Brandywell Stadium Development

[shauna]

In my opinion:
After they appoint the contractor, there is the @standstill@ period and time for the firm to get all the details sorted out. This will, I think, put us near the end of November before there are boots on the ground never mind bulldozers etc. Preliminary work involving exterior walls etc will take up most of December. Then we have the Christmas period along with the New Year and the bad weather in January, so I the it will be February before any real building work gets started. There is talk of our league season starting in February next year so I am of the opinion that we will not be able to play any of our games in the Brandywell next season. Building work of this type , I would imagine, will take more than a year to finalise so perhaps we could be starting the 2018 season in the rebuilt Brandywell. Although, come to think of it, as they are only ever going to do Phase 1, maybe we might be able to hold our Christmas 2017 party in the new stand. On a positive note, if we are to play in Maginn Park, we might see our average gate increase as there is a big untapped spectator source in Innishowen who might just come to see us play as we would be on their doorstep. I await your comments

What does phase 1 entail

[stevebradley]

In my opinion:
After they appoint the contractor, there is the @standstill@ period and time for the firm to get all the details sorted out. This will, I think, put us near the end of November before there are boots on the ground never mind bulldozers etc. Preliminary work involving exterior walls etc will take up most of December. Then we have the Christmas period along with the New Year and the bad weather in January, so I the it will be February before any real building work gets started. There is talk of our league season starting in February next year so I am of the opinion that we will not be able to play any of our games in the Brandywell next season. Building work of this type , I would imagine, will take more than a year to finalise so perhaps we could be starting the 2018 season in the rebuilt Brandywell. Although, come to think of it, as they are only ever going to do Phase 1, maybe we might be able to hold our Christmas 2017 party in the new stand. On a positive note, if we are to play in Maginn Park, we might see our average gate increase as there is a big untapped spectator source in Innishowen who might just come to see us play as we would be on their doorstep. I await your comments

I think you're right about the untapped potential in Inishowen. Would be a great opportunity to start to make some progress on that.

Though we wouldn't be able to play European games at McGinn Park, or anywhere else nearby, which is a concern. Will we have to play in Sligo or Dublin because the Council couldn't start the project when planned ?

[shauna]

If they get the pitch done and the perimeter wall behind the southend park stand rebuilt so we can use that stand then i cant see how we would be prevented from playing our european game at the brandywell.

[martinbradleey]

At the minute the new stand will only consist of the central third of the full stand. This should have about 900 seats and dressing rooms etc. the two "wings" of the full stand will only be built if there is both the money and will to do so. To put this in perspective, when the Southend Stand was built all those years ago, it was designated Phase 1 of an overall plan. I may be a bit pessimistic, but I personally cannot see the authorities building on the Phase 2 elements of the stand.

[davy_g]

At the minute the new stand will only consist of the central third of the full stand. This should have about 900 seats and dressing rooms etc. the two "wings" of the full stand will only be built if there is both the money and will to do so.

See the more I hear, the angrier I get. This is an absolute disgrace. And we're meant to be excited by this "news".

[Andy Bernard]

At the minute the new stand will only consist of the central third of the full stand. This should have about 900 seats and dressing rooms etc. the two "wings" of the full stand will only be built if there is both the money and will to do so.

See the more I hear, the angrier I get. This is an absolute disgrace. And we're meant to be excited by this "news".

Stick it up your hole Derry City Council and wise up Philip O'Doherty. Fuming.

[johnm]

At the minute the new stand will only consist of the central third of the full stand. This should have about 900 seats and dressing rooms etc. the two "wings" of the full stand will only be built if there is both the money and will to do so. To put this in perspective, when the Southend Stand was built all those years ago, it was designated Phase 1 of an overall plan. I may be a bit pessimistic, but I personally cannot see the authorities building on the Phase 2 elements of the stand.

Looking a bit like Longford and UCDs ground from the sound of it.

[johnm]

the home matches preparations and worries -
1. new flask.
2. Dust down old crate.
3. Season ticket.
4. Euros or sterling - the brexit debacle may decide the worth of what's in our pocket.
5. Check points in case we're smuggling butter to Buncrana.
6. Bus or car.
7. Parking time allowed in lidl car park before being clamped.
8. Picnic and dip in fahan before match.
9. Check I have enough to pay fine for polluting beach.
10. Can budgen take 400 vehicles on Friday evening.
11. How many seasons will I have to keep going to Buncrana before brandywell is ready.
12. How many minutes before Buncrana gets fed up with Friday migrants.

Who is a pessimist?

[shauna]

At the minute the new stand will only consist of the central third of the full stand. This should have about 900 seats and dressing rooms etc. the two "wings" of the full stand will only be built if there is both the money and will to do so. To put this in perspective, when the Southend Stand was built all those years ago, it was designated Phase 1 of an overall plan. I may be a bit pessimistic, but I personally cannot see the authorities building on the Phase 2 elements of the stand.

I was told this way back in the spring was a resident i know from the lone moor road who was informed at a residents meeting that only the central part of the stand will be built and it will hardly be on much of a bigger footprint than the old glentoran stand. I was disgusted then but after listening to pod and sean barrett ect talk at some of the fans forums this year they seemed to make out that the entire 2,000 seat stand on that side is going to be built together, so somebody isnt telling us the truth the council or the clubs board ????? So if its only a 900 seat mickey mouse stand getting built they can stuff it !!!!

[KEVK]

Contract has been given to McAleer and Teague:

http://www.derryjournal.com/news/mcalee ... -1-7679476

Another step forward........

[shauna]

Happy days but can someone clear up once and for all what size of stand will be getting built next year.

[Adam Quigley]

I'm still refusing to get my hopes up. Knowing our luck there will be a cancellation.

[Dazzy]

Happy days but can someone clear up once and for all what size of stand will be getting built next year.

955 seats will be built in phase 1. 20 of which will be for press and 245 will be vip.

http://epicdocs.planningni.gov.uk/ViewD ... 6752ba0706

http://epicdocs.planningni.gov.uk/ViewD ... d30cf68138

[shauna]

So that will leave a total capacity of around 3,300 unless they allow standing on the rest of that lone moor road side.

[Dazzy]

So that will leave a total capacity of around 3,300 unless they allow standing on the rest of that lone moor road side.

135 standing each side of stand.

[fergal]

Wat odds wud u get if these "pre start meetings" throws up another pile of delays?

[shauna]

Wat odds wud u get if these "pre start meetings" throws up another pile of delays?

I would say that now that the contractors have been appointed that we are on the home straight, still raging but that we are only getting a third of a stand built. Imagine the uproar there would have been in belfast if the windsor park or ravenhill redevelopments had consisted of one third of a stand being built.

[stevebradley]

Imagine the uproar there would have been in belfast if the windsor park or ravenhill redevelopments had consisted of one third of a stand being built.

The difference is that we just take it and put up with it.

The Derry of the 1960s that used to stand up and fight for itself sadly seems to be long gone. The city seems to have had any fight knocked out of it.

Seriously - look at the long list of sh!t we have to put up with in Derry. Roads, rail, University, Brandywell, Jobs, public investment etc etc. Yet when was the last time a proper battle or fuss was made over anything ? I don't mean people like Martina Anderson saying she'll 'Stand up for Derry' a month before an election. Compare to the 1960s when something like 15,000 people from the City formed a cavalcade up to Stormont to protest at the University decision. You wouldn't even get a tenth of that for a protest in the city now.

Derry doesn't fight for itself any more - hence it gets fcuk all. That's not going to change until the city starts to stand up for itself and kick back. That's my genuine view on it all anyway, and even just typing about it makes me cross

[brendanp]

So that will leave a total capacity of around 3,300 unless they allow standing on the rest of that lone moor road side.

From the plans unveiling in the brandywell sports centre we were told a large portion of the money was needed to bring the southend park stand up to standard. While they are doing this if they moved the seat access steps to directly in front of where you emerge from the access tunnels at the back of the stands then the walkway at the back of the stand is no longer required. For the price of the seats and some concrete you could add at least 3 rows of seats (8 blocks of 30 seats) giving you an extra 720 odd seats. Nearly as much as the new 'Eddie Mahon' stand.

[shauna]

Imagine the uproar there would have been in belfast if the windsor park or ravenhill redevelopments had consisted of one third of a stand being built.

The difference is that we just take it and put up with it.

The Derry of the 1960s that used to stand up and fight for itself sadly seems to be long gone. The city seems to have had any fight knocked out of it.

Seriously - look at the long list of sh!t we have to put up with in Derry. Roads, rail, University, Brandywell, Jobs, public investment etc etc. Yet when was the last time a proper battle or fuss was made over anything ? I don't mean people like Martina Anderson saying she'll 'Stand up for Derry' a month before an election. Compare to the 1960s when something like 15,000 people from the City formed a cavalcade up to Stormont to protest at the University decision. You wouldn't even get a tenth of that for a protest in the city now.

Derry doesn't fight for itself any more - hence it gets fcuk all. That's not going to change until the city starts to stand up for itself and kick back. That's my genuine view on it all anyway, and even just typing about it makes me cross

But sure what good did all that mass protest back in the 60's do cause they still built the university in coleraine and to this day magee still only gets the crumbs, roads, rail, public investment mass protest got us no were.