Ground improvements

[TrevDaRev2]

Folks, cast your minds back to 2016, the League Cup Final v Rovers in Sept, and last league game v Cork City, remember how brilliant even the open temp seating looked at carrick road goals.

Point being, anything will improve the old girl that is oriel.

One thing that worries me, are Louth GAA not in for funding also from Sports Capital Grant, (SCG) or is their funding via a diff source?

Another thing, Finn H new ground, they have got a lot of cash and it will take a lot more, so that's just two examples, the SCG pot is obviously not endless in cash reserves but if funded by Irish Govt, they will end 2023 with a massive surplus of 10B +, but again a lot of projects and rainy day funds to take care of. That said oriel is not a brand new build like those two examples.

Majority of Louths funding coming from a visa loophole for millionaires that has now been closed off, and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund LSSIF. SCG is capped at works of less than 200k i think so realistically funds for stadium improvements will need to go through that process given costs involved. That's what the FAI will be lookin at too for their Masterplan but don't think any additional money was provided for it in the Budget on Tuesday so talks between FAI and Government probably aren't moving too quickly and means there'll be no little to no money to apply for until at least 2025. That doesn't stop you planning and coming with costed proposals for whenever funding is available though. WIthout detailed costed plans no project in Oriel, whether it be part or whole redevelopment will be even entertained by any of the powers that be. Producing costed plans should be the sole off-field focus in 2024 in my opinin

[mike]

I see this now, so 200k seems the limit, not sure if that is per item or application.

https://www.gov.ie/en/service/d13385-sp ... programme/

The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is a government initiative in Ireland that provides support to sports clubs and communities to develop sports infrastructure around the country. The program offers grants for the development of sports and physical recreation facilities, as well as the purchase of non-personal sports equipment 1.

The 2023 Sports Capital and Equipment Programme is now open for applications from July 17th, 2023 until September 8th, 2023 12. The maximum grant for local projects has been increased to €200,000 from the previous maximum of €150,000 23.

To apply for a grant, you must first register on the OSCAR website, which is the only way to apply for grants under the Sports Capital Programme 1. You can find m

[Oriel O'Shea]

Folks, cast your minds back to 2016, the League Cup Final v Rovers in Sept, and last league game v Cork City, remember how brilliant even the open temp seating looked at carrick road goals.

Point being, anything will improve the old girl that is oriel.

One thing that worries me, are Louth GAA not in for funding also from Sports Capital Grant, (SCG) or is their funding via a diff source?

Another thing, Finn H new ground, they have got a lot of cash and it will take a lot more, so that's just two examples, the SCG pot is obviously not endless in cash reserves but if funded by Irish Govt, they will end 2023 with a massive surplus of 10B +, but again a lot of projects and rainy day funds to take care of. That said oriel is not a brand new build like those two examples.

Majority of Louths funding coming from a visa loophole for millionaires that has now been closed off, and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund LSSIF. SCG is capped at works of less than 200k i think so realistically funds for stadium improvements will need to go through that process given costs involved. That's what the FAI will be lookin at too for their Masterplan but don't think any additional money was provided for it in the Budget on Tuesday so talks between FAI and Government probably aren't moving too quickly and means there'll be no little to no money to apply for until at least 2025. That doesn't stop you planning and coming with costed proposals for whenever funding is available though. WIthout detailed costed plans no project in Oriel, whether it be part or whole redevelopment will be even entertained by any of the powers that be. Producing costed plans should be the sole off-field focus in 2024 in my opinin

Until we get that or comment from the owners committing to any of these changes... Drawda take over seems to have gone through due the main promise from owners a new stadium, might be fluff talk to get deal over line but its something P6 never committed too and current owners haven't committed to either. In danger of being left behind on and off the pitch in the league next year.

[Richie87]

The new Drogheda owners also own Walsall. Walsall didn't own their ground before the takeover,but now it's bought and they have plans to redevelop the stadium

Might be good for Drogheda with regards ground development

[Gearóid Bellew]

I agree Gearoid that anything is preferable to the current situation but we will probably only get one chance at this so should try and make it look like a football ground as much as possible.

That is a very good point, hadn't really thought about how it really is likely a once in a lifetime thing.

It is a real shame something can not be done with the pitch & away end in the short term, with the rest following.

[TrevDaRev2]

The new Drogheda owners also own Walsall. Walsall didn't own their ground before the takeover,but now it's bought and they have plans to redevelop the stadium

Might be good for Drogheda with regards ground development

Drogheda have massive plans that are costed detailed and relatively well advanced the investment unlocks all that now. We are gonna be left behind because we're at least 3 years off where they are at

[mike]

Remember Drogs are looking to build a new stadium from scratch, DFC are looking to essentially make gradual upgrades.

Be interesting to see what appetite the owners of Walsall have for them, time will tell.

[TrevDaRev2]

Remember Drogs are looking to build a new stadium from scratch, DFC are looking to essentially make gradual upgrades.

Be interesting to see what appetite the owners of Walsall have for them, time will tell.

Ye but Walsall have at least come in to a club with concrete plans as such, id imagine the plans are a large part of why they've decided to progress. Oriel redevelopment is still substantial albeit not from scratch, and will take a lot of time from planning to sod being turned to open the doors, its a massive project and if you want it done it 5 years it needs to be started yesterday

[niall_hearty2000]

Remember Drogs are looking to build a new stadium from scratch, DFC are looking to essentially make gradual upgrades.

Be interesting to see what appetite the owners of Walsall have for them, time will tell.

Ye but Walsall have at least come in to a club with concrete plans as such, id imagine the plans are a large part of why they've decided to progress. Oriel redevelopment is still substantial albeit not from scratch, and will take a lot of time from planning to sod being turned to open the doors, its a massive project and if you want it done it 5 years it needs to be started yesterday

There in lies the problem. Will our owners be around in 5 years? Since 2012 we have had 4 different groups of owners so that's one every 3 yrs or thereabouts. So it's great having a plan but then you need costings and planning and all that entails before you turn a sod.

[Richie87]

Remember Drogs are looking to build a new stadium from scratch, DFC are looking to essentially make gradual upgrades.

Be interesting to see what appetite the owners of Walsall have for them, time will tell.

Gradual upgrades into a planned 6k seater stadium will still be very costly. Oriel is very outdated.
The Showgrounds in Sligo is more modern, but they are redeveloping into a 6k all seater at a cost of 17m ,which will likely rise.

Dundalk need to lay a new pitch and installation of new floodlights which won't be cheap before any sort of building work

[Pepsi]

Lads it is a good start, however it is all pie in the sky until plans and costings are drawn up. Even then, it is not certain that significant investment will be granted. Has the hallmarks of a communication exercise to deflect from something else .... question is what? Everything lodged in July and only coming out now ...

[Gearóid Bellew]

https://x.com/DFCLotto/status/1714736503266463992?s=20

[Gearóid Bellew]

These are interesting in terms of a quick way to provide a seated area somewhere like the town end behind the goal.
5 40ft containers would fit across the town end which would be an additional 315 covered seats at a relatively modest outlay.
The same again on the Carrick Road end would give a better away section without losing too much in the way of parking.

A solution like this could then be sold on or even donated to local schoolboy league teams if a more permanent stand were to be built.

[mike]

Simple, yet very effective, I wonder what the cost of even 1 unit would be?

4 of them behind each goal and close the current away end, would do the old ground wonders.

[Pepsi]

Nice to see lads getting carried away once again ... let the takeover take place and then lets see what type of backing the man has. At this moment in time, it looks like there will be not much more money than today, so who is going to foot the bill? Would be some outcry if he was to come in do work and put a tenner ontop of all ticket prices to pay for it all.