30,000 seater stadium for Munster ?

thejollyrodger

There is speculation that munster may be planning a 30,000 seater stadium to cash in on the popularity of the European Cup. But the alternative is just to upgrade the existing stadium. I know this is a rugby issue but it should be built for the Euro 2012 bid alone. The government should put up the cash as well!!

Whats everyones thoughts on this one, im in favour but it has to be open for soccer as well

thejollyrodger

23/07/04

Munster’s field of dreams could come true
By Hugh Farrelly
THE mighty men of Munster could be playing in front of 30,000 fans under a plan proposed by a top rugby official.

Branch president Niall O’Driscoll says he would be in favour of a purpose-built stadium to be located between Cork and Limerick, as the province tries to cash in on the popularity of the European Cup.

As it stands, Munster’s matches alternate between Limerick and Cork, but Mr O’Driscoll believes the province should operate out of a single base.

“Munster’s facilities are Third World in comparison to the top European clubs,” said the accountant from Bandon in Co Cork.

“I believe the province should build a stadium from scratch, select a greenfield site, maybe 15 or 20 miles on the Cork side of Limerick and recreate the Thomond atmosphere in a 25,000-30,000 ground, complete with modern dressing rooms, training facilities, medical rooms and media facilities.”



Thomond Park has an official capacity of 12,000 while Cork’s Musgrave Park’s official capacity is a mere 8,000. But Munster’s growing popularity has seen European games sold out with thousands of ticketless fans left outside.

“A stadium this size would go a long way to solving our ticketing problems,” Mr O’Driscoll said. “Thomond and Musgrave Park could then be re-assessed, perhaps one sold off and the other used for secondary matches.”

Over the past five years, Munster have twice been defeated in the final of the Heineken Cup and twice in the semi-final, including last April’s loss to eventual winners Wasps.

In the wake of that reversal, captain Jim Williams said Munster’s practice of operating out of two bases was self-defeating. He said valuable hours were wasted travelling for training sessions when players should be resting before big games.

Munster’s popularity over the past five years has resulted in a huge demand for tickets and the advent of the corporate fan has led to escalating tension between the clubs, the Munster Supporters Club and the branch over ticket allocations. A 30,000-seater stadium would solve these problems but the more likely scenario is for the branch to develop their existing grounds.

“I have raised this issue at committee level and the Cork-Limerick agenda has ensured a mixed response,” admitted O’Driscoll.

“We are looking at turning the existing stand in Musgrave Park into one that would seat 6,500 and we want to raise €6.5 million.

“Pre-planning discussions are taking place with the council and there is land on the Sunday’s Well side of the ground which could be sold towards a deposit.”

Munster rugby has a proud tradition which has always incorporated Limerick and Cork and the proposal for a single base will garner a great deal of support. “My views are well known, the idea is out there and it makes tremendous business sense,” Mr O’Driscoll said.

However, as GAA president Seán Kelly found out after his calls to open Croke Park, what a president wants and what a president gets are two entirely different things.

Imposter

I think it's a good idea for Munster rugby but i'm not sure how it ties in properly with soccer. A local soccer team would have to play there or else why would Uefa entertain an Irish bid when none of the stadiums are used for club soccer?

So would there be a soccer team playing there regularly and how much would soccer (the fai or presumably a Limerick or Cork club) contribute to the stadium?

thejollyrodger

If it was located in Cork, Cork city could certainly play there. It could genererate more money for the side and have a real chance of making the 3rd round or even making the group stages of the Champions league !

GreenHell

I don't think any new stadium would be based in Cork, more likely on the Limerick side of Mallow.

Munster could fill a 30,000 seater for all its HEC games no problem, with a greater commitement to the CL crowds could increase for that competition as well. All for it.

istep

There's not a vhance in hell it would be built in Cork. ( This from a leinster man )

I can see problems even getting agreement 15-20 miles outside Limerick!

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

istep

Agreed

Borzoi

You would think the IRFU would come up with some sort of coherent stadium building plan, for example:

Build a 30,000 seater in Munster, then demolish Lansdowne Rd, and play internationals in Munster while LR is being rebuilt.

No, they'd rather knock L.R. then do the same to Thomond Pk

munster rucker

as i mentioned on another site already, an ideal location for this new stadium would be Hogan Park in limerick. It is laying idle at the moment, and the swimming pool behind it has been shut down. there is a huge amound of land surrounding the area giving plenty of room for the development of a stadium. Good location too, just outside the city, and easy to get to for the cork lads.
Munster rugby needs bigger grounds, there is no question about it. It's either build a new one, or the GAA have to open their grounds - and lets not even get into that one :dunno:

Hairy Homer

Yiz are all way too polite. This idea is a load of tripe and anyone who seriously entertains it should be taken out and shot.

No. Wait. Let's not waste any lead on the fools. Beat them to death slowly with a worn-out rugby boot. Preferably with blunted studs.

Successful stadia have to be built in cities with easy access to major transport (and public transport) links, surrounding entertainment infrastructure (ie bars and restaurants) and accomodation where necessary. If the PDs never do anything else for this country, and there's some who would argue that they've done shag all anyway, at least they dissuaded the current shower from building the embarassment that would have been the Bertie Bowl.

Ask anyone who has been to stadia overseas. (Like me, for instance)

Wembley - **** hole. In the middle of nowhere. A good half hour's walk from the nearest tube, that is if they were still running by the time your average English football fan had thrown a few people on to the tracks.

Stade de France - magnificent but still a **** hole. built in the French equivalent of Tallaght. Surrounded by a promenade with stalls selling beer in plastic cups and hot-dogs and bugger-all else. As much atmosphere as a plastic bag and that was the year of O'Driscoll's hat trick.


Cardiff Arms PArk - (haven't been to the Millennium Stadium) - wonderful. Bang in the middle of town. Surrounded by every eating and drinking amenity you could hope for. Whole town gets swept up in the atmosphere of the event. A wonderful way to spend a weekend. Ditto for

Murrayfield - a short walk from the centre of Edinburgh which is one of the world's beautiful cities. Also you can stagger from one bar to another to a restaurant and out to the airport (or train station) with ease.

Lansdowne Road - hopelessly outdated but still wonderful atmosphere and right in the middle of the nicest part of Dublin,(Dublin 4)

It all depends on what you want to GO to games for. Is it just to see the match? Then stay at home and watch it on telly. You'll get a better view. If it's to get swept up in the atmosphere and occasion, then there's no stadium on earth that can generate all that on its own. It needs a city, or a large town, with all the infrastructure and bonhomie that goes along with that.

This half-assed idea sounds like it was cooked up by some wiseguy who finds that he has a little bit of land in the arse hole of nowhere from which he's about to lose his milk quota so he thinks: 'a few brown paper envelopes in the right hands and I'll have a 'state-of-the-art international stadium' .

Toilets? - ah sure Jaysus aren't there plenty of fields with long grass
Food- Ah now. The missus does grand crubeens & mustard and sure we'll get the brother's old Bedford to sell them out of
Drink - nothing a few squidgy bottles of Guiness at a tenner a pint won't solve.

Redevelop Thomond Park. It's got the history, the land, the city all around it and the guarantee that if you build it up to 20-30,000 seats you'll pack it out every time Munster plays a big one.

And by all means play an international or two there. Munster deserves it. And that's from a Leinster season ticket holder.

But this building a new stadium in the back arse of beyond. It's not the ****ing Eurovision.

A thousand times no!!!!!!

GreenHell

Ya left out thurles there on the ole list, 53k capacity not bad for what really is the back of the beyonds.

Gaa grounds opening up, we could be waiting forever for that to happen I can't see any point in waiting for that to happen.

On the Cork point there aren't any "big" HEC games played in cork so obviously there is a better atmosphere in TP and recent history.

Personnally they can build it in west kerry if it improves my chances of getting a ticket.

Hairy Homer

Originally posted by GreenHell
Ya left out thurles there on the ole list, 53k capacity not bad for what really is the back of the beyonds.

Thurles is no village. And it has the tradition of big matches. Plus it tends to cater for local (comparatively speaking) crowds. Who outside of Munster goes to watch matches in Semple?

Gaa grounds opening up, we could be waiting forever for that to happen I can't see any point in waiting for that to happen.

Hear bloody hear. Ignore them and get on with things.

Personnally they can build it in west kerry if it improves my chances of getting a ticket.

You say that now, but a couple of hours stuck in a traffic jam snaking through Adare with 50,000 others only to be landed in the middle of a field with Jackie Healy Rae's exclusive franchise selling you BSE burgers and mouldy Smithwicks at New York prices and you'll soon change your tune.

What the F*** is wrong with Limerick? There's plenty of space around Thomond, so I'm told. There's a city full of pubs and restaurants all around, the rugby atmosphere permeates every nook and cranny. There's an airport to fly in the visiting fans from Gloucester, etc

munster rucker

Originally posted by Hairy Homer
What the F*** is wrong with Limerick? There's plenty of space around Thomond, so I'm told. There's a city full of pubs and restaurants all around, the rugby atmosphere permeates every nook and cranny. There's an airport to fly in the visiting fans from Gloucester, etc [/B]

Limerick is great, and if i had my way, every single munster match would be played in Limerick. The problem with Thomond, is the houses right beside it. For any real development to go ahead, those houses would more than likely have to be knocked. most of the houses are now empty, but the few remaining residents don't seem to want to move, and will always object to planning permission to redevelop TP.
This is why i recommended Hogan Park in Limerick. The grounds where Limerick FC used to play. There is a huge amount of land surrounding the area, making it easier to develop, and it's easily accessible to everyone.

Hairy Homer

Originally posted by munster rucker
Limerick is great, and if i had my way, every single munster match would be played in Limerick. The problem with Thomond, is the houses right beside it. For any real development to go ahead, those houses would more than likely have to be knocked. most of the houses are now empty, but the few remaining residents don't seem to want to move, and will always object to planning permission to redevelop TP.
This is why i recommended Hogan Park in Limerick. The grounds where Limerick FC used to play. There is a huge amount of land surrounding the area, making it easier to develop, and it's easily accessible to everyone.

Well your local knowledge is better than mine. I've never been to Thomond Park because I'm afraid those rough boys will beat me up when they hear my Dublin 4 accent and if anybody tried to stop them they'd be told:
'SSHHHHHH! Not when the fella's taking a kick'

bucks73

I would be in favour of redevoloping TP also. Fantastic athmosphere, plenty of facilities around and a few minutes from town. Last season was great with the 5pm kick offs that you could stroll into town afterwards for a few. Even if they increased it to 20,000 it would make a big difference. A stadium of 30,000 would look empty for any other game than a HC game.

Hairy Homer is right, the stadiums close to city centre have better craic all round.

As for Hogan Park, I would have to disagree. I used go up there when Limerick City played there and it is one of the reasons senior football in Limerick has died. Its in the wrong part of town with absolutely no facilities around. Every weekend when I went up there to see Limerick there were a number of cars broken into. At least at TP people can leave their cars in the surrounding areas and feel quite sure that they wont come back to a broken window.

GreenHell

I've recently come to idea that all is talk of stadiums is hype to get the limerick boys into gear to redevelop thomond, infairness the reaction has been priceless.

New stand in Musgrave sounds like the job for us cork langers, bit of shelter around MP would be nice during the ole Celtic League.