First match at Lansdowne - opponents? poll

[HarpoJoyce]

Media reports suggest Autumn 2010 as the opening for the Stadium. At least in the Football pages.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2008/0919/1221773888743.html
"The timing of the FAI's arrival on the market also looks, to say the least, a little unfortunate but both the FAI and their advisers were adamant yesterday that the vast majority of the tickets being offered will have been sold by the time the stadium opens its doors for business in the autumn of 2010."

Set up a friendly with the African Nations Champions (or most promising team from the Jan/Feb 2010 tournament) and then hope they also win the Summer Tournament aswell. Easy Job. Angola is Developing.

Otherwise (1) Wales, (2) Spain, (3) Poland. Normal.

[newbie]

What school did you go to??English teacher must have been great.:o

great post - wonderful insight...yaaaaaaaaawn.

i wasnt aware there was a certain IQ someone should have to post here. you got the point of my post didnt you?

now either reply intelligently (as only you would) or go back to NASA brain box....

[newbie]

Ah come on now..... The first friendly should be against England because it would mean something!! and as for LOI V EPL... my first comment was a joke and someone made a big deal so I had to respond...
it's a fact of life that more Irish people follow English clubs than Irish clubs and we need to accept it but let's not forget who we are and where we come from.. there are local clubs in our communities that contribute to our communities etc. just think some people need a bit of perspective... I'm not saying that people should be made go to LOI games or anything crazy like that, it would be nice for people to acknowledge that we have a change to progress as a footballing nation if we get more support from the community... look what at the Drogs and St. Pats recently... we can go forward if people give the league and chance and not kid ourselves into thinking we're scousers and mancs etc.

point taken on the EPL subject. i dont go to games but i do take an interest in the games on tele and was screamin at the box when Drogs nearly put out Kiev...would have loved that as much as Ireland winnin a game. although im sick of losin out in the bookies on the EL - fookin unpredictable!! :) bad Karma i suppose for not going to games :)

back on topic though - yeh the Argies are a great shout if its not England.

[OwlsFan]

There is 0% it will be England, which I appreciate is different to which team you would like to play. The media would have a field day. It would be like having a party in your old house and a particular guest wrecks the place. Then you spend a fortune renovating the house and you invite back the same guest. Won't happen

[jbyrne]

C'mon now.... where's the love?....:D

this isnt that kind of website thanks. try maybefriends.com

[Claret Murph]

There is 0% it will be England, It would be like having a party in your old house and a particular guest wrecks the place. Then you spend a fortune renovating the house and you invite back the same guest. Won't happen

One thing is for certain at some stage in the future England will play in D4 , so why not get it out of the way :ball::)

[lopez]

One thing is for certain at some stage in the future England will play in D4 , so why not get it out of the way :ball::)
Get it out of the way when we're drawn against them. Giving them the honour of the stadium's first opponents bestows on them the suggestion that they are any good. They couldn't qualify from a group in which the team that came second lost 7-1 to Spain over two games, FFS. Even we wouldn't manage that!

The only people who want them over - apart from the ultra weekend provo lobby - are these self - proclaimed 'footballing' snobs who thinks the Premiership is the bees knees. For them I'd say get yourself another Ryanair flight to London and a ticket to the next England game and you can enjoy yourselves there.

[newbie]

Get it out of the way when we're drawn against them. Giving them the honour of the stadium's first opponents bestows on them the suggestion that they are any good. They couldn't qualify from a group in which the team that came second lost 7-1 to Spain over two games, FFS. Even we wouldn't manage that!

The only people who want them over - apart from the ultra weekend provo lobby - are these self - proclaimed 'footballing' snobs who thinks the Premiership is the bees knees. For them I'd say get yourself another Ryanair flight to London and a ticket to the next England game and you can enjoy yourselves there.

what are you talkin about?? I would like to see us play them because i would love to see us beat them in our 1st game in the new stadium. the stadium would be buzzing,the match would mean something. rather than some Brazilian freindly where its all quiet with shag all atmosphere and we cant even touch the ball. did you see how Croker was when we played and beat them in the Ruggers. when was the last time we had a home game with that kind of buzz? Holland in 2001 id say.
nothing to do with provos or the love of seeing Premiership players. get your head out of the sand will you? out of interest - who would you like to see?? maybe an EL eleven play or something coz then its PURELY IRISH??

[Dodge]

nothing to do with provos or the love of seeing Premiership players
So why would you love to see us beat them then?

Lopez is spot on (and even he wouldn't consider himself a LOI fan)

[Claret Murph]

So why would you love to see us beat them then?

Lopez is spot on (and even he wouldn't consider himself a LOI fan)

If you were to name one country above all others that you would want Ireland to beat , who would it be ???????

[Dodge]

I'm asking him why...

[NeilMcD]

Spain would be the best, European Champions and a great passing team and a big name with lots of great players and a joy and education for both the players and supporters a like.

[newbie]

I'm asking him why...

sorry Dodge,wasnt blanking you - was workin (for a change).

i would like to beat them coz i would like to beat ANYONE but i already gave my reasons why i would want them 1st game...atmosphere etc. go through my post again and youll see it.

[gustavo]

Agreed with the choice of Spain , the biggest name I can think of that we havent played in some time , Plus they are probably the best team in the world right now

[corkboy360]

We should play traps old team red bull salzburg

[SkStu]

faux nationalism is so "in" with Irish soccer fans right now.

would be nice to play the Argies or Spain.

[geysir]

I couldn't give a shíte about the EPL or some trendy poster speak but an England friendly would be dead on. It would be great to beat them, in fact stuff them silly.
Do it at Wembley, double the pleasure.
For the first game at NLR, some European opposition, France Spain Portugal Holland or Germany, no one of them in particular.

[sylvo]

If you were to name one country above all others that you would want Ireland to beat , who would it be ???????


ITALY THE WORLD CHAMPIONS, a team that won it by showing us how it is done on the pitch, unlike the oh so amazing tans that some of you lot are so in orrrrrrr of, who told us that they were going to win it on bbc, itv, sky ect ect. Then the BULGRIANS, MONTANEGRO would be nice, as well as Cyprus (god help us) and Georgia.

If you want that nice experiance that the tans would bring, try a tube trip from Baker street to wembley park on the Metropolitan line, or a trip around London's west end next time they are at home. I'd love to see that old craic so much once again around LR, Bath Ave and the city centre again, noooooot.

I know none of the above games are taking place at LR, but when it comes to who I want us to be beat most at this moment, thats the team(S).

[Greenforever]

Holland for the athmosphere, anyone in Anfield in 95 or Amsterdam in 00 or even 05 or Dublin for the 01 home game, best athmosphere for visiting supporters by a distance.

Better still a 4 nation tournament over a week at the end of the season Ireland, Holland, Brazil and Poland. Pleny of Poles here and loads of Brazillians in Europe to create a great carnival athmosphere a couple of weeks before the world cup finals.

[lopez]

what are you talkin about?? I would like to see us play them because i would love to see us beat them in our 1st game in the new stadium. the stadium would be buzzing,the match would mean something. rather than some Brazilian freindly where its all quiet with shag all atmosphere and we cant even touch the ball. did you see how Croker was when we played and beat them in the Ruggers. when was the last time we had a home game with that kind of buzz? Holland in 2001 id say.
nothing to do with provos or the love of seeing Premiership players. get your head out of the sand will you? out of interest - who would you like to see?? maybe an EL eleven play or something coz then its PURELY IRISH??I'll put it in a nutshell for you, but you've got to be pretty sad if beating the tans in a meaningless friendly is what you would consider is befiitting a major landmark in Irish football history. :rolleyes: That's of course if the script is that we are promised to beat them.

As for who I want, I've stated it already - Brazil, Italy, Spain or possibly Argentina. You know. Classy opposition! It most certainly isn't sh*t like In-ger-land. To answer your own admission of footballing snobbery, a LOI (cos that was what it was called when I started following football) XI has got more right to be the opponents than them, simply because they and their supporters are what I'd consider decent human beings.

[Rebel11]

My top 3 would me Argentina Spain or England.

[Gather round]

I'll put it in a nutshell for you, but you've got to be pretty sad if beating the tans in a meaningless friendly is what you would consider is befiitting a major landmark in Irish football history

If it's a meaningless friendly, how would playing or even beating Brazil, Argentina, Spain or Italy be any more fitting? Leaving aside Lopez's own bias for a moment, England did make the quarter-finals in the last two World Cups and Euro 2004. They're not that bad, on field at least.

PS obviously our lot are years behind in identifying a new stadium site, let alone inviting anyone to play in its opening match. I'd quite fancy an African country, Nigeria or Ghana maybe?

[NeilMcD]

Holland for the athmosphere, anyone in Anfield in 95 or Amsterdam in 00 or even 05 or Dublin for the 01 home game, best athmosphere for visiting supporters by a distance.

Better still a 4 nation tournament over a week at the end of the season Ireland, Holland, Brazil and Poland. Pleny of Poles here and loads of Brazillians in Europe to create a great carnival athmosphere a couple of weeks before the world cup finals.


mmmmm the ladies of Poland Brazil and Holland are pretty tasty alright. I like your thinking.

[Sligo Hornet]

mmmmm the ladies of Poland Brazil and Holland are pretty tasty alright. I like your thinking.

Having seen all your 'photos from Mainz and Montenego........are you on hormone therapy and viagra?:D

[NeilMcD]

Lock up your daughters

[Irish_Praha]

Spain would be a good choice or Nigeria. Both decent teams we havn't played in quite a while.

[eirebhoy]

Argentina for me.

[lopez]

If it's a meaningless friendly, how would playing or even beating Brazil, Argentina, Spain or Italy be any more fitting? Leaving aside Lopez's own bias for a moment, England did make the quarter-finals in the last two World Cups and Euro 2004....who then failed to make it the last European championships.

[stojkovic]

Spain or Argentina.

[SuperDave]

it could be andorra and it would still be a sellout....

not because everyone would want to be there, necessarily, but because of the block booking or lose your seat fai....

[rebus2008]

Lads,
Would be an occassional footie supporter so log on now and again to hear whats on the grapevine. Confession - more a of a gaa follower but like to see fellow gaels progress regardless of their sporting creed.

Just a few thoughts:
- Its unlikley u'll get one of the top teams a few weeks before the world cup due to team build up schedules and that our climate is very much at odds with SA.
"Star" Players on teams who don't qualify will be unlikely to make themselves available.
With the advent of block booking for numbers of matches, what about an EL selection vs Irish selection? Unless, you can snag one of the top 10 in the world, I'd imagine there'd be as much interest in an EL selection as there would be in a Bulgaria/Croatia/Australia etc. Only exception outside the top ten would be Wales (due to their proximity) and Poland/Nigeria/Latvia due to local numbers.

Any thoughts?
Would be occasion for FAI to put into action their verbal suppoprt of EL and also give EL players chance to greatly raise profile of local scene.

I accept that this may be well wide of the mark but worth considering. Plus, no big appearance payment for likes of Brazil & Co (>500,000) so more money for the local game.

[mrtndvn]

league of Ireland select to show the Stars up.

[richieos]

the idea of playing someone like argentina or brazil is nice, but starting off in a new stadium, i think we should choose opposition which we have a realistic chance of beating. so i vote for england ;)

[beepbeep]

First of all, the thread name is wrong, because it wont be known as lansdowne- the money grabbers will sell the rights to name it to the highest bidder.
could be Ireland V __________ at : The Red Bull Stadium!! imagine

Secondly, are you people forgetting the last time we let the scum singing 10 german bombers,no surrender waving,chair breaking loyalist f*#kers into our ground??

Not a hope in hell would i ever want to see they're type in 'Lansdowne rd' again. Never.

[Newryrep]

Just noticed that the Vantage seats they are trying to sell are on all 3 sides of the ground - assuming that behind one of the goals (4th side) is for away fans (see seating plan). We should have the singing section behind the other goal not 'corperate clients' on a freebie

http://www.faivantageclub.com/vantage-club.htm

also the pitch seems miles away, alot further than the artists impression:confused:

[irishultra]

LOI select for me.

[Schumi]

http://www.faivantageclub.com/vantage-club.htm

also the pitch seems miles away, alot further than the artists impression:confused:The corporate seats are a middle tier of the stand, similar to Croke Park. There are 'ordinary' seats underneath those which will extend to beside the pitch. There's nothing to prevent a singing section being located there.