Fraher Field or Forget It

            Normally when I am walking I do not talk to anyone as I tend to have all my focus on the ground ahead of me. I am not looking straight ahead as most people would. I tend to look at the ground in front of me, watching for any wet leaves at this time of the year, or any small bits of plastic that might be on the ground or any oil from cars or other motor vehicles that might be on the ground, making sure not to put my crutch on them and risking an embarrassing fall in front of people.

            On Sunday afternoon last I like many others left Fraher Field on the stroke of full time in a bid to get ahead of the four thousand plus that would be streaming out of the ground and with many heading in the one direction.

            Those that know me will know that I don’t drive, the roads are possibly safer as a result, and knowing that there would be a large attendance at the two games I had agreed with my driver home that I would walk as far as ‘John Foleys’ to be collected and make my way home rather than for them to be trying to drive into hundreds and possibly thousands of people all coming out at or around the same time.

            For much of my walk after coming out of the stand on Sunday last the same people were behind me. They were behind me at least to the Council Yard located on the ‘Ring Road’ around the town of Dungarvan and the conversation that they were having was along the line’s that Fraher Field is one of the best venues for a game in the country.

            I did not turn to see who they were nor did i recognise any of the voices, but those talking behind me were adamant when it comes to big games in Waterford it should defiantly be a case of ‘Fraher Field or forget it’ something said recently by County Chairman Paddy Joe Ryan when talking about a possible venue for Waterford’s Munster Senior and Minor Championship games against Limerick and Clare next year.

            Those that were talking were adamant that if the field was turned around and run alongside the road then Waterford could have a venue that we could be very much proud of.

            This is something that many feel should be done. As things stand there is plenty of room at the site for the field to be turned as can be seen on a photo that I spotted on twitter on Sunday evening posted by @ BUDWYZER.

            After the County Board purchased land behind the bank side of the field some years back now, and which is currently used as a car park there is ample room for the field to be turned around and for the building of a new field for sides to warm up on, something that which if Walsh Park was to be developed as the County Ground will never have, meaning that teams playing at Walsh Park have to call upon the generosity of clubs in the area to make their facilities available to them to warm up if there is a double header at the venue.

            We all know that the County Board were recently given permission to develop Walsh Park into a stadium catering for between 15,000 and 18,000 people. There are a number of people reporting that objections have been made against the granting of permission by Waterford City and County Council and from what I have heard in the last few days there is no guarantee that the objectors will lose their appeal against the decision given by Waterford City and County Council.

            This time last year when the idea of developing a County Ground was first been mooted, we were being told that it was a case of Walsh Park or nowhere when it comes to a County Ground in Waterford, and I have no doubt that this is what the big noises in Croke Park were telling our officers, telling them that all the county grounds are in the areas where the population is at its biggest, something we know is not entirely true as there is at least five County Grounds that are not in the county town or city.

            For two long people are treating G.A.A. Officials in Croke Park like what Priest’s and Religious, Teachers and Guards were treated like in the past. What they said was taken as law and everyone rode in behind what they had to say.

            But we saw earlier this year that if you stand up to them and put your foot firmly down with them they will back down in the corridors of Croke Park. Kildare showed that with their Newbridge or nowhere when it came to playing Mayo in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

            Everyone that has anything between their ears knows that Walsh Park is not fit for purpose when it comes to a county ground.

            There is club grounds of some small clubs which have a better lay out that whatever can happen at Walsh Park, having parking facilities, have warm up areas for teams playing at the venue and have ample spectator spaces. This is something that cannot happen at Walsh Park and whether we want to admit it or not, there is no skirting around the truth.

            If those who are reporting there is objections gone into An Bord Pleanála about the development of Walsh Park and if the objectors were to win their appeal it could make the development of Walsh Park a non runner, but there is other options available to Waterford for a County Ground, one which might take a little longer to take than developing Walsh Park and maybe cost a little more, but in the longer term might be much better options.

            I wonder if we as a county were to stand up to Croke Park Officials like Kildare did with their fixture with Mayo earlier this year, it could be worth it. We know for example that at least one former President of the G.A.A. and that one former Director General have a very high view on Fraher Field and it’s suitability for big games.

            Maybe if we were to go to them telling them that Walsh Park is not a suitable location for a county ground and it is not just me that says it, and to tell them that it’s Fraher Field for development or Forget it, it might be a battle that can be won.