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Fair enough.
As fans we're all frustrated and personally I think we need to hold the council and the club to account directly for keeping everyone informed. Hopefully the rumoured potential for the home game with Dundalk comes to be!

The Club are tenants. You can't hold a tenant to account as they can't influence anything. The Brandywell sat empty for months after Derry's last league game 2 years back and it was used for a variety of farewell games etc. The only people responsible for this mess is Derry City & Strabane District Council / and their Contractor.

That's the only two groups (the Client and the Contractor) that can influence the outcome. Not tenants (Derry City FC), not supporter groups, not the media...

This is going to be a great distraction from the council to the fact
(when it ever finishes), they are only going to be delivering a half arsed stand instead
of the full project promised.

And everyone will be moaning about it being a few weeks late, rather than they are
giving us a smaller feckin stadium, a lick of paint,
and all the money is going into a plastic pitch so the council can rent it out 7 days a week,
all year round.

End of the day its a Council facility so they can do want they want with it.

The Club are tenants so don't really have any influence.

And members of the public have every right to use the facility...

I don't think anyone is saying the club is to blame for the delays in the stadium re-opening.

Where the club is at fault, however, is in its communication with fans on the issue - which has been very poor (and not for the first time)

I'd agree with that 100%.

Trying to understand the reason I can only guess that they did not get a definitive answer themselves until shortly before the public announcement. It was probably put to them that the game may not proceed and only after it being confirmed did they announce it.

There's nothing to be gained by not sharing the information if they knew for sure.

Derry Now reporting on Stadium completion:

A spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council stated tonight (Thursday) that, in spite of previously advised delay on the Brandywell Redevelopment Project, mostly as a result of this winter's particularly inclement and wet weather, the contractor has made excellent recent progress and it is still envisaged that the new pitch and stadium will open in early March.

Council also advised that it has remained in continuous contact with Derry City FC and all user groups, throughout the process and that the emphasis now, and in the next few weeks is on finalising operational and licensing issues.


Council, with all of its stakeholders and partners, very much looks forward to the imminent completion of this exciting £7m regeneration and redevelopment project and the ongoing help and assistance of all who are working together to realise this ambition.

We'll just have to live with the Sligo game issue, and appreciate their understanding in agreeing to reverse the fixture.

Shit happens, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Lets hope its full steam ahead now on getting all the work completed so we can have a memorable opening night v Dundalk in March. Should be a cracker.

Light a candle for no more inclement weather!

marcoloco wrote:Derry Now reporting on Stadium completion:

A spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council stated tonight (Thursday) that, in spite of previously advised delay on the Brandywell Redevelopment Project, mostly as a result of this winter's particularly inclement and wet weather, the contractor has made excellent recent progress and it is still envisaged that the new pitch and stadium will open in early March.

Council also advised that it has remained in continuous contact with Derry City FC and all user groups, throughout the process and that the emphasis now, and in the next few weeks is on finalising operational and licensing issues.


Council, with all of its stakeholders and partners, very much looks forward to the imminent completion of this exciting £7m regeneration and redevelopment project and the ongoing help and assistance of all who are working together to realise this ambition.

I wonder how much of the £7m went towards the actual football part of the development. And if you are to believe that statement the board were kept inform but didn't think it necessary to keep the supporters informed.

The pitch may have been completed earlier or at least on time if the contractor had a few more workers. I was over today, and have been there quite a few times since it started, and i've never seen more than 6 workers at a time. Also why didn't they work weekends when they new they were wayyyy behind schedule.

As for the toilets in the 'old' stand is getting a few jaw boxes replaced. Welcome to the 21st century.

Wonder has there been any penalty clauses inserted for late completion?

brandyball wrote:Wonder has there been any penalty clauses inserted for late completion?

Wouldn't matter if there were to be honest, as they'd just blame the weather etc.

Are the crap (i.e. not red) seats at either end of the Southend Stand getting replaced ? Would be very easy to do, and will drag the look of the whole place down if they aren't.

I always thought we shouldn't have left those decent red seats in Buncrana if we weren't going to replace the crap ones in our own stand.

Certainly enough room for either some terracing or more seating (even temporary) behind the nets at the Brandywell Road end. Council should at least attempt to make it look like a football stadium. Personally speaking, still don't like it but sure what can we do

wheres the dugouts going? are they goin to be place right in front of the stand or have they even thought as far ahead for something like that

fergal wrote:wheres the dugouts going? are they goin to be place right in front of the stand or have they even thought as far ahead for something like that

In front of the stand, in-line with the lowest row of seats there.

unless there in the stand, surely its goin to block the view of them lower seats

fergal wrote:unless there in the stand, surely its goin to block the view of them lower seats

I can only presume not, and that they worked that out when the place was designed !

There are 2 or 3 throws left out where the benches will go. Presumably that leaves enough room for the benches.

Good to see that POD has backed the name change of the ground to honour Ryan,and his confirmation that phase 2 of the development is "shovel ready"
To get the Mark Farren stand completed and the ground looking like a proper football stadium would be the best tribute to Ryan and Mark.

cousin kev wrote:Good to see that POD has backed the name change of the ground to honour Ryan,and his confirmation that phase 2 of the development is "shovel ready"
To get the Mark Farren stand completed and the ground looking like a proper football stadium would be the best tribute to Ryan and Mark.

Where has it been announced that PoD is backing the name of the stadium being changed ?

stevebradley wrote:

cousin kev wrote:Good to see that POD has backed the name change of the ground to honour Ryan,and his confirmation that phase 2 of the development is "shovel ready"
To get the Mark Farren stand completed and the ground looking like a proper football stadium would be the best tribute to Ryan and Mark.

Where has it been announced that PoD is backing the name of the stadium being changed ?

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