FAI chief admits Lansdowne concern

FAI Chief Executive Officer John Delaney has admitted that Lansdowne Road may not be available for a potential World Cup qualification play-off later this year.

With three games remaining, Ireland lie top of Group Four, but just four points covers the top four points in the tightest of all the European sections.

Top spot would guarantee automatic qualification, but second place would necessitate a play-off – and the FAI fear that they will not be able to call on Lansdowne Road because the ground is required for two major rugby clashes with New Zealand and Australia in November.

The potential unavailability of the Dublin 4 venue could see the Association request permission to use the GAA’s Croke Park for the first time.

Delaney told the Irish Times: “Obviously the primary thing is to go and win the group in which case none of this will become an issue, but if it does occur we will have to look at alternative venues.

“You could play [at Lansdowne] without the [temporary] seats but it’s not preferable. Certainly you could go cross-channel as well but let’s see how the group pans out.”

HERE

:D :D :D

you have to admire the scheming little pr!cks balls don't you

"go cross channel" and play it in france?? :confused: cnut

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Originally Posted by anto eile

"go cross channel" and play it in france?? :confused: cnut

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what exactly do you think they should do if they are involved in a play-off?

I'd prefer to play it in anfield rather than croker (and im not a liverpool fan).

I dont like croker, never have, big open stadium, etc :rolleyes: . Plus we'd have to pay a fortune for croker!!

Feck that, I reckon we'd have a better chance playing in a tight little ground, 40,000 odd drunkan Irish on the beer for the whole day, really intimidating atmosphere, crowd on top of the pitch, etc.

But im sure ill get loads of abuse for that for saying its a disgrace taking the game out of ireland :eek:

Do we have no say at all or is rugby given 100% priority? Is the complaint not that the venue will be in use during that day just that there's rugby on around those dates so no temp seating as they want to have the higher capacity. Can we not ask for the rugby to make the sacrafice of a few tickets and use temp seating for those games? Obviously they'd expect some compensation from the FAI but that surely beats going abroad.

There's no chance of that Slash, the reason the match might be played abroad is because the FAI don't want to give up on the revenue generated by the ticket sales. They'd make even less if they had to compensate the IRFU.

There was tremendous pressure put on the GAA to do the right thing by the country and let the FAI use Croker. The same pressure should be on the FAI as far as I'm concerned to keep the match in Ireland.

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Originally Posted by Bald Student

There's no chance of that Slash, the reason the match might be played abroad is because the FAI don't want to give up on the revenue generated by the ticket sales. They'd make even less if they had to compensate the IRFU.

There was tremendous pressure put on the GAA to do the right thing by the country and let the FAI use Croker. The same pressure should be on the FAI as far as I'm concerned to keep the match in Ireland.

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Typically short sighted from the FAI. If an agreement could be reached between them and the IRFU I'm sure it would cost less than not qualifying for the world cup, which sacraficing home advantage could cost us.

It's hardly the FAI's fault that the IRFU scheduled a game before FIFA annonced the dates for the play offs.

Im not sure how keen I would be for our first game in croker to be a massive WC playoff

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Originally Posted by elroy

Im not sure how keen I would be for our first game in croker to be a massive WC playoff

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I'm open to correction but didn't the motion passed at GAA congress specify that Croke might be available only while Lansdowne rd was being redeveloped.

Therefore Croke park wouldn't be available this November.

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Originally Posted by Slash/ED

Do we have no say at all or is rugby given 100% priority? Is the complaint not that the venue will be in use during that day just that there's rugby on around those dates so no temp seating as they want to have the higher capacity. Can we not ask for the rugby to make the sacrafice of a few tickets and use temp seating for those games? Obviously they'd expect some compensation from the FAI but that surely beats going abroad.

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The rugby games are against New Zealand and Australia I think.

These are huge games for the IRFU as we don't play them in Dublin that often and its only fair enough they want to allow as many people as possible to be able to attend them.

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Originally Posted by Slash/ED

Typically short sighted from the FAI. If an agreement could be reached between them and the IRFU I'm sure it would cost less than not qualifying for the world cup, which sacraficing home advantage could cost us.

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What sort of arrangement?

Compensating the IRFU with money is not an issue, they are a wealthy organisation. There is no way they will agree to reduce the capacity of their own ground and deny a substantial number of rugby fans to opportunity to see Aussies/All Blacks just to accommodate FAI.

You're probably right, could special dispensation be reached with Fifa than to use the terraces even with a reduced capacity? Probably not but worth a try.