Surely the issue there is the level difference between the pitch and the footpath outside? I'm only guesing here but to do that right you'd need to remove the area behind the goal, including the wall and build it up property from the foundations. And new stand would then replace the existing wall. So like all things if you owned the place and had the money it would be a great idea...
Depending on the height difference, could you not tier up on the inside and have the entrance from street level coming into the top level of a new stand there ? The difference in levels would decide what was possible re that in terms of necessary gradient etc.
I guess anything is possible, including a new access straight into the stand, if you spend enough money on it. It would be fantastic to have a behind the goal vantage point but the first priority is to deliver the remaining missing sections of the MF stand. Until we are regularly selling out 5k tickets (guessing that's the new capacity post MF) then I would not spend money on a temporary fix if there's any possibility of future re-development. Though the chances of either a temporary fix or further redevelopment is pie in the sky.
From memoery, only one-third of the MF Stand has been built. So if that's 900 now, it would suggest 2,700 seats when finished. Though looking at the Brandywell Road end and where the floodlight is, I can't see the existing stand being replicated there again TBH. Maybe the other side can fit a bit more in, but that would leave the stand looking weird and lopsided.
Agree that completing the MF Stand is the priority. I was just looking at the Brandywell Road end on Tuesday night and thought it could work for a small self-contained away stand. The other goal can't have anythigh behidn it because of the passageway and the closeness of the dog track.
Anyway - if the finished Mark Farren is 2,700, that would take overall capacity to about 5,500 I think ? Which should be good enough for us for most games over the foreseeable future. The present capacity is clearly too small anyways. There'll probably be a mad scramble for STs for next year. Great to see, but also frustrating when there is money sitting at Stormont that is being held hostage by a party that is well represented in Derry.
Depending on the height difference, could you not tier up on the inside and have the entrance from street level coming into the top level of a new stand there ? The difference in levels would decide what was possible re that in terms of necessary gradient etc.
I guess anything is possible, including a new access straight into the stand, if you spend enough money on it. It would be fantastic to have a behind the goal vantage point but the first priority is to deliver the remaining missing sections of the MF stand. Until we are regularly selling out 5k tickets (guessing that's the new capacity post MF) then I would not spend money on a temporary fix if there's any possibility of future re-development. Though the chances of either a temporary fix or further redevelopment is pie in the sky.
From memoery, only one-third of the MF Stand has been built. So if that's 900 now, it would suggest 2,700 seats when finished. Though looking at the Brandywell Road end and where the floodlight is, I can't see the existing stand being replicated there again TBH. Maybe the other side can fit a bit more in, but that would leave the stand looking weird and lopsided.
Agree that completing the MF Stand is the priority. I was just looking at the Brandywell Road end on Tuesday night and thought it could work for a small self-contained away stand. The other goal can't have anythigh behidn it because of the passageway and the closeness of the dog track.
Anyway - if the finished Mark Farren is 2,700, that would take overall capacity to about 5,500 I think ? Which should be good enough for us for most games over the foreseeable future. The present capacity is clearly too small anyways. There'll probably be a mad scramble for STs for next year. Great to see, but also frustrating when there is money sitting at Stormont that is being held hostage by a party that is well represented in Derry.
More than frustrating... But it does show that if you invest in the team and it's challenging for honours then there's local interest of circa 4k for most games ,with 5k plus not unthinkable for European and top of the table and cup games. The icing on the cake would be switching the plastic pitch with the grass pitch next door. If that was possible Council could continue to rent it out and generate an income.
Sadly were only talking about temporary stands because of the lack of funding. Hence, it's difficult to see how and when that money would come forward considering the wait to get this one completed. There's many mouths to feed now and that £36m is looking very small indeed consider the many other Irish league teams at many different levels all looking for stadium funding.
brandyball wrote: ↑Fri Sep 30, 2022 6:56 am
Coleraine have applied for £16 million from the UK Government levelling up fund.. Wonder can we follow suit.
They strike me as council pet projects that were probably on their To Do list anyway, and not the kind of things I would genuiely expect to do much to 'level up' the area economically anyway.
Wasn't it just £3m we were originally looking from Stormont to finish the MF Stand (though that will have gone up a lot since then) ?
brandyball wrote: ↑Fri Sep 30, 2022 6:56 am
Coleraine have applied for £16 million from the UK Government levelling up fund.. Wonder can we follow suit.
They strike me as council pet projects that were probably on their To Do list anyway, and not the kind of things I would genuiely expect to do much to 'level up' the area economically anyway.
Wasn't it just £3m we were originally looking from Stormont to finish the MF Stand (though that will have gone up a lot since then) ?
Jeez you'd think they'd finish the Mark Farren stand first.
brandyball wrote: ↑Fri Sep 30, 2022 6:56 am
Coleraine have applied for £16 million from the UK Government levelling up fund.. Wonder can we follow suit.
They strike me as council pet projects that were probably on their To Do list anyway, and not the kind of things I would genuiely expect to do much to 'level up' the area economically anyway.
Wasn't it just £3m we were originally looking from Stormont to finish the MF Stand (though that will have gone up a lot since then) ?
Jeez you'd think they'd finish the Mark Farren stand first.
The Council has already spent £7m on the Brandywell, so has done its bit really.
The money to finish the MF Stand is sitting in a bank account at Stormont, but the Minister responsible for it (Deirdre Hargey - Sinn Féin) is failing/refusing to progress it. The suspicion is that it's being held as a hostage to force more money for Casement Park .
This is money (£36m) that's already been agreed and allocated for club football stadia, so it isn't at all affected by the absence of an Executive.
Remember this when the local politicians knock on your door for next May's election.
I don't think there has been an election since I turned 18 that I haven't been told to remind a politician at my door about the Brandywell. Nearly 20 years and we are still talking about broken promises. Grim
TenaciousDee wrote: ↑Fri Sep 30, 2022 4:12 pm
I don't think there has been an election since I turned 18 that I haven't been told to remind a politician at my door about the Brandywell. Nearly 20 years and we are still talking about broken promises. Grim
But this time it's down to just a single politician. The money is there - it just needs the process confirmed and the money allocated. It's clear who is resposnsible for that not happening.
Steve knows way more about this stuff than most, but imo there this is more chance of free higher education coming back than the Brandywell getting finished in the next 10 years.
In the southend park stand, if you move the access stairs to in front of the stairwells, then you could put at least 2 extra rows of seats in. That's over 500 seats for minimal cost.
brendanp wrote: ↑Fri Sep 30, 2022 10:09 pm
In the southend park stand, if you move the access stairs to in front of the stairwells, then you could put at least 2 extra rows of seats in. That's over 500 seats for minimal cost.
I think it's about time they thought about replacing the seats in that stand
TenaciousDee wrote: ↑Fri Sep 30, 2022 4:12 pm
I don't think there has been an election since I turned 18 that I haven't been told to remind a politician at my door about the Brandywell. Nearly 20 years and we are still talking about broken promises. Grim
But this time it's down to just a single politician. The money is there - it just needs the process confirmed and the money allocated. It's clear who is resposnsible for that not happening.
Steve the money is there. £36m of it. However, there's now several IL clubs with business cases all seeking a chunk of money. Our neighbours Institute are another (who are currently homeless) and they too are seeking assistance. So you are correct to say there's money and we know who is holding it back (and why) but also the landscape has changed and now Glentoran, Coleraine, Institute and a host of other Clubs have all since joined us in the Q all looking for a helping hand. It's a shit show that this has dragged on this long especially when you think it was M McG that made the promise many years ago. I maintain the biggest disgrace was not doing a proper job of it when they had the chance instead of settling for a bit part solution.
TenaciousDee wrote: ↑Fri Sep 30, 2022 4:12 pm
I don't think there has been an election since I turned 18 that I haven't been told to remind a politician at my door about the Brandywell. Nearly 20 years and we are still talking about broken promises. Grim
But this time it's down to just a single politician. The money is there - it just needs the process confirmed and the money allocated. It's clear who is resposnsible for that not happening.
Steve the money is there. £36m of it. However, there's now several IL clubs with business cases all seeking a chunk of money. Our neighbours Institute are another (who are currently homeless) and they too are seeking assistance. So you are correct to say there's money and we know who is holding it back (and why) but also the landscape has changed and now Glentoran, Coleraine, Institute and a host of other Clubs have all since joined us in the Q all looking for a helping hand. It's a shit show that this has dragged on this long especially when you think it was M McG that made the promise many years ago. I maintain the biggest disgrace was not doing a proper job of it when they had the chance instead of settling for a bit part solution.
Yeah - it's the perfect storm in that there are now more clubs looking for the money, and at the same time the available funds will deliver a lot less overall due to construction inflation. I suspect that some sort of deal will be done to ensure Casement Park gets extra money from Stormont, however, and I wouldn't be surprised if part of the horse trading for that sees additional funds also going into the Sub-Regional Stadia fund for football.
The silver lining for us is that Stute's new ground is still at a very early stage and doesn't have planning permission, so won't be eligible for this funding.
But this time it's down to just a single politician. The money is there - it just needs the process confirmed and the money allocated. It's clear who is resposnsible for that not happening.
Steve the money is there. £36m of it. However, there's now several IL clubs with business cases all seeking a chunk of money. Our neighbours Institute are another (who are currently homeless) and they too are seeking assistance. So you are correct to say there's money and we know who is holding it back (and why) but also the landscape has changed and now Glentoran, Coleraine, Institute and a host of other Clubs have all since joined us in the Q all looking for a helping hand. It's a shit show that this has dragged on this long especially when you think it was M McG that made the promise many years ago. I maintain the biggest disgrace was not doing a proper job of it when they had the chance instead of settling for a bit part solution.
Yeah - it's the perfect storm in that there are now more clubs looking for the money, and at the same time the available funds will deliver a lot less overall due to construction inflation. I suspect that some sort of deal will be done to ensure Casement Park gets extra money from Stormont, however, and I wouldn't be surprised if part of the horse trading for that sees additional funds also going into the Sub-Regional Stadia fund for football.
The silver lining for us is that Stute's new ground is still at a very early stage and doesn't have planning permission, so won't be eligible for this funding.
Only a silver lining IF the £££ is distributed prior to Institute securing pp. I would not be surprised if they have their permission long before any money is made available.
Steve the money is there. £36m of it. However, there's now several IL clubs with business cases all seeking a chunk of money. Our neighbours Institute are another (who are currently homeless) and they too are seeking assistance. So you are correct to say there's money and we know who is holding it back (and why) but also the landscape has changed and now Glentoran, Coleraine, Institute and a host of other Clubs have all since joined us in the Q all looking for a helping hand. It's a shit show that this has dragged on this long especially when you think it was M McG that made the promise many years ago. I maintain the biggest disgrace was not doing a proper job of it when they had the chance instead of settling for a bit part solution.
Yeah - it's the perfect storm in that there are now more clubs looking for the money, and at the same time the available funds will deliver a lot less overall due to construction inflation. I suspect that some sort of deal will be done to ensure Casement Park gets extra money from Stormont, however, and I wouldn't be surprised if part of the horse trading for that sees additional funds also going into the Sub-Regional Stadia fund for football.
The silver lining for us is that Stute's new ground is still at a very early stage and doesn't have planning permission, so won't be eligible for this funding.
Only a silver lining IF the £££ is distributed prior to Institute securing pp. I would not be surprised if they have their permission long before any money is made available.
Very true. Though they're still a long way off re a new ground.
Interesting watching the RTE panel discuss Waterford's progress. Said there was lots of similarities to Derry. Very complementary of both Derry and Waterford then they all agreed that Waterford has a superior playing surface and that is something that would hold Derry back in years to come. Insightful. I wonder did they mean 'in Europe', 'in general' or when attracting certain players who'd rather not play on plastic?
It doesn’t take the Treaty manager nor others to tell US the Pitch at Brandywell is a shocker. The thing is nothing is being done and I suggest never will be . This pitch is a disgrace to us
