Why can't we bid to host Euro 2016?

Whilst our bid with Scotland for Euro 2008 went wrong due to our incompetance regarding stadiums i still would love to see the day when we could host a tournament.

The facilities are there in terms of stadia obviously a lot of reconstruction would be needed on some. The new Transport 21 will see an excellent transport service in our country. Really i suppose the main problem is to convince the GAA to allow usage of their stadiums, but surely with attitudes changing it could be done for this once off event. I mean look at the money it could bring to the country. We only need 8 stadiums. They are already there as i said. What a massive boost it could be to our country. Could we not start the ball rolling and get a campaain going to bring this massive event to Ireland. Below are some of the examples of stadiums we could use.

Dublin
Croke Park: 82,000
Lansdowne Road: 50,000

Cork
Pairc Ui Caoimh: 40,000

Limerick
Gaelic Ground: 50,000

Galway
Pearse Stadium: 34,000

Northern Ireland
Windsor Park : 30,000

Athlone
New Stadium: 30,000

Waterford
New Stadium: 30,000

Now obviously a lot of money is needed for two new stadiums and for redevelopment of the others. But id other country's can do it then why can't we. And it would look great to have a joint bid with the North and it would surely be looked at favourably bu UEFA ' Football for peace' etc.
I think it's a fantastic idea. Anybody with any comments post away. Am i being unrealistic?

before people start commenting about the new stadium for Waterford. Why i have done this is i feel it gives us a fantastic geographical spread. Two for Dublin, 1 south east, 2 south, 1 west, 1 midlands, and 1 in the north

Aren't Pairc Ui Caoimh, Gaelic Ground Limerick & Pearse Stadium all terraced grounds??
They'd need to be fitted with perminant seating & in doing this the capacities would be reduced. For that reason I doubt the GAA would go for it.

A joint bid with the Scots again would be a more realistic option.

perhaps the GAA could go for all seater grounds. terracing at grounds looks so outdated and the stadiums look ugly.
Myself i have no problem with seating once the stand is close to the pitch. Joint bids are starting to become unpopular now with Uefa and Fifa, and i reckon Austria-Switzerland will be the last one of them for a while. If we had of had Croke Park and the New Landsdowne we would be lookinf forward now to 2008. Stadiums in Austria and Switzerland are mostly all 30,000

WTF are you going to do with a 30,000 all seater stadium in Athlone after the tournament??:eek:

Is the 50,000 seater stadium at Long Kesh in the north going ahead?

Negativity. If Austria and Switzerland and holland and Belgium can all stadiums then why can't we.

Can be used for
Athlone town (Soccer)
Westmeath (GAA)

FAI Cup semi finals, GAA games

Leinster Rugby

Concerts. Conferences, Resteraunts, Hotels

Schools can use the pitch.

Stadiums can be used for a variety of activitys. Boltons Reebok is a classic example.

Dont know bout Long Kesh, but if it did that would be another excellent venue too. I don't think i am being unrealistic at all. I think it could be done.

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Originally Posted by teckno

Dont know bout Long Kesh, but if it did that would be another excellent venue too. I don't think i am being unrealistic at all. I think it could be done.

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i like your attitude teckno, if other similar sized countries can do it,why not ourselves, but you have to admit,its a fair question asked above; what would they be doing with a 30,000 seater stadium in Athlone when the carnival finished ?

ive seen some of the GAA stadia and they are laughable compared to the portugese or german stadia.

The stadia have to meet certain UEFA criteria. Plus they have to look nice as well to save embarassment for the nation.

Also, most countries holding the tournament have proper infastructure. The new development plan will run out in 2016 but even if everything is built I dont think we would have a infastructure that anyone would be proud of.

No bosy has mentioned that the FAI are just out and out incompadent. Could you really trust them with organising a Euro competition? First stop is hosting the UEFA Cup and CL finals in the new Lansdowne.

I can understand the point about Athlone it is a fair point. But what do other country's who are smaller then ours and have proper sporting facilitites do with them. Anybody know??
I just hate the fact that we should have the sporting statia of a country like Holland instead we have ours like Siberia!!

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Originally Posted by teckno

I can understand the point about Athlone it is a fair point. But what do other country's who are smaller then ours and have proper sporting facilitites do with them. Anybody know??

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They usually have a population that support football teams in their own country.

Yes but if we have a sport population who will follow soccer/rugby/gaa. If Pairc ui caoimh for example was done up to a modern 40,000 all seater arena wouldn't it be great for the GAA, CorkCity, Munster Rugby.

If we didnt' make a mess of our last bid we would not be worrying about qualifying now. It would be an unbelievable tournament in ireland. With transport 21, surely we will have the infrastructure in place!

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Originally Posted by teckno

Joint bids are starting to become unpopular now with Uefa and Fifa, and i reckon Austria-Switzerland will be the last one of them for a while.

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If they were using Windsor wouldn't that be a joint bid ?

Obviously if the FAI, GAA, IRFU and government all got together then Cork would have a 40,000 multi purpose all-seater stadium.

But logic doesn't seem to win out in Ireland. :D

Our best bet is to get together with Scotland again.

Croker 80,000
Murrayfield 68,000
Parkhead 60,000
Hampden 52,000
Ibrox 51,000
Lansdowne 50,000
Redeveloped Pairc Ui Caoimh 40,000
Redeveloped Semple Stadium or Gaelic Grounds 35,000

Average capacity: 54,500. Pretty impressive.

But like I said, we don't have enough forward and logical thinking people in the various sporting organisations and government to make it happen.

Forget about it. The last bid was put in with incompetence and I do not expect things to improve. The transport plans are pie in the sky and you should not be gullible enough to fall for it. Look at all the transport projects that are still INCOMPLETE.