I agree wholeheartedly about what you say about the desire for new/improved facilites. UR needs to be brought up to 2010 standard stadiums in terms of the drinks/food/merchandising side of things. Irrespective of any improvement on the playing side, "ground" improvement would make attending more attractive for some. However, even with the best facilities in the world, I doubt that attendance would regularly be over 12,500 unless the team was much more successful that at present.
Just to get another thing straight, I wasn't advocating sacrificing ground improvements for team improvement or vice versa, just providing my views as to the correlation between team preformance and attendance.
Hopefully either Windsor will be refurbished to 20-25k or as noted above a new similar sized stadium built over by the airport. These would be ideal 'overflow' stadiums in the event of occasional larger capacity being required, if the sky falls in and ulster permanently need a bigger stadium either would do as temporary accomodation.
On an aside - I saw something somewhere about the assembly bringing in the football offences act to NI but extending it to all sports (i assume out of some non-discrimination b******t). This would outlaw drinking will in view of the pitch (or may even ban selling alcohol at the ground)!! Needless to say this is not good! Has anyone else heard anything? Are UR going to fight this?
Those advocating a move from Ravenhill - what makes you think that the sale of Ravenhill and the legal costs associated with the sale of that ground and purchase of new land in a comparable site in Belfast would balance out financially?
who else mentioned selling Ravers.tell me do you sniff glue or is it a normal thing
I spoke about selling Ravenhill. I never once mentioned who would be selling it...
Freddie Benson wrote:stickinout - TP has 2 big stands already, there is some terracing behind both in-goal areas. I don't know the feasibility of increasing those.
Thanks FB, wasn't aware of this as I haven't had the privilege to see it up close and personal. I only ever see one side with the ML tv coverage! It must look like a great stadium with the two big stands. Pity about the shower who play in it! Only kidding Shan.
Nice to know somebody can spare a thought for me in the middle of all this.
It does look pretty good alright but it's just a pity about some of the gowls who take up residence in the stands.
As for further development of Thomond Park, I'm not sure I can really see it happening. They could only develop at the North End anyway as there is a main road at the South End.The costs of buying up more houses would be quite substantial I think.It cost them a fortune the last time with some householders getting 350k+ but it was a matter of necessity as the stand just had to be built but it could be that 26k is enough of a capacity because when you take out H Cup it was only full for the Leinster game this year and with the state of the economy down here in the Mid West I can't see it being full next year for ML games or most of them anyway.Also of course there is the small matter of redeveloping Musgrave to keep our friends in the south happy.Then again for the H Cup they could easily sell another 10k tickets.
Back to Ulster, and I don't want to be sticking my nose into it but it seems folly for Ulster Rugby to not pursue trying to achieve a stadium with as large a capacity as is possible and practical.If the squad can be turned into a competitive entity then the people will come to be involved in the fun as has happened with the other 2 provinces.If the people running the show wish to show they believe they can turn the team around and challenge the top clubs they need to show that in terms of expected future ticket demand.Otherwise it is admitting they believe the province is destined to be always in the shadows of the current big two IMO.
It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.
YoungMan wrote:Neil.................Why would UR sell something they do not own? do you ever pay attention ....
Wasn't aware that I implied that UR could or would be selling anything.
YM am iI right in thinking that what you are alluding to is that Ravenhill belongs to the IIRFU and not the branch? If that is the case as the branch is a wholly owned subsidiary of the IRFU it would be perfectly feasible for the IRFU to sell Ravenhill and purchase an alternative site as part of a co-ordinated plan.
Last edited by pwrmoore on Tue Apr 20, 2010 10:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
all this talk of 'grounds', but no-one as yet has mentioned the 'driven' part.
personally, i can't wait to see the new alfa in the flesh, while the forthcoming Audi RS5 looks pretty sweet. However, if we're talking about players being driven to the ground, then this beauty would do the job rightly.
prom - 'new' stand (could they not have named it the Kyle or McBride stand??) has more than enough corporate facilities. New 'old' stand should have facilities for the ordinary punter e.g bar running the length of the stand a la Stoop.
FB, I agree that the "new old stand" should have significantly improved facilities ( what the hell is all the space under the stand used for at present ) firstly for the players in terms of the changing rooms, but also for the punters - bar/food etc. I wasn't suggesting another 'players' lounge for that side. However I'm not sure a full length bar would be necessary as long as the car park end ( which I understood was the next to be redeveloped ) provided a larger and more efficient bar and food/shop facilities - always liked the ambience of everyone milling round that part of the ground ( home and away supporters ) prior to kick off.
it's good to hear that there is some progress on the stadium side at least - although frustrating that we hear through a rumour on a website rather than from the horse's mouth.
A 15k redeveloped Ravenhill is not the long-term answer to Ulster's needs - it should be viewed as a stepping stone to a decent home with a bit of capacity for growth, and so for me any development should have a very quick pay-back period. Within the next 3-5 years Ulster should aspire to be playing in a decent 20-25k stadium.
It's a sad testament to how low expectations are that developing a modest stadium like this seems a herculean task.
As for identikit soccer stadia, well the French have a good expression 'la nostalgie de la boue' - nostalgia for the mud... I have affection for Ravenhill but it is uncomfortable, exposed, a pain in the ar$e to get to, and away from. I'm not a huge fan of these out-of-town footy stadiums like the Liberty or the Cardiff one, and the Maze idea was a disaster, but frankly I would take an identikit stadium in Greater Belfast any day.. And Munster have shown with TP that it's possible to build an elegant and striking stadium these days..
I wouldn't hold out for a national stadium - hard times are a comin' and even though NI will continue to receive a fair amount of slush as a bribe to stop killing each other I'm not sure that baubles like that will get through the filter..
[The Artist Formerly Known as Caolan]
On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero - Tyler Durden
stickinout wrote:
MR do you think this is possible at Ravenhill for the long term or are you hoping like FB that the national stadium will be built?
small point in the grand scheme of things, but I'm not in favour of national stadium and never have been. I would be in favour of a rebuilt Ravenhill with increased capacity (c15k) as has been suggested. As that previously had been objected to by residents and planning seemed unlikely, I did think that either the Titanic or Ormeau Park 25k options were next best.
Apologies FB, didn't quote you correctly there. What you hope for and what you expect to happen are two different things. A bit like me and the missus.....
Due to a power cut at Ravenhill yesterday, the Ulster Rugby online ticketing system is currently temporarily unavailable for season ticket 2010/2011 renewals and also for Ulster vs Connacht match tickets.
The six most dangerous words in the English Language - Your reward will come in Heaven...
The writing has been on the wall for some years now and everytime someone made mention of anything they were shouted down by the UBB.
Coach after coach debacle, strange signing after strange signing, jobs for the boys and a total distaste for the supporters by the former CEO who in any other job would have been sacked long before he jumped. Maybe the whole truth needs to come out before some wake up and smell the roses.
We are 3rd rate and have been for a while and will be nowhere near the world class side predicted by the current CEO in 20 years nevermind 10. Hate to say it but seen this coming for sometime.
Last edited by Cockatrice on Thu May 06, 2010 1:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
should have facilities for the ordinary punter e.g bar running the length of the stand a la Stoop.
