Tuesday, July 24, 2007
GAA row in behind Maze/ Long Kesh, rule out Belfast stadium
The largest sporting organisation in Ireland and the one most likely to put the most ‘bums on seats’ (and, ergo, generate most revenue) in any new multi-sports stadium, the Gaelic Athletic Association, has firmly ruled out support for a stadium sited in Belfast. The news comes as troubled DUP DCAL Minister, Edwin Poots, continues to face internal opposition from within the DUP at the proposals for the Maze/ Long Kesh site. UPDATE ...OR so the Minister says. As George has pointed out, the reported comments attributed to the GAA have been made by Edwin Poots today.
Chris Donnelly @ 12:54 PM
Chris
With regards your post title, it doesn’t say in the BBC report that the “GAA have rowed in behind the Maze project”:Mr Poots said the GAA had ruled out proposed stadia on both the Belfast North Foreshore site and the Titanic Quarter.
Have they made another statement somewhere else?
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 01:12 PMI have to say Poots really should be careful.
First rule of politics: don’t put words into someone else’s mouth.
The GAA have not ruled out anything publicly so what the hell is thinking, saying that the GAA has said this and the IFA has said that.
Very amateur on his part.
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 01:19 PMONEILL
The GAA have already voiced their support for the Maze/ Long Kesh venue, alongwith the other main sporting organisations. However, there has been much speculation about the level of support within the football fraternity in particular, and of course other political voices within the Minister;s own party and beyond have publicly pitched for Belfast as a better venue.
Therefore, for the GAA to rule out the only alternative proposal even being floated clearly indicates a re-affirmation of support for the Long Kesh/ Maze venue. If not, then surely they would have not simply ruled out Belfast today but the whole project?
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 01:20 PMThe GAA bluntly refuses (for some unstated reason) to consider Belfast, the only sensible potential venue; yet expects the other sports to compromise and relocate to a stupid venue in the middle of nowhere. Not only that, but the GAA insists that the stadium be built to its requirements, in the process making it far too big for the other sports.
The GAA is vetoing both the location and the design of the stadium. In doing so, it is diminishing the likelihood of achieving agreement to a multi-sports stadium.
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 01:26 PMChris,
But it isn’t the only alternative proposal, being floated:
This would focus on a number of options including an economic appraisal of the Maze proposal, the “virtual Belfast” option and a cost analysis of refurbishing existing sporting venues
All we know is that the GAA have ruled out both the Northshore and Titanic sites. I’m not quite sure what this “virtual” option is, but that still leaves the cheaper alternative of refurbishing existing venues. AFAIK the GAA hasn’t specifically ruled that out.
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 01:27 PM(for some unstated reason)
Willow
Maybe because they already have a major stadium in Belfast, which has alreadyt undergone extensive improvements in recent years?Have to laugh at the ‘middle of nowhere’ depiction, which can be translated as ‘anywhere outside of the big smoke of Belfast...’
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 01:32 PMwhat would £10 mill each do for Casement and Ravenhill with a new privately funded 20,000 seater soccer stadium prob in east belfast with a £10 mill grant to get it started. Methinks Maze about to go do the plug hole.
As for the blues, sorry but they made a mess of their own nest and can no longer provide the facilities needed.Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 01:33 PMThis smells suspecious, I remember reading that the GAA were not particularly interested in a NI national stadium anyway because they very much see Casement Park as the premiere venue for matches big enough for a large stadium and the stadium at Clones serves as Ulsters HQ?
But now they have decided to support Poots? Very odd.
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 01:36 PMChris,
HMP Maze isn’t a million miles away from where you were asking for votes in 2005 is it? Pushing something generally unpopular that will likely be popular in your own electoral patch eh? What else do you have in common with Edwin Poots?
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 01:42 PMMoney is one thing, but a bigger issue with expanding capacity at Ravenhill is that it would get snared up in the planning process with vociferous objections from local residents.
Planned Ravenhill redevelopment that will actually have a small reduction in capacity still hasn’t got the go ahead.
Better facilities for rugby won’t be solved by throwing money at Ravenhill unless the government says they will fast-track the planning process.
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 01:45 PMGAA support for Maze wouldn’t be in any way linked to maze being a potential nationalist shrine ?
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 01:50 PMWillo who you trying to kid? Maze is 15 mins max drive from belfast. Most modern stadia that are accredited to major cities clubs can be almost an hours drive. Maze is central just off M1 and A1 routes, it would encourage more supporters to NI soccer matched by not being in a sectarian enclave, and easily accesable. A major stadia in Belfast paticulary titanic quater so close to the oddessy would be a biblical calamity
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 01:56 PMIs there a plan to have access from the M1?
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 02:00 PMMiddle of nowhere seems a bit excessive as a description but by design prisons are usually put a bit out of the way…
My personal view is you need a stadium that is an appropriate size in a well placed location with infrastructure in place to cope with it and support it.
This means you need something that’ll hold about 15-20,000 people and be as close to the ports, airports, trains and motorways as possible. It should also be close to other amenities.
NI folk won’t be the only people visiting the stadium it should be remembered. Many people from all round Europe would be visiting if all 3 sports were tenants. Having it in “the country” “sort of close” to 1 motorway does not suffice.
A Belfast location would be close to the city centre shops and nightlife, other attractions like the Odyssey and be piss easy to get to from the City airport or any train line currently operating in NI as they all terminate in Great Victoria Street.
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 02:03 PMAlan,
Maze is 15 mins max drive from belfast. Most modern stadia that are accredited to major cities clubs can be almost an hours drive. Maze is central just off M1 and A1 routes, it would encourage more supporters to NI soccer matched by not being in a sectarian enclave, and easily accesable.So a car is a pre-requisite?
A major stadia in Belfast paticulary titanic quater so close to the oddessy would be a biblical calamity
Why? You’d find more people would leave the car at home and make an evening of it and spread the cash a bit. You won’t make an evening out of much at the Maze other than a visit to the “truth & reconciliation centre” the highlight of every good night out.
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 02:03 PMWIllowfield once again relies on his deception that the Maze is an inaccessable wilderness. A deception I oput right on the previous thread. Yet here he is spouting the same crap. Willow mate how can you type with your fingers in your ears and your eyes closed.
Steve48, where in east Belfast would you put an all seater stadium? Inverary playing fields?
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 02:04 PMUnless things have changed since I was last at the Maze -the 80s - although it is visible from the M1 getting to it is a bit of a trek round miserable little roads.
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 02:08 PMPounder
Inverary playing fields?We’ve already got one - Blanchflower Stadium :O)
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 02:09 PMCHRIS DONNELLY
Maybe because they already have a major stadium in Belfast, which has alreadyt undergone extensive improvements in recent years?
So why do they need a stadium at the Maze?
Have to laugh at the ‘middle of nowhere’ depiction, which can be translated as ‘anywhere outside of the big smoke of Belfast...’
No, it can’t. There are plenty of towns around Northern Ireland.
ALAN ANDERSON
Willo who you trying to kid? Maze is 15 mins max drive from belfast.
Max? Minimum at 4 in the morning, maybe. How are you going to get to the Maze on a match day in 15 minutes? More like an hour and 15 minutes. Don’t insult people’s intelligence.
Most modern stadia that are accredited to major cities clubs can be almost an hours [sic] drive.
That depends where you’re coming from. Many people will walk to a stadium in Belfast – that’s one of its attractions. We don’t want car-dependent out-of-town developments – they’re not sustainable.
Maze is central just off M1 and A1 routes, it would encourage more supporters to NI soccer matched by not being in a sectarian enclave, and easily accesable [sic]. A major stadia [sic] in Belfast paticulary titanic quater so close to the oddessy would be a biblical calamity
There would only one major road in and out of the Maze: the traffic chaos is unthinkable. I don’t know any supporters who would be encouraged to attend a sporting venue with a lamentable atmosphere and at which they have to sit in traffic for hours before and afterwards. Neither the Titanic Quarter nor the North Foreshore are “sectarian enclaves”. Even Windsor Park need not necessarily be a “sectarian enclave” and it currently attracts considerable support in any case. A stadium in Belfast would not be a “Biblical calamity” because it would be in a city which has the necessary infrastructure to deal with large numbers of people.
CRUIMH
Is there a plan to have access from the M1?
Yes: a single slip road. Can you imagine the tailbacks?
POUNDER
WIllowfield once again relies on his deception that the Maze is an inaccessable wilderness. A deception I oput right on the previous thread. Yet here he is spouting the same crap. Willow mate how can you type with your fingers in your ears and your eyes closed.
Sorry, Pounder, but the Maze is an isolated, rural location. It is not in Lisburn city, nor any town.
Simply asserting that it lies within Lisburn council area does not mean that it is actually in the city of Lisburn.
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 02:10 PMMarty,
Have you ever used NI public transport outside of belfast? Last time i went south to Newry it took 1 hour 30 mins on bus I would not inflict that on anyone and if i were the IFA which wanted to outreach so to speak I would encourage they think otherwise.
No a car is not pre-requisite, case in point the bigger Dutch stadia, Philips Sadium, Amsterdam Arena, De Kuip all have train stations, and a very fluid public transport service.
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 02:12 PMAlan is confused. On the one hand he acknowledges the woeful public transport outside Belfast. On the other, he advocates an out-of-town site.
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 02:15 PMSure Willowfield, what ever you say dude, on other boards your style of debate would be best described at The Broken Record. I’m sure a fine upstanding man like yourself never visited the Maze when it was open for business but It really isn’t that far from the main city centre of Lisburn. In a recent discussion on this witha few friends it was pointed out that quite a few German footbakll stadium’s where build in what you’d call “the wilderness” they worked out pretty well, lot of space means good parking facilities and room to build necessary structures.
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 02:16 PMSo Windsor Park is a sectarian enclave.
Don’t Catholics buy sofas or cars ?
and the blue rinse brigade I encounter on the Lisburn Road must be fiercer prods than I imagined.Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 02:17 PMAlan,
No a car is not pre-requisiteWe’re going to have to fund building a train station out at the Maze too? Having the stadium in Belfast means that the infrastructure is already there.
I’m not against having the stadium outside Belfast but would it not be best to find a location that can already support it? The Maze will require too much funding and that’s taking money away from more deserving causes.
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 02:17 PM“the Maze is an isolated, rural location.”
This picture says it all.
http://www.jpgmag.com/photos/152503
Posted by on Jul 24, 2007 @ 02:21 PM
