| Revision as of 21:39, 8 September 2010 view source92.251.222.196 (talk) The capacity has already been confirmed by SDCC. Stop vandalising← Previous edit | Revision as of 00:50, 9 September 2010 view source Onetonycousins (talk | contribs)3,765 edits Please don't remove the cleanup tag; the article is in f*cking bits (due to illiterate IPs).Next edit → | ||
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| {{Infobox_Stadium | {{Infobox_Stadium | ||
| | stadium_name = Tallaght Stadium | | stadium_name = Tallaght Stadium | ||
Revision as of 00:50, 9 September 2010
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| Location | Whitestown Way, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°17′01″N 6°22′25″W / 53.283517°N 6.373744°W / 53.283517; -6.373744 |
| Owner | South Dublin County Council |
| Operator | South Dublin County Council |
| Capacity | 5,700 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2000 |
| Opened | 2009 |
| Construction cost | €11.2 million (to May 2009) |
| Architect | South Dublin County Council Architects Department & Martin Noone Architects |
| Tenants | |
| Shamrock Rovers F.C. (League of Ireland) (2009 -) | |
Tallaght Stadium (Template:Lang-ga) is an Irish football stadium in the Southside suburb of Tallaght, Dublin. Shamrock Rovers originally announced details of the stadium back in July 1996. The stadium is owned and operated by South Dublin County Council with Shamrock Rovers as the anchor tenants.
Stadium Information
The main stand seats 3,000 and holds home supporters, away supporters, club officials and press. A second stand seating 2,700 on the opposite (east) side of the ground, was completed in August 2009. This stand holds the stadium's tv gantry and has brought the seating capacity to 5,700. Both stands are covered. There are no stands currently in place behind the goals though there is limited standing space at the southern end of the stadium, where refreshment stalls are also located. Currently under construction at the southern end of the site is a stadium control room.
Temporary seating has twice been constructed at the stadium. Once for a club friendly against Real Madrid which gave the ground a temporary capacity of 10,900 and again before the 2009 FAI Cup Final, giving the ground a temporary capacity of 8,800.
Located behind the main stand is the Shamrock Rovers club shop jointly operated by Rovers and kit suppliers Umbro . Also onsite at the stadium is the 'Glenmalure Suite' open to club members on matchdays .
History
Planning battle
The following chronology is taken from the Judgement from the High Court on the Judicial Review.
On 10 February 1997 South Dublin County Council passed a resolution to lease land comprising approximately 12.18 acres (49,300 m) at Whitestown Way for the construction of a Stadium for Shamrock Rovers F.C. On 14 January 1998 planning permission was granted and on 24 March 2000 the lease was granted to Mulden International Limited. On 20 October 2000 Mulden International Limited transferred their lease to Slonepark Company Limited to build the stadium and work commenced in October 2000. Work ceased at the site in November 2001 with the pitch and drainage laid, the main stand almost complete and other buildings in various states of completion.
Following a prolonged period where no work was carried out at the stadium and a refusal by the Planning Authority in December 2004 to extend the lease the Council terminated the lease on 4 January 2004.
An examiner was appointed to Shamrock Rovers F.C. on 11 April 2005 and the council engage with discussions with the examiner with regard to the completion of the stadium and its use by Shamrock Rovers Football Club when completed. Following the examinership process a supporters group, the '400 Club' took control of Shamrock Rovers and run the club today as the Shamrock Rovers Members Club.
A public consultation process began on 18 July 2005 to complete the soccer stadium at Sean Walsh Memorial Park. Thomas Davis CLG participated fully in the public consultation process. A county Managers report was presented to the Council on 12 December 2005 which provided for the increase of playing area to accommodate senior Gaelic games and other uses subject to allocation of funds from the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism. The council then informed the Department of the resolution and request clarification regarding funding from the Department.
A reply was received from the Department on 24 January 2006 stating that the Minister could not agree to make funding available for the modified development.
The recent Council decision to adopt the manager’s report subject to increasing the size of the playing pitch and extending the stands seriously undermines the basis of the previously agreed approach. A larger pitch cannot easily be accommodated within the present site given the buildings already in place and would mean that a future stand at the far side of the existing uncompleted stand would be about half the size as originally envisaged, thus limiting the future capacity to about 4,500. Given that the ends of the partially completed west stand are curved means that any proposal to extend along the length is likely to involve significantly increased costs. ... In response to the request from South Dublin County Council that funding be provided towards the new development as envisaged by the resolution recently passed by your Council, I wish to confirm that the Minister cannot agree to make the funding available on the basis of the new proposed development.
— Letter from Dept. Arts, Sport & Tourism, 24 January 2006
Acting on the Ministers response the Council voted in favour or proceeding with the original plans on 13 February 2006.
Thomas Davis GAA club instituted judicial review proceedings in the High Court in May 2006. Their main argument was that the decision of the council on 13 February 2006 to revert to the original plans for the stadium, which did not include a senior GAA pitch, was unlawful. Their submission on the technical point was accompanied by cultural arguments that 'the youth of Tallaght will be restricted to a diet of Association football' and that a soccer-only ground would place the 'applicant at a severe disadvantage in attracting the youth of Tallaght to the club, the sport and the GAA culture'. However the stadium, with the original design, could accommodate junior GAA games as the pitch used at this level fits within the stadium's dimensions. It was only senior GAA games that would not have been facilitated.
The row had several low points that were played out in the media. Some Shamrock Rovers fans unveiled a banner at a league game showing their contempt for Thomas Davis's actions in taking the matter to court. And contrary to the GAA policy of being apolitical Thomas Davis GAA club made it known that the Minister of State Conor Lenihan TD, the local Dáil representative, was no longer welcome at the club because of his support for Minister John O'Donoghue's stance and called for the clubs members to make the stadium a General Election issue.
The judicial review began on 20 April 2007 and concluded on 14 December 2007. In the High Court decision Mr. Justice Roderick Murphy found in favour of South Dublin Co. Council and Shamrock Rovers. He found that Thomas Davis had no financial or proprietary interest in the development site having had no agreement with SDCC for its use and noted the extensive facilities they had already been given by the council. And so Thomas Davis were not prejudiced by the decision being made in February rather than late January. The resolution to change the stadium was conditional on additional funding from the Department in the absence of this funding the resolution could not stand or, more properly, could not be implemented. The court concluded that "it would be wrong of the respondent to commit itself to unbudgeted expenditure or to delay the implementation of its resolution of 13 February 2005. The court, accordingly, refuses the relief sought by Thomas Davis."
An application by Thomas Davis for leave to appeal this decision to the Supreme court was refused by Judge Murphy on 25 January 2008. Building commenced on the stadium on 6 May 2008, a full six and a half years since work stopped.
Opening and development
The first game in the new stadium was held on 13 March 2009 . Rovers made a winning start to life in Tallaght as they saw off the challenge of Sligo Rovers 2-1 in front of a sell-out crowd of 3,000. Gary Twigg had the honour of being the first man to score at the new stadium.
The stadium was officially opened on Saturday June 27 .
On 20 July 2009, Shamrock Rovers played Real Madrid at Tallaght Stadium as part of a "festival of football" which also included games against Newcastle United F.C. and Hibernian F.C.. Temporary seating was installed taking capacity up to 10,900. Real Madrid won the game by one goal to nil with a late goal. The match was notable for the debut appearance of Cristiano Ronaldo for Real Madrid..
The second (east) stand was opened for a game against Dundalk FC on August 22, which attracted over 4,500 fans. The stadium was sold out the following week, albeit with capacity restrictions (meaning a crowd of about 5,400) for a derby with St Patricks Athletic. Its first full house with the new capacity came against Bohemian FC on October 2, 2009, when tickets, 6,000 of which were issued, were sold out a week in advance.
The Republic of Ireland under-21 national football team played Georgia on the 9th of October in Tallaght stadium, drawing 1-1. The 2009 FAI Cup Final was held at the stadium . Sporting Fingal were winners over Sligo Rovers before 8,105 people. The stadium hosted its first rugby international game when a crowd of over 4,000 saw the Ireland A national rugby union team defeat their Argentinian counterparts in November 2009.
The first European game in the stadium was held in July 2010 when Rovers drew with Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv F.C. in the Europa League .
Current layout
Main stand
Capacity: 3,000
The main stand runs the length of the west side of the pitch and was the first stand to open in the stadium. One corner of the main stand is used to house away supporters. The main stand also houses the dressing rooms. The club's superstore is situated behind the stand.
East stand
Capacity: 2,700
The east stand runs the length of the east side of the pitch and is the most recent stand to open in the stadium. The ultras within the club's support base currently congregate in the east stand. In July 2010 a control room was constructed at the car park end of the east stand.
Square end
The council have indicated that the third stand in Tallaght Stadium will be constructed at the end of 2010.
Useage
American Football
The only American Football game held in Tallaght Stadium was the 2010 Shamrock Bowl, the final of the Irish American Football League on August 7, 2010. Dublin Rebels defeated the University of Limerick Vikings 15-0. The final is expected to be played in Tallaght again in 2011, should a Dublin based team reach the final.
Association Football
Tallaght Stadium became the new home of Shamrock Rovers in March 2009 after over 20 years without a permanent home stadium, their last game at Glenmalure Park on 12 April 1987 in an FAI Cup semi-final against Sligo Rovers. Rovers finished 2nd in their first season at Tallaght and also hosted Real Madrid, Newcastle United and Hibernian in friendly matches. The 2009 FAI Cup Final was also played in Tallaght, Sporting Fingal defeating Sligo Rovers 2-1.
Rugby Union
Ireland Wolfhounds defeated Argentina Jaguars 31-0 in Tallaght Stadium in November 2009.
References
- "South Dublin County Council press release re. official opening of Tallaght Stadium". 2009-05-29.
- http://www.sdublincoco.ie/index.aspx?pageid=939&pid=16099
- http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1996/0710/Pg016.html#Ar01605:0724391274900CB4C710A4DD17153B19E5500594C80B34DD1FE52A22253F22252A22753F14A53B165550
- http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/shop/stadium-club-shop
- http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/matchdays/the-glenmalure-suite
- "Cumann Tomas Daibhis & Ors -v- South Dublin County Council". Irish Courts Service. 2007-12-14. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
- http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1998/01/16/phead.htm
- "GAA club win leave to fight single use". Irish Times. 2007-03-31.
- Paul Hyland (2006-11-23). "Landmark Day on cards for Hoops (quoting the affidavit to the High Court)". Evening Herald. pp. 106–107.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - Cliona Foley (2007-01-05). "GAA at Tallaght ground ruled out". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
- Thomas Davis to make stadium row election issue
- http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2007/1214/shamrockrovers.html
- "Shamrock Rovers Football Club Judgement Delivered". South Dublin Co. Council. 2007-12-14. Retrieved 2007-12-14.
- "Shamrock Rovers triumph on Tallaght homecoming". Irish Times. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- "Rovers and Real friendly details announced". RTE Sport. 2009-06-19. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
- "Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Real Madrid". RTE Sport. 2009-07-20. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
External links
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