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Why a derelict stadium was picked for Euro 2028 | Scoop
Casement Park in Belfast, which has remained derelict since 2013, has been chosen as one of the 10 venues for Euro 2028. – Pic courtesy of Casement Park Project website, October 16, 2023
Sports

Why a derelict stadium was picked for Euro 2028

Almost RM1 bil redevelopment of Casement Park will rejuvenate dying Belfast suburb

Updated
8:00 AM MYT

 

KUALA LUMPUR – The selection of the United Kingdom and Ireland as joint hosts of Euro 2028 is not as surprising as the choice of Casement Park as one of the 10 venues for the football tournament which is second in scale and popularity to the World Cup.

The stadium – if one can call it that – is basically a wasteland located in Belfast which has remained derelict since 2013.

Previous attempts to revive the stadium, once the home of Gaelic football, were met with protests by residents due to the proximity to residential neighbourhoods where there is a lack of parking facilities; as well as the question if resurrecting the stadium is money well spent.

According to reports the cost of redeveloping the stadium is in the region of £170 million (RM986.5 million) which includes development of commercial facilities and public infrastructure for transport and parking.

The Irish and British governments are expected to foot the bill, although land swap and public-private partnership initiatives are being considered to limit the use of taxpayers’ money.

According to reports, the stadium will be going through a redevelopment project which will cost around £170 million, expected to be funded by the Irish and British governments. – Pic courtesy of Casement Park Project website, October 16, 2023

Critics also say Windsor Park located 2.5km away is sufficient as this is where all Northern Ireland international matches are played.

However, Windsor Park’s 18,500 capacity falls short of UEFA requirements of 30,000. Which is why Casement Park is being redesigned to accommodate 34,500 fans.

Opened in 1953, Casement Park had a capacity for 31,661 fans – which means its frame is sufficient to accommodate the additional 2,839 seats to bring it up to UEFA specifications.

The design of Casement Park is being undertaken by Populous – renowned as the world’s premier stadium designer with, among others, the London Olympic Stadium, the refurbished Wembley Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur’s homeground, and New York’s Yankee Stadium under its belt. 

Closer to home, Populous redesigned the 20-year-old Bukit Jalil Sports Complex to bring it up to current sporting needs, audience demands and safety standards.

This sports complex morphed into the Kuala Lumpur Sports City which opened in 2017 in time for the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

According to reports, populous is also involved in the design of the proposed new Shah Alam Stadium project.

An artist’s depiction of the new Casement Park stadium. The design is being undertaken by Populous, a world renowned stadium designer. – Pic courtesy of Casement Park Project website, October 16, 2023

Proponents of the Casement Park redevelopment say a new sports and event venue will inject a much needed economic activity in the area which currently is peppered by closed shops, pubs and restaurants.

The closure of the famous Bass Ireland Brewery alone cost the loss of 500 jobs.

“A lack of investment stalks the place,” wrote Daily Mail columnist Ian Herbert.

“The case for any form of economic rescue is indisputable,” he added, suggesting that a world-class sporting venue will reintroduce Belfast to the world and allow economic growth for a community in dire need of it.

However another argument in favour of Casement Park is its potential to heal old wounds stemming from Northern Ireland’s dark history of conflict.

While fans from unionist Casement Park will not attend matches or play at the republican Windsor Park, it is felt that a rejuvenated sporting and event grounds will help erase reminders of the violent past that the stadium was once associated with.

The stadium is named after Irish revolutionary Roger Casement who was executed by the British for treason.

The stadium itself saw fights and skirmishes, culminating in the killings of two policemen on the grounds of the stadium in 1988. – October 16, 2023

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