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Deleted User X18H
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....pre season punch up this time with Athlone
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Deleted User X18H
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Cian
Well-known member
Nice new stadium they have there, apparently (didn't get to go to it last season and now Harps are a division higher). Although I've never heard it called the "Athlone Regional Sports Centre", its usually called Lissywoolen.
Tyrone Biggums
Well-known member
Odds on us signing one of their players "on the cheap and one for the future"?
Cian
Well-known member
They're only part-time and in the very bottom place in the League structure here (at risk of losing league status for the first time ever due to a reorganisation of the national system).
So very very possible indeed then
JJ McClure
Go Jags
Hardly seems worth it for one game.
Cadiz Seagull
Grey bearded old man
No but getting away from the normal surroundings for a week's training is a good idea - especially for any new players to help them gel.
Arthur
Well-known member
It was definitely required! I went last time we played out there and the ground was....errrrmmmmmmm........a little tired shall we say!
I am wondering how they got the money to build it though? Without the Brighton fans that day crowd would have been 3 blokes and a dog!
Cian
Well-known member
St. Mels was sold to developers for enough cash to build stage 1 of the new stadium and they're currently trying to tap FAI and lotto funding to build the rest.
League attendences are up about 60% since 2002 so thats helped a lot too, but they're still about 30% of what they were in the 1980s.
Athlones's no f***ing use to me. Why can't we play Wexford or Waterford or Kilkenny so I can KINDLY offer the missus a summer trip over to see the family?
captainmorganrum
Wrexham
Cian
Well-known member
Kilkenny went out of business (ish) last season. They fell out of the league and out of senior football entirely, only have youth teams. No money, no attendance, perennially bottom of the league. Cash ran out halfway through building the 'new stand' so the changing rooms/offices/toilets in it were never commissioned so they were using collapsing portakabins still.
Wexford have a nice setup and have plans for the class stadium - but the main pitch is a bit Withdean at the moment, temporary stand! Waterford have just doubled the size of their ground, not been there since the new stand opened.
Cian
Well-known member
Summer football and a heavy move to Friday evenings has boosted home attendances but seriously hurt away ones (except for local derbies, obviously). General improvement in the standard of football on offer and better promotion on TV and radio has helped a lot too.
Kukev31
New member
Anyone else looking at going over for this, what are the trains like from Dublin to Athlone?
Cian
Well-known member
Apparently ATFC have been told to expect up to 1500 Brighton!
11 trains a day, about an hour and a half. Bus Eireann 20 and 21 routes stop there (these are operated by luxury coaches now, not antique crap like a few years back), theres about 20 a day of these. Buses are scheduled to take 2 hours but actually take longer cause of the roadworks, see below...
Hour and 3/4 in a car via the M4 Toll, unfortunately the M6 from the M4 to Athlone is about 4 months away from completion so theres lots of roadworks and you're on the old road.
The stadium is a bit outside the town!
Kukev31
New member
Thanks, do you know the website train/bus services. Will we be able to make it back to Dublin after the game, assuming it's a 7.45 kick off.
Can't see more than a couple of hundred going over tbh.
Can't see more than a couple of hundred going over tbh.
Cian
Well-known member
Irish Rail - Iarnród Éireann - train tickets, train times, Ireland rail travel information
Bus ireann
And, erm, I doubt it. Although Bus Eireann do run some very late services these days.
Bus ireann
And, erm, I doubt it. Although Bus Eireann do run some very late services these days.
BensGrandad
New member
We worked at a pub in Lambeth last year for 2 weeks and they had a coach driver who came in there as he stayed at the local Days Inn and he drove a daily coach from London to Dublin then returned the next day not sure about the price or which company that it was that did it.
Cian
Well-known member
Eurolines. You can book through National Express (I think) or Bus Eireann.
BensGrandad
New member
That sounds like it. I know that he actually lived in Wales but worked for the Irish company and got home every 2 weeks or so.