Redevelopment.

[BR]

I wonder will they configure it in such a way that the Memorial stand and terrace is only sold on a match by match basis (no STs) so that it can be closed for the less popular matches. I'm thinking - big advertising banner, or a 'exhibition' of Grumpy's old bed sheets. If the Aquinas stand is to be the family zone, then I suppose it needs to be available for every match.

[AyeYerMa]

Close the terrace???

[BR]

Close the terrace???

To clarify - the Memorial Stand and Memorial Terrace.

[bigchiefally]

With a good team and some sensible marketing we should definitely be able to get bigger crowds in. The greater Belfast area catchment area has a far bigger population that say Limerick does. In Celtic league terms the only 2 teams with bigger catchment areas than ours are Glasgow, a football town, and Leinster, who frankly are in another league to almost everyone in the UK and Ireland.

[AyeYerMa]

Close the terrace???

To clarify - the Memorial Stand and Memorial Terrace.

Ahh. Carry on.

[Bring Humph On!!]

There are plenty of sheep out there who if there is success on the pitch will jump on the bandwagon. With 18,200 capacity I will be more than happy for ulster to take their cash while they are willing to pay it. Rather than single match offers of reduced price tickets IMO the focus should be on increasing the number of season ticket holders. That way ulster have the money up front and whether fans turn up or in a sense doesnt really matter.

Another possibility would be to sell batches of tickets for those people who maybe don't want or aren't able to shell out the doh for a season ticket. Maybe 5 matches for the price 4 and that would include an interpro and an Italian game.

Just an idea.

[rocky]

YM, sorry for taking so long to reply but, AFAIK, you are correct in what you say about Newforge - I think it has gone and they have said they're looking at other options for a training facility. I don't know when that report was actually written - it was for 2010-11 - but it may have been several months ago.
As for the money side of things, I know Munster are in arrears, with a massive loan to pay off for the new ground. It's possible the other one is Ulster although I've never heard that word used in meetings. We still have money to pay back on the new stand but I think the repayments (after some renegotiation) are going along. Don't know about the other two except that they both were given a good deal of money for ground redevelopment.
The fact that we are getting a complete new stadium for what is effectively the cost of one new stand is fantastic and I have no fears whatsoever that the IRFU will sell it - that would be completely off the wall - why would they do that when it would obviously cost them far more to build a new stadium elsewhere than whatever amount they would get for Ravenhill.
I agree that is is a brilliant chance for us to grow the game here and I believe (well, hope) that UR will seize the opportunity.

[ruckover]

I'll excuse the Hairsprays since they share with Swansea City F.C. and they regularly fill it, so that's just saving money by not building a new stadium. Fair play.

I'd say the same for Caadiff, except Cardiff City F.C. don't fill it either so Cardiff council have built a 26,000 seater stadium that neither tenants fill that's called wasting money. Both sides filled their previous stadiums and were perfectly content in it.

Scaalets are even worse. Parc y Scarlets was built for them and they don't even fill it for big HEC matches (for the Saints game one stand was completely empty ) Apparently the Swansea City F.C. Reserves rent it as well and they pull in MORE PEOPLE (although I don't believe this for a second).

[BaggyTrousers]

I'll excuse the Hairsprays since they share with Swansea City F.C. and they regularly fill it, so that's just saving money by not building a new stadium. Fair play.

I'd say the same for Caadiff, except Cardiff City F.C. don't fill it either so Cardiff council have built a 26,000 seater stadium that neither tenants fill that's called wasting money. Both sides filled their previous stadiums and were perfectly content in it.

Scaalets are even worse. Parc y Scarlets was built for them and they don't even fill it for big HEC matches (for the Saints game one stand was completely empty ) Apparently the Swansea City F.C. Reserves rent it as well and they pull in MORE PEOPLE (although I don't believe this for a second).

Point of order Ruck: Madge Thatcher fecked over South Wales big time, barely a mine left and chronic unemployment. There is a recession and with Welsh rugby having working class roots it is a bad time for rugby when the populace don't have a pot to pish in.

[mikerob]

As for the money side of things, I know Munster are in arrears, with a massive loan to pay off for the new ground. It's possible the other one is Ulster although I've never heard that word used in meetings. We still have money to pay back on the new stand but I think the repayments (after some renegotiation) are going along. Don't know about the other two except that they both were given a good deal of money for ground redevelopment.

The balance sheet of the 10/11 IRFU report has EUR 10,661,778 loan to Munster for the new stadium and EUR 1,027,475 "Loans to clubs" but doesn't say what clubs these are.

[ruckover]

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?

[BR]

Speaking of which, what happened to Cardiff Arms Park? Is it still used for anything?

Cardiff still play there AFAIK.

[Snipe Watson]

Point of order Ruck: Madge Thatcher fecked over South Wales big time, barely a mine left and chronic unemployment.

Point of correction Baggy. Arthur Scargill, Mick McGahey, et al destroyed the mining industry by encouraging the NUM to price themselves out of the market just as the coal market went global. He then led them into an ill-fated strike just when Thatcher decided that it was time to break Britain out of the iron grip of the ultra-militant unions before they destroyed every British manufacturing industry.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Point of order Ruck: Madge Thatcher fecked over South Wales big time, barely a mine left and chronic unemployment.

Point of correction Baggy. Arthur Scargill, Mick McGahey, et al destroyed the mining industry by encouraging the NUM to price themselves out of the market just as the coal market went global. He then led them into an ill-fated strike just when Thatcher decided that it was time to break Britain out of the iron grip of the ultra-militant unions before they destroyed every British manufacturing industry.

Is that not wot he said?

[big mervyn]

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