Ireland to stage three group games and a round of 16 game at Euro 2020

[jbyrne]

Actually alot more to do with poxy all-seaters, but credit to the Poles & Sligo fans. But 2 out of around 50 teams that have played there is pretty fecking poor.

the only team that really counts is our own though.
the old stadium was all seater also for qualifiers and was open at both ends yet it didnt stop us creating a good atmosphere most of the time.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Regardless, it means nothing in the context of hosting EURO 2020 games, which will probably be sell outs anyway (or close enough to it).

[ArdeeBhoy]

Unless it's say, Albania v.Norway?

Still no-one on here ever complains about 'event junkies'. UEFA still have more negatives than pluses IMO.

[NeverFeltBetter]

I had no idea you felt that way.

And you know, I do think Norwegians like football. Albania too.

[Stuttgart88]

I think UEFA probably has more pluses than negatives. I think they're in a tough position. TV stations want to dictate the football landscape and UEFA has constructed a credible compromise between what the big clubs and big TV stations want, and what the whole game wants and respecting traditions. Complying with EU labour law (Bosman) put UEFA in a tough position too.

What is your particular beef with UEFA?

Qatar support and Platini family link via PSG? Disgraceful.
FFP? Great idea, 15+ years too late.
Champions League? Good competition. UEFA had to bend to big clubs' demands for more rounds.
Europa League? Bit of a joke, too many teams. Same root cause though.
Expanded Euros? Bad idea, tolerable as a one off though.
Multiple hosts for 2020? I think this is a great idea. I don't see why so many writers dislike it.
Refusal to allow cross border leagues? I can see their position but think they could explore more options, some of which I have mooted on other threads.
Relationship with FIFA? I think UEFA is the only place showing any ability to encourage debate. Every other continental confederation is eating of of Blatter's hands.
They are taking a tough stand on third party ownership, but are fighting a really tough battle.
Other issues?

[jbyrne]

Other issues?

the €25,000 watches that some UEFA delegates received in Brazil during the WC and accepted until a british newspaper highlighted it was against FIFAs own rules and they will now return them. not sure of the full story but its along these lines.

[Stuttgart88]

the €25,000 watches that some UEFA delegates received in Brazil during the WC and accepted until a british newspaper highlighted it was against FIFAs own rules and they will now return them. not sure of the full story but its along these lines.
That was FIFA delegates, not UEFA, no?

[DeLorean]

And they were only worth $25,000, not euro :)

[NeverFeltBetter]

Apropos of nothing, I can only assume that if 2020 is a success, this will be how UEFA does the Euros from then on, unless they alternate between that and the bigger nations (Germany, Spain, Italy, England) that are capable of hosting it without bankrupting themselves. Think recent tournaments have made clear that even co-hosting has limited benefits for countries.

[ArdeeBhoy]

I think UEFA probably has more pluses than negatives. I think they're in a tough position. TV stations want to dictate the football landscape and UEFA has constructed a credible compromise between what the big clubs and big TV stations want, and what the whole game wants and respecting traditions. Complying with EU labour law (Bosman) put UEFA in a tough position too.

What is your particular beef with UEFA?

Qatar support and Platini family link via PSG? Disgraceful.
FFP? Great idea, 15+ years too late.
Champions League? Good competition. UEFA had to bend to big clubs' demands for more rounds.
Europa League? Bit of a joke, too many teams. Same root cause though.
Expanded Euros? Bad idea, tolerable as a one off though.
Multiple hosts for 2020? I think this is a great idea. I don't see why so many writers dislike it.
Refusal to allow cross border leagues? I can see their position but think they could explore more options, some of which I have mooted on other threads.
Relationship with FIFA? I think UEFA is the only place showing any ability to encourage debate. Every other continental confederation is eating of of Blatter's hands.
They are taking a tough stand on third party ownership, but are fighting a really tough battle.
Other issues?

Fair points you raise, but could point out just as many negatives as positives in general. Mainly that like FIFA, they seem too corrupt and their vision of the sport is too detached from a significant minority of fans...

[DeLorean]

There seems to be a thin line (and a million miles) between being money mad and being corrupt. Neither are particularly attractive characteristics but the at least the former is legal. I wouldn't be too well up on UEFA's dodgy dealings, if that is the case, but the GAA really grind my gears with their greed. For all my complaining though, I still hand over my money at the turnstiles. I'm sure Euro 2020 will be the same if the package is attractive enough.

[tetsujin1979]

Live stream of the announcement: http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/about-euro/index.html

[DannyInvincible]

The semi-finals and final host first announced; it'll be London. Our capacity of 50,000 means we can only host group stage and round-of-16 games.

[DannyInvincible]

And we'll host group stage and round-of-16 games.

[Bungle]

Great news!! I wonder how it will work i.e if we qualify for the tournament will our group games be in Dublin or would we be in another venue?

[DeLorean]

Well I'm delighted with that anyway.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Fantastic news.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Great news!! I wonder how it will work i.e if we qualify for the tournament will our group games be in Dublin or would we be in another venue?

With our recent home record...


More seriously, are the group games all for the same group, or just three 'random' games?

And if they'd used Croke, then they could have bid for the Final. Hopefully they'll learn from that.

[The Fly]

With our recent home record...


More seriously, are the group games all for the same group, or just three 'random' games?

And if they'd used Croke, then they could have bid for the Final. Hopefully they'll learn from that.

Croke Park would never have been in the running to host the final.

[tetsujin1979]

With our recent home record...


More seriously, are the group games all for the same group, or just three 'random' games?

And if they'd used Croke, then they could have bid for the Final. Hopefully they'll learn from that.

I think it's two home group games for the host country, assuming they qualify, and then one group game with two other countries

[DannyInvincible]

What category of stadium would Croke Park be if it were ever to be considered? Not that I'm saying it will be if this concept continues, but does it fulfil the criteria of a category four stadium? For some reason, I have a feeling it wouldn't.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Croke Park would never have been in the running to host the final.

Er, not this time...

[DeLorean]

The Dublin video bid for EURO 2020 (http://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/the-dublin-video-bid-for-euro-2020)

[ArdeeBhoy]

http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2014/09/19/ireland-wins-the-right-to-host-euro-2020-games-they-wont-qualify-for/

[geysir]

The Dublin video bid for EURO 2020 (http://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/the-dublin-video-bid-for-euro-2020)


Almost subliminal interjection there of Don Givens heading home against the USSR in 1974, no doubt it was to exploit the current mood of anti Russian imperialism and garner positive vibes to us.

Good work by the FAI to get this.

[Dodge]

What category of stadium would Croke Park be if it were ever to be considered? Not that I'm saying it will be if this concept continues, but does it fulfil the criteria of a category four stadium? For some reason, I have a feeling it wouldn't.

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Regulations/uefaorg/Stadium&Security/01/48/48/85/1484885_DOWNLOAD.pdf

I reckon it would fall down on some of the media stuff. Aviva Stadium is well equipped here while Croke Park would never have a need for 25 commentary positions so may not have incorporated it

[Dodge]

Voting breakdown. 4 bids deemed not good enough so 15 cities looking for 13 packages. Cardiff (by a vote) and Stockholm the only 2 to lose out.

http://www.uefa.org/mediaservices/mediareleases/newsid=2151195.html

Dublin voted 2nd highest (behind Amsterdam) of those looking for minimum package

[geysir]

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Regulations/uefaorg/Stadium&Security/01/48/48/85/1484885_DOWNLOAD.pdf

I reckon it would fall down on some of the media stuff. Aviva Stadium is well equipped here while Croke Park would never have a need for 25 commentary positions so may not have incorporated it
First and formost you have to look after your vips in a category 4 stadium:)

Croke Park i think easily qualifies, it has 90 spaces for print journalists, 40 for radio commentary and 15 for tv.
The UEFA requirement is for 25 TV and radio positions.

[osarusan]

According to this, you need 85 TV/Radio commentary positions for a group or round of 16 game (and for quarterfinals too):

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/EuroExperience/competitions/General/01/95/21/41/1952141_DOWNLOAD.pdf

Sector 7, p.55, which is page 121 of 198 in the whole pdf.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Fantastic news, and good to see the Dublin bid so highly rated.

[The Fly]

Er, not this time...

Er, I meant it's not good enough to host a final...but then you knew that.

[Stuttgart88]

Great news!! I wonder how it will work i.e if we qualify for the tournament will our group games be in Dublin or would we be in another venue?

Hopefully Shay Given will be playing first team football by then.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Er, I meant it's not good enough to host a final...but then you knew that.

If you say so. But you know it is.
;)

[The Fly]

If you say so. But you know it is.
;)

Not to my mind. Croke Park looks impressive when one is inside it but it's essentially 3 uniform stands merged together and lacks the external space, infrastructure and grandeur to stage a final.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Apart from the fact it can hold 70K+ and has held dozens of GAA Finals and numerous other sporting events...

[Charlie Darwin]

It holds 80k+, but that doesn't mean it's a great soccer stadium. Like a lot of Olympic stadiums in Europe, it's very big but not exactly an amazing atmosphere for football matches, in part because it's just not a football stadium.

[The Fly]

Apart from the fact it can hold 70K+ and has held dozens of GAA Finals and numerous other sporting events...

I'm already aware of the capacity. However, the final of the European championships is on another level to anything that it has played host to so far, and it lacks the factors I mentioned to do so. Also, as Charlie says, it isn't a great soccer stadium.

[ArdeeBhoy]

If you say so, reckon the majority who've been to both would disagree...

[Stuttgart88]

It's more about the media facilities, comes infrastructure, temporary seating etc.

As a stadium it's fine. I've no doubt something like Atletico v Dortmund would be unbelievably atmospheric.

[Stuttgart88]

the €25,000 watches that some UEFA delegates received in Brazil during the WC and accepted until a british newspaper highlighted it was against FIFAs own rules and they will now return them. not sure of the full story but its along these lines.
I didn't know you meant these watches :)

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/michel-platini-surprised-by-fifa-timing-on-watch-controversy-1.1935273

The whole patronage system in global football governance stinks. Greg Dyke, arch critic of FIFA corruption, was also a recipient but claims he never took it out of the bag. They're all hypocrites.

[DannyInvincible]

Dyke claims he wasn't aware of the watch's value and has passed it on to charity. Whether or not he did that before or after the story broke in the media, I'm not sure. Platini also claims he was unaware of the value of the watches but it seems he held on to his. His defence is peculiar; whether or not FIFA wanted to make an issue of it now, presumably in order to safe face after the revelations in the media, or four months ago when the watches were received, Platini still surely realised he was in breach of FIFA's ethical code...

On Croke Park, as grand a stadium as it is, albeit aesthetically imbalanced, it would have to meet UEFA's requirements for a category 4 stadium in order to host a UEFA final. As Croke Park has never been evaluated by UEFA and we don't think the media facilities meet the criteria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_stadium_categories#Main_differences_between_c ategories), we cannot say for sure, but it would, most likely, require some refurbishment. One end of the ground would also require temporary seating; do UEFA still permit that? I assume they do, but wasn't there some issue made of it a few years ago? Did we have to get special exemption or something? Obviously, Croke Park wasn't built to conform to UEFA's requirements as, hosting GAA primarily, there was no need for it to meet such criteria, whereas a stadium like the new Lansdowne Road would have been built with UEFA's criteria in mind.

[DannyInvincible]

By the way, John Delaney is said to be disgusted by this whole World Cup delegates watches thing; he wanted one too!

[NeverFeltBetter]

Isn't Croke Park in line to be the centrepiece of the Irish RWC bid in 2023? Will same refurbishments be required for that if bid is successful?

[Dodge]

Isn't Croke Park in line to be the centrepiece of the Irish RWC bid in 2023? Will same refurbishments be required for that if bid is successful?

Football always has higher standards than rugby in fairness. There were grounds used in New Zealand that still had grass banks!

I always laugh at people in ireland saying we could host a major sporting even and point to GAA county grounds as examples of stadiums. They're clerly fit to host GAA games but would struggle badly to fulfill criteria needed for UEFA

[tetsujin1979]

Isn't there something about the number of stadiums per city in UEFA competitions as well?
Think you can only have one, whereas with rugby you can have two - Limerick's Gaelic Grounds and Thomond Park are supposed to be part of the bid too

[Stuttgart88]

Delaney saying in The Indo today (link will follow later) that he wants the euros to leave a legacy and that will be that Dalyer will be saved. He wants Shels to ground share.

It'd be nice if it was more than just saved. A wholesale redevelopment into a semi-modern biggish stadium would be brilliant, albeit a pipe dream probably.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Delaney saying in The Indo today (link will follow later) that he wants the euros to leave a legacy and that will be that Dalyer will be saved. He wants Shels to ground share.

It'd be nice if it was more than just saved. A wholesale redevelopment into a semi-modern biggish stadium would be brilliant, albeit a pipe dream probably.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/delaney-sees-new-dalymount-as-irelands-euro-2020-legacy-287805.html

[paul_oshea]

Ya I read that this morning. But with the shopping centre there and the houses and school behind it it can't be redeveloped into anything too great. If they got decent facilities and 6-10k seater they would be doing well. Hopefully delaney delivers but would shels and bohs really be willing to groundshare?

[DannyInvincible]

would shels and bohs really be willing to groundshare?

Shels have ground-shared with Rovers before (albeit in Tolka Park). If they can ground-share with Rovers, I'm sure they can ground-share with anyone! :p

[Charlie Darwin]

I think they should call it John Delaney Park and have Bohs, Shels and Pats all share it. And Dundalk.