2011 UEFA Cup (Europa League) Final at Lansdowne Road

[SuperDave]

Apparently LR is the big cheese favourite to land the 2011 Uefa Tin Pot Tourney final. It faces competition from the Emirates and National Stadium in Bucharest, but apparently if Wembley gets the CL Final (which it will in all likelihood, especially as Uefa delayed announcing the host until the British Government changed some tax rules or another, although i'm at a loss to explain how they let the 2003 final go ahead at Old Trafford if that's the case, but that's another matter entirely) then the Emirates is out (because both finals can't be staged in the same country) and the only competition is the Romanian place.

So, assuming all that is the case, does anyone know what the ticket story would be? Would we have a chance at tickets (and by 'we' i mean block bookers and general FAI stakeholder types)?

[Dodge]

Usually about 15% of tickets for these things are kept for the home market. Obviously the FAI would have to sort their own sponsors etc out but the rest could go on general sale.

[Greenforever]

Premium level ticket holders will be guaranteed the option to buy their seat, all others may look to the touts!

[gspain]

Depends on who makes the final but at best block bookers would be in a lottery.

Demand for this would be huge. It would be fantastic to have the final in Dublin though.

Not sure if the vantage club tickets will be guaranteed however I'd imagine the FAI would look after those ticket holders first. UEFA would insist on a clean stadium but would give a percentage of the tickets to the FAI.

It would be a huge boost to vantage club sales.

[Greenforever]

Not sure if the vantage club tickets will be guaranteed however I'd imagine the FAI would look after those ticket holders first. UEFA would insist on a clean stadium but would give a percentage of the tickets to the FAI.

It would be a huge boost to vantage club sales.

Your'e correct, I forgot the game wold be organised by UEFA and not the FAI. Vantage Club Tickets guarantee your seat for all games organised by the FAI only.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Apparantly, it's a 'done deal' according to a Sunday Business Post 'source'.

Though one might insist almost certain clubs didn't get to the Final, an example being last year's losing finalists!
Could you imagine 100k of them in Dublin....

[Greenforever]

Old news this by thw way, was reported even before the rebuilding work started in Lansdowne.

Also if Croke Park remains open for soccer, dont be surprised to see it get a champions league final, UEFA officals inspecting it for the Euro 2012 bid were very impressed.

[elroy]

Also if Croke Park remains open for soccer, dont be surprised to see it get a champions league final, UEFA officals inspecting it for the Euro 2012 bid were very impressed.

That would be ironic. Presumably the hill wouldnt be used?

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

That would be ironic. Presumably the hill wouldnt be used?

Why not?

[HarpoJoyce]

Old news this by thw way, was reported even before the rebuilding work started in Lansdowne.

Also if Croke Park remains open for soccer, dont be surprised to see it get a champions league final, UEFA officals inspecting it for the Euro 2012 bid were very impressed.


That would be ironic. Presumably the hill wouldnt be used?

Alot of schools play during the afternoon on that designated weekend.
But the GAA may squeeze UEFA in, if it was an evening kick-off.

[Greenforever]

That would be ironic. Presumably the hill wouldnt be used?

Why wouldn't the hill be used:confused:

They put temporary seating on the hill last year for the Rugby and Soccer matches, similar to that used in German stadiums.

Capacity with the Hill seated is c76K.

[elroy]

Why wouldn't the hill be used:confused:

They put temporary seating on the hill last year for the Rugby and Soccer matches, similar to that used in German stadiums.

Capacity with the Hill seated is c76K.

Yes but isnt that because we get a special concession from UEFA to use bucket seating. None of the stadiums that have hosted the final in recent years have bucket seating as far as im aware.

[Dodge]

They put temporary seating on the hill last year for the Rugby and Soccer matches, similar to that used in German stadiums.


Its absolutely nothing like anything in any german stadium

[Greenforever]

Yes but isnt that because we get a special concession from UEFA to use bucket seating. None of the stadiums that have hosted the final in recent years have bucket seating as far as im aware.


Dortmund has terracing for bundesliga games, and seating for EUEF matches.

What was in Lansdown was seating on a scaffold which has been outlawed.

The seats on the hill are bolted directly into the concrete.

[Greenforever]

Its absolutely nothing like anything in any german stadium


I'll accept it may be different but the theory is the same, all seater when required, terraces at other times.

Dortmund is one such example.

How they acheive it may de different but the end result is surely the same.

[Dodge]

That the equivalent of saying the stand in Richmond park is the same as the one in Wembley as they both lead to people sittng down.

Serioiusly look into the Germna terracing and see just how different they are to a standard terrace with some bcket seats thrown on top of them

[Razors left peg]

Been confirmed....
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/0129/lansdowne.html

[Armando]

Just been confirmed as host venue for 2011:)

[Armando]

Ha...SNAP!!:D

[DeLorean]

Brilliant news altogether. Hopefully the finalists will be someway glamorous.

[NeilMcD]

Rangers V Chelsea.

[DeLorean]

Rangers V Chelsea.

Christ they'd have to change the venue last minute if Rangers got there again.

[Sligo Hornet]

Christ they'd have to change the venue last minute if Rangers got there again.


Yeah....put it in Croke Park!:D

[Greenforever]

Rangers V Chelsea.


Had they aranged that in the old stadium they woulld have saved millions knocking it down:D:D:D

[Torn-Ado]

Old news this by thw way, was reported even before the rebuilding work started in Lansdowne.

Also if Croke Park remains open for soccer, dont be surprised to see it get a champions league final, UEFA officals inspecting it for the Euro 2012 bid were very impressed.

Croke park has absolutely no chance in hell of getting a champions league final. Even if it did remain open for soccer.

[jbyrne]

Croke park has absolutely no chance in hell of getting a champions league final. Even if it did remain open for soccer.

why ?

[Torn-Ado]

why ?

A stadium has to be classed as by UEFA to host a champions league final. Croke park isn't a registered stadium. And in any case it probaby wouldn't meet certain criteria to be classed as an elite stadium.

Its just not a football stadium and I doubt UEFA would overlook a perfectly apt venure elsewhere to vouch for Croker.

[SuperDave]

croke park was classed as uefa 5* for the purposes of the euro 08 bid iirc...

[jbyrne]

A stadium has to be classed as by UEFA to host a champions league final. Croke park isn't a registered stadium. And in any case it probaby wouldn't meet certain criteria to be classed as an elite stadium.

Its just not a football stadium and I doubt UEFA would overlook a perfectly apt venure elsewhere to vouch for Croker.

neither is any stadium with a running track around it but that didnt stop champions lge finals going to athens or istanbul recently. CP would be well able to stage such a match

[Torn-Ado]

neither is any stadium with a running track around it but that didnt stop champions lge finals going to athens or istanbul recently. CP would be well able to stage such a match

They didn't have an uncovered concrete standing terrace behind their goals either.

[jbyrne]

They didn't have an uncovered concrete standing terrace behind their goals either.

have you not seen the seats put onto hill 16 before? they are perfectly acceptable as are fixed direct to the concrete. also, istanbul was uncovered at both ends...

http://www.stadiumguide.com/ataturkolympia.htm

[elroy]

Was there not some rule brought in recently enough by UEFA whereby CL finals have to played in stadia with a capacity in excess of 70k(or something around that mark). That meant there were only a few stadia in Europe capable of hosting the final - one been croker.

[gspain]

The issues with Croke Park hosting a CL final as I see them would be

1) Bucket seats on Hill 16. They may not be allowed.

2) Clean stadium - GAA have obligations to their corporate box and ten year ticket holders. They are guaranteed their seats for all events in Croke Park. I can't see the GAA breaking their word on these.

3) Rent - The GAA get a premium rent at the moment. UEFA will hardly agree to this. The GAA will hardly accept less. UEFA have lots of other options.

4) GAA rules still don't allow it. These are likely to be relaxed. However there is a difference between the GAA allowing a CL final in and actively wanting one.

5) It is difficult to get these finals and needs a lot of lobbying. The FAI may well decide to target an U21 finals or U17/U19 finals and showcase Lansdowne road rather than go after a CL final.

[Greenforever]

The issues with Croke Park hosting a CL final as I see them would be

1) Bucket seats on Hill 16. They may not be allowed.

The seats are bolted directly to the concrete and are acceptable, similar type of seating used in Germany.

2) Clean stadium - GAA have obligations to their corporate box and ten year ticket holders. They are guaranteed their seats for all events in Croke Park. I can't see the GAA breaking their word on these.

These are 10 year obligations, and you may well see the GAA changing the conditions upon renewal to exclude events that require a clean stadium. Uefa may well accept giving these people an allocation of standard seats. As the GAA local boards have already realised they stand to lose massive revenues when Lansdown reopens, they may well push for things like this as they are limited to 3 concerts per year.

3) Rent - The GAA get a premium rent at the moment. UEFA will hardly agree to this. The GAA will hardly accept less. UEFA have lots of other options.

Rents vary from between 15% and 26%, I don't see too many stadium owners not looking for the maximum rent for a one off.

4) GAA rules still don't allow it. These are likely to be relaxed. However there is a difference between the GAA allowing a CL final in and actively wanting one.

Agreed but as they say Money Talks!

5) It is difficult to get these finals and needs a lot of lobbying. The FAI may well decide to target an U21 finals or U17/U19 finals and showcase Lansdowne road rather than go after a CL final.

Whatever you think of Delaney he is very ambitious and a Champions League Final at Croker would give a subsequent joint bid with another country for a Euro Championships a lot of credibility.

[Dodge]

Again I'll say it, the seats in Cp are NOTHING like the seats in germany.

[Greenforever]

Again I'll say it, the seats in Cp are NOTHING like the seats in germany.

Please explain what the difference is that makes the seats in Croke Park Unacceptable.

THe Hill was designed to allow it be converted to all seating. When it is all seating the seats are bolted directly into the concrete.

Am I not correct in saying that the seating in the rest of the stadium is bolted directly to concrete?

Please tell me what the difference is?

Are the seats in Dortmund not bolted to the concrete? If not how are they made secure? Are they more luxurious, maybe padded or something?

To me a seat is a seat as long as it is wide enough to sit on.

[Torn-Ado]

Could someone please tell me how bolting the seats into the concrete on the hill works. Are the metal railings in the way or is the seating raised above the rails or what.

[jbyrne]

Could someone please tell me how bolting the seats into the concrete on the hill works. Are the metal railings in the way or is the seating raised above the rails or what.

crush barriers are removed. if the hill 16 seats are allowed for a qualifier, as they are, then would be allowed for champions lge final

[gspain]

crush barriers are removed. if the hill 16 seats are allowed for a qualifier, as they are, then would be allowed for champions lge final

We have a derogation due to the rebuilding of Lansdowne or should that be the Aviva stadium.

In the absence of anybody else explaining it. I was on the terrace in Dortmind during the 2006 WC with the seats in place. They appeared to be individual seats bolted in to the concrete. I could be wrong on this but that is what I recall.

I haven't been in the bucket seats at Croke Park. However I think they appear to be a full structure eg new aisles etc. My understanding is that this is what is not allowed without permission. I have been in the bucket seats in Lansdowne and the RDS and they are totally different to Dortmund. These certainly wouldn't be allowed.

[jbyrne]

We have a derogation due to the rebuilding of Lansdowne or should that be the Aviva stadium.

In the absence of anybody else explaining it. I was on the terrace in Dortmind during the 2006 WC with the seats in place. They appeared to be individual seats bolted in to the concrete. I could be wrong on this but that is what I recall.

I haven't been in the bucket seats at Croke Park. However I think they appear to be a full structure eg new aisles etc. My understanding is that this is what is not allowed without permission. I have been in the bucket seats in Lansdowne and the RDS and they are totally different to Dortmund. These certainly wouldn't be allowed.

i have been in the hill 16 seats for a rugby match and they are as good as the permanent seats in any other part of the ground. id say they are exactly the kind of seating used in the german stadiums such as dortmund, hamburg etc. Just because its german doesnt mean it has to be better. why would we need a derogation to put temporary seats into a ground that holds 70,000+ without them when we rarely get attendances that big?

[bennocelt]

Rangers V Chelsea.


here's hoping:)

call me a cynical basturd, but i would much prefer if Delaney did something constructive for our LOI - the mans ego must be pretty big at the moment

[gspain]

i have been in the hill 16 seats for a rugby match and they are as good as the permanent seats in any other part of the ground. id say they are exactly the kind of seating used in the german stadiums such as dortmund, hamburg etc. Just because its german doesnt mean it has to be better. why would we need a derogation to put temporary seats into a ground that holds 70,000+ without them when we rarely get attendances that big?

Can you remember if you were you walking on the concrete or on a specially built structure?

[jbyrne]

Can you remember if you were you walking on the concrete or on a specially built structure?

concrete. hill 16 cost circa €25m to build which is massive for terracing. one of the reasons for this was to allow for safe, proper seating to be fitted. its like sitting anywhere else in the ground except has no roof. in fact i think the view is better than lower davin due to the steepness of the terrace

[gspain]

concrete. hill 16 cost circa €25m to build which is massive for terracing. one of the reasons for this was to allow for safe, proper seating to be fitted. its like sitting anywhere else in the ground except has no roof. in fact i think the view is better than lower davin due to the steepness of the terrace

Probably fine then. Assume they followed the model in Dortmund or maybe Dortmund followed Croke Park.

I think that model is a lot safer than those in the RDS or old Lansdowne. I'm sure they passed H&S checks and maybe it's just me but I'm not a big fan of these temporary stands. We did have some seats collapse at the Swiss game a few years ago too.

[Greenforever]

Probably fine then. Assume they followed the model in Dortmund or maybe Dortmund followed Croke Park.

I think that model is a lot safer than those in the RDS or old Lansdowne. I'm sure they passed H&S checks and maybe it's just me but I'm not a big fan of these temporary stands. We did have some seats collapse at the Swiss game a few years ago too.


I would imagine they copied Dortmund, just like Arsenal copied Croker for the corporate levels.

The seats on the hill are identical in every way to all the other seats in Croke Park.

The problem with Lansdowne was the seats were on a scaffold, however in my humble opinion if they are all right for the Ryder Cup and other major world events I don't see why they are not all right for UEFA or FIFA.