Connacht Team Talk Thread V - The Friend Zone

Robbo · 08-10-2018 10:51am

I can't believe it's not Butler

How are we fixed for building materials? I hear that large chunks of Kingspan came adrift last Friday we can use them if we're stuck.

connachta · 08-10-2018 10:59am

So Munster 26K
Leinster and Ulster 18K
Connacht 12K
Looks realistic, though I'd have reverse Munster and Leinster figures...

wp_rathead · 08-10-2018 11:04am

You've got a Friend in me

Larbre34 wrote: »

Delighted to hear these plans for a home worthy of Connachts ambitions, but I dont know how there is any scope to extend the current main stand due to the way the houses in The Green wrap around the Sportsground lands, unless they are planning to move the pitch / track further east within the site.

Going by the renderings the Main stand getting knocked and will be much lower but longer terrace, and will be right up against the dog track so The Green should be fine.

The designs are great but would like a look at the Clan side as I think there is a Terrace before the seated area

Exciting but guaranteed to be delays

Redo91 · 08-10-2018 11:21am

You've got a Friend in me

So are they knocking the current gym/offices to make room for the expansion of the Clan stand?

Also interesting to see how they accommodate the expansion of the Clan stand without having to move everyone out of it for the season it’s being constructed.

easy peasy · 08-10-2018 11:50am

One thing I noticed from the drawings and piece on the Connacht website is that the exisiting training pitch will be built on.

Any ideas what the plan is here?

KBurke85 · 08-10-2018 12:11pm

The Friend Zone

easy peasy wrote: »

One thing I noticed from the drawings and piece on the Connacht website is that the exisiting training pitch will be built on.

Any ideas what the plan is here?

If the new pitch is a 4G pitch I imagine the plan will be train on that.

KBurke85 · 08-10-2018 12:11pm

The Friend Zone

wp_rathead wrote: »

Going by the renderings the Main stand getting knocked and will be much lower but longer terrace, and will be right up against the dog track so The Green should be fine.

The designs are great but would like a look at the Clan side as I think there is a Terrace before the seated area

Exciting but guaranteed to be delays

Looks to be like the current main stand is just being extended and not knocked. I guess we won't know for sure until more detailed plans are available.

freyners · 08-10-2018 12:34pm

The Friend Zone

Redo91 wrote: »

So are they knocking the current gym/offices to make room for the expansion of the Clan stand?

Also interesting to see how they accommodate the expansion of the Clan stand without having to move everyone out of it for the season it’s being constructed.

Could be a scenario where its built in stages or even a portion of the season using an alternate ground

Mr Tickle · 08-10-2018 12:45pm

freyners wrote: »

Could be a scenario where its built in stages or even a portion of the season using an alternate ground

Could the new Clan stand be built in one Summer?

Zzippy · 08-10-2018 12:46pm

freyners wrote: »

Could be a scenario where its built in stages or even a portion of the season using an alternate ground

The Clan stand looks much more straightforward, I would imagine much of this would be pre-fabricated steel work and construction could be done in the off season - May-August plus no home games til late September would give them 4.5 months. IIRC the Clan stand as it is now went up very quickly.
The main stand could take a lot longer, possibly do the Clan side first and increase capacity enough to accommodate the main stand patrons while that side is closed?

freyners · 08-10-2018 1:15pm

The Friend Zone

Zzippy wrote: »

The Clan stand looks much more straightforward, I would imagine much of this would be pre-fabricated steel work and construction could be done in the off season - May-August plus no home games til late September would give them 4.5 months. IIRC the Clan stand as it is now went up very quickly.
The main stand could take a lot longer, possibly do the Clan side first and increase capacity enough to accommodate the main stand patrons while that side is closed?

Ya your right on the original Clan Stand going up quickly, IIRC it was done in one offseason but in fairness its basically a prefab corrugated shed so it was fairly straightforward to put when built as I believe they used the existing step of terrace underneath w/o any alteration made?

New one will likely need a lot more ground works done and also some works on the existing structures at the back so it looks like a far bigger project.

Could see some early season games in other venues or with restricted capacity

prawnsambo · 08-10-2018 1:21pm

freyners wrote: »

Ya your right on the original Clan Stand going up quickly, IIRC it was done in one offseason but in fairness its basically a prefab corrugated shed so it was fairly straightforward to put when built as I believe they used the existing step of terrace underneath w/o any alteration made?

New one will likely need a lot more ground works done and also some works on the existing structures at the back so it looks like a far bigger project.

Could see some early season games in other venues or with restricted capacity

This looks like a complete rebuild. No way that sits on the existing foundations.

Diabhal Beag · 08-10-2018 1:40pm

Very cautiously optimistic about this. My big concern is I could see this taken a delays from objections.

Looks fantastic though and could see it making summer concerts a more common thing. Be surprised if this gets underway by 2020 though.

wp_rathead · 08-10-2018 2:10pm

You've got a Friend in me

KBurke85 wrote: »

Looks to be like the current main stand is just being extended and not knocked. I guess we won't know for sure until more detailed plans are available.

Youre 100% right was looking at it wrong

Zzippy · 08-10-2018 2:39pm

wp_rathead wrote: »

Youre 100% right was looking at it wrong

Same here, looks like the Clan Stand will be the bigger structure.

MarinersBlues · 08-10-2018 2:42pm

Mul, it's over

easy peasy wrote: »

One thing I noticed from the drawings and piece on the Connacht website is that the exisiting training pitch will be built on.

Any ideas what the plan is here?

There is no reason they couldn't/shouldn't use less valuable land for training on.

grbear · 08-10-2018 2:42pm

Wouldn't be the biggest rugby fan (only been to two Connacht matches) but that design looks really nice. I hope they won't run in to many obstacles getting it built.

There seems to be a lot of projects in the works that could really change Galway by 2025. Exciting times.

BeardySi · 08-10-2018 2:43pm

You've got a Friend in me

Zzippy wrote: »

Same here, looks like the Clan Stand will be the bigger structure.

As it should be.

Zzippy · 08-10-2018 2:46pm

BeardySi wrote: »

As it should be.

I might even switch to that side. I'd need a better jacket though!

stephen_n · 08-10-2018 2:57pm

Bazzo wrote: »

They need to submit planning first to see if there's going to be a decade long courts battle because some lad in Wicklow is thick that they didn't buy up his land for the new development.

Payback for some lad in Galway holding up the N11 road widening for 10 years, fairs fair like

evil_seed · 08-10-2018 3:14pm

The Friend Zone

BeardySi wrote: »

As it should be.

Why? It's only a recent installation and was barren for years

BeardySi · 08-10-2018 4:20pm

You've got a Friend in me

evil_seed wrote: »

Why? It's only a recent installation and was barren for years

Because given the usage of the ground and the relative attendances, it's only fitting that the Connacht Rugby side of the ground become the focal point.

Cookiemunster · 08-10-2018 4:27pm

Zzippy wrote: »

The Clan stand looks much more straightforward, I would imagine much of this would be pre-fabricated steel work and construction could be done in the off season - May-August plus no home games til late September would give them 4.5 months. IIRC the Clan stand as it is now went up very quickly.
The main stand could take a lot longer, possibly do the Clan side first and increase capacity enough to accommodate the main stand patrons while that side is closed?

A stand like that would easily take a good year to build. Probably the plan would be to build the upper tiers and office space at the back while leaving the current Clan terrace intact and then in the off season demolish the Clan terrace and finish the front of the new stand. Similar (on a smaller scale) to how Liverpool redeveloped their main last recently.

Definitely without moving out it would have to be done in phases.

BeardySi · 08-10-2018 5:18pm

You've got a Friend in me

Cookiemunster wrote: »

A stand like that would easily take a good year to build. Probably the plan would be to build the upper tiers and office space at the back while leaving the current Clan terrace intact and then in the off season demolish the Clan terrace and finish the front of the new stand. Similar (on a smaller scale) to how Liverpool redeveloped their main last recently.

Definitely without moving out it would have to be done in phases.

IIRC Ravenhill was done similarly, the old West Stand was knocked the day after the season closer and the new West Stand was started. The terrace was completed and open in time for Sept with work on the stand itself continuing until the following April. Seemed to work pretty well.

Squidgy Black · 08-10-2018 5:19pm

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Very cautiously optimistic about this. My big concern is I could see this taken a delays from objections.

Looks fantastic though and could see it making summer concerts a more common thing. Be surprised if this gets underway by 2020 though.

Well considering the RDS revamp was first brought to light in 2014 and was granted planning permission in 2016, with construction not starting until next year at the earliest I'd say 2020 will be well ahead of schedule.

Utopia Parkway · 08-10-2018 5:55pm

Plans are definitely exciting. Hopefully the project doesn't get stuck in development hell. Encouraging that they have already been speaking to the local residents but as ever objections are likely to come from outsiders rather than the residents of College Road.

Wegians89 · 09-10-2018 8:25pm

The Friend Zone

Would like too see fringe players like Conan,Carey, maksymiw, Connolly, Horwitz, Joyce, de buitlear, leader get game time over the next few weeks if possible. Maybe even young Fitzgerald at 10 too.

The Lost Sheep · 09-10-2018 8:34pm

Wegians89 wrote: »

Would like too see fringe players like Conan,Carey, maksymiw, Connolly, Horwitz, Joyce, de buitlear, leader get game time over the next few weeks if possible. Maybe even young Fitzgerald at 10 too.

Game time in Celtic cup is all a lot of them will get.
Fitzgerald at 10 against who? Who do you want these to all get game time against?

FACECUTTR · 09-10-2018 8:48pm

Wegians89 wrote: »

Would like too see fringe players like Conan,Carey, maksymiw, Connolly, Horwitz, Joyce, de buitlear, leader get game time over the next few weeks if possible. Maybe even young Fitzgerald at 10 too.

Surely we should be going full strength to try get a home quarter final. Don't see the logic in playing a lot of the young lads for the sake of it.

Wegians89 · 09-10-2018 8:50pm

The Friend Zone

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Game time in Celtic cup is all a lot of them will get.
Fitzgerald at 10 against who? Who do you want these to all get game time against?

In s post match interview last weekend a sale player said that they were playing youth in challenge cup and focusing on the premiership. An opportunity there. France teams historically don’t really care about away games in Europe, plus first team players in each position mentioned above are either injured or should be due a rest. Along with friend already saying fringe players would get an opportunity. Fitzgerald is essentially third in line at ten with ronaldson injured. Youve carty who’s well overdue a week off, Horwitz might’nt even be fit and then the only other possibility is Godwin at ten who’ll be needed in centre with bundee likely to get rested and Farrell doing return to play.

Connacht Team Talk Thread V - The Friend Zone

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