I see the GAA grounds in New Eltham south London are being used as soccer pitches by a crowd called Eltham Youths. Does anyone know what was agreed? The pitches have been cleared, new gates put on and a new fairly large hut/shed has been erected. Did the co. board sell them/rent them out? Surely they are not allowed to allow soccer to be played in GAA grounds? Only Croke Park was given special dispensation. Typical of the co. board that they would do this and not open them for GAA.

savo (Armagh) - Posts: 22 - 17/11/2008 13:16:19    142910

I can't see that happening, as far as I know the pitches in New Eltham are overgrown and in a terrible state. There are plenty of soccer pitches in the surrounding area though.

Have you a link to this football team?

scruff (UK) - Posts: 467 - 17/11/2008 15:49:41    143118

I drove past it last week. I almost crashed the car, which probably says more about my driving! It looks like quite a few quid was spent on the place. The pitches were cleared and playable and as I said a decent sized galvinised shed has been built so I can't imagine it being a temporary measure. There are pitches beside this belonging to metrogas and University pitches but the local residents have always wanted these pitches to be used for community use.

savo (Armagh) - Posts: 22 - 18/11/2008 11:44:13    143817

If you put New Eltham GAA pitches into google you'll find minutes from Greenwich Counicl meetings that show this was planned in 2006! All very sneaky from our county board! Now there's a change!

savo (Armagh) - Posts: 22 - 18/11/2008 11:56:28    143833

savo: is it as sneaky as leaving the fields idle and filty for decades in the hope of selling them to a developer so that the locals have no green space?

(thats from their point of you)

wingwonder (UK) - Posts: 535 - 18/11/2008 13:46:02    143960

so the county are never going to be able to sell them now.

why at least didnt they keep one of them for gaelic, and make the council build floodlights and proper dressing rooms and what not for GAA use only. THe council would have done this if they got the use of the pitches at a decent rate.

That way the gaa would have two decent facilitiies both sides of the river.

pronane (None) - Posts: 324 - 18/11/2008 16:35:36    144136

Very true wingwonder. Cuchullains have no pitch and we have to use a public park which had no changing rooms for years. But to quote Larry O Leary in the south London papers a couple of years ago "the GAA's focus has moved to north London in recent years." Says it all really!

savo (Armagh) - Posts: 22 - 18/11/2008 16:40:46    144142

"Very true wingwonder. Cuchullains have no pitch and we have to use a public park which had no changing rooms for years. But to quote Larry O Leary in the south London papers a couple of years ago "the GAA's focus has moved to north London in recent years." Says it all really!"

This might have been true a few years ago, but not now, the clubs in the south are getting much stronger now.

langer boy (UK) - Posts: 37 - 18/11/2008 17:10:27    144174

What an absolute shame that this could not have ben done sooner by our County Board.

On the plus side, does this mean that during the summer months there will be two gaelic pitches lined out for use by the GAA? It would be an absolute waste if we didn't start using it ourselves. There are clubs in London desperate for a 'home' pitch. Surely we arrange something.

I suggest people take a look at the following links:

[url=]linkhttp://greenwich-libdems.org.uk/resources/sites/82.165.40.25-414f06583ad425.03481204/Eltham%20South%20Focus/Spring+2007.pdf[url=]link

[url=]linkhttp://www.greenwich.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/416BCC2C-6184-4C19-B71E-703F060F9AFF/0/20062112decisions.pdf[url=]link

Kerryman (UK) - Posts: 403 - 18/11/2008 17:23:54    144193

Below I have listed out all of the clubs in London and if they have a pitch or whatever. My sincere apologies if I have missed anyone off this list.

Can someone explain to me why the New Eltham Pitches have not been put to better use so far considering the obvious problem we have had with planning?

Also, can someone please explain why there is never any sort of news/e-mail concerning New Eltham sent out to clubs and also why the London County Website is a complete joke???

I will say that for all we know, the board might actually be doing something good and they may have some agreement in place, however, they could do themselves and their members a favour by explaing, in black and white, where we stand in the GAA Community.

Brothers Pearse - No pitch
CuChullains - No pitch
Dulwich Harps - Peckham Rye
Fulham Irish - No pitch
Garryowen - No pitch
Granuaille - No pitch
Harlesden Harps - No pitch
Heston Gaels - No pitch
Kilburn Gaels - No pitch
Moindearg - No pitch
Neasden Gaels - Kingsbury - Pitch but no changing facilities
North London Shamrocks - Donkey Lane - Severly underused
Parnells - Northwick Park - Pitch but no changing rooms
Robert Emmetts - No pitch
Round Towers - Mitcham
St. Anthonys - Not sure about their pitch as it is in Reading
St. Brendans - No pitch (why dont they use the pitch that st. marys strawberry hill use?does the uni team have one?)
St. Clarets - Do they have a pitch by Wormwood Scrubs?
St Gabriels - No pitch
St. Joes - Perivale Park - decent pitch but worst changing rooms in London by miles
St. Kiernans - Mill Hill rugby club & Collindale - both good facilities
Tara - no pitch
TCG - Greenford - Very good as a whole
Thomas McCurtains - Goodmayes - Good pitch and decent changing rooms

Kerryman (UK) - Posts: 403 - 18/11/2008 17:47:41    144219

Can this be confirmed? If it is true, surely the county board need to take action. Cuchulainns train in Kidbrooke- which is right beside Eltham and surely as a club would have a right to know if they can use Eltham????

Ed (UK) - Posts: 156 - 18/11/2008 18:42:07    144284

I have just spoken with a veteran member of the London County Board GAA who told me that he was actually within the New Eltham premises earlier today and found no trace whatsoever of any pitch of any kind within what represents a jungle of just over 13 acres.
All this talk about someone or other creating buildings and a soccer pitch out there is just wishful thinking and foolishness.
I totally agree, the Eltham premises must be immediately opened up and made ready for the playing of our GAA games in the coming year. After all, and in the present financial climate, the premises are most unlikely to be disposed of in the near future.
Come on all you South London clubs, put the pressure on to bring New Eltham to life again!

Haslim (Limerick) - Posts: 30 - 18/11/2008 21:56:56    144411

we have changing rooms as well as a bar that we can get use of.

Shamrocks (UK) - Posts: 38 - 18/11/2008 22:40:54    144452

Fine, if nothing has been put up so far then OK.

However, surely there is enough of us in the GAA in London to reinstate the pitches???

We could make this into a good ground. With some help from some construction companies in exchange for some advertising in the grounds?

Kerryman (UK) - Posts: 403 - 19/11/2008 08:47:55    144598

Guys,
I'm feeling pretty embarrassed here but what I had been told for years was the New Eltham pitch is in fact not it. The pitches that have been done up are beside the New Eltham pitch on the Footscray road and have also been derelict for years. Apparently thay are called the Co-Op fields. The New Eltham pitch is on Avery Hill road. Again it was an honest mistake and I apoligise for stirring things up unnecessarily I hope I haven't caused any problems. I will check the facts in more detail in future. If anything good is coming from this then maybe it has highlighted the need for the pitch in south London and the support for it. Sorry again.

savo (Armagh) - Posts: 22 - 19/11/2008 09:46:30    144631

Feel free to call me all the names under the sun by the way!

savo (Armagh) - Posts: 22 - 19/11/2008 10:13:27    144670

surely clubs south of the river can put in a motion to the agm in december saying all clubs want it reinstated or at least one pitch made available, and look to sort out sponsorship between the clubs?! I mean initially all it needs is to borrow stuff from other clubs to sort ont he grass, pitch lining, goalposts i thought would be provided by the GAA or county board. Fair enough no changing rooms but that could come in time. IF you want change you have to go about it yourself and get off the fence. We need more people like that in London GAA. Suprised the intrepid followers of fulham haven't got the finger out? Is new eltham way away from fulham or something?!

pronane (None) - Posts: 324 - 19/11/2008 10:20:59    144684

There is one major problem with all the above. these pitches are no longer the proberty of the County board, 16 years ago the County board accepted a down payment on the eltham pitches this was with the understanding that planing permission would be awarded, i am not to sure of the ammount they recieved but it was enough to build the facilities you see in Ruislip today. So i am afraid Eltham is dead and buried and will never again be graced by our beautiful game.

grove.two (UK) - Posts: 11 - 19/11/2008 10:45:03    144712

Savo. this is not the first time you have confused plots of land.

grove.two (UK) - Posts: 11 - 19/11/2008 10:49:08    144721

Well, at least it shows how easy it could be to do the site up. If a could of soccer teams can do it surely London GAA could!!

macattack (UK) - Posts: 584 - 19/11/2008 12:46:20    144862