Donegal plan upgrade to ensure Tyrone home tie
The stand-out fixture from Thursday night’s draw has paired the All-Ireland champions against the team they have displaced as the new superpower in Ulster, and with a huge attendance expected, there has been early speculation that the tie will be switched from Ballybofey to Clones.
Donegal have fared well in the draw in recent years, playing an Ulster championship game in MacCumhaill Park every year since 2006.
Despite the fact the Slattery Report reduced the capacity of the venue to around 12,500 this year, McGowan is confident county chiefs can get it back up to around 18,000, which he feels will satisfy the demand.
He said: “It is a massive game. Tyrone will be absolutely huge opponents in the first round, but it’s difficult to estimate the attendance. Would the attendance be much more than 18,000 for a first round game? I wonder.
“No doubt we will have to sit down and discuss it with the Ulster Council, but obviously we want to retain our home advantage and run out at MacCumhaill Park as defending All-Ireland champions.”
Ballybofey’s capacity was cut this year because of difficulties with some crush barriers not being continuous and the inconsistent levels of steps.
Donegal County Board spent around €500,000 upgrading MacCumhaill Park several years ago as a result of findings from a previous report and subsequently boasted a capacity of just over 21,000.
However, the reduced capacity venue was still big enough to house the first round clash with Derry this year, which drew just over 11,000 to Ballybofey on a Saturday night.
McGowan claimed: “The capacity of a lot of grounds was reduced because of the Slattery Report — including Clones. We spent a lot of money and complied with the findings of a previous report only to find that the Slattery Report had changed things again.
“We won’t make any short-cuts when it comes to the safety of spectators and teams but we believe only minor changes will be needed to get Ballybofey back to its proper capacity of around 18,000. We’re confident that will be adequate.”
