2030 FIFA World Cup Ireland/UK Joint Bid

[NeverFeltBetter]

I imagine this bid might be facing even more of an uphill struggle after the scenes last night. Some awful stories going around.

[Fixer82]

I hope this gets rejected. I want nothing to do with them and don't understand why we have to be involved with them anyway. Surely a Celtic Nations Bid would make more sense.

[Fixer82]

I can see it being upgraded to an all-seater, and when the World Cup is over, the GAA closes it for "foreign sports" again. So the GAA would get a free upgrade paid by football money, and then it can't be used for football afterwards.

Oh it'll be used by football alright, maybe not soccer though ;)

That's business. Why would the GAA bend over backwards for an amateurish organisation with a dodgy financial past?
They have the assets, the FAI want them. Let's talk business.

If only the FAI took a leaf from how the IRFU and the GAA conduct their affairs, this mightn't even be an issue.

[nigel-harps1954]

I hope this gets rejected. I want nothing to do with them and don't understand why we have to be involved with them anyway. Surely a Celtic Nations Bid would make more sense.

Presumably any Celtic Nations bid wouldn't have the required stadia. Stadiums hosting group stage must have 40k capacity, quarters have 60k, and semis/final must have 80k.

Within Ireland, Scotland, Wales that leaves 7 stadiums, if you include the use of Croker, Murrayfield and Millenium stadium.

For reference, the expanded 2026 WC will have 16 stadiums across Canada, Mexico and USA.

Even if Cardiff City stadium got a 7k expansion for the occasion, the likes of the GAA got behind it and made Casement Park and Pairc Ui Chaoimh available, 10 stadiums would hardly be enough to host it.

As I've said before, we're better off running a mile from the idea, and especially after the scenes in London over the last few days.

[Fixer82]

Presumably any Celtic Nations bid wouldn't have the required stadia. Stadiums hosting group stage must have 40k capacity, quarters have 60k, and semis/final must have 80k.

Within Ireland, Scotland, Wales that leaves 7 stadiums, if you include the use of Croker, Murrayfield and Millenium stadium.

For reference, the expanded 2026 WC will have 16 stadiums across Canada, Mexico and USA.

Even if Cardiff City stadium got a 7k expansion for the occasion, the likes of the GAA got behind it and made Casement Park and Pairc Ui Chaoimh available, 10 stadiums would hardly be enough to host it.

As I've said before, we're better off running a mile from the idea, and especially after the scenes in London over the last few days.

You're prob right.

In Ireland though, off top of my head: Lansdowne, Croker, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Casement, Thomond Park, Pearse Park, Nowlan Park, Semple Stadium, Gaelic Grounds in Limerick, Fitzgerald Stadium...that's 10

Am i missing something? Is there a minimum capacity requirement?

[tetsujin1979]

Think you can only use one stadium in a city as well, although there are exceptions for places the size of London.

[nigel-harps1954]

You're prob right.

In Ireland though, off top of my head: Lansdowne, Croker, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Casement, Thomond Park, Pearse Park, Nowlan Park, Semple Stadium, Gaelic Grounds in Limerick, Fitzgerald Stadium...that's 10

Am i missing something? Is there a minimum capacity requirement?

The money required to get those stadia up to FIFA regulation or UEFA Cat 4 would be astronomical, and you're just effectively giving the GAA brand new stadia as a result and nothing towards football legacy.

Also, Thomond Park is far too small at 25k, and that includes terracing, so realistically it cuts to about 18k when you change that to seating. Only five grounds in Ireland give a capacity of over the 40,000 minimum required for a world cup anyway, and only two of those have more than 40k seats (Croker and Aviva).

[NeverFeltBetter]

The Gaelic Grounds and Semple aren't delapidated exactly, but they're nowhere near the requirements here.

[Fixer82]

The money required to get those stadia up to FIFA regulation or UEFA Cat 4 would be astronomical, and you're just effectively giving the GAA brand new stadia as a result and nothing towards football legacy.

Also, Thomond Park is far too small at 25k, and that includes terracing, so realistically it cuts to about 18k when you change that to seating. Only five grounds in Ireland give a capacity of over the 40,000 minimum required for a world cup anyway, and only two of those have more than 40k seats (Croker and Aviva).

Ah didn't realise the minimum was 40,000. Is that a new rule?

[nigel-harps1954]

Ah didn't realise the minimum was 40,000. Is that a new rule?

Not sure how new it is, but tis within FIFA documents anyway. 30,000 is minimum for Euros, but that's 30,000 available public seats and guests, not counting media spaces, so presumably you're looking at a 35,000 seater there.

[NeverFeltBetter]

UK MP's making the right noises after the announcement that England have been slapped with a stadium ban over the EURO 2020 Final: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/1019/1254629-uk-and-ireland-2030-world-cup-bid-not-up-in-smoke/

But in reality you'd have to think it's another nail in the coffin of the idea.

[pineapple stu]

That's a reasonably big move for UEFA. Entirely understandable, but trying to think when the last time a team of England's profile got a stadium ban?

Agree the 2030 World Cup won't be coming here. Not that bothered anyway.

[Diggs246]

Why wouldn't we do it with someone like Holland, both EU both get on well and will both do a great job
If south Korea and japan can do it then why not?
lets expand our minds

[pineapple stu]

Why on earth would Holland want us on board?

[Diggs246]

Why on earth would Holland want us on board?

because we are funny!

[backstothewall]

A few thoughts.

One of the great advantages of the Bertie Bowl plan was that it was, technically, in Fingal rather than Dublin. It would have allowed it to be considered to be in a separate location from Dublin for the purposes of bidding for tournaments. France pulled the same move by putting the Stade De France in St. Denis, which allowed them to include it alongside the Parc De Princes when bidding for France 98 etc.

We're never going to be anything more than a bit part on a bid for a tournament. We would be better of concentrating on building half a dozen 18k seat stadiums in places like Galway, Cork, Waterford and Derry which could support such arenas. If we achieved that we could maybe think about holding underage or female tournaments as the next stage of developing the game here.

There's merit in League Of Ireland sides teaming up with minority sports to squeeze funding out of Leinster House and local government for new facilities. For example a club like Cork City may have more success getting taxpayer funding to replace for Turner's Cross if they bait the hook with an event like a Hockey World Cup being held there, with a LOI side coming in as a sustainable anchor tenant once the event is over.

[pineapple stu]

because we are funny!
In this context, it's very much laughing at rather than laughing with though.

[SkStu]

Hello little pixie headsh.

[Diggs246]

A few thoughts.

One of the great advantages of the Bertie Bowl plan was that it was, technically, in Fingal rather than Dublin. It would have allowed it to be considered to be in a separate location from Dublin for the purposes of bidding for tournaments. France pulled the same move by putting the Stade De France in St. Denis, which allowed them to include it alongside the Parc De Princes when bidding for France 98 etc.

We're never going to be anything more than a bit part on a bid for a tournament. We would be better of concentrating on building half a dozen 18k seat stadiums in places like Galway, Cork, Waterford and Derry which could support such arenas. If we achieved that we could maybe think about holding underage or female tournaments as the next stage of developing the game here.

There's merit in League Of Ireland sides teaming up with minority sports to squeeze funding out of Leinster House and local government for new facilities. For example a club like Cork City may have more success getting taxpayer funding to replace for Turner's Cross if they bait the hook with an event like a Hockey World Cup being held there, with a LOI side coming in as a sustainable anchor tenant once the event is over.

I think if we get a rugby world cup first we can then we should have asperations to host a euros or WC with someone
after a rugby WC the stadia will be in place to co host a football tournament. We would do an amazing job

[backstothewall]

I think if we get a rugby world cup first we can then we should have asperations to host a euros or WC with someone
after a rugby WC the stadia will be in place to co host a football tournament. We would do an amazing job

I don't see a Rugby World Cup as being realistic yet after the last bid being rejected out of hand. With both traditional powers and emerging nations like Japan, Russia and America offering much better facilities, we aren't in a position to compete at that level yet.

We don't have enough big stadiums, and many of those we do have are less than ideal. Páirc Uí Chaoimh is big, but it isn't all seater and most of it is uncovered. The new Casement Park is being built in the wrong place, and Windsor Park just isn't big enough. And that's without considering the difficulties of getting the GAA to allow other codes to use their facilities.

The stadium Russia built in Yekaterinburg for the World Cup is an excellent example for us. It was expanded with temporary seating to 35,000, but dropped down to 23,000 after the bandwagon left town, while presumably retaining the media, sporting and hospitality facilities that they had to put in for the World Cup

[Diggs246]

I think it was solely to do with money in the end re last rugby tender? We had the full backing of the state on that one. Next tender we won't make that mistake again. We will give the IRB the 100 million they want

[pineapple stu]

I think transport links have been cited as a weakness for us as well?

[Diggs246]

I think transport links have been cited as a weakness for us as well?

Yep they also said south Africa is a less or the same level of dangerous of a country to Ireland ( that is no joke)

[backstothewall]

For me the major sporting event we could look to host is, incredibly, the Olympics.

With all those facilities clustered in one place at Abbotstown, it don't look entirely unlike an Olympic Village. The 2032 games going to Brisbane it shows they will consider a city the size of Dublin, and after Paris in 2024, by 2036/2040 it will be coming round to being Europe's turn again.

[Diggs246]

For me the major sporting event we could look to host is, incredibly, the Olympics.

With all those facilities clustered in one place at Abbotstown, it don't look entirely unlike an Olympic Village. The 2032 games going to Brisbane it shows they will consider a city the size of Dublin, and after Paris in 2024, by 2036/2040 it will be coming round to being Europe's turn again.

London, Paris, Abbotstown, Tokyo

[NeverFeltBetter]

I've never understood why an Olympics, in the 21st century, has to be relegated to just one city. I know a few events get spread out, but you'd think it would be easier to host if more of it was spread across multiple cities in one country anyway. On the idea of Dublin hosting one, I remember Gay Mitchell getting roasted during the 2011 Presidential campaign for having a feasibility study done on the idea when he was Mayor of Dublin, so I don't think anyone would be too willing to face similar scorn in future.

Transport links were an issue with the RWC bid as I recall. Ireland's infrastructure on that score is fairly rudimentary when put against the expected standards. I mean, how many European capitals have no rail link to their airport? Could all be sorted with the right investment and project management, but how long have they been talking about Metro North?

I wonder if this is another demented Tory propaganda ploy, to paint Britain as the unfairly treated underdog when they inevitably get told "No" by FIFA.

[TonyD]

I just wish we’d stop with this nonsense and concentrate on getting our basic facilities improved. The phrase “fur coat and no knickers” has never been so apt.

[John83]

I just wish we’d stop with this nonsense and concentrate on getting our basic facilities improved. The phrase “fur coat and no knickers” has never been so apt.
It's very champagne football, isn't it?

[Diggs246]

Do the associations and the country not make a complete fortune from being hosts? We could use the lolly for grassroots development

[pineapple stu]

FIFA make a complete fortune.

Remember the riots in Brazil at the waste of money when they country could have spent it on hospitals, etc? I don't think either the FA or the country do too well out of it financially. I think FIFA's ideal host is one happy to spend lots of money on it and take away the political kudos

[Diggs246]

Ok thats a pity. Let's sort out childcare and hospitals first so. No point hosting an international party if we are broke after it

[pineapple stu]

I guess imagine this is FIFA. (And also imagine they can spell properly)

https://frinkiac.com/meme/S09E14/1158873.jpg?b64lines=IE9ILCBJIERJRE4nVAogR0VUIFJJQ 0ggQlkgV1JJVElORyBBIExPVAogT0YgQ0hFQ0tTLiAgKCBmaWV uZGlzaAogbGF1Z2h0ZXIgKQ==

[NeverFeltBetter]

Yeah, host countries rarely, especially in the modern age, make any financial profit. For one thing there have been studies that show you lose as many visitors to the country in the time period as you gain, as so many avoid the place specifically because of the tournament being hosted. The gain is in prestige, gross national happiness (sometimes, not sure there was much of that in Tokyo this year), those kind of intangibles.

I'd say we're better off focusing such efforts on getting underage tournaments and the like, or maybe some other outside-of-the-box ideas. Something like a Formula E race, which I recall there being some small bit of noise about a few years ago.