Cork got millions for their stadium (Approx €65m), If Clones got a few of that from the Ulster Council or the GAA, it could be a 5 star spot. Casement will be a disaster if it starts getting big matches. The area is not great (lived nearby), the traffic and parking is worse than Clones (even when holding less than 10k) and Clones has a tradition, similar to Semple stadium in Munster. Clones needs Floodlights and it will be right.

Monaghan08 (Monaghan) - Posts: 188 - 09/03/2016 10:10:16    1832664

Just 1 quick question why was the ref for the Donegal Mayo game in Ballybofey from the neighbouring county of Derry and the ref in the Monaghan Mayo game in Clones was from Cavan, both are hardly neutral refs, at least the ref in the Kerry Donegal affair was a neutral from Laois even though he lost control of the match

riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 09/03/2016 21:16:35    1833084

Seriously lads for Ulster , do you ever listen to yourselfs on these forums

topdownfan (Down) - Posts: 555 - 09/03/2016 21:23:57    1833086

Cork got millions for their stadium (Approx €65m), If Clones got a few of that from the Ulster Council or the GAA, it could be a 5 star spot. Casement will be a disaster if it starts getting big matches. The area is not great (lived nearby), the traffic and parking is worse than Clones (even when holding less than 10k) and Clones has a tradition, similar to Semple stadium in Munster. Clones needs Floodlights and it will be right.
Monaghan08 (Monaghan) - Posts:140 - 09/03/2016 10:10:16 1

Casement had a tradition long before Clones did but little things like The Troubles changed all that. If you lived near by them you'd know the Stadium backs onto the motorway which connects the north and south. Yes there are issues with parking etc on match day but where doesn't have that?

As for Clones being a 5 star spot, I think you'll need to come out of the clouds there. The roads and infrastructure are a shambles and every match day becomes a major saga both before and after games there. There is far more potential in Belfast where the infrastructure is already there and with a bit of modification could work well. To make Clones a 5 star venue you need to have financial backers to the level that built Dubai!

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2385 - 09/03/2016 21:59:32    1833107

No harm but Clones is awful! Its like something from the medieval times. I think Armagh ground is the best in ulster and a great location! They should have pumped the money into doubling the size of it

redhanddefender (Tyrone) - Posts: 913 - 10/03/2016 09:19:04    1833121

What's the story with casement and it's redevelopment? I remember rte news showing the plan for it and it looked unbelievable.

dave1988 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1057 - 10/03/2016 09:40:05    1833128

As for Clones being a 5 star spot, I think you'll need to come out of the clouds there. The roads and infrastructure are a shambles and every match day becomes a major saga both before and after games there. There is far more potential in Belfast where the infrastructure is already there and with a bit of modification could work well. To make Clones a 5 star venue you need to have financial backers to the level that built Dubai!

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts:558 - 09/03/2016 21:59:32

No harm Saffron but I think it's your head that is stuck in the clouds.

1 There is no need for "infrastructure" for one or two big days in the year. A few good pubs & some burger vans & a shedload of atmosphere that's all we need. Clones has all this in spades.

2 The roads are not a "shambles" You can come into Clones from three different directions, Monagahan, Enniskillen & Cavan & the roads themselves are fine. Only one route into Casement for the vast majority of us, M1 leading to Kennedy Way & the Andersonstown Rd. I can imagine the traffic chaos on a good day let alone when some bunch of self appointed patriots decide to block the road to protest about some clown in Maghaberry or some lunatic loyalist decides to make a name for himself & don't say it couldn't happen. Belfast is full of them.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 10/03/2016 11:13:43    1833186

A few good pubs & some burger vans & a shedload of atmosphere that's all we need. Clones has all this in spades.


Wow! see you in tomorrow's world Muck, that's some ground breaking technology worth waiting for.

The roads are not a "shambles" You can come into Clones from three different directions, Monagahan, Enniskillen & Cavan & the roads themselves are fine. Only one route into Casement for the vast majority of us, M1 leading to Kennedy Way & the Andersonstown Rd. I can imagine the traffic chaos on a good day let alone when some bunch of self appointed patriots decide to block the road to protest about some clown in Maghaberry or some lunatic loyalist decides to make a name for himself & don't say it couldn't happen. Belfast is full of them.


Your only having a laugh about those roads in and out of Clones aren't ye? It takes you longer to get 1 mile out of Clones than it does the rest of your trip back to Belfast and lets not mention parking, people are parked everywhere which is part of the hold up in and out of that cow town.

Also, if you think there is only one route into Casement you must be making this up as you go. Yes the surrounding areas are Andytown and Kennedy Way but there are countless ways to get there depending on where you are coming from. When you visit Dublin for a match you hardly try to get a parking spot outside Jury's Croke Park, do you? There are plenty of surrounding places in Belfast to park just a short walk from Casement. Try doing that in Clones...ah wait, you can't park in fields.

And as for that last bit about lunatic loyalists etc, well that's just daft. Its not the late 80's here and random attacks from loyalists are non existent in the west of the city. I'd expect that talk from a clueless American tourist but not someone from this Island with an interest in GAA. Between your ideal stadium and your perception of Belfast today I think its fair to say your head is well and truly in the past.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2385 - 10/03/2016 14:17:17    1833295

SaffronDon, if you read my post correctly, I said with investment, Clones could be a 5 star place, not that it is currently. This is as a result of neglect from the Ulster Council (who own the pitch, not Clones or Monaghan GAA) by spending wild money on a castle in the Sky in Casement.
When was the last time a big match was held in Casement, The match for Michaela is the only one I can think of in years. I may be a bit hopeful in looking at a 5 star rating but if money was put into it, it could be the equal of Semple reasonably easily and economically.

As said, there are are at least 3 main ways out of Clones, as well as a large number of backroads. But as an Antrim man, you may not have had the opportunity to sample Clones on a big matchday too often. If you park in a decent spot in Clones (in one of our lovely fields for example), it is not that bad and a comparable wait to other grounds. Coming out of Croker is a disaster as well and parking is even further out than Clones (no fields there!).

Monaghan08 (Monaghan) - Posts: 188 - 10/03/2016 14:49:29    1833314

I thought this thread was about Division 1 one football, not this Casement v Clones rubbish again!!

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 10/03/2016 15:56:35    1833358

SaffronDon, if you read my post correctly, I said with investment, Clones could be a 5 star place, not that it is currently. This is as a result of neglect from the Ulster Council (who own the pitch, not Clones or Monaghan GAA) by spending wild money on a castle in the Sky in Casement.

I did read it correctly and I still think its a bad location to be throwing a lot of money at. Especially when Casement will be funded by local government.

When was the last time a big match was held in Casement
Sadly its been gathering dust and tumble weeds for the last three years and before that, the Ulster council that you say neglects Clones so much gave all Ulster finals and almost all Ulster semi finals to Clones leaving the norths biggest city with very little to be hyped about.

But as an Antrim man, you may not have had the opportunity to sample Clones on a big matchday too often.
Nice one! Fortunately I enjoy watching more than just my own county (it would be a pretty short summer if I didn't). I was at the 09 semi and final. Went to the Derry v Donegal final and again the year your county shocked Donegal in 13.

If you park in a decent spot in Clones (in one of our lovely fields for example), it is not that bad and a comparable wait to other grounds. Coming out of Croker is a disaster as well and parking is even further out than Clones (no fields there!).

yea but how many of those 'lovely fields' are actually used? In Dublin you know not to park too close to Croke otherwise you will get stuck on the way home. In Clones you don't have that option, you just have to descend into the mayhem. In Belfast or Dublin you also have the option to stay the night which would be ideal for big games, another option Clones couldn't cater for.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2385 - 10/03/2016 17:03:10    1833387

Just 1 quick question why was the ref for the Donegal Mayo game in Ballybofey from the neighbouring county of Derry and the ref in the Monaghan Mayo game in Clones was from Cavan, both are hardly neutral refs, at least the ref in the Kerry Donegal affair was a neutral from Laois even though he lost control of the match

riverboys (Mayo) - Posts:592 - 09/03/2016 21:16:35

Jesus riverboys, you are the only man I know who scouts the birthplace of referees & imagines a great conspiracy!!

Why would a Derry or Cavan ref favour teams from neighbouring counties? Knowing the fevered atmosphere in Ulster he would be more likely to favour the opposition if anything.

As for the guy from Laois, are you telling me that it was a better state of affairs simply because he had a longer round trip even though he was poor?

There is delusion, paranoia & then your post

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 10/03/2016 17:55:10    1833408

With 3 games remaining who do ye think will go down and who will make the the semi finals.

dave1988 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1057 - 10/03/2016 18:33:33    1833423

Semis Dublin, Donegal, Kerry, Roscommon

Relegated Down, Cork

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 10/03/2016 19:54:33    1833452

Brilliant result for our lads again today, I did predict it in Prediction league in fairness as and always believed we would get result up there. Mad to think we have played five games and only one in Roscommon on home soil and that is only game we didn't win #Betterontheroad #Rosforsam

Pingcity (Longford) - Posts: 568 - 13/03/2016 16:42:25    1834135

Think they'll be our toughest test of the league pingcity so I'm glad to hear they're better on the road since we're playing you at home :)

CroiGorm (Dublin) - Posts: 1547 - 13/03/2016 17:16:51    1834183

Dont care where we play Roscommon, Could be the Hyde, Laois, Mars....

We will beat them.

Making serious strides and well done to them, Hopefully they beat and relegate Mayo, They wont be beating the Dubs though.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 13/03/2016 18:16:14    1834244

I wouldn't count any chickens Wayno, their desire for this particular fixture would surely out-weigh ours!

KerryKillers (Dublin) - Posts: 711 - 13/03/2016 18:28:01    1834250

Hopefully they beat and relegate Mayo

Thanks for the sentiments Wayno but be careful what you wish for as Roscommon could prove to be a far bigger danger to you than Mayo have been. I was in Castlebar today and it was as clueless a display from Mayo as I have seen in a long time. Playing with the wind in the first half we persisted with two inside forwards, neither of whom had pace, played the ball back and over around the middle of the field before eventually kicking a high aimless ball in the general direction of the inside men. Kerry played O Mahoney as a sweeper so the odd time the forward got a ball they were swallowed up by defenders. Gooch strolled around as if it were a practice match and every pass he hit was chest high to an inside forward who immediately laid it off to a runner and over the bar. Simple, economical and a joy to watch. Donaghy played mostly at midfield but came forward to the edge of the square for a long range Gooch free and caused such consternation that that we ended up conceding what was virtually an own goal. Even when the ref took pity on us and sent off Donaghy we showed no improvement. We now have a goalkeeper who is our main freetaker, with a conversion rate of about 25%. With five minutes to go and us five points down we got a free about forty yards out which was taken by Aiden O Shea who lobbed it into the edge of the square where a small forward was marked by three Kerry defenders. The frightening thing was that Kerry seemed to playing well within themselves. Maybe management are playing their cards close to their chest. Maybe they want us to look sh**e now so that we can surprise everyone come championship. Maybe.............

Llaw_Gyffes (Mayo) - Posts: 1113 - 13/03/2016 20:51:09    1834359

Decent win for us last night.Good ground Newry, Good Craic in Newry shamrocks club . Place was all Dubs ☺, former All Ireland winning Down caption DJ Kate behind the bar having the Craic.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 13/03/2016 21:42:25    1834404