Setanta Cup Final

[Lux Interior]

True.

And to make matters worse the Glens continue to state how much they are for an All-Ireland League. :rolleyes:

:confused:

I don't think there'd be too much of an uproar if we had to play Cork away in a league game. I mean, fancy that.

Bit different when the team you're facing in a final just happens to play in the ground hosting the match.

Sound familiar, batcave?

[lofty9]

Bit different when the team you're facing in a final just happens to play in the ground hosting the match.

Sound familiar, batcave?

:D Was wondering who would bring that up!! The old IFA Linfield home advantage.

[dcfcsteve]

Shels v Linfield (played in Tolka)
Cork v Drogs (played in Tolka)
Linfield v Drogs (played in Windsor)
Cork v Glentoran (Played in Turners Cross)

The only Setanta final ever played at a neutral venue was the one where both sides came from the same football association. Otherwise, the location of the final is passed in turns between the two associations.

This is an extremely skewed view of th facts, purely to suit your arguement. It has more holes in it than a pair of old fish net tights.

Lets look at each year's finals :

2005 : Was always scheduled to be held in Tolka (the south’s agreed Setanta final venue). Shels just happened to get there - so it was purely by default, not design, that it wasn't at a neutral venue.

2006 : The final was slated for Windsor (the north’s agreed Setanta final venue). But as two southern teams made the final, it got switched instead to the south's Setanta venue : Tolka. If the Setanta final location is all about non-neutral venues and mythical precedents, then why wasn’t one used this year ? :confused:

2007 : After being in Dublin twice already, the Final was owed to Windsor (the north's Setanta venue) so long as a Northern team got there. One did - and it just happened to be Linfield. Again - it was neutral by default, not design. Had it been Glentoran, Dungannon or even Derry in the final it would still have been held at Windsor.

2008 : The Final gets allocated to a non-neutral venue deliberately. Not by default. Can you not see how this is wrong....?! :eek:

And your later talk of some sort of mythical 'Setanta precedent' is again just bullsh!t to suit your arguement. The 2000 FAI Cup Final was held at Tolka - which the allocated final venue at that time. Shels just happened to reach the final that year. Did that therefore set a precedent for giving the Final to the home ground of one or other finalist? Did it fcuk. Did Bohs or Longford then demand that the 2001 Final be hosted at one of their grounds because a pre4cedent had been set ? Did they hell (even though Dalymount had hosted the replay the previous year).

The only precedent involved in the Setanta Final is the one that has just been set by deliberately selecting a non-neutral venue. Not only is it unfair and reducing the prestige and standing of the final, I can guarantee you that it will also lead to rows between clubs in future years.



If we'd beaten Linfield in the semi final last season we'd have been heading up to the oval this season. It's that simple.

No you wouldn't. You'd be going to Windsor - the north's allocated Setanta Final venue.

[derm]

Both venues chosen in 2005 & 2007 were home to competitors in the competition. There was always a fairly good chance that the finalists would include the home team given the strengths of the Shels & Linfield. Neither therefore were neutral.

An honest question, would as much a fuss be made of this if Derry had won and the final was in the Brandywell? The decision was made before the game and should have objected to then.

[dcfcsteve]

Both venues chosen in 2005 & 2007 were home to competitors in the competition. There was always a fairly good chance that the finalists would include the home team given the strengths of the Shels & Linfield. Neither therefore were neutral.

Given that there isn't a single neutral football stadium in the country, and Lansdwione and Croker were both either unsuitable or unavailable, some club ground or other was going to have to be used. It is impossible to avoid using a club's stadium in Ireland. That doesn't change anything - and doesn't excuse givbing home advantage for a major final by design, not default. You're clutching at very small straws with very big hands here...


An honest question, would as much a fuss be made of this if Derry had won and the final was in the Brandywell? The decision was made before the game and should have objected to then.

An honest answer - if Derry had won, I'd have wanted the final in Windsor, not the Brandywell. For a whole host of reasons - including prestige and size of crowd.

[derm]

Given that there isn't a single neutral football stadium in the country, and Lansdwione and Croker were both either unsuitable or unavailable, some club ground or other was going to have to be used. It is impossible to avoid using a club's stadium in Ireland. That doesn't change anything - and doesn't excuse givbing home advantage for a major final by design, not default. You're clutching at very small straws with very big hands here...

Oh please. There are plenty of neutral football stadia, i.e any ground whose team is not in the competition. What's lacking is decent stadia that would be able to host the final. There is a further complication regarding travel. Can a stadium be considered neutral if one side has much more support because of shorter distances for the fans to travel, e.g a Dublin team vs a non-Dublin team in Tolka? Should a venue of roughly equal distance from both teams be found?

I'm not clutching at any straws, I think that a finalist playing at home has an unfair advantage, Shels had it, Linfield had it, City will have it. But we're living in the real world here and the competition has not exactly been a resounding success. It would not be helped by a final in a half-empty tolka park which is why the decision was made I'd wager. The Brandywell or the Cross would be full and look better on TV. Real world. Is it fair? No, but neither were the other finals for different reasons.

I hope that the IFA return the favour next year and the LoI representative will be in a venue that promises the highest revenue for the two teams involved. If true neutrality cannot be achieved then revenue should be the key, let's face it all teams need it.

Anyway I wish Glens luck (but not too much) and hope that as many fans can travel as possible and enjoy their trip (but not too much :) ). I also hope that we can help fill our clubs' coffers and give them a chance for revenge in the Oval next year ;)



An honest answer - if Derry had won, I'd have wanted the final in Windsor, not the Brandywell. For a whole host of reasons - including prestige and size of crowd.

That's a cop-out answer to be fair. Personally I'd also have liked the final in Windsor, or Croker or even Wembley, but none of them were on the table.

I only asked because distance has been mentioned a lot, even more so than the unfairness of home advantage.

[tiktok]

Did Bohs or Longford then demand that the 2001 Final be hosted at one of their grounds because a pre4cedent had been set ? Did they hell (even though Dalymount had hosted the replay the previous year).


Again, when did Cork City demand anything?

Look, I accept your argument on the finals, you seem to know more about it than I do, I just worked off a memory of where the finals were held and the fact (it seems now a coincidence) that where two associations were represented in a final, one team has always had literal home advantage, a neutral venue only being used when both teams came from the same association.

No Cork City fan would have had a problem with travelling to Dublin for this and giving the Glens an advantage in terms of distance, we just would have gotten on with it. I find all the complaining (especially when it seems to be laid at our door and not Setanta's) to be painful in the extreme, if it was just complaint about the final being at a non-neutral venue, I'd nearly put up with it, but a huge amount of it is complaining that they have to travel the length of the Island for an all-ireland competition.

Maybe they should be hanging onto the fact that on the two previous occasions where there was a literal home advantage, the home team lost.

[KianD]

Given that there isn't a single neutral football stadium in the country, and Lansdwione and Croker were both either unsuitable or unavailable


RDS ceased to be?

[fionnsci]

RDS ceased to be?

Keyword: Football.

[brianw82]

Just put it on in Lissywoolen and everyone has an equal distance to travel. Simple. :)

[pete]

It was common knowledge before Tuesdays game that the final would be held in Derry or Cork. Those are the rules. This debate should be about possibly changing for future years.

[KianD]

Keyword: Football.

Its as much a 'football' stadium as Croke Park is (mentioned as being one).

[EalingGreen]

For all that people refer to "precedent" (as if that should bind us irrevocably), or maximising the crowd etc, I think the Setanta Cup organisers are seriously devaluing the competition by their allocating the Final venue to one of the participating teams, whether it be Linfield or Cork etc

After all this should be a prestige occasion, to be looked forward to even by supporters of teams which aren't in the final, so that fans of Eircom clubs can forget their usual affiliations for a day and support Cork and fans of IL clubs, other than Linfield, can rally behind the Glens. (The Bloos can use that Saturday evening for a bit of late night shopping for Burberry hats and Sovereign rings etc ;))

As such, a neutral venue, either in Dublin or Belfast should be a must.

This is especially since in NI, at least, there appears to be serious disenchantment with the whole tournament, not helped at all by this latest decision.

The following article from Thursday's Belfast Telegraph outlines the Glens' anger over this. I have highlighted some sections which I think particularly relevant. (And btw, something which has been overlooked by posters from the ROI is that it seems NI coach companies won't permit same day Itineraries for a journey of that distance i.e. they insist that such trips be overnight, thereby adding to the cost for Glens' fans. If played in Dublin, neither set of fans would face this extra financial hardship).



http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/local/cross-words-from-glentoran-over-setanta-sports-cup-venue-14003784.html
Cross words from Glentoran over Setanta Sports Cup venue

By Chris Holt
Thursday, 16 October 2008

Glentoran chairman Aubry Ralph has described as ‘disgraceful’ the decision to have the Setanta Sports Cup decider played at Turner’s Cross – the home of fellow finalists Cork City.

It was hoped that once the Rebels made their way into the showpiece with victory over Derry City at the Brandywell on Tuesday night, common sense would prevail and the game would be played in Dublin.

However, the Setanta Sports Cup Committee — headed up by former FAI President Milo Corcoran — have inexplicably plumped for Turner’s Cross as the venue for the final, meaning that Glentoran fans will face a 528-mile round trip from Belfast to Cork to watch their side take part in the decider for the first time.

Having sold their entire allocation for their semi-final with Drogheda United on Monday night, it was expected that upwards of 2,000 Glenmen would now travel to Dublin had the match been played there.

Now an estimated 500 are likely to make the very long journey south.

The move is a smack in the face for Glentoran and teams in the JJB Sports Premiership as a whole.

Indeed it was announced on Setanta’s live coverage of that match on Tuesday that Turner’s Cross would be the venue, though Glentoran weren’t informed of this decision until yesterday afternoon.

Conspiracy theorists would suggest that eircom League sides are being favoured in the competition and Chairman Ralph (pictured) has hit out at Corcoran and the organising committee for treating his club with such disdain.

“I am so annoyed by the decision – I think it’s disgraceful and I had a very volatile telephone conversation with Milo Corcoran (yesterday) and made my feelings and that of the club very clear,” he said.

“I asked for the rationale behind the decision and all they seemed to give me was the fact that Turner’s Cross is owned by the association and they wouldn’t have to pay to use it, as they would have done had it been in one of the grounds in Dublin.

“I told him it’s not all about money — to me it’s just not a good enough reason.

“And a precedence had been set in the past when the final was played in Dublin between Drogheda and Cork and they paid for a ground then.

“We would have had a couple of thousand going to Dublin had it been there but now I would imagine that we are going to just have the usual European veterans making the trip. I’ve estimated that it would cost in the region of £150 per person when you take into account travelling, possibly staying over and if you have a family of say three, as I have, it’s going to cost £450.

“The decision is fundamentally wrong, is disrespectful to the Irish League and disrespectful to glentoran and it’s supporters and ultimately I think it was a sop to Cork City

“I know that our association’s representatives on the committee are equally unhappy and let’s just say that relations between the FAI and the IFA with regards to the Setanta Cup are at an all-time low.

Craig Stanfield, one of the IFA’s representatives on the committee, intimated that the decision was taken quite some time ago.

"There was a heated debate last Tuesday at a meeting of the Organising Committee when it was suggested the final would be held in Cork if Cork City were to make it to the final,” he said.

"Jack Grundie and I were there to fight the corner of the Irish League clubs and we felt strongly about taking the final to Windsor Park if it had have been Glentoran against Derry City.

"Even then we were told it would be the Brandywell. We were strongly opposed to that suggestion as we are of the final now being in Cork.

"The Organising Committee were contacted by telephone (yesterday) to ascertain opinion on where the final venue should be and then we were informed it would be in Cork.

"There is another meeting next Thursday and we will ask questions as to why this happened. It is a very frustrating situation and we will forcibly put our point of view across.”

[micls]

On the part about paying for a ground. They had to pay for somewhere when it was between us and Drogs because neither United Park or the Cross could host the final at the time

[EalingGreen]

On the part about paying for a ground. They had to pay for somewhere when it was between us and Drogs because neither United Park or the Cross could host the final at the time

Indeed.

Besides, an extra, say, 1500 Glens fans at €20(?) a pop would go a long way towards renting a ground in Dublin.

[holidaysong]

Indeed.

Besides, an extra, say, 1500 Glens fans at €20(?) a pop would go a long way towards renting a ground in Dublin.

That would be cancelled out by there being 1500 less Cork fans though.. ;)

[EalingGreen]

That would be cancelled out by there being 1500 less Cork fans though.. ;)
So Cork fans, and their money, are somehow more important than Glens fans and their money...

On that basis, Cup Finals should always be played at the home of the team which can guarantee to supply the most fans.

[holidaysong]

So Cork fans, and their money, are somehow more important than Glens fans and their money...


Their money is more important, Sterling is rubbish this weather. :p

[dcfcsteve]

It was common knowledge before Tuesdays game that the final would be held in Derry or Cork. Those are the rules. This debate should be about possibly changing for future years.

No it wasn't Pete. If it was - show me where it was mentioned on here, for example...?

Seems it wasn't even common knowledge amongst Glentoran Board members, let alone random punters...

[micls]

Indeed.

Besides, an extra, say, 1500 Glens fans at €20(?) a pop would go a long way towards renting a ground in Dublin.

But there would be maybe double that of City fans who wouldnt come.

Numbers wise it doesnt add up for Setanta....and numbers is all they care about. If Dublin would gotten a crowd which which have been enough more than the crowd at the cross to cover the cost of renting it would have been there.

All about the money.

Although theres a Glens fan on our forum claiming there would have been 15,000 if it were in Dublin :D

[micls]

On that basis, Cup Finals should always be played at the home of the team which can guarantee to supply the most fans.

Most cup finals arent only in existence becuase of a company...a company interested in 2 things, money and ratings

[corkboy360]

No it wasn't Pete. If it was - show me where it was mentioned on here, for example...?

Seems it wasn't even common knowledge amongst Glentoran Board members, let alone random punters...
Alan matthews had a fair idea.Then again he is the special one:D

[dublinred]

How about playing the final over 2 legs everyones a winner then 5k in Cork and 15k in Belfast, the IFA and FAI rotate the 2nd leg.

[corkboy360]

How about playing the final over 2 legs everyones a winner then 5k in Cork and 15k in Belfast, the IFA and FAI rotate the 2nd leg.
:Dbring it on hah

[derm]

How about playing the final over 2 legs everyones a winner then 5k in Cork and 15k in Belfast, the IFA and FAI rotate the 2nd leg.

Sounds fair to me.

Interestingly the main complaint of that article posted by Ealing Green again seems to be the distance to be travelled more so than home advantage :confused:

[EalingGreen]

Sounds fair to me.

Interestingly the main complaint of that article posted by Ealing Green again seems to be the distance to be travelled more so than home advantage :confused:

The unfair (home) advantage is a given. What I took out of the article was the Glens' extreme dissatisfaction at how/when/by whom the decision to allocate the venue for the Final was taken.

The clear implication was that regardless of "fairness" etc, it was always going to be the Brandywell or Turners Cross, with the IFA representatives having no say whatever.

Or didn't you get as far as the end of the article?

“The decision is fundamentally wrong, is disrespectful to the Irish League and disrespectful to glentoran and it’s supporters and ultimately I think it was a sop to Cork City

“I know that our association’s representatives on the committee are equally unhappy and let’s just say that relations between the FAI and the IFA with regards to the Setanta Cup are at an all-time low.

Craig Stanfield, one of the IFA’s representatives on the committee, intimated that the decision was taken quite some time ago.

"There was a heated debate last Tuesday at a meeting of the Organising Committee when it was suggested the final would be held in Cork if Cork City were to make it to the final,” he said.

"Jack Grundie and I were there to fight the corner of the Irish League clubs and we felt strongly about taking the final to Windsor Park if it had have been Glentoran against Derry City.

"Even then we were told it would be the Brandywell. We were strongly opposed to that suggestion as we are of the final now being in Cork.

"The Organising Committee were contacted by telephone (yesterday) to ascertain opinion on where the final venue should be and then we were informed it would be in Cork.

"There is another meeting next Thursday and we will ask questions as to why this happened. It is a very frustrating situation and we will forcibly put our point of view across.”

[corkboy360]

The unfair (home) advantage is a given. What I took out of the article was the Glens' extreme dissatisfaction at how/when/by whom the decision to allocate the venue for the Final was taken.

The clear implication was that regardless of "fairness" etc, it was always going to be the Brandywell or Turners Cross, with the IFA representatives having no say whatever.

Or didn't you get as far as the end of the article?

“The decision is fundamentally wrong, is disrespectful to the Irish League and disrespectful to glentoran and it’s supporters and ultimately I think it was a sop to Cork City

“I know that our association’s representatives on the committee are equally unhappy and let’s just say that relations between the FAI and the IFA with regards to the Setanta Cup are at an all-time low.

Craig Stanfield, one of the IFA’s representatives on the committee, intimated that the decision was taken quite some time ago.

"There was a heated debate last Tuesday at a meeting of the Organising Committee when it was suggested the final would be held in Cork if Cork City were to make it to the final,” he said.

"Jack Grundie and I were there to fight the corner of the Irish League clubs and we felt strongly about taking the final to Windsor Park if it had have been Glentoran against Derry City.

"Even then we were told it would be the Brandywell. We were strongly opposed to that suggestion as we are of the final now being in Cork.

"The Organising Committee were contacted by telephone (yesterday) to ascertain opinion on where the final venue should be and then we were informed it would be in Cork.

"There is another meeting next Thursday and we will ask questions as to why this happened. It is a very frustrating situation and we will forcibly put our point of view across.”
It's great that ye have yer excuses out before we beat ye.:pLike many other people i would have rather to have to travel to Tolka for the game but that is not how it panned out so get on with it and stop whinging:rolleyes:

[dcfcsteve]

Knowing how the FAI in particular, and Ireland in general, works - I can't help but suspect that the Final was given to Cork to help boost their coffers at a time of clear financial need.

Just a suspicion....

[Réiteoir]

Well if this is the policy now - I look forward to making the trip up to Stangmore Park to watch Dungannon vs Bohs in the Final next year


tis only fair and all

[EalingGreen]

It's great that ye have yer excuses out before we beat ye.:pLike many other people i would have rather to have to travel to Tolka for the game but that is not how it panned out so get on with it and stop whinging:rolleyes:
I personally am not so bothered by the home advantage element. Rather, my gripe is threefold.
First, I think the Final should be a prestige occasion for the whole of Irish club football, hosted in the most appropriate venue in Dublin or Belfast. For example, if the Final were between e.g. Glentoran and Derry City, or even Glens and Linfield, Windsor would be my choice.
Second, as someone who wants to see this competition thrive, I am dismayed that there is evident bad feeling on the IFA side, clearly not helped by this decision and the manner in which it was made.
Third, whilst I accept that Setanta are putting a lot of money into the competition, their desire to see a large crowd, and maybe even a winner from the larger of the two Subscription TV audiences on the island(?), should not override purely sporting considerations, such as fairness.

And if DCFC Steve is correct in his suspicion (above) that this decision was taken to "compensate" Cork for the self-inflicted financial mess they're in, then that would be disgraceful.

P.S. This situation didn't just "pan out", like the weather or something. It was a conscious decision, made by people whose motives are suspect. Why should we have to tolerate this, when it is entirely avoidable?

[micls]

And if DCFC Steve is correct in his suspicion (above) that this decision was taken to "compensate" Cork for the self-inflicted financial mess they're in, then that would be disgraceful.



I dont think he is. Simply because we were promised home advantage last year too if we made it, before any of this trouble

[EalingGreen]

I dont think he is. Simply because we were promised home advantage last year too if we made it, before any of this trouble
Fair enough.

[derm]

I personally am not so bothered by the home advantage element. Rather, my gripe is threefold.

Really? I'm surprised at that tbh. That would be my biggest gripe if the situation was reversed. I was anticipating my first trip to Belfast before I found out that the cross was the venue.



First, I think the Final should be a prestige occasion for the whole of Irish club football, hosted in the most appropriate venue in Dublin or Belfast. For example, if the Final were between e.g. Glentoran and Derry City, or even Glens and Linfield, Windsor would be my choice.


Not an ideal world I'm afraid. There is no prestige venue of an appropriate size (RDS :eek: ?) in the republic and Windsor has the potential to grant unfair home advantage as has been seen.


Second, as someone who wants to see this competition thrive, I am dismayed that there is evident bad feeling on the IFA side, clearly not helped by this decision and the manner in which it was made.


I can understand that. I don't know much about how or when the decision was made tbh but it appears to have been made just before the semi's ko.



Third, whilst I accept that Setanta are putting a lot of money into the competition, their desire to see a large crowd, and maybe even a winner from the larger of the two Subscription TV audiences on the island(?), should not override purely sporting considerations, such as fairness.


I doubt they care who wins it but crowds would and should be an important consideration. To be fair the competition is not going to thrive if the final is played out in a half-empty stadium.

By fairness do you mean home advantage (which doesn't bother you) or ease of travel for fans? If the latter then it could be argued by Setanta that the fact that it is televised live means no fan need miss it.

The fairest way to me seems to play a two-legged final, but then you lose much of the magic of a 'proper' final.



And if DCFC Steve is correct in his suspicion (above) that this decision was taken to "compensate" Cork for the self-inflicted financial mess they're in, then that would be disgraceful.


An unfair speculation in my view and one that puts the "blame" on City. Derry had as much a chance of a home final and there's no guarantee they'd have switched to Windsor. Tbh I think the powers that made the decision were hoping for a Derry win as they'd've gotten a full stadium with a large away support and little (or a lot less) complaint.

Besides, the gate is evenly split* so both teams benefit from a large crowd. City's financial mess has shown me the logic of maximizing crowd revenue, but the logical conclusion to this is a two-legged final.

* AFAIK, at least. Is the competition paying for the rent of the ground and other associated costs of hosting a football game or does City stump up as the price of a home final ?



P.S. This situation didn't just "pan out", like the weather or something. It was a conscious decision, made by people whose motives are suspect. Why should we have to tolerate this, when it is entirely avoidable?

The main problem with the decision in my view is how late it seems to have been made. I think Glens' reputation for bringing big support to away games could have worked against them - why go to the expense and trouble of organizing a neutral venue when you can nominate one of the two best home supported venues to host the IFA's best away supported team?

[derm]

I dont think he is. Simply because we were promised home advantage last year too if we made it, before any of this trouble

That rings a vague little bell ...

[EalingGreen]

Really? I'm surprised at that tbh. That would be my biggest gripe if the situation was reversed. I was anticipating my first trip to Belfast before I found out that the cross was the venue.

I didn't say I was entirely unconcerned by Cork's home advantage; rather I was trying to see the bigger picture i.e. the problems for precedent, prestige, image, acceptance within NI etc. which this decision creates.

Not an ideal world I'm afraid. There is no prestige venue of an appropriate size (RDS :eek: ?) in the republic and Windsor has the potential to grant unfair home advantage as has been seen.

I'm not suggesting Windsor. Are you saying there is NO suitable venue in Dublin, or elsewhere in ROI? Surely not.

I can understand that. I don't know much about how or when the decision was made tbh but it appears to have been made just before the semi's ko.

It's not just the timing of the decision, however. The clear implication is that Corcoran and the Setanta Committee seem to have conducted a "consultation" process with the IFA which was actually a sham (the decision already having been made).

I doubt they care who wins it but crowds would and should be an important consideration. To be fair the competition is not going to thrive if the final is played out in a half-empty stadium.

Short-sighted, imo. If a competition is seen to be unfair/rigged, then its credibility will suffer in the long term, along with the crowds.

[lofty9]

Fair enough.

:eek: Only two words? Didn't know you had it in you! Well done.

[fionnsci]

http://extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/972/

Ticket Details Announced for Cross-Border Final

2008-10-23 13:48:28


By Alan Smith

Both Cork City and Glentoran have announced their allocations for the next Saturday night's Setanta Sports Cup Final.
Cork, who will have 'home' advantage in the Final, will receive the entire Curragh Road End as well as the Donie Forde Stand. Tickets were expected to go on sale to Season Ticket Holders tomorrow and are priced at €20 for adults and €10 for children but it is unknown now whether it will be tomorrow or Monday as the tickets have seemingly been held up by the FAI. Any remaining tickets will then be on sale to members of the general public.
The decision by the cross-border competition's committee to host the final down in Cork wasn't greeted too well by fans of the Belfast club and with the rumour that the St. Annes end, which has undergone a recent refurbishment, will not be ready; it means the Glens will be given just 1100 tickets. There will be 850 adult tickets priced at £16 and 250 concessions for £8. These tickets will only be available from The Oval and the full details are on the clubs official website: www.glentoran.com (http://www.glentoran.com) .
It is still unknown whether the St.Annes end will be open for the game as the new roof has yet to be completed. If the stand is open in time, it is expected to be shared between both sets of fans.

[pete]

the St. Annes end,[B] which has undergone a recent refurbishment, will not be ready;

They are building shops/toilets as part of the improvements and it was clear that would not e completed. I believe they stopped working on this last week to ensure there was safe entry points (e.g. paths) for fans so I expect the stand to be open.

[EalingGreen]

http://extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/972/

Ticket Details Announced for Cross-Border Final

2008-10-23 13:48:28


By Alan Smith

Cork, who will have 'home' advantage in the Final, will receive the entire Curragh Road End as well as the Donie Forde Stand.

It is still unknown whether the St.Annes end will be open for the game as the new roof has yet to be completed. If the stand is open in time, it is expected to be shared between both sets of fans.

Anyone any idea how many (home) fans the Curragh Rd and DF Stands hold? Also the St.Anne's End?

[fionnsci]

The Donie Forde Stand (1900), St.Annes End (2800), Derrynane Road (1185), Curragh Road Stand (1500).

[Réiteoir]

http://extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/972/

Ticket Details Announced for Cross-Border Final

2008-10-23 13:48:28


By Alan Smith

Both Cork City and Glentoran have announced their allocations for the next Saturday night's Setanta Sports Cup Final.
Cork, who will have 'home' advantage in the Final, will receive the entire Curragh Road End as well as the Donie Forde Stand.

Chuckling somewhat as to the word home being in "quotation marks" there :D

[dcfcsteve]

I assume the St Annes end will be segregated if shared ?

[SUB of the day]

1 block of St Annes end (696 seats) open for final, ie 2000 empty seats flapping in the wind.Toal fcukn joke, ****- up brewery etc etc....:mad:

[corkboy360]

1 block of St Annes end (696 seats) open for final, ie 2000 empty seats flapping in the wind.Toal fcukn joke, ****- up brewery etc etc....:mad:
Not suprised origanally thought Setanta were organising this then was told by a friend last week its the FAIlureknew we were ****ed

[Lux Interior]

So, potentially more Glentoran fans than their [Final] ground allocation can accommodate.

Hmmmmmn ......

[micls]

So, potentially more Glentoran fans than their [Final] ground allocation can accommodate.

Hmmmmmn ......

No. Ye are entitled to more tickets if ye need them, even with the reduced capacity(which isnt certain yet).

[dcfcsteve]

A choice of Final location that was wrong on sporting and tournament-prestige reasons now also appears to be going wrong in terms of physical preparedness as well....

If there was even a small risk the St Annes End couldn't be 100% guaranteed available, Turners Cross shouldn't have got the Final.

[corkboy360]

A choice of Final location that was wrong on sporting and tournament-prestige reasons now also appears to be going wrong in terms of physical preparedness as well....

If there was even a small risk the St Annes End couldn't be 100% guaranteed available, Turners Cross shouldn't have got the Final.
Still better than half empty RDS like last years FAI Cup Final plus the atmosphere will be better down here as the placer looks like it will be sold out.

Cork City and Glentoran to be the first 2 teams to sell out a setanta cup final????:cool:

[micls]

Very annoyed City and Glentoran fans. FAI have limited kids tickets, we only got 600.

Weve sold out our initial allocation of tickets and more due after the weekend but there'l be plenty of people having to pay 20euro to bring their kids along.

[Longfordian]

We were always having rows with them about kids tickets when we were in the cup finals a few years back. They're stingy with their allocation.