Apologies if it has been asked before, but who does own the Sportsground or what is the arrangement?

It was out of date as a ground in the 90's, never mind today!!!

The only way the dogs would come into play with a new stadium is if they were to raze the current Sportsground in order to build a new stadium. Don't think anyone is suggesting that so Connacht would happily be free of the dogs with any move.

As far as the GAA, I don't think the old rule would come into play if they agreed to go into the venture together or agreed to lease the grounds from whatever organisation that ended up building the new stadium. They just don't want foreign sports being played on fields that they paid to build or at least secured the funding to build.

Connacht would see no money from the sale of the Sportsground since they have no ownership of it. It probably would suit them better that it was kept as is so they could continue to use it for training should they make a move to a docks stadium. They have put in a certain amount of money into the development of the training facilities there.

Perhaps the Dogs could move out to to the Racecourse,like its done in Dundalk? I don't have much of a problem with the track,we're closer to the pitch than they are in Glasgow anyway.If the dogs want to come to a hypothetical new stadium with Connacht,let them,it'll be a new design anyway.

I don't see why the Galway FA would contribute to a new stadium.The biggest crowd Galway United can attract is about 5,000 and their average is about 1,200,in league with an average of 1,500. The GAA seem quite limited in what they can do with Pearse Stadium and besides the odd match against Mayo their attendance is quite low,maybe they'd be a better target? (If the old rule can be broken)

The docks sounds like a great idea,if the Sportsground was sold it would probably generate quite a bit of Cash but that leaves the problem of OLBC and training grounds for Connacht. If Musgrave can find funding we should be able too, I wouldn't mind heading out to LifeStyleSports stadium if it got the place built

goconn wrote: Didn't we have over 9000 attend that very first H-Cup game versus Toulouse ?

We sure did

Didn't we have over 9000 attend that very first H-Cup game versus Toulouse ?

wp_rathead wrote: Fairly sure the only thing keeping the dogs going at the moment are the Connacht fans buying pints in the Main Stand

Just out of curiosity, what is the capacity of the "Clan Terrace" and then of the "Main Stand"?

I was involved for a few years in crowd "management" & following Clan construction was advised that the new terrace had a capacity of 3000; each temporary stand to back of posts held 1000 each and another 2-3000 at main stand and around the corners of pitch without impeding access.That capacity was well reached when Toulouse played and heralded our new found fan base.

salmson wrote:

wp_rathead wrote:
Just out of curiosity, what is the capacity of the "Clan Terrace" and then of the "Main Stand"?

i know the Clan Terrace official capacity was listed as 2012 when built. No idea on the Main Stand but the total including both ends appears to be <6000 without temporary terracing, as the Ulster game was declared a sellout at 5876. I imagine this reduction from the oft-quoted 7500 is on health and safety grounds.

The Ulster game was on an inconvenient day for the away province who have the furthest to travel. And the weather was rubbish. "There was plenty room behind the goals"

We always get more than 7k in for Munster and I'd be disappointed if we don't get at least that for each of the remaining fixtures this season.

[edit] Apologies. I didn't read your post properly. Hadn't realised the Ulster game was declared a sell out. Nearly every Christmas interpro is over 7k though.

wp_rathead wrote:
Just out of curiosity, what is the capacity of the "Clan Terrace" and then of the "Main Stand"?

i know the Clan Terrace official capacity was listed as 2012 when built. No idea on the Main Stand but the total including both ends appears to be <6000 without temporary terracing, as the Ulster game was declared a sellout at 5876. I imagine this reduction from the oft-quoted 7500 is on health and safety grounds.

Side pitch is a couple of metres above the street level. Add a 5-6 metre clan stand above that and you're robbing a lot of sky, it's hard to imagine we'd get permission.

www.google.ie/maps/@53.2794888,-9.037222...g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Hard to see any option others than the dogs or Connacht moving.

Fairly sure the only thing keeping the dogs going at the moment are the Connacht fans buying pints in the Main Stand

Just out of curiosity, what is the capacity of the "Clan Terrace" and then of the "Main Stand"?

The dogs need to go if we are to do anything in the SG. Let them move Connacht bring on much more revenue to the whole area.

mikey wrote: Lads,I'm not an architect/engineer,but know every inch of our grounds.This is just an idea.We've a training pitch; with a bit of imagination and creative design could that be utilised? The Clan is a simple structure that could be disassembled,moved to current corpo car park side.The gym side would be capable of tiered seating, and with a realignment of the road into clan side allow an extended,steeper terrace,similar to Newcastle Falcons stand with bars etc underneath. The only enegative is north side behind goals due to housing behind,but could hold a few hundred at a push.It would mean the demise of the current Warm and Cosy enclosed area,but those lads need to add their voices to the outside, hardy supporters.
This just came to me after waking up after night shift....or should I just go back to sleep?

(Google maps (and Bing, I checked) really need to update their satellite imagery of Galway.)

It looks like it would be a very tight squeeze, but if the car park could go, in the short to medium term, it's probably the least crazy suggestion in the thread to date.

Side pitch used by local club grassroots to green shirts eg Andrew Browne.

Lads,I'm not an architect/engineer,but know every inch of our grounds.This is just an idea.We've a training pitch; with a bit of imagination and creative design could that be utilised? The Clan is a simple structure that could be disassembled,moved to current corpo car park side.The gym side would be capable of tiered seating, and with a realignment of the road into clan side allow an extended,steeper terrace,similar to Newcastle Falcons stand with bars etc underneath. The only enegative is north side behind goals due to housing behind,but could hold a few hundred at a push.It would mean the demise of the current Warm and Cosy enclosed area,but those lads need to add their voices to the outside, hardy supporters.
This just came to me after waking up after night shift....or should I just go back to sleep?

Evil_g wrote:

salmson wrote: I thought the same about the boxes too and then I saw what Castres (Castres!!!!) were flogging them for - 2000 euro per seat per season for 12/14/18 seat suites. You're talking 5 to 10 extra lads in the squad right there.

Hmmmm. Are Boston Scientific and Medtronic going to buy them?

So Clan and Main Stand tickets sold out over a month before the Munster game. A friend of mine is after spending 44 quid on an Enclosure ticket that he doesn't want, just to get into the main stand.

"Extended Terracing" for the Leinster game...and presumably every home game until the end of the Season.

Clan Terrace Hospitality Packages for Leinster and Munster games priced from €66 to €115 (€115 appears to be sold out for Leinster game).

Then there's the possibility of home semi finals

Next year we can now reasonably expect six matches of this scale.

I still don't know whether there's a market for two grand seats.....but make hay whilst the sun shines.

Evil_g wrote: So at the very end of this week's (as always excellent) Craggy Island Podcast Rob confirmed that Connacht have confirmed, that there will be "Extended Terracing" behind the goals for the Leinster Game.

Hopefully they'll need it for all five of the remaining home games.

As I understand it Leinster fans will be put in a makeshift camp (surrounded by fences) and will have to wear uniforms so they can be identified as one and the same