Maze stadium plan 'moves closer'

[Big-al]

The football ladw will want a stadium that has a capacity of at least 20k and so should Ulster

[The Boo Radleys]

Ooops, the Maze is back on with the Folks on the Hill and their dodgy ways of impressing the electorate...

Stadium hiatus 'risks tournament'

Failure to agree a way forward on a new stadium for Northern Ireland is jeopardising a football tournament, according to a confidential document.

The paper, prepared by officials in the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister also warns that the NI team may have to play home games outside NI.

The Celtic Cup, featuring NI and the Republic as well as Wales and Scotland, is due to start in 2011.

But the document says it may not be possible to play it.

The current plan is to stage all the games in the same country in any given year - a requirement Northern Ireland cannot currently meet.

There is also the real possibility that, in the absence of significantly enhanced stadium capacity, Northern Ireland could be playing home internationals in other UK cities such as Glasgow.

It also warns that any decision to build a stadium for soccer only or soccer and rugby would result in a commensurate funding arrangement being offered to the GAA.

The result, therefore, could be public funding for two large stadiums, both of which might struggle for viability.

It follows the latest revelations about the proposed multi-sports stadium at the Maze.

Ministers have been warned that 10,000 jobs could be at risk if they reject plans for the development.

The Gaelic Athletic Association, Irish Football Association and Ulster Rugby have all confirmed they would play games at the venue, just outside Lisburn in County Antrim.

But the Maze site is opposed by some unionists due to plans to build a conflict transformation centre alongside the stadium and by many NI football fans who want any new stadium to be in Belfast.

PS you get a chance to vote on it on the Beeb sports website under Norn Iron

[ding dong2u]

Prats on the hill haven't a clue as usual

Would be great fun to see the Glens 27 supporters rumbling around a 20,000 seater stadium when they play Institute on a wet Saturday afternoon

[darkside lightside]

i get a distinct whiff of desperation (not to mention BS) from these press leaks "..10,000 jobs...football tournament..." I'm waiting for tomorrow's installment: "...ministers have claimed rejection of the Maze site will unleash a chain of events that will result in thousands of baby kittens being mauled by bull-mastiffs..."

[ColinM]

Prats on the hill haven't a clue as usual

Would be great fun to see the Glens 27 supporters rumbling around a 20,000 seater stadium when they play Institute on a wet Saturday afternoon

They'd probably claim they're fit to fill it for the meetings of the 'Big Two'

[GerryO']

'Big Two' you have to admire their optimism.
'The slightly less crap than the rest of them Two' would be more like it.

[Rooster]

Sure Iris will be able to hire it to host a gay rights rally, that will be another days use

[bogboy]

Gay Rights was yesterday

what we have now are gay privileges

in my youth" coming out" was better known as vatican roulette

Of course these statements are the work of civil servants who are all out to sabotage the Maze according to Mr POOTs

but then again are they the product of the Civil Service or the last death thoes of the SIB written to the Office of FaDFM ?

[Cockatrice]

Have been away for nearly two years so what progress on the new National Stadium at the Maze then ??

[Snipe Watson]

Welcome back CT I thought you had gone for ever.

Nearly finished... putting in the seats next week.

ps. when you were last here I was called GerryO'

[Ulster throw in]

And the hospital has just been confirmed as a "listed building".

and rightly so.... lest we forget the ugly secterian society that used to reign supreme in NI.

[Ulster throw in]

Have been away for nearly two years so what progress on the new National Stadium at the Maze then ??

Plans are still in place. Doesn't not seem to be high on agenda. should get round to it after Education....Policing and Justice....Water rates.....a general election....local election....unionist 'unity'....Edwin Poots gets his ridiculously large ears pinned back.... Iris gets out of hospital.... the SDLP stop banging on about Peter's legal advice to carry on.... oh and the economy turns around... so should be scheduled for about 2020! Hope youre around to enjoy it.....