GAA can open Croker for World Cup play off
from http://www.unison.ie/sportsdesk/stor...=12&si=1485744
GAA can open Croker for World Cup play off
*Loophole in rules leaves door ajar
* €1.5m for Gaels, €65m for Exchequer
CROKE PARK could be declared available for a World Cup soccer play-off game next month if the GAA adopted a less stark interpretation of its rules in the national interest.
With Lansdowne Road tied up for rugby internationals next month, the Irish soccer team will have to travel to Britain for a play-off game if they beat Switzerland tomorrow night and reach the play-offs.
It would leave Irish supporters facing an expensive trip, while it would cost the Exchequer millions in lost revenue. The loss of a home venue would also reduce Ireland's prospects of making the World Cup finals.
Meanwhile, the 69,000-seater Croke Park, which has already been promised to the FAI and IRFU for rent at a future date, will lie idle.
It would be a significant loss to the economy if the game went across the Irish Sea. According to IRFU figures, Ireland v England internationals at Lansdowne Road are worth in the region of €65m to the Exchequer.
The official GAA line is that the rules preclude Croke Park from being used for soccer or rugby internationals until redevelopment work begins on Lansdowne Road, but the Irish Independent has discovered a loophole which could open the door far sooner.
The amended Rule 42 (a) states that the GAA's Central Council shall have the power to authorise the renting or leasing of Croke Park for events other than those controlled by the association during a period when Lansdowne Road is closed for the proposed development.
However, nowhere in the Official Guide, which is the bible by which the GAA operates, does it specify precisely what the "proposed development" is, leaving it open to all sorts of interpretations.
For instance, could the installation of bucket seats at Lansdowne, which are necessary for soccer internationals, be classed as a development?
GAA president Seán Kelly said that it was "pretty clear" what delegates meant when they voted to amend Rule 42 at this year's Congress and that short of holding a Special Congress, opening Croke Park for a soccer match next month is not an option.
"Everybody knew when they voted to give the Central Council the power to rent Croke Park that it was for the period while Lansdowne Road was being redeveloped, so we can't change that now, whatever the circumstances. Besides, I'm sure the FAI have already made arrangements," he said.
However, legal sources dispute that view and suggest that the Central Council could use the broadest interpretation of the regulation and declare Croke Park open for business at short notice.
"There's always a way around a rule when it's that ambiguous," said the source. "And in a situation like this where there's no logical reason to delay the start of the deal with the FAI and indeed the IRFU, the GAA could move quickly. The GAA have already declared the war is over in terms of the use of Croke Park, so it's difficult to see what they stand to gain by delaying the implementation of what the vast majority of their members want."
Despite that, Croke Park is unlikely to be open next month, leaving Ireland to export a major sporting occasion while one of the finest stadia in the world lies in splendid isolation in Dublin 3.
If Ireland beat the Swiss, Celtic Park in Glasgow will be the favourite to host the 'home' leg of the play-off tie, with the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and Manchester City's Eastlands Stadium also in the running.
Croke Park has a larger capacity than any of them and would be a sell-out if available. Under international soccer regulations, the terracing on Hill 16 could not be used, but with 69,000 seats, the turn-out would be more than double the Lansdowne Road attendance.
The GAA is unlikely to explore the possibilities of opening Croke Park, however, opting instead to keep the gates locked to soccer and rugby until the wrecking balls arrive in Lansdowne Road.
That's scheduled to happen sometime in 2007, although it's contingent on the planning process running to schedule.
Apart from any other considerations, the GAA would lose out on a massive pay day by keeping Croke Park locked to the play-off. Gate receipts alone would yield over €4 million, while other ancillary activities would bring the total take to over €5million. The GAA could expect to take at least €1.5 million in rent money and would also earn a huge amount of goodwill for their gesture in keeping such a huge national sporting event at home.
Martin Breheny
