I think from recent visits to Croke Park and other staduims around the world, it's fair to say Croke Park can't compete with these modern stadiums (Wembley, Nou Camp)
Many areas os the staduim appear run down, and need upgrading.
This brings to mind why the entire staduim wasn't built at the same time. As opposed to building it one stand at a time, because the GAA didn't want to take games out of the capital.
Also as the stadium, is not a bowl. The hill end looks very poor when compared to the rest of the stadium. Its like we built 3 stands and just left one of the ends behind the goal.

Yours In Sport,
Joseff

joseff (Louth) - Posts: 964 - 18/06/2010 13:15:06    680971

The hill does indeed look messy but when full in capacity there is no difference with any other stadium in the world and at the end of the day it does hold 82'500

gaamad1996 (Wexford) - Posts: 439 - 18/06/2010 13:20:11    680975

I think it's an amazing stadium!I've been to Guiseppe Miazza,Old Trafford,The Bernabeu,Nou camp and even the Valley(Charltons home ground) lovely little stadium.Croke park is on a par or better than all these stadiums,and to think an Amateur sport has created this is amazing.This is one of the few things i really cant fault the G.A.A on.

beer baron (Cavan) - Posts: 3916 - 18/06/2010 13:23:04    680977

i dont really agree with your point joseff about tht the nou camp being a modern stadium. its actually a very old stadium and anybody who's been there will know that a lot of the outside of it looks very poor.

Louth_And_Proud (Louth) - Posts: 40 - 18/06/2010 13:27:35    680983

I'd take Croke Park over Wembley any day. At least we have a decent pitch ! I think it's a very modern stadium with good views, facilities & exits. The only thing is the hill & especially that terrace bit that is stuck between the hill & the Hogan Stand does look out of place with the rest of the stadium. They can't roof that section because of the railway (which is also why the pitch is good I'd say with all that air coming in) although I would prefer to have the hill all seated all the way round to the Hogan, although the traditionalists would be aginst that!

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1156 - 18/06/2010 13:30:22    680986

Joseff........shush.

Coylers Elbow (Meath) - Posts: 1075 - 18/06/2010 13:33:30    680990

Joseff the thing about the hill is , alot of people love the hill , and its not just a terrace , it means alot more than that , croker would look so much better astheticly with a stand where the hill is , but it would be very unpopular with most people myself included , when i go to dublin matches im always on the hill and always have been since i start attending matches since i was 2 .. i cant imagine going there and not standing on the hill .. its more than just a terrace to so many people . its what it stands for ..

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13658 - 18/06/2010 13:37:46    680997

First of all ladies, i'd like to compliment myself on posting an excellent thread.

Now to make a few points on what was raised.
-Someone said the pitch is good in Croke Park, i beg to differ. In fact when wet the pitch is a disaster, even the Dublin/Wexford game showed an alarming amount of players not being able to hold their footing. Furthermore, the pitch itself has been widely critised by players and teams on a constant basis over the past 5/6 years.
-The Hill which is a terrace, is unsafe. Its only luck that someone hasn't been injured onit.
-Gererally, the stands look drewry. The origional blue seating has turned to gray, there is a green mould growing on the roof of the Cusack Stand and the Canal End to a lesser extent. It's in bad need of a make over.
-The staduim may hold 82,000. But with the trend of attendances this year, it may only be full twice for GAA games. (them being the AI finals) More games should be played at provincial venues.

This all begs the question, should we relocate to a greenfield site?
I'd suggest the fine plains of mid-Louth as a possible location.

Yours In Sport,
Joseff

joseff (Louth) - Posts: 964 - 18/06/2010 13:48:47    681009

Well, I've never been in a soccer stadium because I dont believe the game should exist because its pure rubbish!

Anyway, I worked on the plans for Croker when it was being built in my job, and time and again I have seen this mention in a thread about why didnt we build the stadium in a bowl proper!

Croker, is simply the right stadium in the wrong place!

Awh, im not gonna go into the difficulties we had but lets just say that every project comes down to one deciding factor in the end!.....MONEY!.....and the sooner people get their head around that simple concept is the sooner threads like this disappear!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 18/06/2010 13:50:53    681011

Croke Park is fine, its the county grounds like navan and others that need a face lift more urgently. I dont mean bigger, just make them more hospitable.

LoyalRoyal (None) - Posts: 466 - 18/06/2010 14:00:59    681023

the stadium is amazing and up their with Wembley, Twickenham, Emirates, Park Head and Old Trafford when seated. The only thing it lacks is a good concurse and extra activities, wembley and twickenham are full of that and it does add to the day. Overall it is the best stadium in the world because we the GAA built it. Something to be proud of

CheFinny (UK) - Posts: 1358 - 18/06/2010 14:02:01    681024

Wayno I prefer to watch a game standing also as I find it very hard to keep still when watching a game, that said I think the Hill should be seated and roofed for three reasons. 1. Safety 2. Atmosphere of a bowl is far superior (despite what the Dubs might think). 3. Asthetics.
As for joseff original comment about it being outdated, this is surely a wind up. Being less modern than the camp nou, ridiculous.

bugsie (Leitrim) - Posts: 199 - 18/06/2010 14:59:16    681078

gaamad1996

That was a short leave

dammon (Meath) - Posts: 1291 - 18/06/2010 15:07:10    681092

Clearly a WUM.

The Nou Camp is awful. Terrible to get into and out of. have you been in the upper sections? It is very dated and even Barca are looking at revamping it.

Wembley is decent but not as good as the Emirates. Big problems at wembley on the middle tier in terms of access and at teh first FA Cup final of teh new wembley, the progammes were sold out on ceratin levels and not on others. Also try and get a drink at half time (impossibe) or after the game (completely impossible as the bars aren't allowed to open. The pitch at wembley is a joke as we all know.

I have been to the maracana, nou camp, park head, parc des princes, stade de france, twickenham, giants stadiium, yankee stadium, all over the world and Croke Park is as fine a stadim as any of them.

Puddersthecat (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1692 - 18/06/2010 15:13:17    681107

Bowel stadiums - all look the same with the crowd way back - look rubbish in other words. at least croker has character. on the upgrade issue - p.duufy has said in the past that the stadium will be upgraded in the future when needs be.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 12009 - 18/06/2010 15:15:00    681109

Am sorry guys but youse are wrong on this one.

I outlined a number of faults with Croke Park in a post above. No one has debated with these (as they are correct)
Instead, people are making rubbis claims to have been in various stadiums around the world that have nothing to do with Croke Park.
Lets just focus on Croke Park, and the errors will become apparant.

I agree with the poster above (name escapes me) who says a bowl would be much better.

What ever happened to the "bertie bowl" that was the way to go !

Yours In Sport,
Joseff

joseff (Louth) - Posts: 964 - 18/06/2010 15:22:45    681118

Am sorry guys but youse are wrong on this one.

I outlined a number of faults with Croke Park in a post above. No one has debated with these (as they are correct)
Instead, people are making rubbis claims to have been in various stadiums around the world that have nothing to do with Croke Park.
Lets just focus on Croke Park, and the errors will become apparant.

I agree with the poster above (name escapes me) who says a bowl would be much better.

What ever happened to the "bertie bowl" that was the way to go !

Yours In Sport,
Joseff

joseff (Louth) - Posts: 964 - 18/06/2010 15:24:28    681120

Croke Park just needs a bit of maintanance. Re paint the seats and stuff. On the issue of the Hill I would be very unwilling to get rid of it because of the atmosphere. However I do agree that it does not look good. Any way it could be built over with the upper tier seated?

roundball (Tipperary) - Posts: 2514 - 18/06/2010 15:36:16    681139

ok I'll humour you.

"Many areas os the staduim appear run down, and need upgrading."

What areas in particular??

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 18/06/2010 15:52:26    681156

For you to criticize a stadium built by an amature organization is beyond me. 82,500 seats of genius.

69r (Galway) - Posts: 102 - 18/06/2010 15:54:31    681160