Another crazy white elephant. When in the last 30yrs has Meath ever needed a capacity of 20k at one of their home games. Its crazy stuff thats going on. They can't even put a decent team together in the last 20yrs yet are pumping money into this fantasy. 10k should be the number in reality, the homeground rules the gaa saw fit to instate probably means they'd need 15K but thats pushing it.
I haven't seen the scaled down plans but I assume it means terracing behind the goals and I can't blame them there. It's embarrassing looking having people on grass banks these days.
I agree that Meath have a lot of other problems but the place is now bigger than Limerick so should be filling 20k if they get their act together.
The Meath Plans seam very Reasonable. A New 5K seater stand.Propper terracing behind the Goals, Tidy up the main terrace and new floodlights. What more could you want
Unfortunately Boards cocked up the site such that there isn't a usable search function anymore so I am unable to find posts, but I said years ago that MCC would be better off focusing on replacing the main stand with a modern, fit for purpose stand and forget about a full PT redevelopment. The existing terrace is grand, demolishing it to build something else was a ridiculous idea.
After losing several years, they are finally getting a bit more realistic about it but redeveloping behind the goals is still an unnecessary distraction. Fine if its a future longer term goal but they need to focus on the main stand as what's there now is woefully substandard.
If nothing else the stand needs redoing. I was in at a club match the week before last and there was bird sh*t all over the seats and the paint was rubbing off on me young lads hands! Do we need counties to be doing well to build grounds now? it would discount most counties bringing their grounds up to scratch.
It should be a goal for GAA HQ to insure that every county at least has a main stand to the standard of the likes of Galway/Tullamore/Portlaoise.
Half useless barn roofs and wooden benches should not be the "premium" stand for any county.
Yep, brilliant examples. If you pay into a game you should be able to watch it in some degree of comfort, attendance sizes has nothing to do with it.
People will happily stand on a terrace for the championship but you need a decent covered stand for the league and club (at least club is in better weather now)
That should be the minimum and you can worry about some terraces for capacity and championship after that.
I'm not saying not to build. I'm saying build to requirements and meath don't need a 20k stadium. I'd prefer to see more smaller stadia built to a higher standard with better pitches and perhaps lighting. With better facilities for fans. I think most are sick to death of souless wind tunnels with not a decent snack in sight.
Well the new Meath stadium will have lights.
Catering is a whole other issue that goes beyond just having the infrastructure. Very rare to have it in a stadium that doesn't have non match day corporate hospitality facilities.
Why can't Meath fill a 20k when much smaller counties can ?
There's only 2 or 3 counties regularly filling 20k stadia and even then it's not that regular. Two or three times per year. That's no justification for building stadia. You should build what suits the majority of cases and to generate atmosphere. It also creates a scarcity mentality which actually will mean more fans at the majority of games due to fear of missing out.
So Limerick and Cork should have 15/20k stadia because that's what goes to league matches. Thomond Park should be built for league match capacity. What about Croke Park ?
Sounds like absolute insanity. 20k is roughly Cusack Park in Ennis which is not "way too big" for Meath.
They are building these stadiums with an eye on the next 30/40/50 years, where the population will only go one way, so you need to build in room for growth. No point in building for 10k then having to revisit in another 10 years to tack on more space.
Cost wise, it probably isn't that much more expensive to build 20k vs 10k, relatively speaking.
If Meath played to their potential as a populous football county then they would be in Div 1 and their game with Dublin would likely get 20k, but the stadium would be substantially populated for other games.
If anything attendances are going down despite population growth.
There is only a limited amount of money that can be spent on any one project. I'd rather than money be utilised on smaller better quality stadiums than funnelling it towards maximising capacity. I think that supporters would be more enticed to go to games to these type of stadiums rather than huge capacity shells that offer nothing to the experience of going to a game.
Are attendances down ?
The change in championship structure with more home and away means that the small few 40k+ stadia are filling out less but it is more reason for Meath to have a decent stadium.
You don't want to end up like Waterford in the hurling when the group stage comes around.
Yes, compared to 20, even 10 years ago, average attendances are down.
I'm not saying Meath don't need a decent stadium. A modern and comfortable smaller stadium is what they should be aiming for.
Does a smaller stadium save that much money? Should they be aiming for a stadium that means they can never host Dublin at home in the championship?
I find people saying attendances are down this year to be disingenuous or a total lack of understanding of the situation.Yes,technically attendances are down but a county team plays way more matches.
Even if there was no cost of living crisis it seems a fairly obvious by product of this that attendances on a game by game basis will be down.
What's the difference between a good comfortable stand with 2 grass banks at the end and one with 2 small terraces.
I'm sure the new stand being built will be just as comfortable as any other new stand. I doubt you will find any company willing to stock and maintain hot food and drink facilities though so it won't have any more than a normal shop.
GAA stadiums really need to look at what Galway do with the Supermacs vans. Plenty of good quality food and coffee vans now that could be invited in for match days with none of the issues of building catering facilities.
Yeah I've said several times that food trucks/stalls in the ground would a better option than fixed catering facilities, with all the regulations and everything that comes with them. Not just greasy burgers, it would be very easy to improve the match day experience and I'm sure attract more people.
Meath couldn't even bring 10k to the Tailteann cup final with silverware on the line. 20k crowds in Navan is pure fantasy.
Meath will generally be playing someone else, if that place is not far away then a substantial number will travel.
Meath may have won the Tailteann cup, but they won't particularly value it.
They played Down and they didn't manage 20k between them. The stats for attendances don't lie. 20k is once a decade stuff.
The Louth Stadium is in a bit of trouble this evening
Maybe they could even at this late stage approach Dundalk and talk about a joint project.
It's a sad sliding doors moment that in the 80s the GAA were open to a national stadium and others were not.
Could have been the big chance to have municipal stadiums in Ireland. Not a hope Louth GAA (no offence) are going to be the people to start that revolution.
It's a real shame although I'd assume that a municipal stadium in Dundalk would cause issues in Drogheda particularly as United Park is not in good condition either.
Think Waterford should be a trial example for a municipal stadium as both Walsh Park and the RSC have issues and a tidy 12 to 15k stadium would be ideal for all codes.
Sadly your no doubt right about Louth GAA not been open to getting together with say Dundalk for a joint stadium. A real pity as it would be in everyone's best interest really.
Yes for sure no doubt about it Drogheda United stadium needs are dire as well. Maybe they could get together with Louth GAA as well and sell United Park and sell the old GAA stadium there and use the combined money to build a small new joint stadium and maybe training center. While Dundalk, Dundalk IT and the Louth GAA combine for the new main county stadium. Again I know neither is likely to happen but it sure would be best if something along those lines did happen.
Your spot on about Waterford being a prime example of building a municipal stadium for both Waterford GAA and Waterford FC. Would make so much sense and be great for everyone in Waterford.
