HoganStand GAA Football and Hurling

National Forum

If The GAA Was Offered A Tonne Of Money For Croke Park

(Oldest Posts First)

You need to Login to Post

After reading that the FA are strongly considering selling Wembley for £800m to yanks, which will go to fund 'grassroots' clubs in England, how would you all react if the GAA would sell Croke Park? Of course, I'm aware that no NFL would buy it, but hypothetically speaking, would it be right or wrong if a load of money went to the clubs or would it destroy the ethos of the games? Morty (Westmeath) - Posts: 209 - 27/04/2018 12:37:31 2095265 Link
Replying To Morty: "After reading that the FA are strongly considering selling Wembley for £800m to yanks, which will go to fund 'grassroots' clubs in England, how would you all react if the GAA would sell Croke Park? Of course, I'm aware that no NFL would buy it, but hypothetically speaking, would it be right or wrong if a load of money went to the clubs or would it destroy the ethos of the games?" No, nay, never. Croke Park has a wider social and historical significance to this country than any mere sports stadium. Besides, it's unlikely that the GAA would accrue debt in the way that a pro sport would, so the need is unlikely to arise. AFAIK the hosting of rock concerts, papal visits and big rugby games over the past few years is the main way that the debt for Croke Park is serviced. Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 27/04/2018 13:09:03 2095274 Link
Jones Road was once very suited to Croke park. It fitted in well with the neighbourhood. The local residents were happy with their big neighbour. They always enjoyed banter with visiting supporters and vice versa. There was a good transport network, And plenty of parking in local neighbourhoods , actually made welcome by residents. That has completely changed. If the GAA could retrieve their investment plus a tidy gain , They could build in a more welcoming area , And provide ample car parking,etc. Maybe adjacent to the motorway network. Personally I have a very high regard for Dublin GAA people, But the city council is a shambles, They hinder travelling visitors to croke park with excessive clamping on Sundays, Excessive bus lanes, And do absolutely nothing to show appreciation for the benefits of the facilities provided in the Northside area by GAA members nationwide Ashrules (Dublin) - Posts: 518 - 27/04/2018 14:38:44 2095298 Link
Replying To Ashrules: "Jones Road was once very suited to Croke park. It fitted in well with the neighbourhood. The local residents were happy with their big neighbour. They always enjoyed banter with visiting supporters and vice versa. There was a good transport network, And plenty of parking in local neighbourhoods , actually made welcome by residents. That has completely changed. If the GAA could retrieve their investment plus a tidy gain , They could build in a more welcoming area , And provide ample car parking,etc. Maybe adjacent to the motorway network. Personally I have a very high regard for Dublin GAA people, But the city council is a shambles, They hinder travelling visitors to croke park with excessive clamping on Sundays, Excessive bus lanes, And do absolutely nothing to show appreciation for the benefits of the facilities provided in the Northside area by GAA members nationwide" What are excessive bus lanes? It'd be awful if the GAA decided to build some out of town stadium beside a motorway. The Applegreen GAA Services Stadium. MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 27/04/2018 14:49:12 2095300 Link
Replying To Morty: "After reading that the FA are strongly considering selling Wembley for £800m to yanks, which will go to fund 'grassroots' clubs in England, how would you all react if the GAA would sell Croke Park? Of course, I'm aware that no NFL would buy it, but hypothetically speaking, would it be right or wrong if a load of money went to the clubs or would it destroy the ethos of the games?" Yes and build a replacement iarena in Meath neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 27/04/2018 14:56:25 2095304 Link
Replying To MesAmis: "What are excessive bus lanes? It'd be awful if the GAA decided to build some out of town stadium beside a motorway. The Applegreen GAA Services Stadium." But for the rest of the counties, that would be ideal. Croke Park is such a poor location for the infrequent times we're forced to travel there for a hammering. (thankfully from a sanity point of view, not too often!) Somewhere served by decent infrastructure, national accessibility and copious parking would be preferable. I'm sure this was discussed ad nauseum in the run up to re-development of both Croke Park and Landsdown Road but I beleive the incorrect decision was taken in both cases. We spend far too much time looking back instead of looking forward. Think how many nights Garth Brooks and his ilk could play if the stadium was someher on the outskirts unhindered by local residents. Think of the revenue-generating possibilities. TearsIn85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 193 - 27/04/2018 16:38:51 2095326 Link
Replying To TearsIn85: "But for the rest of the counties, that would be ideal. Croke Park is such a poor location for the infrequent times we're forced to travel there for a hammering. (thankfully from a sanity point of view, not too often!) Somewhere served by decent infrastructure, national accessibility and copious parking would be preferable. I'm sure this was discussed ad nauseum in the run up to re-development of both Croke Park and Landsdown Road but I beleive the incorrect decision was taken in both cases. We spend far too much time looking back instead of looking forward. Think how many nights Garth Brooks and his ilk could play if the stadium was someher on the outskirts unhindered by local residents. Think of the revenue-generating possibilities." I don't know man. Where could you put a stadium that has good transport links (both for private and public transport) to it from the most amount of the country and has many people from all over the country already living within an easy travelling distance to? If you put a stadium in a place that most people have to drive to you'll get less demand for concerts there. I'm not saying Croke Park is in the perfect place but I think it's in a better place than sticking out beside a motorway somewhere. MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 27/04/2018 18:29:14 2095349 Link
No way...some things are more important than money. Often when a team moves stadium is sucks and soul and atmosphere out of a place. Just look at the difference in atmosphere between Anfield and the soulless Emirates last night. yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11230 - 27/04/2018 20:27:22 2095367 Link
Think how many nights Garth Brooks and his ilk could play if the stadium was someher on the outskirts unhindered by local residents. Think of the revenue-generating possibilities. TearsIn85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 13 - 27/04/2018 16:38:51 2095326 and think of the revenue loss to the local economy on match day by a pitch on the m50 perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 27/04/2018 20:33:39 2095370 Link
Replying To MesAmis: "I don't know man. Where could you put a stadium that has good transport links (both for private and public transport) to it from the most amount of the country and has many people from all over the country already living within an easy travelling distance to? If you put a stadium in a place that most people have to drive to you'll get less demand for concerts there. I'm not saying Croke Park is in the perfect place but I think it's in a better place than sticking out beside a motorway somewhere." Good points walkable distance from city centre is a big bonus. Plus all the transport networks are geared towards dublin imo. ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 27/04/2018 22:26:05 2095391 Link
Dont think it would ever happen really, didn't the GAA come out a while ago and say they wouldn't even consider selling naming rights. Elsewise i think it acts as an asset to the GAA, if the association even got into financial difficulty and needed liquidity from financial institutions its on the balance sheet as an asset. Probably its most significant. TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 28/04/2018 10:40:21 2095435 Link
They should take the money and continue using it like England will. Wembley will still be the national stadium. The money the GAA earn could be put to promoting the games and not for more stadiums. It's time that money was ploughed into the development of the games and not more concrete and mortar. Out of town stadiums are awfull except in parts of America where people are open enough and friendly enough to have bbqs and stuff out the back of their pick ups. It wouldn't work in Ireland where you'd have the zoom off brigade who leave 5 mins before the end and drag the kids with them to 'beat' traffic. And then the rural latchicos and urban proletariat types who'd be totally obnoxious around out of town stadiums. City centres are the best places for atmosphere and fun PeggyShippen (Limerick) - Posts: 300 - 28/04/2018 12:01:26 2095442 Link
No it's fine where it is, putting it out near a motorway would be terrible, then I'd be expected to drive to games and that means no pints, for us culchies going up on the train or bus is a tradition and stopping in the various watering holes on the way. Barrowsider (Carlow) - Posts: 1592 - 28/04/2018 12:39:24 2095456 Link
Replying To TearsIn85: "But for the rest of the counties, that would be ideal. Croke Park is such a poor location for the infrequent times we're forced to travel there for a hammering. (thankfully from a sanity point of view, not too often!) Somewhere served by decent infrastructure, national accessibility and copious parking would be preferable. I'm sure this was discussed ad nauseum in the run up to re-development of both Croke Park and Landsdown Road but I beleive the incorrect decision was taken in both cases. We spend far too much time looking back instead of looking forward. Think how many nights Garth Brooks and his ilk could play if the stadium was someher on the outskirts unhindered by local residents. Think of the revenue-generating possibilities." I'd rather not think of limitless Garth Brooks concerts to be honest, it's a nightmare inducing thought.... CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1643 - 28/04/2018 16:36:19 2095501 Link
Replying To Barrowsider: "No it's fine where it is, putting it out near a motorway would be terrible, then I'd be expected to drive to games and that means no pints, for us culchies going up on the train or bus is a tradition and stopping in the various watering holes on the way." Pretty much what Ulster are doing by getting rid of Clones in favour of Casement. FootblockREF (Monaghan) - Posts: 563 - 30/04/2018 10:33:19 2095666 Link
Pretty much what Ulster are doing by getting rid of Clones in favour of Casement. Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 30/04/2018 10:44:58 2095669 Link
No it's fine where it is, putting it out near a motorway would be terrible, then I'd be expected to drive to games and that means no pints, for us culchies going up on the train or bus is a tradition and stopping in the various watering holes on the way. Pretty much what Ulster are doing by getting rid of Clones in favour of Casement. Eh? Quite the opposite. They are putting it in a place where people could avail of public transport and rail networks so that going by car and sitting for hours in traffic in one of the few minor roads to the ground will no longer be required a lá Clones. Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 30/04/2018 10:48:14 2095670 Link
Replying To FootblockREF: "Pretty much what Ulster are doing by getting rid of Clones in favour of Casement." I would have thought that the move away from Clones was in fact the complete opposite. Having been to games in every province I think Clones is the least accessible ground that gets big games in the country. MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 30/04/2018 11:12:18 2095679 Link
Ah Remember when they used to play the Ulster finals in crokepark , What was the reason they did that again? KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 30/04/2018 11:40:28 2095686 Link