Ireland V Croatia in Glasgow???

[Mayo_Bhoy]

From The Huddlebaord (Celtic forum):

Reported in the Croatian press today, HNS have almost agreed a friendly against Ireland in March (according to Index.hr it HAS been agreed) and it is most likely to take place in Scotland or England with Glasgow looking the favourite.

[eirebhoy]

http://www.index.hr/sport/clanak/redir/371065.aspx

[Poor Student]

The headline reads "Croatian FA in talks about friendly match with Republic of Ireland". It says something about Ireland being one of a number of potential opponents, that's it's not certain where the game will be played and something about "reserving" stadiums in Great Britain. It mentions the 25th of March.

[boovidge]

how about having the match at Leicester's Walkers Stadium? ;)

[kingdomkerry]

Why would it be in Britain?

[boovidge]

I guess because the GAA aren't allowing another soccer match at Croker.

[lopez]

how about having the match at Leicester's Walkers Stadium? ;)Watford Vicarage Road or Luton. :D

[Irish_Praha]

I guess because the GAA aren't allowing another soccer match at Croker.

Maybe the rent is cheaper too? A strange one though. Why didn't they just go for another away friendly? Don't we owe them one anyway because the last game in 2004 was at home? Unless they are pulling crafty one where it will be a friendly at a neutral ground where they would get a higher % of the gate than an away friendly?

[geysir]

Croker rent is a minimum of €1.1 or up to 25% of the gate money.

The Irish News reported that usually in England the rent is 20% of the take.

The IRFU (decent chaps) took 15% for the use of Lansdowne Rd.

[Superhoops]

I guess because the GAA aren't allowing another soccer match at Croker.
I don't think it is anything to do with 'not allowing' or the rent being too high. I thought I read somewhere that the GAA are having some major work done, might even be that the pitch is being relaid, but I am sure it is because CP is not available for any events between the time the last rugby game is played to the time the Leinster Championship starts.

[irishfan86]

Maybe the rent is cheaper too? A strange one though. Why didn't they just go for another away friendly? Don't we owe them one anyway because the last game in 2004 was at home? Unless they are pulling crafty one where it will be a friendly at a neutral ground where they would get a higher % of the gate than an away friendly?

It may be a tactic by the Croatians as well- some of those Eastern European countries get pretty poor turnouts for the international matches.

If marketed well I'd say this will be a pretty full stadium in Glasgow.

[Young Hov]

Why do people insist on trying to turn our national team into an extension of Celtic? :rolleyes:

[Stuttgart88]

I share your view that Ireland & Celtic are in no way interchangable, but all that was said was that it'd probably sell well in Glasgow. I think it would too. Large numbers of Irish would travel from Ireland and other parts of the UK as they usually do for any game and I think you'd get a fair number of 2G Irish from Glasgow going. It was a fair comment in my opinion.

It'd be a good fixture to arrange in my opinion.

[Hibs4Ever]

Just play it in Croatia

[galwayhoop]

The headline reads "Croatian FA in talks about friendly match with Republic of Ireland". It says something about Ireland being one of a number of potential opponents, that's it's not certain where the game will be played and something about "reserving" stadiums in Great Britain. It mentions the 25th of March.
I take it from the above that it is the Croatian FA who are organizing the game.


Why would it be in Britain?
Massive amount of Croats in Britain... remember how many at Wembley for recent (classic) game V England.

Prices charged for match would be in Stg£ (big profit for organising FA) and would also be in a neutral venue like finals in the summer will.

Smart move by Croatian FA if true. Jamaica have play in Loftus a couple of times recently enough too.

From our point of view it is no harm for the team to play in Britain either as 2G and 3Gs can get an opportunity to see the international team play.

[Stuttgart88]

Croatia would be ideal opposition to face before playing any of the teams in our group. We're already playing Serbia so everyone ought to know what to expect in this group.

[galwayhoop]

Why not the Giants stadium? Someplace we've actually played in before.
:rolleyes: i'm sure all clubs would release their players for a friendly in the USA...

btw we have played in the stadium of light (Sunderland), anfield and parkhead more recently than Gaints Stadium and it appears that it is the Croatian FA who are organising this one with us one of the 'possibilities'

[MojoPin]

:rolleyes: i'm sure all clubs would release their players for a friendly in the USA...

btw we have played in the stadium of light (Sunderland), anfield and parkhead more recently than Gaints Stadium and it appears that it is the Croatian FA who are organising this one with us one of the 'possibilities'

did i miss games in anfield sunderland and parkhead since may?

[galwayhoop]

did i miss games in anfield sunderland and parkhead since may?
appologies, was talking about since we first played there.

point still stands true as poster wondered why we didn't play somewhere we have played before

[citizenerased]

6 nations are on around that time i think

[irishfan86]

Why do people insist on trying to turn our national team into an extension of Celtic? :rolleyes:

Read my post, I never suggested anything of the sort.

But regardless of what you or I think about the Ireland-Celtic connection, it exists in the minds of many supporters, and thus the match would sell well in my opinion if marketed correctly.

[Bondvillain]

What were the attendances like for the Irish games in the Unity Cup thingy at the Valley?

[citizenerased]

very very poor....

[galwayhoop]

very very poor....

that is actually a fair point. london would traditionally have been a host to many thousands of irish immigrants but nowadays it would be very few annually making the move. london is also a city which is so cosmopolitan that 2g's and 3g's would not be as inclined to go to a game featuring the national team as the 2g's and 3g's of Glasgow would.

[Stuttgart88]

Yeah, shocking, about 5-7,000 max.

The Valley is an awkward ground to get to but even still it was embarrassing. Fair enough if fans wouldn't want to travel from at home, especially as there was a game in Amsterdam days later, but there is such a large young Irish population in the greater London area.

In a way it was lucky though that my rugby supporting mates didn't attend. The standard was woeful apart from a few good Nigerian players, Martins being one I think.

[Bondvillain]

Figured as much. I'd assume the respective associations would have thought that Ireland & Jamaica in London would have been a nice little earner after costs.

The only way to get a decent crowd to Croatia V Ireland outside Dublin (or , admittedly, maybe Glasgow) would be to hold it in Sydney. In a small capacity ground. And give free beer.

[geysir]

The only way to get a decent crowd to Croatia V Ireland outside Dublin (or , admittedly, maybe Glasgow) would be to hold it in Sydney. In a small capacity ground. And give free beer.
You might get a decent crowd all right but I wouldn't hold out any hopes for a profit unless you add the rider "while stocks last".

[zenokelly]

I really don't get why the FAI wouldn't organize this fixture to be played away, considering how bad we are away from home, and not least the bleedin Croats are neighbours of Montenegro.

Really why do we always seem to have 4 friendlies at home for every friendly we have away? I know the dosh it creates, but surely we might just pick up a bit of experience from playing in the East. And particularly considering the choice is between a neutral ground and Croatia:confused:

[irishfan86]

I really don't get why the FAI wouldn't organize this fixture to be played away, considering how bad we are away from home, and not least the bleedin Croats are neighbours of Montenegro.

Really why do we always seem to have 4 friendlies at home for every friendly we have away? I know the dosh it creates, but surely we might just pick up a bit of experience from playing in the East. And particularly considering the choice is between a neutral ground and Croatia:confused:

Just did some reading there and the stadium they usually use is scheduled for renovations sometime this year, so that may be part of it.

[zenokelly]

Just did some reading there and the stadium they usually use is scheduled for renovations sometime this year, so that may be part of it.

Surely they aren't like us and only have 1 stadium of international standard? They're not that far back in the middle ages;)

[lopez]

Surely they aren't like us and only have 1 stadium of international standard? They're not that far back in the middle ages;)They've got a superb stadium in Split which hosted the European Athletics championships (I think) in the eighties. No excuse that the ground is unavailable.

[stojkovic]

Most countries get very poor attendances for friendlies. Unlike us fools who fork out our well earned cash as part of a package. No other countries fans would put up with that. So maybe it suits these countries to play us away and take a nice appearance fee above and beyond what they would take in home gate receipts and tv revenue.

[boovidge]

I think there'd be more interest in this friendly than the tournamant Ireland played in London. That came at the end of a season and it was generally thought that the players wouldnt be too bothered and the standard would not be good (these assumptions were correct)

This friendly is coming in the middle of a season and will be the second game of the new managers' reign (presumably) which will surely generate more interest.

I agree that we should be looking to play away games in eastern europe though. These are the banana skin fixtures that Ireland need win to be able to qualify.

[sligobhoy67]

Why not the Giants stadium? Someplace we've actually played in before.


We've played at Celtic Park on a number of occasions! :rolleyes: (I have the feeling I am going to use that smiley a lot on this thread)

[sligobhoy67]

Read my post, I never suggested anything of the sort.

But regardless of what you or I think about the Ireland-Celtic connection, it exists in the minds of many supporters, and thus the match would sell well in my opinion if marketed correctly.

in the minds!! Its a bit more than that - regardless of what "west Brit" "we made loads of money of money on our house" "what would we want Nordies in this country for anyway" new aged "Irish" would have you believe

[Jerry The Saint]

in the minds!! Its a bit more than that - regardless of what "west Brit" "we made loads of money of money on our house" "what would we want Nordies in this country for anyway" new aged "Irish" would have you believe

Why do you not like West Brits? Glasgow is on the west coast of Britain and I've heard it's a lovely place. I think you're letting your anti-Celtic feelings cloud your judgement.

[Saint Tom]

not least the bleedin Croats are neighbours of Montenegro.



please give our English Whacking friends some respect :D

[eirebhoy]

Scotland will face Croatia in a friendly at Hampden Park on 26 March, the Scottish FA has confirmed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7199882.stm

[gustavo]

Why do you not like West Brits? Glasgow is on the west coast of Britain and I've heard it's a lovely place. .

:D

I presume this game isnt going ahead now.

[gwhite]

They'd be as well to play Macedonia, Bosnia or Albania away at this stage. Horrible places to go to (in terms of getting a result) and good prep for the likes of Georgia and Montenegro.

[NeilMcD]

Scotland are playing Croatia in Glasgow.

[Stuttgart88]

The cheek of them.