Ireland to bid for the World Cup in 2018?

[jmurphyc]

No, they started playing football because they are from Dublin where kids play football.

Yes, but would they have continued playing it to the level they are playing it at now? They may have played football along with other sports when they were kids and ended up becoming GAA players instead. I was too young to remember but I was under the impression that the Irish international team became a lot more popular after the tournaments in '88 and '90.

Anyway, there is no way we're going to get to host a world cup in the near future. People who think otherwise are seriously deluded.

[Jerry The Saint]

My interest in Munster Rugby is limited to European Cup finals.

Just like 80% of their supporters so.

[EalingGreen]

Anyway, there is no way we're going to get to host a world cup in the near future. People who think otherwise are seriously deluded.

I would say they are comically deluded, myself!

[The Legend]

Next Luxemburg will be putting in a bid...

[kingdom hoop]

I would say they are comically deluded, myself!

I prefer to call myself a dreamer. Why do people always laugh at dreamers? Great ideas are spawned by what at the time seem outlandish dreams. Aim high and you might get there, aim low and you won't go far. How many projects in Ireland are characterised by not aiming high enough and not looking far enough ahead? We seem to be congenitally predisposed to being meek, unambitious creatures.

I'm hell bent on bringing the World Cup to Ireland.

Obviously only joking really, I realise it's pretty much pie in the sky, but if this thread is anything to go by it's no wonder our planners aren't far-sighted enough. Anyway, a few points worth noting. Our population is the fastest growing in Europe, to cope with this, regardless of the impending World Cup, we will need to continually invest in infrastructure over the next ten years. Dublin is something like the 10th most visited city in the world, that's pretty crazy for a relatively small city and country, we seem to manage the crowds relatively ok given the shockingly bad strategic planning. Tourism is a crucial, and will become more so in an economic slow down, industry. We need continued investment in all such services if we want to deliver satisfaction in order to maintain and develop the torrent of visiting hordes. Supposedly, we are very welcoming, we take great pleasure in looking after foreign visitors, projecting a favourable image of ourselves as being able to cater for tourists. If we set our minds to it I think we might just be able to do it. As I said, I'm a dreamer.

And in case ye're wondering, yes I do like living in my deluded bubble.

[EalingGreen]

I prefer to call myself a dreamer. Why do people always laugh at dreamers? Great ideas are spawned by what at the time seem outlandish dreams. Aim high and you might get there, aim low and you won't go far.

I dreamed about Beyonce the other night. I had some great ideas for her, aimed high (and low) and outlandish though it may seem, we both went far - in fact, all the way.

But if I put a proposition to her in real life, or even published the details of my dream, I honestly couldn't expect anyone to take me very seriously...

[kingdom hoop]

Nice dream there Ealing Green, must have been a pleasant night for you, hope you've changed the bed sheets since.

Anyway, in the course of that dream did you figure what it might actually take to get Beyonce? Did you appreciate that there were some valuable lessons to be learned to take into real life? That maybe in fact you could set your sights a little higher, that you weren't being ambitious enough heretofore, apply the lessons of seeing what it would take to capture a queen to allow you progress from the mutts you usually get to something more in mid-range?

[EalingGreen]

Nice dream there Ealing Green, must have been a pleasant night for you, hope you've changed the bed sheets since.

Anyway, in the course of that dream did you figure what it might actually take to get Beyonce? Did you appreciate that there were some valuable lessons to be learned to take into real life? That maybe in fact you could set your sights a little higher, that you weren't being ambitious enough heretofore, apply the lessons of seeing what it would take to capture a queen to allow you progress from the mutts you usually get to something more in mid-range?

On balance, I think I have a better chance with Beyonce than you have with your World Cup Bid for Kerry.

P.S. I don't have to change my own sheets, since I have a woman who comes in and does all my cleaning for me. You might have heard of her - Nicole Kidman's her name

[backstothewall]

Nicole you kidnapped more like

[Lim till i die]

Just like 80% of their supporters so.

ZING!!!!!!!!


On a more serious note lads, Five pages?? FIVE PAGES?? On this??

Outstanding

There is more chance of my own fair city hosting the world knife throwing championships.

[osarusan]

There is more chance of my own fair city hosting the next world knife throwing championships.

Agreed, holding 4 championships in a row was too much. Other cities should get a go. Birmingham, anyone?

[youngirish]

ZING!!!!!!!!


On a more serious note lads, Five pages?? FIVE PAGES?? On this??

Outstanding

There is more chance of my own fair city hosting the world knife throwing championships.

It holds that every weekend.

[KianD]

On a side note for this, I've been told the English bid is going to include Elland Road, 'renovated'

Do they expect the attending fans to become dwarves by 2018 or is "renovation" going to take half the seats out? Its got a tighter seating pitch than Croker by some margin in parts...

[RogerMilla]

On a side note for this, I've been told the English bid is going to include Elland Road, 'renovated'

Do they expect the attending fans to become dwarves by 2018 or is "renovation" going to take half the seats out? Its got a tighter seating pitch than Croker by some margin in parts...

nothign of the sort kian , they'll be in the premiership by then and champions league and they can borrow a load of money to build an 80,000 capacity stadium and a load of 100M GBP players....

[EalingGreen]

On a side note for this, I've been told the English bid is going to include Elland Road, 'renovated'

Do they expect the attending fans to become dwarves by 2018 or is "renovation" going to take half the seats out? Its got a tighter seating pitch than Croker by some margin in parts...

Perhaps they mean rebuilding, rather than renovation? AFAIK, England will require (be required?) to have an equal geographical spread of stadia as one of the bid criteria. Therefore, certain potentially suitable grounds may have to be overlooked if they are too close to other competing grounds (e.g. in London, the North West, Midlands, North East). By the same token, other ostensibly unsuitable grounds may have to be improved to serve other regions of England.

The only two grounds which might conceivably serve Yorkshire are Hillsborough or Elland Road, of which the latter is probably a more likely bet.

(The South Coast of England is also a problem, since St. Mary's is modern enough, but probably too small. Similarly, if/when Pompey move from Fratton Park, their new Ground might not be big enough, either)

[backstothewall]

On the other hand England is in a fairly unique sitation of being able to base a whole group in 1 city, or region.

i.e.

Group A: Manchester: Old Trafford, City of Man, Reebok
Group B: Mersyside: Anfield, Stanley Park, New Goodison, Wigan
Group C: North East: St. James, Riverside, SOL
Group D: West Midlands: Villa Park, Ricoh Arena, New Birmingham City Ground
Group E: London (N): Wembley, Ashburton Grove, White Hart Lane
Group F: London (S): Olympic Stadium, The Valley, Upton Park, Stamford Bridge
Group G: Yorkshire: KC Stadium, Ellend Road, Hillborough, Brammel Lane
Group H: East Midlands: Pride Park, Walkers Stadium, sometihng new in nottingham maybe?

It would mean fans not having to dash about the place on trains every few days. Bit **** if your stuck in Yorkshire, but they are the only country that has the facilities to do it. They could almost do it now.

[KianD]

(The South Coast of England is also a problem, since St. Mary's is modern enough, but probably too small. Similarly, if/when Pompey move from Fratton Park, their new Ground might not be big enough, either)

The new Brighton stadium at Moulscoomb/"Falmer" is designed to be easily extended to 50k by adding a cantilevered second tier over the lot of it, although this would be almost as expensive as ensuring Fratton Park is. After that there's realistically no chance Home Park would be up to it - the current plans are to REDUCE capacity... and we're out of south coast League clubs.

The Wessex Stadium (Weymouth, recently ex-League), while decent enough for the eL wouldn't quite do it either methinks

[Lim till i die]

It holds that every weekend.

It's not funny when I've already said it

Also, as someone who obviously would have far more experience than you in this sort of thing, let me assure you the key to a good stabbing is to keep a firm hold of the knife

Infact, throwing it would be daft

[lopez]

Agreed, holding 4 championships in a row was too much. Other cities should get a go. Birmingham, anyone?

Glasgow and Abuja were both competing for this honour this week...er...wait...no that was the Commonwealth Games.

[backstothewall]

A lot of the new English stadia are built now with extension in mind. Sunderland for example can be easily expanded. I would say it is unlikely England would build any stadiums, probably just expand what they have.