Waterford GAA Discussion Thread 2011-2012

lovelypoint

solarith wrote: »

It was brought up again by co sec a month ago but the board refused to even discuss it.

Have to admit I was dead against the idea when it was first mooted, but am coming around to the idea a lot. To be honest, I would not like to see any Munster games going outside Munster, moreso than being aggrieved because it is Kilkenny, but as things stand, the plum arrangements with those hosting neutral games has to go. It is no good for the game, and it does not even have to do with having a stadium capable of holding championship games or not, as clearly evidenced by the Gaelic Grounds. The Munster Council should be thankful counties in the province have not burdened themselves with debt by investing in white elephant stadiums, and not penalising them.

Moreover, the Munster Council should be focussing on some sort of stadium & hosting strategy, from ensuring fairness to all participating counties, to ensuring a top notch match experience vis-a-vis comfortable stadiums, decent attendances, and affordable prices. Seems instead the strategy is to beat down any form of dissent to the status quo. Instead of humiliating Waterford, and making it seem like a case of sticky hands, they should have instead questioned is the current arrangement fair for all concerned.

Whats the story with Carriganore, by the way. Is there any chance they would be able to host 20,000 capacity games in the future?

mecco

That letter is well written and does a good job of calling the comments out for what they were: A snide dig from someone who is supposed to be the lead representative of all members of Munster GAA.

At the same time, I'm still extremely annoyed at our own board for letting such a financial situation occur, and the whole extremely parochial east/west crap that prevented us from having a single decent county stadium back when funds were available. It's also worth noting that expecting an agreement re any external stadium is far from likely when we couldn't even agree on a location internal to the county.

However, all that is in the past and can't be changed and as such we need to come up with a way to put us on a level playing field (no pun) with the other counties. To this purpose, Nowlan park is the most obvious that's immediately available. I wonder what WIT has planned for Cariganore pitch in terms of stands, and would that be suitable/available at any stage. Wouldn't it be beneficial to WIT to have regular income coming from such a venture or do they care I wonder.

hardybuck

lovelypoint wrote: »

Whats the story with Carriganore, by the way. Is there any chance they would be able to host 20,000 capacity games in the future?

I'd say Carriganore would be a prime location for development if it needed to be. There seems to be plenty of space around the site for expansion. The road network is excellent - literally no venue in the country could rival it for access.

I'm sure if something here was to go ahead, WIT could and probably should build a Park and Ride facility out there for their campus, which could be used when games are on.

Both Waterford and WIT should be cementing links there anyway in the areas of Sports Science, centre of excellence etc. so the whole thing would seem a logical move if money was available, which it isn't.

solarith

hardybuck wrote: »

I'd say Carriganore would be a prime location for development if it needed to be. There seems to be plenty of space around the site for expansion. The road network is excellent - literally no venue in the country could rival it for access.

I'm sure if something here was to go ahead, WIT could and probably should build a Park and Ride facility out there for their campus, which could be used when games are on.

Both Waterford and WIT should be cementing links there anyway in the areas of Sports Science, centre of excellence etc. so the whole thing would seem a logical move if money was available, which it isn't.

They are! Call up and have a look at Carriganore! There's another massive expansion half way through!

hardybuck

solarith wrote: »

They are! Call up and have a look at Carriganore! There's another massive expansion half way through!

Oh yeah? What's going in? Last time I was out that direction they had the small stand and the new clubhouse style facility built.

chainsawman

hardybuck wrote: »

I'd say Carriganore would be a prime location for development if it needed to be. There seems to be plenty of space around the site for expansion. The road network is excellent - literally no venue in the country could rival it for access.

I'm sure if something here was to go ahead, WIT could and probably should build a Park and Ride facility out there for their campus, which could be used when games are on.

Both Waterford and WIT should be cementing links there anyway in the areas of Sports Science, centre of excellence etc. so the whole thing would seem a logical move if money was available, which it isn't.

Great Idea !!!! I for one willing to chip a tenner towards the developments. I am sure the people of waterford will be willing to contribute... Walsh Park is a joke...

mecco

hardybuck wrote: »

Oh yeah? What's going in? Last time I was out that direction they had the small stand and the new clubhouse style facility built.

All the indoor stuff is being built at the moment. Indoors halls, a gym I think, etc. It'll be impressive.

http://www.witsportscampus.ie/nextsteps.html

solarith

mecco wrote: »

All the indoor stuff is being built at the moment. Indoors halls, a gym I think, etc. It'll be impressive.

http://www.witsportscampus.ie/nextsteps.html

Yeah, the expansion is 5 times wider and about 1.5 times as high as current facility. Expecting to be operational by January AFAIK.

It's a shame they couldn't just sell Walsh Park. No one would buy it now with the country broke.

hardybuck

solarith wrote: »

Yeah, the expansion is 5 times wider and about 1.5 times as high as current facility. Expecting to be operational by January AFAIK.

It's a shame they couldn't just sell Walsh Park. No one would buy it now with the country broke.

Everything will sell at the right price. Regardless of the current situation, there are still investors cleaning up, and that site would have some value given that land will never really become available in the area again.

solarith

hardybuck wrote: »

Everything will sell at the right price. Regardless of the current situation, there are still investors cleaning up, and that site would have some value given that land will never really become available in the area again.

Well yes, but our right price and their right price would probably be quite different! Shame it wasn't sold a few years ago when the Carriganore project was starting. Probably better off keeping it for a few years now until things pick up more and there's more money around.

lovelypoint

I agree re: Carriganore, which I see as our best option for the near future, within the county. Am not sure what WIT have planned, as I know the GAA will not invest in a ground/ stadium they do not own.

Were Carriganore to become something similar to Nowlan Park, I would be quite happy. A nice little ground that could hold say 20- 25,000 and meet all our needs from a ground for home championship fixtures. Would be far happier giving WIT money in ground rental than anyone else, or continuing to let the GAA facilitate the Cork-Tipp posterity fund. Given that such a ground would be multi-denominational, and used for a variety of sports, as well as probably athlethics, I hope WIT considers it. Indoor and other facilities are nice, but think they would do quite well, were they to position themselves as the stadium of choice within the county for all sports.

In an alternative vein, perhaps it would be worth seeing if WIT were interested in Walsh Park. Perhaps a straight swap Walsh Park for Carriganore, is being a little optimistic though..

hardybuck

lovelypoint wrote: »

In an alternative vein, perhaps it would be worth seeing if WIT were interested in Walsh Park. Perhaps a straight swap Walsh Park for Carriganore, is being a little optimistic though..

The only thing which might interest WIT there is possibily if they could build campus accom or something on it. I'm sure the current residents would love that!

lovelypoint

hardybuck wrote: »

The only thing which might interest WIT there is possibily if they could build campus accom or something on it. I'm sure the current residents would love that!

As I said, it was an optimistic view That said, there has been a lot of development on ground just opposite. The Presentation convent & school have sold off a lot of ground in recent years, which shows there is commercial interest in land in the area, for those knocking any prospect of selling Walsh Park.

solarith

hardybuck wrote: »

The only thing which might interest WIT there is possibily if they could build campus accom or something on it. I'm sure the current residents would love that!

Lads... in fairness, why would WIT even consider swapping Carriganore for Walsh park after spending millions and years developing it!

Best case scenario (in my opinion) is that Waterford GAA and WIT continue their partnership (don't know how binding or knit it is), sell Walsh Park and build a 18,000-25,000 seater stadium in Carriganore jointly funded by both, and surely they'd get some help from Croke Park or Munster Council on the way! Have Carriganore the new home of Waterford GAA - period. All offices, meetings and other things that happen in Walsh Park move to Carriganore!


[Probably a pipe dream due to finances, but we need a real long term strategy and work as hard as we can to achieve that.]

Professey Chin

solarith wrote: »

Lads... in fairness, why would WIT even consider swapping Carriganore for Walsh park after spending millions and years developing it!

Best case scenario (in my opinion) is that Waterford GAA and WIT continue their partnership (don't know how binding or knit it is), sell Walsh Park and build a 18,000-25,000 seater stadium in Carriganore jointly funded by both, and surely they'd get some help from Croke Park or Munster Council on the way! Have Carriganore the new home of Waterford GAA - period. All offices, meetings and other things that happen in Walsh Park move to Carriganore!


[Probably a pipe dream due to finances, but we need a real long term strategy and work as hard as we can to achieve that.]

This would make the most sense but good luck getting the west to agree to basically downgrade Fraher

Cake Man

I'm liking the Carraiganore idea, it's in an ideal location and a lovely set up out there. Think it would depend really on WIT's take on it.

hardybuck

I heard before that Waterford put something in the region of €1m into Carriganore - I could be wrong.

solarith

The Great Chinholio wrote: »

This would make the most sense but good luck getting the west to agree to basically downgrade Fraher

I don't really believe that it will lose many games if this happened, what will change really? East/West divide needs to go regardless, the mentality that the county is 2 separate states is a hindrance rather than a help. A different debate though.

mecco

The Great Chinholio wrote: »

This would make the most sense but good luck getting the west to agree to basically downgrade Fraher

Very true, but ridiculously annoying! Convince them the East are "suffering" by downgrading Walsh Park too, and that Cariganore is outside the city maybe?

hardybuck wrote: »

I heard before that Waterford put something in the region of €1m into Carriganore - I could be wrong.

Isn't it the GAA national centre of excellence or some such? Think that was GAA HQ though and not Waterford. It's still WIT property so something would have to be agreed with them. But it would help them be the community force they want/need to be. That, and it's an extra income for WIT

EDIT: it's one of multiple centres of excellence, not the national one according to a quick search

Professey Chin

solarith wrote: »

I don't really believe that it will lose many games if this happened, what will change really? East/West divide needs to go regardless, the mentality that the county is 2 separate states is a hindrance rather than a help. A different debate though.

The mentality needs to go but it wont with the people we have on the CB right now.

LadyGAAGAA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QzMZ8zCpTM&feature=youtu.be

Check out the Mullanimal Go on the Deise

Professey Chin

Ouch

Waterford County Board in debt for over €670, 000
The Waterford County Board owes over €670, 000, including a development loan of more than €230,000. The Irish Examiner reports that a meeting will be held tomorrow between senior bank representatives and members of the board's executive committee to discuss the board's financial position.While income for the first six months of the current year is believed to be in excess of €440, 000, it falls short of estimated expenditure by €163, 000.
At last night's county board meeting - which excluded the media - ways and means of cutting back on expenditure were discussed, with several delegates referring to the huge costs incurred by the various county teams. It's understood that losses from the Rythemfest two-day concert held in Fraher Field will be around €50, 000. A special finance committee is now to be set up.

WLR

daddydick

Lads

We're 5 days away from another Munster Final. The game is in Cork, as was fixed at the beginning of the year. Let's get on with it. We should be discussing the match and forgetting about the finances for now. We all know that the county board are struggling at the minute for cash and as bad as that may be, we're here because we love the game not because we want to hear about someone's utterly deluded pipedream about WIT swapping Carriganore for Walsh Park!!!

Let's leave the cash situation to one side for a week, eh??

Deise abu!

solarith

@daddydick - for once it's not just mindless complaining, though.

The Great Chinholio wrote: »

Ouch
WLR

Ouch indeed! Like if they can squeeze the pennies more and more - cut costs by 15% and increase the income by 10% we're breaking even. Biggest cost is the running of the county teams, surely there are savings to be found.

calvin_zola

daddydick wrote: »

Lads

We're 5 days away from another Munster Final. The game is in Cork, as was fixed at the beginning of the year. Let's get on with it. We should be discussing the match and forgetting about the finances for now. We all know that the county board are struggling at the minute for cash and as bad as that may be, we're here because we love the game not because we want to hear about someone's utterly deluded pipedream about WIT swapping Carriganore for Walsh Park!!!

Let's leave the cash situation to one side for a week, eh??

Deise abu!

I expect a different game to last year, please god. We are playing a different style of hurling, and I believe everything in the camp is going well and the lads are in great form. It will b a massive task for us to win, and if we can win it I am sensing a classic game where our heart and passion gives us an extra bit of fuel in the tank.


But they are beatable given the right conditions, but we will need everything to go right for us on the day, and either way we have a quarter final berth. But we need the win on Sunday to give the county the lift we need.

Ten years ago we went up to Cork and everyone was writing us off and we wiped the floor with them. Albeit 2 different teams I feel that the circumstances are the same we are 9/2 to win and evs +6 so the bookies aren't giving us a chance, but this suits us down to the ground, we are massive underdogs, but we have some serious youth and potential who can hopefully come of age on Sunday, mixed with some great experience.

Hopefully a good day on Sunday and we bring a good crowd.


C'mon the Deise!!!!!

calvin_zola

The team is out Thursday yeah?

Black Suir

calvin_zola wrote: »

from an economic point of view nowlan park should be a goer, unfortunately heads would get very upset because they would hate the kk lads to have some onemanupship on them

Isnt that whats wrong with this bloody city and county of ours. There is no joined up thinking and when someone does try and do something they are knocked. We have G.A.A. officials who want to keep the divisional boards because if they go, the existing officers will no longer be in with a chance of getting the best tickets for games, we dont want to go to Kilkenny to play games because we (more over the people in the city) dont like Kilkenny people. We dont want to merge our councils because some of our councillors know if it was to happen there would be no chance they would be elected and therefore they would loose too much, and it would mean that some could not double job. The lists goes on and on.

solarith

Black Suir wrote: »

Isnt that whats wrong with this bloody city and county of ours. There is no joined up thinking and when someone does try and do something they are knocked. We have G.A.A. officials who want to keep the divisional boards because if they go, the existing officers will no longer be in with a chance of getting the best tickets for games, we dont want to go to Kilkenny to play games because we (more over the people in the city) dont like Kilkenny people. We dont want to merge our councils because some of our councillors know if it was to happen there would be no chance they would be elected and therefore they would loose too much, and it would mean that some could not double job. The lists goes on and on.

Spot on.

Black Suir

hardybuck wrote: »

Open up discussions with all of the venues within reasonable travelling distance - Wexford Park, Nowlan Park, Gaelic Grounds, Thurles...and even Cork. See which one is prepared to offer the best package, and then take it from there.

No Munster County will allow us to use their ground as they will loose too much if they did. They would get more from allow the ground to be neutral that for us to hire it. Also isnt Wexford Park a little too far away. Who is going to travel from Ballyduff Upper, Clashmore, Ballysaggart etc to a game down there. Nolan Park is fairly easy to get to from all parts of the county.

Black Suir

solarith wrote: »

It was brought up again by co sec a month ago but the board refused to even discuss it.

Shows how closed minded some are and might be in need of replacing. Get in people who will make some tough calls that the present board are afraid to do. By board i mean elected officers and especially club delegates.