Redevelopment.

[Rooster]

Are these new stands to have names? There are a few obvious candidates who would certainly befit the honour.

Aquinas stand, beer tent stand and new old stand probably

[big mervyn]

Are these new stands to have names? There are a few obvious candidates who would certainly befit the honour.

Aquinas stand, beer tent stand and new old stand probably

... or the Kukri stand, the Bank of Ireland stand and the Rory McIlroy stand?

[damianmcr]

Minister Attwood/McCauseland Stand

[ColinM]

Kyle, McBride, Gibson & Millar

[big mervyn]

Kyle, McBride, Gibson & Millar

Those would be the obvious choices certainly.

I'd include Humphreys - not necessarily on the same playing level as the others but a fitting representative of the current era.

[TheWonDon]

Still doesn't excuse the fact they built a brand spanking new stadium in the middle of the city when they had two that fit the bill already in place. Speaking of which, what happened to Cardiff Arms Park? Is it still used for anything?

Ninian Park, where Cardiff City used to play, was in a bit of a state. Very old ground with not too much going for it. Cardiff have been a team with Premier League aspirations for a while. The new ground holds a good few thousand more and is obviously far better equipped. It is one of those in the middle of nowhere kind of places though, I recall a 15 minute from the train station just to get there.

Cardif RFC still play at the Arms Park. There was a lot of talk earlier this season about the Blues going back there, lots of fans want it but the region have signed a long term deal with the new ground and the chairman seemed intent on staying and growing the brand.

As for the Arms Park, as welcoming a club house as I've encountered. We landed into the members bar to watch Ireland v All Blacks last year on the weekend of Cardiff v Ulster, great atmosphere about the place, and they even had this above the bar

Ulster.15.jpg (106.44 KiB) Viewed 335 times

[TheWonDon]

Minister Attwood/McCauseland Stand

If we're going down that route what about Ní Chulin as well?! It might even persuade her to make a few regular appearances . . .

[big mervyn]

Minister Attwood/McCauseland Stand

If we're going down that route what about Ní Chulin as well?! It might even persuade her to make a few regular appearances . . .

Aye. She might be useful if they're looking for someone to blow up the old stand ....

[Loki]

i think 18,200 is pushing it slightly and lower selling games will be hugely noticed. several thousand empty seats on a poor night can't go unnoticed. however Ulster as a business needs to get more competitive and attractive, if the redevelopment forces the club to work toward that then grand so.

[BaggyTrousers]

Minister Attwood/McCauseland Stand

If we're going down that route what about Ní Chulin as well?! It might even persuade her to make a few regular appearances . . .

Aye. She might be useful if they're looking for someone to blow up the old stand ....

Like it Big Merv, your decision to break your comparative "vow of silence" is adding to my entertainment

[BaggyTrousers]

i think 18,200 is pushing it slightly and lower selling games will be hugely noticed. several thousand empty seats on a poor night can't go unnoticed. however Ulster as a business needs to get more competitive and attractive, if the redevelopment forces the club to work toward that then grand so.

One does occasionally wonder about playing in a less than fullish looking stadium Loki but its important to keep the big pic in mind. We are going in the right direction on the field which makes it all the more likely we will be looking towards regular Pro12 knock out matches & HC quarter finals so we must look at having a ground which can allow us to have our home advantage.

Furthermore we are apparently getting viewing figures of 100000 on the Beeb for Pro12 games, a proportion of these have to be convertible into live attendees.

There is also the likelihood that an "enclosed" pitch will assist the raucous atmosphere and make the place even more intimidating for visiting teams -hehehe I'd love to see that if I live long enough.

Very much a case of The Field of Dreams: Build it and they will come.

[Rooster]

If they don't sell tickets for the beertent stand it will fill the place up pretty well for any match, not full at present crowds but enough in it to give a decent impression of a crowd.

[Jackie Brown]

Moan moan moan

Could you just imagine if Ulster only expanded to 15,000 and then in 3 years after 3 back to back heiney cups they had to think about expanding again, but without government funding! Madness!

[Rooster]

Moan moan moan

Could you just imagine if Ulster only expanded to 15,000 and then in 3 years after 3 back to back heiney cups they had to think about expanding again, but without government funding! Madness!

You couldn't please some of them if you reared them Jackie, I can hear it now, PRO 12 final and HEC quarter final in 2015 and we have to move both to the Aviva because our stadium does not meet requirements

[Cornerfleg]

I just want it noted right now that I will never buy tickets for the Joeli Veitayaki or Grant Henderson Stand ... d'ya hear?