GAA Infastructure

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120472951#Comment_120472951

I totally agree that it's over ambitious, and it will be a white elephant, and that the initial planning objections where from the mainly nationalist community living beside the place.

But it sure as hell will turn into them v us the longer it stalls.

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120473597#Comment_120473597

It did not take long for you to be proven correct

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-65269449.amp

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120475538#Comment_120475538

The supporters' group, AONISC, is monitoring the funding issue.

A spokesperson said: "Should Casement Park receive the significant public funding required to allow redevelopment to progress, we believe that Northern Ireland football should receive parity of funding."

And therein lies the problem, its not just putting up the money for the stadium, its buying off everyone else too. Even taking out the money already spent on Windsor and Ravenhill, that could be another £50m.

HBC08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120475972#Comment_120475972

Not at all, who are these clowns? The equivalent to a supporters club like YBIG for Ireland.They can have an opinion but bringing a Euros to NI is bigger than a few lads chancing their arm looking for 10s of millions because "the others" got it too.

Also the Tories have shown (as have successive UK government's and the general UK populace) that they don't care about NI and will ride roughshod over them when it suits.They don't care about their unique quirks and little squabbles even though they sometimes pay a bit of lip service to them.

Bottom line is if the UK government want NI in the bid (as they have stated) then one of two things will happen,Windsor Park will be significantly upgraded or Casement will be built.There will be local opposition to both but one of them will happen.

I hope its Casement.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120475999#Comment_120475999

If it is to be Casement then the GAA and political parties need to strenuously avoid being drawn into a them v us debacle. I wouldn't be opptimistic that it will be avoided in the current climate. The proposers of the tournament will move on because they have to.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120475538#Comment_120475538

As if UEFA ever listened to fans.

You're have as much hope of the Tories listening to the DUP 🤣

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120475999#Comment_120475999

The point is that there will be all sorts of opportunists looking to get something out of this, and if they can't get something they will do their best to ensure that the other side also end up with nothing. And that's before considering all the other causes which are short on funding.

Take a step back and look at what they want to spend £100m+ of tax payers money on, a stadium to hosts likely 3 games in a once in a lifetime tournament plus 1 game a year which might or might not get over 80% capacity attending. I'm sure even SDLP and Alliance will struggle to support that.

I think the pattern we've seen with UK governments is that they will do whats easiest/best for themselves with regards to NI. If that means NI has to drop out of hosting after the bid has been successful, that is likely what will happen. They can even pretend to be the good guys and they approve of the project, safe in the knowledge that NI will likely conspire against itself and prevent the project from happening.

HBC08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476158#Comment_120476158

I agree with you.

My point is either Casement will be built or Windsor Park upgraded again.Whichever is the handiest to do will be the one the UK government go with.They won't be making decisions based off a football supporters group.

They've already stated how important it is to have NI in the bid (although they could drop them like a hot sh1te if that suits) which is the 3rd option.However I think for the sake of £100m or so it would be better political gain to have them in.Petty squabbles between vested interests and resident loons in NI isn't even on the radar of the average Brit.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476233#Comment_120476233

No way Windsor can double it's capacity without scraping the new stands just built. I think that idea is nothing more than some IFA wet dream.

It's Casement or nothing for games in NI.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476233#Comment_120476233

If it is a case that Windsor gets another upgrade (which I don't think will happen) what then do the Ulster GAA do?

They are still going to be without "their" stadium and the IFA have got even more.

As a GAA fan I hate this local ambition to build stadiums that are way too big for what is required.

Look at PUC, it's way to big and in the wrong location, it has never sold out for a GAA event.

Now Kerry want a huge upgrade to Fitzgerald stadium.

There is talking of Louth having plans for a big stadium.

What every county should have is a ground like the Athletic Grounds in Armagh, nice and tidy, and then every province something bigger.

The Ulster GAA would be better off doing a big job on Clones than this Belfast folly, but I know that won't happen either.

The upshot of all this is that Turkey will win the bid for Euro 2028.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476283#Comment_120476283

PUC was as good as sold out for Limerick vs Cork last year. Doesn't happen a lot I know but of all the counties Cork is the one I have the least problem with having a big stadium. Armagh is a good template for the majority of counties I agree. Clare, Laois and Kilkenny come to mind too.

Kerry wil be getting no upgrade.

And the Euro bid won't rest on Casement. The English have a ton of stadia to step in.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476384#Comment_120476384

If the English, or more specifically the British have a ton of stadia to step in why did they need the island of Ireland in the first place?

Including Ireland was always going to be trouble.

They could not include the south without the north for political reasons, but the north had nothing to offer other than the promise of a GAA ground mired in controversy and delays.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476411#Comment_120476411

The English are probably the best equipped FA in Europe stadium wise.

But everyone hates them so for political reasons they added NI, Wales, Scotland and most importantly Ireland to win votes. There is no such thing as "the Brits" in soccer so the Brits can't go it alone and the English FA adding Ireland is no more or less hassle than adding Scotland.

The biggest issue England (and the UK) has always had in terms of hosting tournaments is the IFAB and their refuses to reform the ridiculous control the home nations have over the game.

roadmaster

If Casement was redeveloped for Antrim GAA needs only it probably wouldnt be that big of project. A new stand like Kildare, Relay the pitch and restore the terraces. Floodlights may have to be fully replaced or just the actual lights if lucky. What is the average attendence at an Antrim gaa game eitjer football or hurling?

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476461#Comment_120476461

But everyone hates them so for political reasons.

That's not actually the case, but instead is a narrow Irish view.

England, Wales, Scotland would have been able to do this without any need for Ireland.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476625#Comment_120476625

No it's not an Irish point of view at all.

It's got to do with internal soccer politics as I explained.

They could have done it without us but what is the problem with Dublin being used ?

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476800#Comment_120476800

The problem with including Dublin but not Belfast was that it was not a runner politically in the UK.

I know most here don't give a toss about northern unionists but they have a genuine fear that they are being ingonred by the rest of the UK and that is a slippery slope to a united Ireland.

And inviting the ROI to be part of a bid and not NI would have only hightened that sense of exclusion.

So the bid invited the ROI because it gave them two stadiums but it also had to invite NI which gave them nothing other than a long promised stadium for a different sport.

FrancieBrady

DUP say No

https://twitter.com/brendanhughes64/status/1646939112409014277

roadmaster

It looks like pashcal is worried about having to pay towards casement. Dublin County Boards must be in his ear!

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/row-erupts-in-coalition-over-green-partys-costings-for-our-euro-2028-bid-42433710.html

Pete_Cavan

DUP says it would be “greatly concerned” if the UK Gov allocated additional resources to the project when other vital public services need more funding. Very easy for them to deflect from their obvious sectarian motivations to something more reasonable and universal on this. I'm sure there'll be a lot of people of the same mind regarding allocating additional funding to this project when other public services are seeing funding cut, including many considered to be of a Nationalist persuasion.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480020#Comment_120480020

With the UUP now saying the same thing, there is no avoiding it becoming a them versus us issue, sadly.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480020#Comment_120480020

I love how people drag out the " other vital services" when it's for something they don't have an interest in.

It happens here too with people and their "why are they wasting money on x when we have all the homeless" to then happily forgot about the homeless as soon as the stadium/trainline/streetscape project is sunk.

If the DUP are so worried about how funding is spent why don't they take their seats in government and do something about it.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480084#Comment_120480084

There may be an element of us v them but I don’t think it will be divided along the traditional Nationalist v Unionist lines. I'm sure many who would be considered Nationalist will also question the benefit of Casement v the cost of building it.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480184#Comment_120480184

There have been cuts to education and other very important services. It is entirely valid to question spending so much money on a stadium which will rarely be used.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480194#Comment_120480194

It will be 'politically' them v us and that's the important bit. What the people think won't matter.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480199#Comment_120480199

Then why are the DUP not out every day screaming about cuts to education and other services.

Why are the DUP constantly licking the rim off the Tory party who cut these services ?

The services and the stadium don't have to be a one or the other situation.

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480199#Comment_120480199

There is no stadium is this country which would stand up to the scrutiny of how often it's used. Not sure it has ever been a criterion for the construction of a stadium. And let's be honest, in the context of the North such arguments would be a smokescreen.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476533#Comment_120476533

Casement should be torn down and rebuilt as a 10k capacity stadium with a top class pitch that makes a suitable home venue for Antrim GAA during the league and a place that the clubs can be aspire to play in, be it a Senior county hurling final or an u13 championship game. That should be the focus of all GAA stadium upgrades going forward. Some may justify 5 or 7.5k more in capacity but no more than that. There's far more important uses for the funds than perpetually producing white elephants. And building them is one thing but maintaining them is a huge cost and burden too.

thinkabouit

Just build the thing for god sake, if GAA want to take the association to another level they absolutely need a top class venue in the biggest city in the North.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120492661#Comment_120492661

If Antrim are to have such a pitch then an equivalent amount of money should go to the other 5 counties.