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Hate these so called games all ticket games. You often read of a full house but Celtic park will not be full Saturday week. Thell be about 5.000 people short for a start. I know it's for health and safety but 5000 is a bit drastic. I remember being in mc cumhaill park the year donegal win the league for the championship meeting with Armagh. That was a full house I think they were about 22000 there that day but in fairness it was too packed but the atmosphere was amazing..
rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2409 - 11/04/2024 21:02:29 2537425 Link 0 |
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Do you believe that the decision to run down Clones for example wasn't done for political reasons? The Athletic Grounds hasn't been reduced; the Ulster Council are based there. The reduced capacities are more due to the lack of toilet facilities, and in particular ladies and disabled toilets. They would not cost a fortune to provide. SouthOfTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 585 - 11/04/2024 21:28:44 2537429 Link 1 |
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Really depends on how those clubs manage the young lads. Some still playing their old mates in late 30s/early 40s rather than give younger lads a chance. Newman21 (Donegal) - Posts: 36 - 11/04/2024 22:21:24 2537433 Link 0 |
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Wouldn't cost a fortune, but money is flowing more freely into GAA North of the border than south of it when it comes to Ulster. Not sure if 'political' is the word, maybe just strategic. Why would Monaghan GAA pour money into Clones when it looks like it's going to lose the Ulster final when Casement is built. cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5013 - 11/04/2024 23:11:08 2537440 Link 0 |
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When they they redone the pitch that time they made a bad job of it.When it settled it was all humpy and the drainage wasn't great either.The old pitch was just a natural holm with a sandy bottom which drained fairly quickly and I don't remember the surface being uneven.
gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1058 - 11/04/2024 23:38:56 2537443 Link 0 |
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I also don't think these reductions are anything do to with the Casement Park project, however the point SoutOfTheGap made about Armagh's Athletic Ground being unaffected at 18,500 is valid. Aside from the main stand in Athletic ground having 5,500 seats, the rest of the ground is terraced with a 13,000 terrace capacity and those terraced areas don't appear to be more advanced or have better exits etc than Celtic Park, Healy Park, Breffni Park or Clones. Perhaps toilet facilities are better and the main reason, but surely that could easily be addressed. Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1118 - 12/04/2024 08:18:22 2537449 Link 0 |
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Interesting stats, Thank you for posting. Health & Safety looks to be a priority. Ulster fixtures tend to be very competitive with attendances over 10,000. Last Sunday's local derby in Clones would have easily attracted over 10,000 attendance had it been held in May/June. Beginning championship in late Spring, relative fortunes of both teams, cost of living, live broadcast on RTE/BBC/online, qualifiers (Monaghan will regroup and probably advance further in AI series than most) all means that ground capacities won't be tested until your date in Celtic Park. Curlew66 (Roscommon) - Posts: 506 - 12/04/2024 09:33:13 2537466 Link 0 |
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Don't get me wrong, I love the Athletic Grounds, there is always a great atmosphere in it. But everyone always rightly refers to it being a tight ground; which it is. And to that point, the entrances and exits, toilet facilities etc are in no way safer, or in any way superior than any other ground in the province. In my experience they are worse. The covered terrace opposite the main stand, and indeed both terraces behind the goals, back on to housing estates, where if the ground had to be evacuated in an emergency it would be more dangerous than any other ground that I can think of. I also mentioned it here after our game against Armagh, the number of young fellas climbing over walls and gates with glass and barbed wire on them to avoid paying the fiver entry. Those walls to keep people out, also keep people in.
SouthOfTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 585 - 12/04/2024 10:53:42 2537489 Link 0 |
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The one thing people never mention when talking about poor attendances is the fact that too many football matches are boring and that's turning people away. People are sick of watching the ball being kicked over and back the field for ages with teams afraid to take a risk.
greenfan (Donegal) - Posts: 473 - 12/04/2024 12:10:58 2537505 Link 0 |
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Athletic Grounds - Major renovation in 2011 - 18,500 and no change since. SurelyToGod (Donegal) - Posts: 383 - 12/04/2024 13:22:31 2537523 Link 0 |
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I never even knew they did something to the pitch. It still looks a natural enough field with the humps and hollows. Pitch development has progressed quite a bit over the years and when they get to it I'm sure they'll do a good job. The Aodh ruadh pitch looked excellent for the louth game. I suppose the fact they could use their second pitch really helped with growing the proper coverage of grass. Castlebar and possibly brefnii Park suffered from not being able to leave it long enough for the grass to grow for long enough. That might be a challenge too for mccumhaill Park with the demand of club and county. I think they do have the plan and mccumhaills have got some ground from the council I believe for training and hopefully all that will help. Think they have also plans to remove the perimeter wall and improve the toilet facilties. I think the actual soil of the pitch is pretty good and it won't be as expensive as some redevelopments. A lot of the land beside the banks of the finn is pretty free draining. Ulsterchamps_32 (Donegal) - Posts: 695 - 12/04/2024 13:31:02 2537526 Link 0 |
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Will we beat Derry? Yes or no. TheRock2121 (Donegal) - Posts: 1142 - 12/04/2024 21:11:29 2537578 Link 0 |
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I say yes. The stage is set for an ambush. Our lads will be hungry. We are not far away from them. If we are within a point in the last 5 minutes anything can happen. It's great to be the underdogs.
High_and_wide (Donegal) - Posts: 76 - 12/04/2024 22:40:42 2537590 Link 0 |
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No. If the entire deck was match fit, as well as match sharp I believe we've the footballers and manager to beat them. A part of me has doubts around the backroom team but hopefully I'm wrong. I believe the test in Derry will stand to us as a yardstick around quality and intensity and show the group where they need to get to for later on in the year. I predict getting beaten in the semi final this year, with the group raring to go for next year. StockholmGael (Donegal) - Posts: 112 - 12/04/2024 23:53:45 2537598 Link 0 |
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Would be a huge success of a season if we got to a semi final
High_and_wide (Donegal) - Posts: 76 - 13/04/2024 08:21:08 2537611 Link 1 |
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I am just wondering where the Semi Final against Tyrone will be played.
gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1058 - 13/04/2024 11:35:49 2537622 Link 2 |
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Good win for me our u17 and u20 men. Minors particularly impressive with a comfortable win against Tyrone, hopefully we can push for some silverware this year as I think we have some great players at both grades NPadraigAbu (Donegal) - Posts: 42 - 13/04/2024 17:06:33 2537675 Link 2 |
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I'm worried if we will have enough energy to beat Armagh in the final.
TheRock2121 (Donegal) - Posts: 1142 - 13/04/2024 18:10:10 2537684 Link 2 |
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Not often any Donegal underage side beats a Tyrone so comfortably. Anyone at either of the games? Both teams going well but lots of football to be played yet.
panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2782 - 13/04/2024 18:52:40 2537689 Link 0 |
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Was at the Glenswilly game this evening. No sign of big Murphy, is he still playing club? Thought i read he came off the bench last week. ryan (Donegal) - Posts: 725 - 13/04/2024 22:01:48 2537702 Link 0 |