[Article] Munster plan €31m upgrade

thejollyrodger

This is a welcome boost but shouldnt Munster just use one stadium and share it with an E.L club (like Cork F.C) and develop one 30,000 stadium?

Munster plan €31m upgrade
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=97&si=1285939&issue_id=11682

MUNSTER will soon announce details of a sweeping redevelopment of both Thomond Park and Musgrave Park to bring them up to standard for professional sport. They will also unveil advanced plans to buy land in Limerick to develop a training facility for both the Munster professional and underage squads. The deal is close to completion on the 10 acres of land, while it is hoped the work on the two stadia can, allowing for the planning process, be underway by the end of next year.

The cost of all three projects will be around €31m. This would exclude the cost of developing the new Limerick site. The funding will be split between private investors, the IRFU, the National Lottery and a scheme that takes advantage of an update in a recent finance act which allows capital grants to sporting bodies to be written off against tax.

"Charlie McCreevy brought in the scheme and funnily enough it has been used very little in this country," says Niall O'Driscoll, Munster branch president. "It's a bit like the charitable donations section of the Finance Act and it covers donations to sporting bodies. We would hope to raise about €10m from the tax scheme."

The plan for Thomond, where Munster are unbeaten in the European Cup, will see it more than double in size from its current capacity of 11,900 to over 26,000. The new capacity would bring it into line with European Rugby Cup (ERC) policy that quarter-final matches should be played in stadia with the best possible capacity. Previously, ERC have incentivised clubs with small stadia to shift games for an increase of 15 per cent of the gate. A spokesman said last week, however, that they don't have a policy on extending this to clubs who develop facilities off their own bat.

Nevertheless, the increased capacity has huge earning potential for the province. Currently there is no corporate presence in the ground, but a new stadium would allow for 15 corporate boxes as well as 15,000 seats and a terrace capacity of 11,000. Achieving these figures would involve changing the imprint so that the pitch would be shifted by 90 degrees, and knocking the existing stand in favour of two new structures. Although only redeveloped in 1990, Thomond's facilities are wretched. It's unlikely there will be objections to a wholesale revamp.

The plan for Musgrave Park is more modest. A combination of the Limerick fan base and Munster's winning sequence there means that Cork hosts only Celtic League games. The intention is to replace the existing antiquated stand with one that would accommodate somewhere between 4,500 and 6,000 seats. The rest of the ground would remain as is. Moreover, negotiations are ongoing regarding the selling for development of a parcel of just less than an acre on the Sunday's Well side of the ground. It has the potential to raise circa €2.5m.

The land in Limerick is zoned amenity and should cost less than €1m. "It will be very good for rugby in the city of Limerick," O'Driscoll said. "It's an excellent site."

Already Munster have access to top class facilities in the University of Limerick but the development of an alternative site would give them the level of independence ideal for a professional set-up. Full details of the Munster plan are expected to be revealed in the next fortnight.

Brendan Fanning

daveirl

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Nukem

Still dave 6000 seats in Musgrave is welcome. Was frozen last Friday down there standing

Would love if the IRFU became more profitable than the GAA.
Oh that would be the day and the can stick there politics in their ass and light them.Leinster ground has to be next ???????

suppafly

yeah donnybrook is well crappy. How many people does it hold?

thejollyrodger

well its just a thought but I still belive the government should have put some money for a 30,000 seater in the Munster area for Soccer, GAA and of course Rugby. I dont know what the upgrade to Thomond Pk will look like. I dont think it will be all covered and modern looking though.

Nukem

F*ck the GAA.They is greedy.
City and Munster in the same Stadium would be grand.If they redeveloped Musser for Cork City FC,Dolphin & Sundays Well and of Course Munster then that would be fairly class but honestly do you see that happening.

daveirl

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thejollyrodger

the GAA grounds are pretty basic to be honest. Not exactly 21st century stadia that would would be proud to show off to other countries. The GAA certainly wont be opening up any of their grounds for a while so I wouldnt be looking in that directon.

DUB

Nukem wrote:

F*ck the GAA.They is greedy..

Please explain that statement. I like a bit of Rugby but I've had enough of this anti-GAA guff on here :mad: Why can't people discuss stadia in Ireland without having a pop at the GAA? How exactly are the GAA greedy? Are they greedy in that they try to protect our culture and our sports form hugely wealthy outside influences? Greedy that their players are in dispute over 'preparation fees' to play for their country? Greedy that they can build a new stadium without any fuss? greedy that they can't develop their own national stadium but can revamp two stadia for the same team in munster at the same time? :mad:

Trojan

Nice rant (aside: that angry smiley rocks).

I don't think the GAA are greedy[1]. I do think that they are bigoted, small-minded and prejudiced.

For the record, I am a sports fan, not a rugby fan.

1. Well, actually I do but not for the reasons you're thinking of and we're discussing here...

Imposter

Trojan wrote:

I do think that they are bigoted, small-minded and prejudiced.

No more than Nukem then judging by what's posted above.

It's fairly likely that Rule 42 will be abolished at the next congress so to say that the use of the Gaelic Grounds for other sports is a long way off may not be too accurate.

I think Munster needs a large stadium. It's a professional side and the support is there for regular 30-40k crowds imo. I realise it's a representative side but I'm not sure that maintaining 2 grounds to appease certain people makes all that much sense.

Trojan

No more than Nukem perhaps, but maybe a sporting association with tens of thousands of members should appear to be a little more open-minded than your average message-board poster.

Imposter

Trojan wrote:

No more than Nukem perhaps, but maybe a sporting association with tens of thousands of members should appear to be a little more open-minded than your average message-board poster.

I don't see how you can associate those attributes to the whole association. There are definitely members that would fit that description but it's definitely not the whole membership or even a majority of members imo.

But then again you have your prejudiced views from your point of view and I have mine from my point of view.

daveirl

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DUB

Trojan wrote:

No more than Nukem perhaps, but maybe a sporting association with tens of thousands of members should appear to be a little more open-minded than your average message-board poster.

There are hundreds of thousands of members, within thatnumber of people you will get all sorts. Not everyone who dosent want croke park opened is a bigot you know. Why don't the english soccer team play in twickenham while wembley is being rebuilt? Why is the FA cup held in Wales? Does that make the RFU and all their members narrow minded bigots? What about Rangers players always getting booed at lansdowne, so everyone in irish soccer is bigoted as well then yea?

daveirl

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DUB

So it is possible to play at smaller dare i say provincial venue [anfield 45,000, Sunderland 40,000?] when twickenham [70-80,000?] is sitting there? Interesting concept. I wonder why the FA are willing to take a loss in the short term. All the bigoted greedy old GAA's fault no doubt. :rolleyes: