Time for Leinster to stay at Lansdowne road?

Eponymous

.ak wrote: »

Just to note, there actually wasn't that many ASM fans in LR. They just made themselves heard, and the Leinster support couldn't get going because for every Leinster fan there was about 20 people there for the scoops.

And that's why I said outgunned and not outnumbered. In the RDS they'd be in small pockets around the ground and surrounded by large quantities of Leinster fans willing and able to match them in the shouting stakes (if not in the quality of chant stakes...).

Nothing worse than trying to get chants going when a couple of alikadoos sat behind tell you to shut up and just watch the game.

stephen_n

stpaddy99 wrote: »

at the moment they sell out the RDS nearly every match
when they play at Lansdown they always get big crowds, the derby is a sell out 50,000 plus Heineken they always top 30,000 plus

so why not stay at Lansdowne?

as it is theyre one of the best supported teams in Europe
but still behind Toulouse and Leicester ....because the ground is smaller, their average gate is probably 17000 at rds

if they stayed at lansdown over a whole season what would that average be over a whole season?

Id guess well over 25,000?

your thoughts?

If you actually go to most of the Rabo games you'd see why. The official attendances include all season tickets even though half those seats are empty, for a lot of the matches, moving that into the Aviva would be financial suicide and kill the atmosphere of a lot of games.

molloyjh

Just for the record the only "sell-outs" last season were Exeter, Connacht, Ulster (regular season), Biarritz, Stade and Ulster (Rabo Final). That's 6 games out of 16 games in the RDS (38%). If you look purely at regular season games and not SFs and Finals it was 3 out of 12 (25%). And that's based on the official figures which I'm pretty sure are a little on the generous side.

So ignoring all the other points like the contract with the RDS, the cost of using the Aviva, the fact that the RDS is a far better venue to attend games etc it still makes no sense to go to the Aviva I'm afraid. Apparently the RDS had an average attendance of 17,000 last season. Again I reckon that's generous. Even if it were true could you imagine what the Aviva would be like with 17,000 people in it? Would that even fill the bottom tier?

vkid

molloyjh wrote: »

the fact that the RDS is a far better venue to attend games

Not disagreeing with you at all, but this is just mental. After all the money spent on the Aviva, people don't seem to like it for games. I've only been twice and wouldn't be in a rush back for various reasons. Its just mad that people enjoy the RDS more than the Aviva when you look at the two facilities. RDS ain't no great shakes either as a venue but the Aviva cost a fortune..

Mad stuff imo.

.ak

RDS is a better venue because of the lay out AROUND the stadium. The actual build of the stadium is horrible, frankenstien kinda stuff. But it's the picket fences, hedges, grass patches and old turn of the century buildings around it that make it a very atmospheric stadium. On a sunny day you can't beat it.

Having said that, I'm actually a big fan of the Aviva, when the atmosphere is good there it's a proper cauldron. Unfortunately recent crowds haven't had much to shout about.

molloyjh

.ak wrote: »

RDS is a better venue because of the lay out AROUND the stadium. The actual build of the stadium is horrible, frankenstien kinda stuff. But it's the picket fences, hedges, grass patches and old turn of the century buildings around it that make it a very atmospheric stadium. On a sunny day you can't beat it.

Having said that, I'm actually a big fan of the Aviva, when the atmosphere is good there it's a proper cauldron. Unfortunately recent crowds haven't had much to shout about.

The whole area around the stadium is a huge plus, and a lot of modern stadia are all the poorer for not having something like that. In places like the Aviva and Thomond you're either in or you're out. If you're in then you either take your place in the stand or hang around in a concrete hallway. The RDS is great because when you're in it feels like a different venue altogether before you take your place in the stand. It honestly can't be beat on a sunny day with the green areas and the wide open spaces etc. Yes it has it's issues structurally and with the facilities at times, but the overall buzz about the place beats most other venues hands down.

Beyond that though the proximity to the action when you're on the terrace is fantastic. It's not as close as Donnybrook, but you feel a hell of a lot closer to the action in the RDS than in most seats in the Aviva. And with less casual fans the atmosphere tends to be (although isn't always) far superior. If we have to pay for that with slightly dodgy toilets (if you think the toilets in the RDS are bad you should see some French and Italian stadia!) and a lack of modern architechture then we're doing pretty well.

irishbucsfan

I love the RDS. Hope we stay there. If we could expand it and improve certain stands it'd be perfect

Podge_irl

On a sunny day I used to happily go to the RDS an hour or more early and just sit in the green areas with some beers. Its also a great area for kids to play in. Its a truly fantastic set up in that regard. If they upgrade the actual stands and increase the capacity a smidgeon it would be ideal.

vienne86

I seem to be voting with the majority - I love the RDS. We usually meet up at the bars/coffee stands at the back of the West Stand, and the atmosphere is great. When we go to the Aviva, we often just go straight to the seats - granted the stands and pitch are nice, I hate the concrete bars/socialising area in teh Aviva. And somehow parking seems to be easier at the RDS.

melekalikimaka

cant byob in aviva - aviva fail

Podge_irl

melekalikimaka wrote: »

cant byob in aviva - aviva fail

I beg to differ.

[Jackass]

If only they'd get around to fixing the old shed of a place up!! :mad:

desertcircus

If, following the expansion of the RDS to a 23k capacity, Leinster sell out every game for three seasons straight, then it's time to think about shifting bases to Lansdowne. Even then, you'd want a serious projection showing a minimum of about 35,000 per game before making the decision.

Moving another game each year to Lansdowne is probably the next step. The home game against Ulster, if scheduled for the right date, could be a huge draw. If they're both in the hunt come Easter next year, an Easter Saturday game could pull in the numbers.

.ak

[Jackass] wrote: »

If only they'd get around to fixing the old shed of a place up!! :mad:

Let's do a whip around.

chris85

Personally I prefer RDS for games. I also like the Aviva for the massive games but I would hate to see Leinster V Zebre there, imagine how empty the place would be. RDS is great especislly on a nice evening and having a few beers on the grass before the game.

The Amlin final there was also great fun. Buzzing atmopshere in Ballsbridge and cracking atmopshere inside.

justsomebloke

melekalikimaka wrote: »

cant byob in aviva - aviva fail

Podge_irl wrote: »

I beg to differ.

ok you can't bring in 12 can's in a clear plastic bag while drinking one and going 'how'ya bud' to the person scanning your ticket

justsomebloke

justsomebloke wrote: »

ok you can't bring in 12 can's in a clear plastic bag while drinking one and going 'how'ya bud' to the person scanning your ticket

actually secondary point on this. Canterbury need to start doing Leinster wife beaters

.ak

justsomebloke wrote: »

actually secondary point on this. Canterbury need to start doing Leinster wife beaters

They do now, but I'm not sure you can buy them. Player's have training sleeveless tops.

Dravokivich

Can we not just cut the sleeves off one ourselves?

justsomebloke

ah it's needs to be a proper vest shape as oppose to just a sleeve less tshirt. Also has to be in the away colours so that it is mainly in white

.ak

Should it be pre-stained also?

justsomebloke

.ak wrote: »

Should it be pre-stained also?

oh god no!!! half the fun is getting it properly beer stained at the games with some of Eddie's secret sauce on it too

Larbre34

I'm surprised at people making a case to move more games to Lansdowne Road. Not to say the RDS couldnt use its upgrade soon, but personally I think the balance of scale they have achieved is spot on. Lansdowne is a fine place but its sterile and corporate and would be hard to achieve an identity with Leinster. Also its pretty hard to replicate the tight atmosphere in the RDS even for a run of the mill game, and the RDS campus is such an asset for people to gather and hang out around the arena especially in good weather. Ive yet to see that bettered at another club.

Also if 14,000 is about the ceiling for season sales why would you move to a 52,000 seater for an atmosphere like Edinburgh playing Zebre at Murrayfield.

Honey-ec

Larbre34 wrote: »

I'm surprised at people making a case to move more games to Lansdowne Road.

In fairness, this thread has consisted of one person trying to make that case and pretty much everyone else saying it would be a terrible idea/commerciallyunviable.