Croker - floodlights!!!

[Peadar]

ok Peadar, Ibrox it is so : P

Do they have a decent ground?
What capacity do they have?
Not a big fan of Glasgow as a whole.
Edinburgh is nice!

The Diaspora,the diaspora........

Isn't there a tablet for that?

One other thing would be the lack of chants - may annoy some others here, but the big counties aside (the dubs i.e) not many counties have songs etc!!

think therd be excellent atmosphere in the stadium if we got the go ahead!!

I agree with you on pretty much everything here.
In addition to your points, I think the atmosphere suffers at Hurling especially because you have to watch the game so closely that it's hard to sing or chant at the same time.
The game could also be at night, under lights which would add to the atmosphere.

The only downside is that you'd have so many more people there who may never have been to a game and not know how to participate in the atmosphere. It would be the same situation as we currently have in Lansdowne only on a larger scale.

[carnstien]

If the GAA were to open up Croke Park and if the F.A.I. were to switch the game then it could be played in the afternoon like we used to when Lansdowne had no lights.

I still think we'll play the french ar Lansdowne - haven't checked Paddy Power lately but last time they had it 3/1 on the game being in Croek Park.

I really would prefer to see it played in Lansdowne. It's and old shack of a place but when it's full there's a hell of an atmosphere and it's what our boys are used to.

Who else remembers what happened to Arsenal when they played there European games in Wembley?

[Peadar]

Who else remembers what happened to Arsenal when they played there European games in Wembley?

I was there to see Barcelona and Fiorentina.
Believe me it wasn't the 72,000 crowd that was the problem, it was the width of the pitch.
Arsenal were caught out too many times as the team back then lacked any real pace. Wembley wasn't the biggest pitch in the Britain or anything but the running track made it feel really big and I think Arsenal just weren't comfortable there.
I don't think the same thing would be such a factor for Ireland given how few times the team play at Lansdowne Road anyway.

[carnstien]

I was there to see Barcelona and Fiorentina.
Believe me it wasn't the 72,000 crowd that was the problem, it was the width of the pitch.
Arsenal were caught out too many times as the team back then lacked any real pace. Wembley wasn't the biggest pitch in the Britain or anything but the running track made it feel really big and I think Arsenal just weren't comfortable there.
I don't think the same thing would be such a factor for Ireland given how few times the team play at Lansdowne Road anyway.

I still don't like the idea and I don't think Kerr will either. All you are doing is creating the possibility for unforeseen things to go wrong. Arsenal never expected to perfrom so badly at Wembely, it just happened and the possibility is always there that it could happen to us.

[Peadar]

Arsenal never expected to perfrom so badly at Wembly.

I can't see why not. They've hardly go any real European pedigree to suggest they would have had greater success in Highbury.
Aren't they back playing in Highbury for the last 4 European seasons now?
Still no success in Europe.
Brian Kerr is a resourceful man and I'm sure he'll make the best of the situation, whatever it may be.

[Colm55]

I really would prefer to see it played in Lansdowne. It's and old shack of a place but when it's full there's a hell of an atmosphere and it's what our boys are used to.

Who else remembers what happened to Arsenal when they played there European games in Wembley?

In my opinion the atmosphere in Croker would be much better because at a capacity crowd of 75,000 there would be a hell of a lot more of supporters like ourselves at it due to more tickets being available, I struggle to get tickets to lansdowne due to the fatcats in their suits and i'm sure it applies to others here aswell. Played at croker and there is double the amount available for the likes of ourselves. I've no qualms at all about the atmoshere being any less at croker then at lansdowne, I believe it would be ten times better for the above reason.

You do make a good point regarding arsenal at wembley but i honestly don't think it applies here!

[fergalr]

Don't understand the sentimentality about Landsdowne - I never ever liked the kip. In any case, when was the last time we played well there?

[Peadar]

In any case, when was the last time we played well there?

Beating Holland and drawing with Portugal in the last WCQ's?

[fergalr]

Beating Holland and drawing with Portugal in the last WCQ's?

Both times we were outplayed for much of the match and got the results with a combination of luck and grit.

All I'm trying to say is that the Rugger HQ has never felt like home and I won't be sorry to see it go.

[thejollyrodger]

I hate looking at landsdowne road too. it has to be one of the uglest stadia in western Europe. Can wait till they flatten the place.

Stade de France is a pretty wide stadium and Ireland managed ok there so I dont think the width should be too much of a problem.

Im still not sure about the atmosphere though in Croke Park. The major selling point is that its handy and more people can go and see the team playing but there is deftinetly draw backs. A team will be playing into an empty stand, the atmosphere isnt guaranteed.

Can someone clarify will the grass be suitable for soccer. I read somewhere that they have mixed it with some other wierd stuff and it might be like playing on an astro pitch.

[Peadar]

Can someone clarify will the grass be suitable for soccer. I read somewhere that they have mixed it with some other wierd stuff and it might be like playing on an astro pitch.

The pitch is perfect for "soccer."

Here's the science bit.

The new pitch at Croke Park was laid during spring/summer 2002 in time for the Leinster hurling final but its use was limited in its first winter to minimise the damage ahead of the Special Olympics and All-Ireland Club finals, which took place on 17 March 2003.

This was the first replacement of the pitch surface in the history of the stadium. Supplied and installed by Leicester-based, Hewitt's Sportsturf, the new surface is a DD GrassMaster Desso pitch. The yarn and DD GrassMaster system, comprises of a stable, free-draining base layer topped by a layer of compost-enriched sand. During installation computer controlled machines injected a special yarn into the ground to a depth of approximately 20cm leaving 2cm above the ground.

A rye grass especially developed for Croke Park was then seeded between the artificial grass fibres. Once the natural grass has grown fully and the turf is dense, the artificial grass fibres carry out their work almost invisibly. This natural grass is hard-wearing, quick growing and has a quick recovery time, taking between only four and six weeks to grow. The close proximity of the stitching and the natural grass roots growing around the stitching is what gives the pitch its stability and is the key to the success of this type of surface. The system is employed in a number of English soccer stadia, including Anfield (Liverpool FC), Upton Park (West Ham United) and Villa Park (Aston Villa).

Source Wikipedia

[ccfcman]

A team will be playing into an empty stand, the atmosphere isnt guaranteed.

Boavista do it, and @ Euro 2004 the Atmosphere was excellent [from the tv]

[roboyle]

Yeah, I don't think the atmosphere at Croker will be an issue - I've been there a fair bit these last few years (Tír Chonaill abú!!) and despite various stands being closed at one stage or another for redevelopment, the close proximity of the stands to the pitch and the steep angle of the stands themselves lend themselves to crowd noise carrying across the pitch and into the other stands... as long as you've a reasonably vocal crowd of 45,000+ things should be fine.
The stands at Lansdwone are FAR too open to build up a bit of noise and the new enclosed design should help once the stadium is done.

[Peadar]

I'd nearly say that they'd be able to use temp seats on the terrace as well.
It's quite steep in parts but I'd say it could be approved and completed.

[Bowsy]

I would like to see how small a soccer pitch in Croker would look. The pitch is very close to the stands so probably wouldn't be too bad. Even with a section closed a large crowd in Croker would generate an intimidating atmosphere and obviously would provide a lot more tickets but we might as well discussing the logistics of playing the game at the bottom of the sea until there's any movement from the GAA.

[Peadar]

I would like to see how small a soccer pitch in Croker would look. The pitch is very close to the stands so probably wouldn't be too bad.

There's 50m of a difference in length.
If the Hill was closed you could take 35/40m of that from the Hill end of the pitch. Then the Canal end would be 15/10m extra away from the goal.
The width is 15m on each side, I think.
All these figures are from memory.
I'm very much open to correction.

[Bowsy]

Even 25 metres each end isn't too bad. Must have been more space behind the goals at Wembley and presently at Hampden. I'll believe the GAA allowing Garrison games into Croker when I see it though.

[thejollyrodger]

well judging by that above, the playing surface should be good enough for soccer. The surface on landsdowne road is pretty poor, the grass is so long. Is that a rugby thing ?

Getting temporary seating in hill 16 would be nice and solve that problem of an empty stand but I cant see UEFA giving the nod. Still the atmosphere in Portugal was very good so maybe its not critical.

50 meters in length is quite a distance length wise. I dont know the dimensions of Croke Park but I looked the dimensions of soccer up

The dimensions of the field are:
Length: minimum 90 m (100 yards)
Maximum 120m (130 yards)
Width: minimum 45m (50 yards)
Maximum 90m (100 yards)
http://experts.about.com/q/1848/2458242.htm

[Peadar]

dimensions of Croke Park but I looked the dimensions of soccer up

Think Croker is 150m x 75m
So that would mean a mere 30m off the length.
I can't see how a football pitch max width could be 90m though?
120m long by 90m wide?
Do the dimensions have to be in proportion?
120m long by 45m wide would be mental!

[thejollyrodger]

(Croke Park - 144.5 m x 88m) http://www.gaa.ie/page/information__specifications.html

Yeah croke park is 145 meters long and 88 meters wide. 25 meters divided into two is feck al distance from the stand. The two side terraces would be right up against the pitch !!

The soccer dimensions with the pitch can be almost square. There is some pitch somewhere where it is nearly the case. Just the way it was built