Thomond Park to Host Soccer?

[Flawless]

From rte.ie -

Officials at Thomond Park are ready to open their doors to soccer after UEFA approved the venue as an international soccer venue.

The stadium is believed to be in serious talks with some of the leading European soccer clubs about hosting a pre-season tournament in the near future.

Stadium Director John Cantwell has confirmed that such a move would be subject to ratification by the IRFU and the FAI.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2008/1211/thomondpark.html

Officials hope to announce more details early in the new year


Interesting move, the redeveloped stadium is Something else..

[Lionel Ritchie]

I just hope they fix their friggin alarm and tannoy system. I live across the road and it went off at 4am on Wednesday morning.

Seriously though this'd be great. I'd love to see Irelands qualifiers against smaller sides played there ...though I've no expectation this will happen with the new LR on the way.

[gspain]

Thomond Park has been hosting football matches since 1960 (at least) so never a problem with access to it. This would need FAI approval and I trust any such tournament would include a local side.

I had heard rumours afew months back that the crowd that organised Barcelona's tours to Scotland in recent years were trying to do something similiar in Limerick.

[tetsujin1979]

Can't see it getting any qualifiers, but you'd imagine a B international, or underage qualifier would be a good fit for Thomond

[bwagner]

i think it would be great we should organize a small international tournament in the summer like the english did a few years ago with Japan and Iceland

[Dodge]

I had heard rumours afew months back that the crowd that organised Barcelona's tours to Scotland in recent years were trying to do something similiar in Limerick.

That'd be Fintan Drury's Platinum One. Am I right in thinking both ends of the ground are terraced?

[joeSoap]

This is a major boost. The city now boasts a magnificent stadium, top class hotel accommodations, a reasonable transport infrastructure, and most importantly as the carrot to dangle, the facilities in the University for training for clubs in pre-season are second to none.

[joeSoap]

That'd be Fintan Drury's Platinum One. Am I right in thinking both ends of the ground are terraced? Yes, both ends of the ground are terraced, but temporary seating to these terraces would be no problem. They are quite small as terraces go. There are I believe seats for 21,000 as it stands.

[joeSoap]

A recent photo (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3172/2958106056_c8fdc02a97.jpg?v=0)

[Hunty's Flatcap]

Looks like a real option for the B fixtures if not the U-21's. I personally can't see the first team playing there any time soon. I've never been, any idea if the pitch will be close to the stands - one of the more obvious problems with Croker.

[Flawless]

Great boost for munster and the west aswell, alternative FAI Cup Final venue perhaps?..Lets for talks sake say its a Cork Vs Galway Final!

[neville neville]

would be a good venue for smaller friendlies.

[elroy]

I think it would be a great idea to play a smaller friendly there, it would sell out and would give the opportunity to plenty of people down that end of the country who cant make a mid week friendly to attend.

Although at the moment, the Fai are getting in the region of 50k for each friendly and the lowest attendance i can remember in recent years for a friendly in LR was in the lows 30ks, so they would probably lose out by having a match down there.

[Dodge]

BTW when Lansdowne opens there's absolutely no chance of the FAI using anything else so get it while its going (they'll need all the revenue they can get, and if they're selling 10 year tickets, they'll need to ensure they get access to everything...)

[paul_oshea]

Great boost for munster and the west aswell, alternative FAI Cup Final venue perhaps?..Lets for talks sake say its a Cork Vs Galway Final!

Not the west.

[Claret Murph]

Not the west.

I was thinking more of a Galway v Mervue final myself ;);)

[OneRedArmy]

Great ground for rugby, credit to the foresight of the Munster branch, but terracing at either ends and in front of stands (similar to old Lansdowne) plus FAI's need to re-coup Lansdowne investment will make it very hard for them to get a look in at staging anything of note.

[KevB76]

This is a major boost. The city now boasts a magnificent stadium, top class hotel accommodations, a reasonable transport infrastructure, and most importantly as the carrot to dangle, the facilities in the University for training for clubs in pre-season are second to none.

....and the least expensive in Ireland, its official :D

[ifk101]

Great ground for rugby, credit to the foresight of the Munster branch, but terracing at either ends and in front of stands (similar to old Lansdowne) plus FAI's need to re-coup Lansdowne investment will make it very hard for them to get a look in at staging anything of note.

Thomond won't host a full football international anytime soon. But its sounds like they are just looking to host a pre-season club tournament to raise cash for the redevelopment costs.

Otherwise the FAI could probably make a successful bid for the U21 European Championships with Thomond's availability. Hosting is the only way we could qualify for that tournament :D.

[tetsujin1979]

My Campus house is right beside the Arena outdoor pitchyou're in Kilmurry so? I lived there in 3rd year in college

[Hibernian]

Be great to see it get few matches but I cant see them ever getting anything major at international level

[Uncle_Joe]

Dodge is spot on here.
with 10 year ticket holder wanting their moneys worth and the FAI needing to pay the bills, every game that can be played in Lansdowne will be played in Lansdowne.
good news though, but probably only to be used in some crazy megolmaniac plan by Delaney to bring some cohosted European Championship to Ireland.:eek:

[corkboy360]

Great boost for munster and the west aswell, alternative FAI Cup Final venue perhaps?..Lets for talks sake say its a Cork Vs Galway Final!
FAI holding an FAI cup final outside Dublin yo must be joking.

[gspain]

FAI holding an FAI cup final outside Dublin yo must be joking.

Flower Lodge hosted the 1973 replay when Hibs beat Shels.

[Dodge]

Never let the facts get in the way of a good anti Dub rant gspain. Everyone knows the Waterford led FAI are completely pro Dub!

[soccerc]

Thomond Park is classified as a category 3 UEFA stadium.

It was slated for the St Pats V Herta UEFA Cup home tie had the RDS not been available. ;)

[anto1208]

They will only play games outside the rugby season ( ive no idea when that is it seems to me that munster are allways playing something or other ) They are in talks with 4 UK teams and 2 spanish teams.

[1676]

That'd be awesome, My Campus house is right beside the Arena outdoor pitch so literally when I walk out my front door I'm regularly greeted with Ronan O Gara and Brian O Driscoll training with Munster or Ireland. It'd be doubly sweet if Keane and Duff could be there too!

But yeah the facilities are great and we already get a lot of other teams training here, most recently the All Blacks, my german housemate walked into one of them in the gym and she was terrified by his size. :D

We get loads of teams coming here who even dont have a game here, especially in summer for training breaks. A year ago in the space of a week I saw Johnny Wilkinson with the Falcons and Teddy Sheringham with Colchester just wandering around campus so god knows how many sports team train here from everywhere. So the idea is good but its probably an aim to raise the games profile, outside of Dublin soccer is very much a backup sport to most.
german housemate eh!;)

[shelbourne1904]

Strange how noone has mentioned that its in Limerick and what benefit could come to Limerick 37??
Is Munster a seperate country now??

[NeilMcD]

[QUOTE=Ciaran;1073451]That'd be awesome, My Campus house is right beside the Arena outdoor pitch so literally when I walk out my front door I'm regularly greeted with Ronan O Gara and Brian O Driscoll training with Munster or Ireland. It'd be doubly sweet if Keane and Duff could be there too!


News just in that Duff and Keane have retired from international soccer on the back of this development. Rumours that they fear for their safety due to stalking have not being denied.

[NeilMcD]

german housemate eh!;)

Nothing beats my half Iraqi half Ukranian grew up in Sweden housemate GT , Babysis and Saint Tom can confirm

[gufcfan]

Can't see it getting any qualifiers, but you'd imagine a B international, or underage qualifier would be a good fit for Thomond

I would agree totally.

I can never see any Ireland internationals being played there as the FAI have sold and continue to sell seating packages for the new Lansdowne Road based on the Ireland games being held there. They wouldn't be able to switch any to Limerick, even if they wanted to.

[gael353]

Strange how noone has mentioned that its in Limerick and what benefit could come to Limerick 37??
Is Munster a seperate country now??


first up, limerick would have been in contact with several sides with a view to bringing them over for friendlies, this new thing which is being announced is from a private company. Both the FAI and Limerick Football Club would have to give permission for these games to go ahead in Limerick. Limerick would have to get a cut if not all of the money as their negotiations have been going on longer then this private company (confirmed by two british clubs)

on munster, Thomond park is in Limerick and is widely accepted as the formost rugby venue in Munster. And its not a Cork/Limerick thing either as rugby to its credit has gotten into GAA hot beds such as Kerry and Tipp

[Lim till i die]

Limerick would have to get a cut if not all of the money as their negotiations have been going on longer then this private company (confirmed by two british clubs)


Absolue nonsense in fairness man.

However, I'd like to think if the FAI had to give permission (I'm not sure that they do??) they would get Limerick thrown in the mix.

[Longfordian]

Unless Limerick FC have a signed contract with these sides I can't see how they'd be entitled to anything. Negotiations mean jack and these clubs will do whatever suits them best financially and every other way. The FAI however do have to give permission for the fixture.

[Lim till i die]

Unless Limerick FC have a signed contract with these sides I can't see how they'd be entitled to anything. Negotiations mean jack and these clubs will do whatever suits them best financially and every other way. .

Precisely.


The FAI however do have to give permission for the fixture

Are you sure??

Why, out of sheer curiosity??

In this case we'll surely be tossed a few bones :eek: :o

[Longfordian]

Er actually now that I think of it that may not be the case, depends on the referees they use, if they're Irish refs you'd have to go through the FAI. I'm not 100% sure but they may also have to officially sanction it for insurance purposes.

[corkboy360]

Flower Lodge hosted the 1973 replay when Hibs beat Shels.
Things have changed and you know it:rolleyes:

[Lim till i die]

Er actually now that I think of it that may not be the case, depends on the referees they use, if they're Irish refs you'd have to go through the FAI. I'm not 100% sure but they may also have to officially sanction it for insurance purposes.

I have an awful feeling we get squat

Plus the fact that we will never be able to play friendlies ourselves ever

Typical :o

[tetsujin1979]

yep! Thomond, Dromroe and Capavilla are nicer but Kilmurry is great for being so close to everything! :)

You a graduate or still going to UL?
Long gone from UL, still head out to the gym from time to time when I'm back in Limerick.
Capavilla wasn't there when I lived in Kilmurry, Drumroe opened for first years the semester after I got my degree

Nothing beats my half Iraqi half Ukranian grew up in Sweden housemate GT , Babysis and Saint Tom can confirm
My housemate is half Swedish/half Tunisian and was raised in Germany!

[NeilMcD]

Fair play that is a good comeback. I will let the foot.ie jury decide.

[Sligo Hornet]

Fair play that is a good comeback. I will let the foot.ie jury decide.

You could each post up some background details on the two....qualifications,work experiences,languages spoke etc. and a photo...then have a poll, so we can vote for the one with the biggest tits!

[paul_oshea]

Nothing beats my half Iraqi half Ukranian grew up in Sweden housemate GT , Babysis and Saint Tom can confirm

what can they confirm, that she exists?! :D

[paul_oshea]

hold on a photo sounds like the best idea, come on lads, money where the mouth is etc.....

[Dodge]

Things have changed and you know it:rolleyes:

yep, less Dubs in the FAI now. Geta ****ing grip BTW

anyway...

FAI have to sanction every game that’s played in Ireland. Loads of reasons why (security, referees, insurance). It’s the same in every country in the world. If Man U want to play Tottenham in South Africa, the South African FA have to sanction it.

[paul_oshea]

Thats interesting, lets hope they have the gumption to get an irish team in the tournament then even if not limerick. However I'm assuming it will interrupt the EL league being in full flow.

[Flawless]

Thats interesting, lets hope they have the gumption to get an irish team in the tournament then even if not limerick. However I'm assuming it will interrupt the EL league being in full flow.

Maybe even an Eircom League select team

[sadloserkid]

My only problem with a selection is that the players would never have played with each other as a team before and would suffer accordingly. Think we'd better off with just one club and as it's in Limerick anyway and everybody moans about the cost of travelling to games it may as well be us. :)

[Lionel Ritchie]

I'm inclined to agree with SLK for practical reasons and self interest -for which I pass no apology.

A league selection wouldn't even be mooted if these games were being proposed for Turners Cross or Dalymount Park ...and roughly how many City or Bohs supporters would be inclined to travel to Limerick anyway to watch two or three of their players each in a friendly tournament?

It may be just an accident of geography that Limerick may be the football club to benefit from this but so what ...lord knows it's been a victim of sporting geography for long enough. Why shouldn't it benefit? (if indeed there's a benefit to be accrued at all -which is far from certain).

I'm personally looking forward to seeing pretty much every slitty eyed, sticky-headed knobend in this town turn up in their Celtic shirts next summer to watch their team play their actual team.

Hmmm ...the idea of a concise, tactical bombardment just zoomed across my mind there.

[NeilMcD]

what can they confirm, that she exists?! :D

That she exists and that she is a lovely good looking girl. So not suitable for you Paul on all fronts.