CHARLIE FROM THE STANDS: Size isn't everything. It can be too big!

Football stadiums are incredible feats of construction engineering, when design, planning and preconstruction is executed well. Thankfully, it looks like most League of Ireland clubs understand that improving stadiums and surrounding infrastructure will lead to the holy grail windfall that every club wants - a broadcasting deal.

I think back to a few of the stadiums that I have visited, including the AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys), Melbourne Cricket Ground, New York Red Bulls, Giants Stadium, Charlotte Knights and Flancare Park (known as Bishops Gate now) and wondered which one I loved the most. 

Looking at New York Red Bulls as an example, they are a side that play in the MLS and geographically have a huge number of football fans on their doorstep (New York and New Jersey). With all that reach, it was puzzling to understand why they decided to build an incredible, state-of-the-art 25,000 all-seater stadium. Surely, the Red Bulls could have built a 55,000 seater stadium and filled it a few times a year? You would think that. 

Having attended a few games, it became evident that the club opted for the ‘always full’ approach, rather than look at empty seats, ensuring that every fan that visited would get the same experience no matter the opposition. For me, that is something that the architect and design team had at the forefront of their mind. Through my own line of work, I got to interview one of the General Contractor’s main men, and he confirmed that every little detail had been thought through during early conversations with the client - the fan experience was paramount from the outset.

And we all get excited about the experience - including players. One memory that springs to mind is towards the end of the ‘04 season,  myself and a few other Derry City players were negotiating new contracts - always a tricky time of year. At the time, the office was above the old changing rooms at the Brandywell, and marching up those stairs, pitch ready and awaiting the inevitable pushback, I knew what I was after.  I entered the Chairman’s office, and he seemed happier than usual, big smile and a handshake, which left me immediately worried. After some small talk and pleasantries, up stands Mr Chairman, who flips around his Commodore 6.4. Expecting a set of figures on the screen, instead I am shown a rendering of Chesterfield FC’s new stadium, with The Brandywell Stadium written at the top. Wow.

Like a young, naive Donegal man, I agreed to the deal he proceeded to offer, before going straight downstairs to wait at the Showgrounds gate for the JCB’s to come busting through the car park and get started on the stadium that I would be playing at in two years. That was a long two years. 

But things seem to be turning for the whole league.

There has been loads of good news recently around club’s securing a share of the funding from the Government’s Infrastructure kitty. This includes Dundalk’s ambitious plan for a 6,000 seater stadium; St Pat’s rendering for a 12,000 seater stadium; and Bohemians 8,000 capacity stadium design going through planning stages like Usian Bolt. As well as this, the impending investment into Drogheda United from the US and Hull City’s majority takeover at Shelbourne, it makes for exciting times. 

Closer to home, Derry City are quietly going about their business by receiving wonderful news that they have been granted planning permission for the development of a new covered terrace at the Ryan McBride Brandywell stadium which will bring the capacity to 6,242. And even up the road in Ballybofey, Finn Harps are beginning to see real progress in their plans to recommence their construction phase of a new stadium.

Let’s dig a little deeper and see what is white noise and what will really come to fruition. 

Looking at a few of the plans, it’s hard not to be excited. 

We all seen during the European match against Tobol that Shamrock Rovers are close to finishing the fourth stand at Tallaght, which will bring the capacity to over 10,000 spectators, which given the support Rovers attract, will be an achievable attendance most weeks in a top class stadium. The experience will certainly be a highlight, but also the match-day ticket sales of approx €180,000 per home game will bring a few smiles there too. 

Bohemians look like the next most likely to get started on a stadium redevelopment project, with Dublin City Council set to lodge a planning permission in the coming days for a an initial 8,049 capacity stadium to be completed in time for the 2027 season. Again, the potential windfall per home game would equate to approximately €150,000.

St Pat’s may still be miles behind with Dublin City Council in the process of purchasing the remaining three of five houses that you have to walk through to get to the stadium before any major development can even be considered. Back in 2018, the Richmond Park side had planned a new green field stadium with a 12,000 capacity - one to keep an eye on. 

Shelbourne have been in talks with Dublin City Council over purchasing Tolka Park for a while now, although with Hull City owner Arun Llicali now at the helm, the  €2.5m price tag shouldn’t deter him from purchasing the home of Shels. Shelbourne also look a considerable distance from securing the modern stadium that is required, but should they overcome the ownership issue, one would imagine they would be content enough with that for now. 

With Derry City expecting capacity to reach 6,242 by mid 2024 due to the generous contributions of Philip O’Doherty for the new stand (which will likely exceed €2m) and the capital set aside to expand the Mark Farren stand on both sides, resulting in a further 1,166 seats, Derry City could be sitting with a capacity of 7,408 in a relatively short space of time. A modern facility for an evolving club. 

As someone that always wants to see more progress, imagine seeing the club costing completing the Mark Farren stand as well as a stand behind the Showgrounds net, to match the new stand Derry City are building this year. Next steps should be to then go to the assembly, who have said this week that the Regional Stadium Funding pool of money will be increased beyond the current £36m, and see if it can be done all at once. Should we not get the allocated amount from the Regional Stadium fund, apply to the Shared Ireland Fund and FAI for the remainder of the money. With the support of local political parties, we could surely get this over the line and get a stadium that the North-west deserves, and creating a potential match day revenue stream of over £127,000 per game, by 2025.

Dundalk have applied for a share of the Government’s Infrastructure fund to help with a 6,000 capacity ground, but from word on the street, they are as far out as a lighthouse in doing anything. Interestingly, as part of the redevelopment of Oriel Park, they will return to a grass pitch. The pictures look great (check them out online) but I would guess Dundalk fans are in for a long few years of waiting - similar to that young Gareth McGlynn back in 2004.

With the exception of Shamrock Rovers, Derry City and Bohemians, the other teams in the League of Ireland really need support from the FAI to accelerate their facility upgrade plans. Should this not happen, the League of Ireland will drift further and further away from the broadcast deal which could unlock so much. 

European spots up for grabs

Bohemians and St Pat’s face-off this weekend in a warm-up for the upcoming FAI Cup final, with loads on the line. 

The two week break couldn’t have came at a better time for St Pat’s. Their form before the break was poor, crawling past UCD and Finn Harps, as well as defeats against Shelbourne, Dundalk and Cork City. Jon Daly would have been counting the hours until the international break. This reiterates my thinking that their squad isn’t strong enough to sustain a run in the Cup and challenge for the league at the same time. Should Bohs take the spoils, it will really make the race for second and third spots interesting. 

In Tallaght, Shamrock Rovers can move to within one win of the title should they overcome the prickly Drogheda United. With the returning Jack Byrne now back on side with the manager - but not the club - it looks like a straightforward win for Shamrock Rovers. 

As Rovers pull away, both Derry City and Shelbourne will have their plans to secure European football. Shelbourne need to get something from the game to keep alive Damien Duff’s dream of bringing European football to Tolka Park, while Derry can secure their place in Europe with a point. 

Elsewhere, UCD are preparing for life under the Buncrana native William O’Connor as they face Cork who, on the other hand, will be looking to secure a win to generate some momentum for an inevitable relegation promotion playoff. I’m also backing Sligo Rovers to overcome Dundalk at the Showgrounds, with the visitors as predictable as the weather at this stage.