Location
The Maze was chosen for a number of reasons, but none of them were sporting or even practical. The Maze Regeneration Panel suggested a multi-sports stadium be built so it could be used to assist redevelopment of the former prison site. Add the lack of an obvious sporting imperative behind choosing the Maze as the location to the government’s “shared space” agenda, and it becomes clear that the Maze was chosen for political reasons, not practicality.
The Maze site is rural. It has none of the amenities or facilities of a city-centre location. Belfast already has restaurants, bars, shops and other recreation venues. Since most of these depend on passing trade, it’s difficult to envisage private enterprises flooding to open outlets at a stadium that will be used at most a dozen times a year. Even supposing one or two do make it, the captive market will mean fans face being routinely ripped off.
Comparisons with Wembley and it’s distance from the city-centre of London are misleading and inappropriate. Wembley is in a built-up area on major road and public transport routes (including the underground!) while the Maze is in a field somewhere near (not in) Lisburn.