Brandywell Stadium Development

[daniel]

Apparently the players weren't told anything about the pitch...

Why should they ?

Pointing it out to the poster above saying they had...

[paul60]

Was looking at the showgrounds this w/e and it looks like grass. Aside from that why was the showgrounds not the preferred pitch for 3G and brandywell maintained as a grass surface.

[KEVK]

Was looking at the showgrounds this w/e and it looks like grass. Aside from that why was the showgrounds not the preferred pitch for 3G and brandywell maintained as a grass surface.

You're talking way too much sense there

[rodgers]

I was in contact with a councillor about this last year. I got a fairly deatiled response back none of which I agreed with. Anyway, one of the answers I got back specifically in relation to switching the Showgrounds and Brandywell around was this:

It is my understanding that an artificial pitch in such direct proximity to a greyhound track would present significant health and safety challenges beyond those of a grass pitch. The Showgrounds area is primarily being redesigned to accommodate greyhound racing.

Didn't specify what those concerns were. In any event the dog track looks like it's going quite close to the main pitch as things stand!

[Lord Lucan]

Looking at it today, we'll have the strangest looking ground in Europe. As my oldest boy said we've just moved the greyhound track, and got a new glentoran stand with new bogs for the natives.

[rodgers]

From the other thread.

Sligo confirmed, according to today's Derry Journal:

http://www.derryjournal.com/sport/footb ... -1-7937117

Thanks. I see from this that:

Dundalk’s Oriel Park had been reportedly identified as the venue of choice after Derry were priced out of using the Showgrounds, but it’s believed Sligo’s grass pitch is the preferred option for City boss, Kenny Shiels.

Apparently, the 'stakeholders' in the new Brandywell were consulted in relation to the new artificial pitch. You would assume that this included the anchor tenant, Derry City. But I am guessing this consultation pre-dated Shiels' appointment.

[Greengo]

If you rent a house then the owner decides if he wants a wooden floor or carpet down in your living room etc... You as a tenant have no say...

Our owners decided on a wooden floor rather than a carpet...

[rodgers]

If you rent a house then the owner decides if he wants a wooden floor or carpet down in your living room etc... You as a tenant have no say...

Our owners decided on a wooden floor rather than a carpet...

Derry City are renting a house from the Council to live in?

Sorry, Greengo, the analogy just isn't that straightforward.

[Greengo]

The council own the Brandywell... Derry City is an anchor tenant...

The council decide on what happens to its property... Not the tenant...

The club has argued in the past for upgrades and look what happened there... Do you honestly think they will have taken on board anything our current manager has said about a playing surface ?

Like managers before him he'll go sometime, but DCFC will still be renting a room at the Brandywell from the council... Probably with a wooden floor not a carpet

[eugenio]

Don't know anywhere else where a community club bringing pride to a city are treated like beggars and the people of the city who want this facility to further enhance their City are treated like scum

[campsie]

The main person in council behind the plastic pitch is Barry O'Hagan. A former Armagh Gaelic footballer. Would his Armagh team (who like most GAA teams reaped the benefit of public funds for their redeveloped stadium) and supporters have accepted a plastic pitch? No chance!

[shauna]

The main person in council behind the plastic pitch is Barry O'Hagan. A former Armagh Gaelic footballer. Would his Armagh team (who like most GAA teams reaped the benefit of public funds for their redeveloped stadium) and supporters have accepted a plastic pitch? No chance!

Its funny the way all these ex gaa stars seem to get big jobs in councils, big tohill is another one who landed a plum job as chief executive of the mid ulster council and im sure there are plenty more in high office throughout the country. You never see many ex soccer players in high office maybe gaa players are more educated lol.

[TenaciousDee]

On Tuesday or Friday night Adrian Cutliffe, the groundsman at Maginn, told me he is either currently working or will be working at the Brandywell in the future. He tells me the pitch is much narrower than Maginn and the old Brandywell surface which will hamper Derry's Style of play. He quoted "64 across". He also told me that the stand seats 900 or so which we already guessed.

[rodgers]

The council own the Brandywell... Derry City is an anchor tenant...

The council decide on what happens to its property... Not the tenant...

The club has argued in the past for upgrades and look what happened there... Do you honestly think they will have taken on board anything our current manager has said about a playing surface ?

Like managers before him he'll go sometime, but DCFC will still be renting a room at the Brandywell from the council... Probably with a wooden floor not a carpet

I wasn't suggesting that they would. I realise the decision was made a long time ago.

I do believe that DCFC had more leverage on this than they realised. Unlike a house where the landlord can just get another tenant, the Council have no option but to have DCFC as an anchor tenant as one of their tenants. Unless the Council offer the ground to that other football team the size of DCFC in Derry that gets the same crowds, plays in Europe etc. that we are all unaware of.

On the flipside, DCFC have to deal with the Council. We have no other realistic options having not considered our own ground. That being said, I still think there was an opportunity for DCFC to engage in a little bit of brinkmanship with them. Again, unlike a house, particularly where the Council are obliged to 'consult' with 'stakeholders' before public monies are spent.

Unfortunately, I don't think our board have anything like that level of basic competence.

My hope at the minute is that the artificial pitch comes out after five/ten years.

[brendy_éire]

....the pitch is much narrower than Maginn and the old Brandywell surface which will hamper Derry's Style of play. He quoted "64 across". He also told me that the stand seats 900 or so which we already guessed.

64m or yards? The old pitch was 101m x 66m. 64 yards would be 58m, a decent bit smaller.

The stand will have 955 seats and 270 standing spaces.

[TenaciousDee]

I would imagine metres. Like I said he just said 64 across

[Greengo]

I do believe that DCFC had more leverage on this than they realised. Unlike a house where the landlord can just get another tenant, the Council have no option but to have DCFC as an anchor tenant as one of their tenants. Unless the Council offer the ground to that other football team the size of DCFC in Derry that gets the same crowds, plays in Europe etc. that we are all unaware of.

No... DCFC have no other option in the vacinity... We cant play our games anywhere else... (Maginn Pk being an exception for ONE season)

Do you honestly believe that if ground was granted to the club to develop their own stadia with their own plans and that money was on the table through grants etc that they would stay at the Brandywell... ?

[rodgers]

Please look at what I wrote just after that quote. I don't think it's that one-sided. I think, like stevebradley might have said in the past, both sides are stuck with each other.

To answer your question: I don't know. There are advantages and disadvantages to owning your own ground and there are advantages and disadvantages to not owning it. Grounds up and down the league show this. But in the situation you describe, maybe not.

[TenaciousDee]

At what point in the development does the regeneration of the Daisyfield begin? In March I ran through the grounds and to put it nicely the pitch was more like a bog. Last night I was shown a number of photos captured by a Youth Football coach of the surface and the pitch is now a field of filled rabbit holes. Someone is going to fall and the council or whoever is responsible for its up keep will get sued through the teeth.

[MariborKev]

Daisyfield is a completely different project, with different funding.

However at least one political party tried to claim that they had secured funding for the redevelopment of the Brandywell, when it was the Daisyfield scheme.