Development group's report on plans for the future of Oriel Park welcomed

I was really glad to see a report from a development group from within Dundalk FC which sought to examine all options and seek expert advice on the future of Oriel Park.

The club says the group was set up in 2022. It consists of Simon Blackmore, Stephen Neary, Martin Connolly, Colm Murphy, Bernard Freeman and Gerry King.

Dundalk say multiple meetings have been held with local and national representatives, the FAI and potential partners with the aim of putting forward a plan to ensure Oriel Park is capable of meeting the demands of their senior and academy teams.

The club say before the Peak6 takeover in 2018, an independent review into the viability of moving to a new site or remaining at Oriel was undertaken.

It recommended Oriel Park due to the proximity of the town centre, the availability of adequate space for redevelopment and the fact that the club was the home of Dundalk FC.

The report also claimed that the costs of moving to a new site were prohibitive.

The group says they believe that the majority of the clubs supporters view that staying in Oriel is the preferred option for the future.

The 2022 supporter consultation showed that 85.9 per cent preferred to stay at Oriel while 51 per cent believed that the club should focus on a high quality modern category 3 League of Ireland stadium.

And 49 per cent of the supporters surveyed responded that no work should commence until a plan of was drawn up that ensured the cub would be capable of achieving a category 4 stadium capable of hosting European matches past the early qualification rounds.

The group decided to go for a category 3 stadium while attempting to meet as many of the category 4 criteria as reasonably possible given the high costs involved.

They also decided that a staged approach can be taken to make further improvements. Dundalk installed a synthetic pitch in 2005 when it was being run by a Coop.

The club has six academy teams along with their senior and under 21 teams.

They also have underage women's teams and plan to have a senior women's team in the League of Ireland in two years. I say two years as last year Dundalk stated it would happen within three years. Again they say three years in their report. I am taking it as a typo and that they mean two years.

The Development  group say that from a football point of view all coaches and players at the club agree that it is preferable to to install a grass pitch to protect any new grass surface on the main Oriel pitch.

The report says the club would require at least three new pitches to facilitate training sessions and matches for all of their teams.

The existing floodlights need replacing. The existing floodlights were installed in 1967. They use halogen bulbs which are very expensive to run in modern times. They are energy intensive and provide unsatisfactory light to the playing field.

The lighting system has to be replaced with modern LED floodlights both for economic and environmental reasons.

The development group focussed on the development of a 6,000 capacity stadium with suitable facilities for all categories of supporters .

These include facilities for away fans, people with disabilities, family groups and sponsors.

It was decided that a phased development would be the most sensible approach to achieving these ambitions.

New dressing rooms, referees' rooms, media facilities, doping rooms and other offices would all be needed to accommodate players, staff and guests.

Space and facilities will also be needed for use by community groups.

The group has held meetings with Louth County Council, local political party representatives and the FAI.

The talks have been wide-ranging and all aspects of the future needs have been discussed.

The club made a submission to Louth County Council Local Area Plan Consultation as part of these discussions in June 2023.

The development group says that funding is currently being sought to allow the club to appoint a consultant to prepare a final strategic plan for the redevelopment of Oriel Park. This plan will allow the club to approach funding agencies and stakeholders with a plan for the future.

The Development Group, with the assistance of the FAI and Louth County Council have also made an application for Sport Capital Grant Funding.

The focus of the application is to deal with the most immediate issues that face Oriel Park. These are the pitch and the floodlights. A series of site visits have taken place with pitch specialists Clive Richardson Limited.

Other discussions have been held with other parties in relation to securing alternative training and playing for the academy teams.

The results of these discussions concluded that the installation of a grass pitch is not viable at this current time.

Therefore the group say that funding has been sought for the installation of the highest specification of a synthetic surface pitch.

This will use a new cork-infill rather than the black rubber that has been used on three separate pitches at Oriel including the current one installed in 2018.

The development group say this will allow the club bridge the time gap until new additional playing and training facilities are available. 

The second part of the application involved the retirement of the existing flood lighting system and replacement with  modern LED floodlights.

A submission for funding was made to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and media on 8th September last.

The Development Group are now awaiting a response to their application and hope to schedule further meetings with the club owners in the near future.

There is a lot that is very good in the group's report. It's clear to see a lot of work has gone into the planning for the future of the ground.

However I would ask the question if the group actually ever asked the council would they be interested in taking over Oriel Park or a new site for the club?

It would automatically mean that the club would incur no expense on either a brand new ground or a redevelopment of Oriel.

The ground is leased from the Casey family. How much would it cost for the council to purchase the ground?

The group say that one of the reasons for remaining at Oriel is its proximity from the town centre.

But the club supporters do not come from Clanbrassil Street or Park Street, they come from all over the town of Dundalk and its hinterlands.

I agree that Dundalk fans have a sentimental feeling towards Oriel which results in a reluctance of moving to a new site.

The Development Group has recommended staying at Oriel. They say the costs of moving to  a new site are prohibitive.

However I feel the costs of redeveloping a new Oriel will be much more costly.

The cost of building a new main stand at a new venue will be much cheaper than doing the same thing at Oriel.

The group say there is adequate room for redevelopment at Oriel. I wonder where.

The plan fails to say where this room is. A new main stand will fill all or more of  the side where it exists at the moment.

The Youth Development Centre (YDC) takes up most of the opposite side. It is a facility that has great potential, but it has been totally underused.

The Development Group failed to say  what their  future plans for the YDC are, and if they will demolish the existing main stand.

To me the stand must go. The steps in the stand are too steep and are dangerous for the elderly and people with a disability.

The stand itself is 60 years old. That in itself says it must go.

Given the plans for all the new facilities planned I can not see where they will be located in Oriel Park given its existing size.

The dressing rooms must be replaced and it's good to see the club intend doing this.

It's a huge pity the club failed to purchase Hiney Park in 2012 when it was for sale.

The previous owner had paid €700,000 for the facility in 2007 from the Co-op.

After the crash in 2008 the price of land dramatically fell. Important assets were sold off at cut prices around the country.

The €700,000 facility behind Oriel that had been used as a valuable training facility by the club was on the market at a cut down price of €45,000. I remember hearing the price and could not believe it. If I had the money myself I would have bought it for the club.

Sadly the owners in 2012 did not go for it. It was bought by the Dundalk Grammar School. If the club had bought it then I could see the Development Group's point  of there being more room for redevelopment at Oriel.

They say the costs of moving to a new site are prohibitive. The costs of redevelopment on the existing site  are also prohibitive.

The club will, I would say be concentrating on a new pitch and the upgrading of the flood lighting system first.

The grants applied for these  could go a long way in funding new development features at Oriel.

It's a pity the club does not appear to be going for a grass pitch now. The proposed new synthetic pitch will be installed for season 2025.

But one gets the feeling that the new synthetic pitch will also ease the pressure on the club looking for additional training pitches as they will be able to continue the current level of training on the new such pitch as they are now doing on the old one.

The proposed hiring of  a consultant to oversee the development project is an excellent idea.

It's also excellent that the club have applied for development grants that may at least see the start of such  work.

But make no mistake it will be highly expensive. This is why the club has to get the council to either buy Oriel or move to a  new site and let them develop it. This is what South Dublin County Council has done in Tallaght.

A number of League of Ireland clubs have been taken over by outside investors or will be shortly.

Drogheda United provisionally accepted a bid from the Trivela Group that owns English club Walsall FC.T

Trivela are taking 100 per cent ownership of the club. They will also clear the club's existing debts and enhance operations.

Trivela Vice President Wesley Hill is to be added to the Drogheda United Board. He will take on the role of Executive Director.

The owners are American. It's believed they are keen to move the club out of United Park to a new state of the art stadium.

They already have a site. It's hoped they can push the project on as quickly as possible. Drogheda do not own their current ground, United Park. It's owned by the FAI.

Meanwhile First Division Treaty United looks set to be taken over by a Canadian investment firm. Treaty are a strong womens' team.

The men's team joined the club when Limerick FC left the League of Ireland.

A team from Limerick in the Premier Division would be a marvellous asset to the League. With Galway having new owners in the past year and gaining promotion to the Premier Division for next season, foreign owners of new clubs are becoming a fashion. Galway though are Irish owned.

The millionaires of Hull City wanted to take over Dundalk during the current season. It was a great pity it did not go through.

There are all sorts of reasons being given as to why this did not happen.

The Dundalk owners are looking for new investors. It would be a great shot in the arm for the club if this could happen.

Dundalk have only three games left in the league. This is the time when the rumour mill runs riot in regards to players and possibly managers as well coming and going from clubs.

There have been strong rumours amongst the soccer community in Dundalk that the club may have top clubs in the league approaching them for at least one in contract player.

There are also reports that Derry City are very interested in one of Dundalk's players who will be out of contract in three weeks time. I have no idea if a pre contract deal has been done.

Derry has swooped for five Dundalk players in the past.

There was nothing wrong in what they did. Just let us hope they do not get any more Dundalk players in or out of contract at the end of the season. 

I would like to think that the owners have already sat down with Stephen O'Donnell and discussed their plans with him for next season. It would be ridiculous if they have not. Dundalk usually had the players they needed for next season at this stage of the year when Stephen Kenny was boss.

Kenny also ensured he had the out of contract players he wanted signed.

Sadly Dundalk do not have the financial clout they once had to do this. That is why I would be seriously worried the club is going to lose talented players in the coming weeks and months. Next season will be the most competitive league for many years. I would be very worried that unless the club gets its house in order of re-signing, it will be hovering towards the relegation zone for most if not all of next season.

Stephen Kenny

Stephen Kenny's reign as manager of Ireland continues to come to a slow and torturous end.

His last game in charge looks set to be the away game against Holland next month.

I said after the Dutch game that he should have gone then when Ireland were beaten in Dublin.

Last Friday night Ireland were beaten by Greece by two goals to nil. It was a shocking defeat.

Kenny is a top class manager. I have backed him to the hilt up until now. It's now time for him to go before he is pushed.
When Kenny came in he had nothing to work with. Now he has begun to get some shape into the team. But it's too late for him.

Some of the Dublin media have been harsh critics of him. Philip Quinn from the Irish Daily Mail tweeted after the game that it was Ireland's 15th defeat in 27 games for Ireland under Stephen Kenny as the Euro  2024 campaign, which never got going, ended with a humbling 2-0 home defeat to Greece. The argument for change is irrefutable.

RTE pundit Didi Hamann accused Stephen Kenny of kidding the Irish public in the wake of the defeat.

He said 30,000 odd people had shown up for the game. He said they paid hard earned money to be there and this is what Ireland produces.

Well Mr Hamann I have seen much worse at the Aviva in games under McCarthy, O'Neill and Trapattoni.

Kenny has been the first Irish manager to fill the Aviva consistently since it was redeveloped.

Hamann can sit in the comfort of a studio and criticise. And we as TV licence owners must sit there and listen to that rubbish.

I would love to see Stephen Kenny return to Oriel as Director of Football.

The owners would be on to a definite winner from the start. He would work very closely with Stephen O'Donnell. I'm sure he would be an instant success.

Dundalk play Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds in a game where there is nothing at stake for either side next Friday.

Have a safe week. Please be careful out there.