Ireland set for Parkhead?

Celt!c’s Parkhead has emerged as the shock first choice to host any potential World Cup playoff that Ireland may participate in this November.

Brian Kerr’s side are currently one of four teams in the shake up for a qualification place for the tournament in Germany in 2006. Should the team finish second in the group they will be forced into a playoff on November 12th and 16th, dates that clash with the Irish rugby teams schedule.

A number of solutions have been suggested with grounds such as Anfield, Old Trafford and the Millennium Stadium linked. However Parkhead has now emerged as the most popular alternative. With Croke Park already ruled out and the Irish rugby team playing New Zealand and Australia on the designated dates at Lansdowne Road, Celt!c Park seems ideal.

The stadium boasts an attractive 61,000 capacity while thousands of Irish fans already make the journey weekly to watch their beloved Celt!c. Last night Celt!c Chief Executive Peter Lawwell gave the idea the thumbs up saying “If there was the prospect of staging an Irish game, we would be delighted.”

http://www.eleven-a-side.com/worldcu...p?newsid=18123

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Originally Posted by sligoman

Celt!c’s Parkhead has emerged as the shock first choice to host any potential World Cup playoff that Ireland may participate in this November......

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No shock about it. As I posted on another thread, why do you think BK agreed to play at Parkhead just prior to the Israel home game? Not becuase he thought McNamara was a good chap and a deserving cause!

BK 's reputation for forward planning and trying to cover every eventuality is well founded.

Why Parkhead when Cardiff is closer?I think its ludicris. :mad: And if not Cardiff theres Old Trfoord and Anfield.

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Originally Posted by jorge

Why Parkhead when Cardiff is closer?I think its ludicris. :mad: And if not Cardiff theres Old Trfoord and Anfield.

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To wind up the eL-heads, obviously. :rolleyes:

Look at the map, Jorge. Glasgow's just as easy for Dubs and far easier for northern-based fans to get across. So save the indignation for a more deserving cause. Like Israeli keepers and dodgy Greek referees...

In any case, at least the seats at CP are green, so we should feel at home. :)

:ball: PP

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Originally Posted by jorge

Why Parkhead when Cardiff is closer?I think its ludicris. :mad: And if not Cardiff theres Old Trfoord and Anfield.

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Completely agree. I also believe that because several of the Irish team have experience of playing for their clubs in Cardiff they would be more comfortable playing there.

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Originally Posted by Plastic Paddy

Look at the map, Jorge. Glasgow's just as easy for Dubs and far easier for northern-based fans to get across...

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But for the die-hards from Shepherds Bush, Cardiff is much nearer. 5/10 minutes to Chiswick roundabout, then 2 and a half hours down M4. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Superhoops

Completely agree. I also believe that because several of the Irish team have experience of playing for their clubs in Cardiff they would be more comfortable playing there.

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A complete non sequitur. These are professional footballers, not china dolls, and will feel perfectly comfortable whatever the surroundings of their "home" ground. In any case, the only one with extensive experience of Cardiff is Graham Kavanagh, and all of this was gained at Ninian Park.

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Originally Posted by Superhoops

But for the die-hards from Shepherds Bush, Cardiff is much nearer. 5/10 minutes to Chiswick roundabout, then 2 and a half hours down M4. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

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I'm not really sure of your point, if indeed you have one. Nothing new there though if your previous posts are anything to go by. :rolleyes: yourself.

:ball: PP

Edit - credit where credit's due - your "fencing post" had me in stitches. :D PP

Why parkhead ??

Wales would be far better for Irish fans all over the country (i.e. not just dublin) ..... how many Irish fans do we get at normal away games ? Are we trying to beat that ?? if so ... why make it hard for them to get there. Wales is THE easiest place of all mentioned to get to, the ferry is a good option.

If it is held in parkhead over the millennium then i wont be going, simple as .... its got nothing to do with the colour of the seats .... its all aboutthe FAI making it harder for me to get to a game. I'd say common sense is a good option considering the mire we are in, ffs .... its bad enough having ot play away.

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Originally Posted by A face

Why parkhead ??

Wales would be far better for Irish fans all over the country (i.e. not just dublin) ..... how many Irish fans do we get at normal away games ? Are we trying to beat that ?? if so ... why make it hard for them to get there. Wales is THE easiest place of all mentioned to get to, the ferry is a good option.

If it is held in parkhead over the millennium then i wont be going, simple as .... its got nothing to do with the colour of the seats .... its all aboutthe FAI making it harder for me to get to a game. I'd say common sense is a good option considering the mire we are in, ffs .... its bad enough having ot play away.

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It's hard not to sympathise with your rationale, Face, especially given that you come from Cork and Cardiff would obviously be much easier for you to get to. Like I said above though, Parkhead is just as easy for fans in the northern counties to access as the Millennium is for you. Therein lies the rub - if we have to play outside Ireland, one section of our supporters will inevitably be more disappointed than the rest by the choice of venue. Not that it will bother the suits at Merrion Square for a second, as they'll be safely ensconced in the Glasgow Malmaison or Cardiff's St David's Bay Hotel :rolleyes: and if you don't go, they know that there will be someone else to pay top dollar for your seat...

Despite what you and others may have inferred (wrongly as it happens) my favourite alternative would not be CP, but instead Loftus Road. It's a tight ground, right in the heart of Irish west London and, err, only ten minutes' walk from my house. Not that I'm motivated by self-interest, oh no... :o :D

:ball: PP

I don't see any source for the information mentioned in the story? This is just the media doing what they do; speculating rather than actually covering real stories which might require actual work.

But being armchair managers like ourselves we should not lose the opportunity to become indignant that the FAI has clearly chosen the wrong location yet again!! And stop with the BK and his supposedly meticolous preparation sh1te, I've had enough of that old guff thank you very much!!

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Originally Posted by Plastic Paddy

I'm not really sure of your point, if indeed you have one. Nothing new there though if your previous posts are anything to go by

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PP, the point I was trying to make, poorly as it appears, was that if a play-off game is to be played away from LR and outside Ireland, then wherever it is played will make it harder for most fans but easier for some, especially those like yourself (and Sylvo, Lopez, Tuff Paddy et al) who live in the UK.

However, the most important factor in chosing the location for such a crucial game should not be how easy it is for fans to attend, but whether or not it gives the team the best chance of winning the game and the tie and thus, as in this case, ensure qualification for the WC finals.

I may be wrong but I believe that players are likely to perform better in surroundings that they are famliar with and hence my point about Cardiff being a more suitable venue than CP, as would be Old Trafford, Anfield or COM Stadium.

My rationale for putting these points forward may be completely off the wall, but surely the whole point of this forum is to allow people to put forward their points of view, even if those points of view are not obvious to or agreed with by other forum members, including moderators

BTW, all of Graham Kavanagh's Cardiff experience was not gained at Ninian Park. He played in the Millenium for Cardiff in the 2003 Play-Offs against QPR. (a game you Shepherd Bush boys probably dont have too fond memories about!)

Fair play SH; good points and well made. :)

Sorry for snapping at you btw - it was unmerited and has more to do with my jetlag and inability to handle vast amounts of Russian vodka than anything you said... :o

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Originally Posted by Superhoops

BTW, all of Graham Kavanagh's Cardiff experience was not gained at Ninian Park. He played in the Millenium for Cardiff in the 2003 Play-Offs against QPR. (a game you Shepherd Bush boys probably dont have too fond memories about!)

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Old Russian saying - "don't play clever with someone more clever". :o again.

As for the QPR connection; this is one Bush boy that doesn't follow those particular Hoops. You know where my allegiance lies, but I'll have to ban myself if I start going on about them here... :D

:ball: PP

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Originally Posted by Plastic Paddy

Fair play SH; good points and well made. :)

Sorry for snapping at you btw - it was unmerited and has more to do with my jetlag and inability to handle vast amounts of Russian vodka than anything you said...

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No probs, healthy debate and verbal 'ping-pong' are essential ingredients of a a good forum.

Personally I would not mind a trip to Paradise. I have not been there yet and it is one of my desires before I die as there is not much chance after that.
Play off's, it is not going to happen, I think we will top the group and are a good bet to do so.
None of the results so far have changed my mind on this and as the group stands now we have the best chance of the lot.

If I understand the rules correctly, then the 2 best 2nd place teams go through - these are currently likely to be Holland/Czech and England/Poland.

This would leave 6 groups (inc ours), playing for 3 places.

Currently the opponents look like:

Turkey/Greece/Denmark (Ukraine look like winners). Come on Denmark.
Slovakia/Russia (Portugal as winners)
Norway/Slovenia (Italy as winners)
Spain/Serbia & Mont (Spain will proabably win, leaving Serb)
Croatia/Sweden (Croatia winning as they have Swe at home still)

So if we were to finish second, the other 5 teams in the draw, at this stage, and given GDU's wild predictions would be

Denmark (hopefully)
Russia
Norway
Serbia & Mont
Sweden

Tough?

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Originally Posted by jorge

Why Parkhead when Cardiff is closer?I think its ludicris. :mad: And if not Cardiff theres Old Trfoord and Anfield.

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Agree re Cardiff but it's much of a muchness compared to Glasgow and the hotel prices there (Cardiff) are very steep having been at the Owls vs Hartlepool play off game.

No way should it be at Old Trafford - Sir Alex has been an implacable enemy of international football (withdrawing players at a whim) and I for one wouldn't put any money into the coffers of that club. No doubt he would welcome a game there and then withdraw Keane due to a "niggle".

Why not The Valley?

We sold nearly 3,000 seats the last two times we played there and we know the pitch. The local Liberal Club sells a mean pint of bitter & at student prices :)

Joking aside, would we fill Cardiff? Especially if it was against anyone other than Denmark or Sweden. OT likewise.

Anfield is probably a better size.

And regardless of what people say Parkhead would sell a lot of tickets & guarantee a great support. I remember the whole of the old "****** end" terrace at Hampden being full of green & white clad locals in 1987.

Bloody hell: is the word "C-e-l-t-i-c" now banned? This is a joke, surely?

Get a grip moderators.

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Originally Posted by sligoman

Celt!c’s Parkhead has emerged as the shock first choice to host any potential World Cup playoff that Ireland may participate in this November.

Brian Kerr’s side are currently one of four teams in the shake up for a qualification place for the tournament in Germany in 2006. Should the team finish second in the group they will be forced into a playoff on November 12th and 16th, dates that clash with the Irish rugby teams schedule.

A number of solutions have been suggested with grounds such as Anfield, Old Trafford and the Millennium Stadium linked. However Parkhead has now emerged as the most popular alternative. With Croke Park already ruled out and the Irish rugby team playing New Zealand and Australia on the designated dates at Lansdowne Road, Celt!c Park seems ideal.

The stadium boasts an attractive 61,000 capacity while thousands of Irish fans already make the journey weekly to watch their beloved Celt!c. Last night Celt!c Chief Executive Peter Lawwell gave the idea the thumbs up saying “If there was the prospect of staging an Irish game, we would be delighted.”

http://www.eleven-a-side.com/worldcu...p?newsid=18123

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1st of all the officall name is ****** PARK not parkhead. Parkhead is the area in which the ground is located but from day 1 the ground was named ****** Park. The reason people (mostly the anti-******/catholic scottish media) call it parkhead is because they hate calling it by its officall name, ****** Park. This is 100% true and ****** even banned people for calling it parkhead.

I couldn't really give a t0ss what it's called,I'd be more concerned that we might actually have to play outside Ireland :mad: