonDerry]

I'm cant call the final. I think they're two very evenly matched teams, and it'll come down to who performs on the day.

On a different note, we've four teams from South Derry heading to Celtic Park this weekend. If Owenbeg had the capacity, I'd estimate we'd have twice the number of spectators. I suspect a lot of neutrals will just watch on TV rather than travel to the city.

Celtic Park needs a fair bit of investment to bring it up to modern standards, e.g. the toilets and changing rooms

I think we'd be far better off selling Celtic Park and investing in developing Owenbeg. It's centrally located in the county, has great road links, and with the right investment, could become a fantastic home for Derry GAA.

What is the argument for keeping Celtic Park?

[toby47]

I'm cant call the final. I think they're two very evenly matched teams, and it'll come down to who performs on the day.

On a different note, we've four teams from South Derry heading to Celtic Park this weekend. If Owenbeg had the capacity, I'd estimate we'd have twice the number of spectators. I suspect a lot of neutrals will simply watch on TV rather than travel to the city.

Celtic Park needs a fair bit of investment to bring it up to modern standards, particularly the toilets and changing rooms

I think we'd be far better off selling Celtic Park and investing in developing Owenbeg. It's centrally located in the county has excellent road links, and with the right investment, could become a fantastic home for Derry GAA.

What is the argument for keeping Celtic Park?

Put your gum shield in. The City folk will be coming for you any minute!

[Brendan]

We need 2 County standard grounds in a county as busy as ours, Screen no longer any use and if Celtic park isn't considered suitable for spectators comfort then Glen defintly isn't either

[HonDerry]

I'm cant call the final. I think they're two very evenly matched teams, and it'll come down to who performs on the day.

On a different note, we've four teams from South Derry heading to Celtic Park this weekend. If Owenbeg had the capacity, I'd estimate we'd have twice the number of spectators. I suspect a lot of neutrals will simply watch on TV rather than travel to the city.

Celtic Park needs a fair bit of investment to bring it up to modern standards, particularly the toilets and changing rooms

I think we'd be far better off selling Celtic Park and investing in developing Owenbeg. It's centrally located in the county has excellent road links, and with the right investment, could become a fantastic home for Derry GAA.

What is the argument for keeping Celtic Park?

Put your gum shield in. The City folk will be coming for you any minute!

  Maybe but still interested to know what the arguments for keeping it are?

[HonDerry]

We need 2 County standard grounds in a county as busy as ours, Screen no longer any use and if Celtic park isn't considered suitable for spectators comfort then Glen defintly isn't either

Which games are you thinking of and what sort of crowd do they attract?

[braveheart]

I'm cant call the final. I think they're two very evenly matched teams, and it'll come down to who performs on the day.

On a different note, we've four teams from South Derry heading to Celtic Park this weekend. If Owenbeg had the capacity, I'd estimate we'd have twice the number of spectators. I suspect a lot of neutrals will just watch on TV rather than travel to the city.

Celtic Park needs a fair bit of investment to bring it up to modern standards, e.g. the toilets and changing rooms

I think we'd be far better off selling Celtic Park and investing in developing Owenbeg. It's centrally located in the county, has great road links, and with the right investment, could become a fantastic home for Derry GAA.

What is the argument for keeping Celtic Park?

If Owenbeg had the Capacity??
All of the senior championship games were held in Owenbeg,most of them being Double headers, and the numbers at them are embarrassing. People are speaking with their feet,they are fed up with the games in Owenbeg. There is no atmosphere for some reason and I really doubt if the Senior and Intermediate finals were being held their this weekend, that it would be any different. Watching the Tyrone games going around the club Venues has been a breath of fresh air and maybe our County board should be keeping a closer eye on our neighbours and how to do things.

[Brendan]

We need 2 County standard grounds in a county as busy as ours, Screen no longer any use and if Celtic park isn't considered suitable for spectators comfort then Glen defintly isn't either

Which games are you thinking of and what sort of crowd do they attract?

County footballers and Hurlers have been using Celtic park, ladies county teams using Owenbeg for league, that'd be week on week tramping at the worst of winter.

Clubs weren't as willing to use their grounds for County finals this year either as you'd expect which has led to some underage finals being played on the Owenbeg 4g which is hardly appropiate

[HonDerry]

I'm cant call the final. I think they're two very evenly matched teams, and it'll come down to who performs on the day.

On a different note, we've four teams from South Derry heading to Celtic Park this weekend. If Owenbeg had the capacity, I'd estimate we'd have twice the number of spectators. I suspect a lot of neutrals will just watch on TV rather than travel to the city.

Celtic Park needs a fair bit of investment to bring it up to modern standards, e.g. the toilets and changing rooms

I think we'd be far better off selling Celtic Park and investing in developing Owenbeg. It's centrally located in the county, has great road links, and with the right investment, could become a fantastic home for Derry GAA.

What is the argument for keeping Celtic Park?

If Owenbeg had the Capacity??
All of the senior championship games were held in Owenbeg,most of them being Double headers, and the numbers at them are embarrassing. People are speaking with their feet,they are fed up with the games in Owenbeg. There is no atmosphere for some reason and I really doubt if the Senior and Intermediate finals were being held their this weekend, that it would be any different. Watching the Tyrone games going around the club Venues has been a breath of fresh air and maybe our County board should be keeping a closer eye on our neighbours and how to do things.

So this is a different argument. I had asked this question - what is the case for keeping Celtic Park.

I am talking about a county final which is taking 4 teams from South Derry to Celtic Park and it will probably be less than half full. If Owenbeg was capable of taking it, it would be full to the rafters, with a lot more people attending as many neutrals wont travel to Celtic Park.

I agree with having earlier-stage championship games moved round the clubs.

[HonDerry]

We need 2 County standard grounds in a county as busy as ours, Screen no longer any use and if Celtic park isn't considered suitable for spectators comfort then Glen defintly isn't either

Which games are you thinking of and what sort of crowd do they attract?

County footballers and Hurlers have been using Celtic park, ladies county teams using Owenbeg for league, that'd be week on week tramping at the worst of winter.

Clubs weren't as willing to use their grounds for County finals this year either as you'd expect which has led to some underage finals being played on the Owenbeg 4g which is hardly appropiate

Agreed that isn't appropriate; what is needed at Owenbeg to make this happen?

To me, Celtic Park is well past its best days and will need no end of money to revamp and maintain, when we would be better off biting the bullet, selling it and adding what is needed at Owenbeg which is centrally located.

Is anyone able to present the argument for keeping Celtic Park, which will involve investment and money to maintain, versus selling off and using the money to enhance one central location?

[jb77]

Owenbeg is fairly soulless in comparison but one is surrounded by fields the other by one of the best cities on the island.

Celtic Park makes an evenings training a long affair for the South Derry men, no proper Canteen either. RG liked Owenbeg enough he still trained there when all the league games were moved to Celtic Park

[oakleaflad]

Derry isn't that big a county.

I find it embarrassing (if true) that people will happily travel to Owenbeg but not another 15 or 20 mins in the road.

[GTP]

There aren't that many club grounds in Derry that have good facilities for spectators. I can't think of any seated area apart from Screen and it must be 50 years old.
Glen and S'Neil have covered stands and after that it is concrete terrace e.g. Bellaghy, Lavey or standing round the fence, Magherafelt, Loup, Castledawson etc.
Maybe it is cause and effect, clubs aren't going to get big games so don't need or want to invest in spectator facilities, but it seems to be an area in which facilities haven't been developed much.
The group games took matched around the club grounds not so long ago, but people complained about them as meaningless and not worth going to.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Man hasn't been to Bellaghy recently to see their big new stand 😀

[Brendan]

Or around North Derry, Glenullin, Foreglen and even Ardmore have sheltered stands 

[Newbridge Exile]

I see the Antrim Hurling final has been postponed to next weekend due to the weather outlook ,(  Darren Devine on twitter  has carried out a real in-depth look at the stats of both teams on their paths to the final, a really interesting read )