More Opposition To The Maze

[colinh]

GAA divided over plan for Maze stadium
Carissa Casey



TWENTY-FIVE years after Bobby Sands became the first of 10 republican hunger strikers to die in the Maze prison plans have been unveiled to develop the complex into a £400m (€588m), 42,000-seat stadium.
But the attempt to put in place a development that will unite Northern Ireland’s sporting codes and provide a central location for leading events looks like being every bit as divisive as the old Long Kesh.



Northern Ireland’s soccer supporters don’t want it, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board prefers to promote city-centre locations, Belfast Chamber of Commerce has described its location in Lisburn as a setback and Belfast city council has requested expressions of interest from private developers to build a rival stadium in the Belfast area. But the biggest controversy of all is likely to arise in the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), where some diehard members cannot accept the idea of playing matches on a site that will forever be associated with the Troubles.

The GAA will almost certainly play Ulster championship matches, national championship matches and Ulster finals at the new venue when it is completed. Under a proposed agreement, the GAA will be allowed keep up to 80% of gate receipts for all games with attendances of about 25,000 people.

The organisation will also be allowed retain all monies from advertising, television rights and corporate hospitality, according to a British government source. In return, the association will pay an undisclosed rent for each fixture. The exact amount will be determined by the attendance figures.

Danny Murphy of the GAA’s Ulster council denied that a deal has been signed but admitted that there has been a commitment in terms of attendance figures. He said that other matters still needed to be resolved.

The presence of senior figures such as director-general Liam Mulvihill and president Nicky Brennan at the Maze masterplan launch was evidence of the GAA’s commitment to the new stadium. This high-profile delegation at the government announcement took some grass-roots GAA activists by surprise.

John McSparran, chairman of the Antrim board, said he had serious reservations about the proposed stadium. He said the issue was raised at the Antrim county committee meeting last week and that a number of members had difficulty with the idea of the Maze being used as a sporting venue.

McSparran also said he was concerned that the level of funding required to build the Maze stadium would deflect funding from other sporting venues despite assurances to the contrary.

He said he was particularly concerned that the Antrim board’s Belfast-based stadium, Casement Park, would not get the funding it requires.

“We need a new and improved stand there and I’m not sure that’s going to happen now,” he said. But McSparran insisted that all matches organised by the Antrim county board would continue to be staged at Casement Park, even after the new Maze stadium is built.

McSparran said there had been no consultation between GAA officials and his county board. “I’m not aware of any consultation taking place with any other Ulster boards either,” he said.

Gerry McClory, a former vice-chairman of Antrim, said the GAA would be reneging on a deal it made with the county board six years ago if it were to stage high-profile matches at the Maze.

According to McClory, a promise was given that if Casement Park’s facilities were upgraded, it would be used for important games. “I’d be very disappointed to see an Ulster final played at the Maze,” he said.

McClory said common courtesy dictated that the GAA’s Ulster council should have made an effort to explain to members the benefits of using the Maze as a venue for matches.

“There’s a widespread view at grass-roots level that people won’t be queuing up to get into it. As an Antrim man, I wouldn’t want to see it used to the detriment of Casement Park.

“I think it’s a great idea for Northern Ireland to have a national stadium but in the 10 years I was vice-chair of Antrim board we were never consulted on this.”

The proposed stadium, which is part of a wide-scale redevelopment of the Maze site, has received cross party support from local Lisburn-based politicians, including both the DUP and Sinn Fein.

From the Sunday Times .......... interestingly Belfact City Council seem to want to build a rival stadium.

[Cockatrice]

My understanding is that the site of the actual pitch was moved to faciliate this exact situation to ground just outside of the actual prison (ie the ground between the prison and the M2).

Of couse decisions like this aren't political.

Once again the only supporters against the project are the football ones not makes mention of the rugby or for that matter GAA. I suspect that most rugby fans are still against the move but our views are not being considered by either the newspapaers or UR.

[Rooster]

A couple of interesting points
£400 million, sounds steep but probably nearer than the £85 millionfirst quoted.
Secondly deals about revenue fees etc. this should be standard for all sports.
Talking of Casement, i see they have fallen foul of planning regulations at present with their floodlights

[colinh]

In what way Rooster ........... those lights are bright ............

[jamesie]

But the biggest controversy of all is likely to arise in the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), where some diehard members cannot accept the idea of playing matches on a site that will forever be associated with the Troubles.

i thought that's what they wanted... a sporting centrepiece to bring world attention to the fact that bobby sands wouldn't eat his pastie suppers?

my kiwi flatmate has just read this article... his question: "why don't they just build a stadium in the centre of belfast?!"

"well paul, are you sitting comfortably? let me begin..."

[pwrmoore]

In what way Rooster ........... those lights are bright ............

I think the towers are higher than those mentioned in the planning application - and they Illuminate most of the surrounding area. Also there was a suggestion that the generators which drive them weren't on the original application.

[Cockatrice]

jamesie as I said the government had promised that the pitch would be moved to ensure it didn't cause such offence.

as for the lights they are both bright and very high however if H&S apply the new rules will it not be a lack of seats at Casement a bit like Ravenhill.

They have already done that with Windsor.

[Rooster]

Might be easier to say what was right about them Colin They are floodlights.
Towers taller than passed
More lights, higher lux than passed
Generators not even applied for but installed

[DHK]

It says there that the GAA would expect about 25000 people for games and rugby and football won't even get that much so why make it 42000 if its going to be built, it would never be filled.

[pwrmoore]

GAA games such as the ulster semis and finals etc. which currently take place in Clones get in excess of 30,000. Last year they moved the ulster final to Croke and had around 60,000. I don't think that there's much doubt that GAA games could achieve around 40,000.

Having said that I think the 42,000 capacity is also driven by the desire to be able to host a soccer UEFA cup final or similar. What the realistic chances of getting a game like that are I have no idea.

Soccer would probably fill the new stadium for world cup qualifiers against England, Germany, France or Spain - but I doubt if we would get more than one game like that every 3 to 5 years

How many tickets could UR sell for HEC games at the Maze? - it is hard to say - we have sold out Ravenhill for around five of our last six group games but whether we could have sold hundreds more or thousands more tickets is anyone's guess. We packed Ravenhill to the gills with 20,000 for the ERC semi in 1999 so somewhere between 12,300 and 20,000 is probably a reasonable guess for potential HEC games.

I'm with jamesie's kiwi mate on this one though - the obvious place to build it is in Belfast and why we're talking about doing it elsewhere seems to defy logic, even if the land is free.

[Gary]

Alas. logic has little to do with all this.

Even if N Ireland was awarded a Euro final or something - say Man Utd v Ajax - where would we put all the incoming spectators. Assuming even only half the tkts were given to the competing clubs, where would they find 20,000 beds? I know there's a new hotel opening in Lisburn but......!

If a Belfast stadium becomes a reality, surely that's where UR would play its big games.

Also, keep an eye on Linfield FC

[aarons]

Also, keep an eye on Linfield FC

Because?

[Red Hand Supporter]

Also, keep an eye on Linfield FC

Because?

Exactly, why?!

[jamesie]

Also, keep an eye on Linfield FC

Because?

Exactly, why?!

gary, that was very 'youngman-esque'

[Gary]

Just a wee suspicion