Ollie Cahill and Graham Gartland: Tolka Park saved, time to fix it up

Last week's decision by Dublin City Council chief executive Owen Keegan to recommend that Tolka Park not be rezoned for residential use appears was greeted with joy by Shelbourne fans who had campaigned to save it.

The club's long-standing home ground had been slated to be replaced by housing once a proposed relocation to join Bohemians as co-tenants at a rebuilt Dalymount Park was completed.

But Shelbourne withdrew from that 2016 plan last February and asked the DCC, the current owners of both stadiums, if they could purchase Tolka Park instead.

At the time, the council said it would examine the plans and was open to supporting it as long as there was "a cost recovery model for expenditure incurred by the City Council and a firm commitment from Shelbourne FC that Tolka Park can be redeveloped in a reasonable period and that adequate finance is in place".

The council now appears to be on board with a renovation of Tolka, and former Shels Ollie Cahill and Graham Gartland both believe the club need to make that happen rather than just being happy to be staying up.

"It's massive," Gartland, who finished his career with Shelbourne in 2013, told the RTÉ Soccer Podcast of the reprieve for the ground.

"You don’t want to lose your home. That’s where they’ve played the majority of games since their inception. Some great European evenings there I would have gone to watch.

"There are enough place to re-zone for houses without them taking someone’s home and where they want to play.

"It’s so important for the club now that they’re back in the Premier Division that they have somewhere to call their own.

"I do feel the ground needs developing. If they’re going to save it then make sure it’s done up properly and get the council involved with the