preferred lansdowne alernatives

As much as it is everyones first choice, it will not be Croke Park. It would virtually take a coup to bring down the hierarchy of the dinosaurs that have control and thats not going to happen, despite Sean Kellys best intentions.

The GAA have no problem with open its doors to the IRFU as its a 32 county represented sport. They feel however that the Republic of Ireland Soccer team is "partisan" by only fielding 26 counties. This is paraphrasing Peter Quinn who I beleive was an ex-President of the Association.

To argue the point with Mr Quinn, as far as I know, residents of the 6 counties are entitled to a Republic of Ireland Passport if they so wish so therefore, the team can esentially be picked from a 32 county background which does in fact scupper his arguement. This may have changed in our most recent referendum. If so, i stand corrected.

Saying all that, financially, the FAI will have no option but to use a Stadium in the UK. I think somewhere like the Reebok Stadium would accomodate the number of Fans that would travel. It would be accesable and compact and ideal for a home away from home.

I presume that temporary seats will still be acceptable while the transition is taking place. How many temporary seats could you fit into Thomand Park, Limerick. That place has an amazing athmosphere for Munster Rugby games and although its a complete different set of supporters, It would be interesting to see the reaction youd get for a game in there.

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Originally Posted by Countyman

The only problem I see will be lighting up croker for mid week games. Maybe the GAA will let them in if the FAI/IRFU fund a new lighting system?

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Temporary floodlighting would do the job, I assume. Just do whatever they done for the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics.

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Originally Posted by blobbyblob

As much as it is everyones first choice, it will not be Croke Park. It would virtually take a coup to bring down the hierarchy of the dinosaurs that have control and thats not going to happen, despite Sean Kellys best intentions.

The GAA have no problem with open its doors to the IRFU as its a 32 county represented sport. They feel however that the Republic of Ireland Soccer team is "partisan" by only fielding 26 counties. This is paraphrasing Peter Quinn who I beleive was an ex-President of the Association.

To argue the point with Mr Quinn, as far as I know, residents of the 6 counties are entitled to a Republic of Ireland Passport if they so wish so therefore, the team can esentially be picked from a 32 county background which does in fact scupper his arguement. This may have changed in our most recent referendum. If so, i stand corrected.

Saying all that, financially, the FAI will have no option but to use a Stadium in the UK. I think somewhere like the Reebok Stadium would accomodate the number of Fans that would travel. It would be accesable and compact and ideal for a home away from home.

I presume that temporary seats will still be acceptable while the transition is taking place. How many temporary seats could you fit into Thomand Park, Limerick. That place has an amazing athmosphere for Munster Rugby games and although its a complete different set of supporters, It would be interesting to see the reaction youd get for a game in there.

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The GAA have not opened their doors to rugby and have given no indication that they will. Before JP McManus bailed them out Limerick GAA were in a mess but could have filled the gaelic grounds 4 times a year in the winter with 50,000 Munster rugby fans - not a hope. The rugby Internationals will go to the UK as well.

Peter Quinn is a key man as you indicate - he is actually publicly in favour of opening up Croke Park but privately is in line with the great combover. Pat Fanning in waterford still yields power as well. The footsoldiers (the guys who spent their saturday nights in the 70's and early 80's spreading broken glass around football goalmouths and smiling en route to Mass the following morning as managers desperately tried to pick it up or bury it in case their neighbour's kids got cut to bits) will gladly fall in line.

Thomond Park holds just under 15,000 with almost 14,000 of those standing. With temporary seating it would hold less than Tolka even if we got agreement for temporary seating. Fantastic atmosphere though as you say.

The GAA are entitled to do what they want with own stadiums but this whole thing about looking for government to help with their escalating debt while having satdiums sitting unused reminds of those stories you hear of old farmers sitting on vast land but no running water or electricity yet unwilling to sell a few acres of land

:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by gspain

The GAA have not opened their doors to rugby and have given no indication that they will. Before JP McManus bailed them out Limerick GAA were in a mess but could have filled the gaelic grounds 4 times a year in the winter with 50,000 Munster rugby fans - not a hope. The rugby Internationals will go to the UK as well..

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The IRFU/Munster Branch never requested any GAA ground for its use as they have Thomand and Lansdowne at their disposal. Why would they The issue of rugbys placement has not been discussed as the IRFU have not made such a big ho-ha about the situation.

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Originally Posted by gspain

Peter Quinn is a key man as you indicate - he is actually publicly in favour of opening up Croke Park but privately is in line with the great combover. Pat Fanning in waterford still yields power as well. The footsoldiers (the guys who spent their saturday nights in the 70's and early 80's spreading broken glass around football goalmouths and smiling en route to Mass the following morning as managers desperately tried to pick it up or bury it in case their neighbour's kids got cut to bits) will gladly fall in line. .

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I sat in front of the man when he debated this point to death. The only county board in Munster in favour of its opening is Kerry. They are open to the idea of rugby being played there but have not been approached but soccer is a big no no.

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Originally Posted by gspain

Thomond Park holds just under 15,000 with almost 14,000 of those standing. With temporary seating it would hold less than Tolka even if we got agreement for temporary seating. Fantastic atmosphere though as you say.

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Rules that out. Just a thought though.

Furthermore , The GAA have some cheek to have a hand in the development of the new Lansdowne Rd or to even suggest playing games there in the future. I believe the pitch will be lenghtened to accomodate GAA fixtures. Saying that, it would be the pot calling the kettle black if the IRFU/FAI decided to keep them out.

Slightly off topic but correct me if i am wrong here also but wasn't a GAA pitch in Omagh used for a soccer match for a fundraiser for the Omagh attrocity?

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Originally Posted by blobbyblob

Slightly off topic but correct me if i am wrong here also but wasn't a GAA pitch in Omagh used for a soccer match for a fundraiser for the Omagh attrocity?

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No it was turned down (probably when they heard it was to be for the victims and not for the guys who carried it out :( ) 3 games played at St Julians instead - involving Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea - Omagh Town's home ground.

However GAA clubs can be used for SF/IRA fundraising events and GAA grounds are used for SF/IRA marches and rallies. Tyrone GAA players (Sean Teague captain and Peter Canavan star player) can appear in full Tyrone GAA kit on SF election material without a word of censure and it has been official GAA policy for the past 25 years to "support the struggle for national liberation"

Galway United played a European tie at Ballindeerin's GAA ground - local club were really helpful and it was allowed as ground was community owened. Local GAA county board didn't play a match there for 8 years afterwards as punishment.

No ground vested in the GAA can be used or has been used for football or rugby.

however they have been used for concerts, countless American Football games (since 1953), boxing athletics among others

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Originally Posted by pete

Irelnd currently get 35,000 for home games & aside from maybe 1 big game a year there isn't hige demand beyond that.

Use Tolka for teams similar to Cyprus, Faroes & Israel, Windsor Park for bigger games. Would probably boycott any "home" game played abroad.

If the govt don't get some sort of usage clause for gives more money to the GAA then i think they'll be crucified in public. This could all start around the run up to next election so i think Bertie will be well aware of the stakes...

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I can't believe this is a serious suggestion. With additional Press seating etc, Tolka would only hold 9,000. Even Shels won't hold any European tie of significance there. The capacity of Windsor is now only 14,000. Our friends at OWC would love to see the Republic playing there. :D

Personally I would not like to see us play any games at Croke Park and would be reluctant to give them a cent. At least we would be be welcome in the UK.

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Originally Posted by republic

Personally I would not like to see us play any games at Croke Park and would be reluctant to give them a cent. At least we would be be welcome in the UK

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I think you'd be generally welcome in Britain, but specific grounds would have problems. In increasing order of likelihood,

0. Wembley. Even if they ever finish it, I doubt they'd lend it to you (embarrassing if you get bigger crowds, less arrests, etc.).

1. Belfast. Forget it. Windsor is ramshackle, too small, but more importantly given the bad feeling between a section of both teams' fans, it's a no-no. During the emergency, Dublin, Drog and Dundalk's fire brigades drove north through the blitz. Many years later, as a small symbolic gesture, Belfast's came for the Stardust nightclub fire in Coolock(?). We'd help if it was a crisis, if there were no other stadia in the country. But there are plenty. Parley with the GAA, or increase capacity at Rovers, Bohs or Tolka.

2. Reading/ medium sized southern grounds generally. Pointless- if you're going to leave the country, go to somewhere large, as you'll get stick wherever but at least a bigger ground shows more ambition. On the other hand, you hardly filled Charlton for the early summer games. I know the tournament was poorly publicised, but many claimed on here that the real reason was Charlton's remoteness. Actually, it's only SEVEN miles from central London, comparable to Dun Laoghaire or Howth. And though the next door train station was closed on the Saturday, there's a tube with 20 trains per hour only two miles away served by plentiful buses and taxis.

3 Glasgow. I realise Ibrox was a joke- the party politcal problems as with Windsor- but actually Celtic's hardly ideal either. The strathclyde Police wouldn't necessarily be keen on 50-70,000 away fans turning up in the city. Of course they plan for the Old Firm, but it's not quite the same thing.

4 Cardiff. Less sectarianism than Glesga- the locals prefer to row with Swansea and occasionally English teams- but the city's less accessible by air and rail than many in Britain. Also, there are plenty of rugby and other events there.

5. ManU/ Liverpool/ big northern grounds generally. Could work if the price is right, I suppose.

But talk to the GAA. It ain't ideal but it's better than abroad.

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Originally Posted by Duncan Gardner

1. Belfast. Forget it. Windsor is ramshackle, too small, but more importantly given the bad feeling between a section of both teams' fans, it's a no-no.

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Would the IFA not be glad of the extra money? In the new spirit of co-operation, eg the Setanta Cup, I'd like to see Windsor be used.
Basically, if the FAI offered a decent amount of money to play at Windsor, I wonder whether the IFA would be in a position to refuse them.

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Originally Posted by brendy_éire

Would the IFA not be glad of the extra money? In the new spirit of co-operation, eg the Setanta Cup, I'd like to see Windsor be used.
Basically, if the FAI offered a decent amount of money to play at Windsor, I wonder whether the IFA would be in a position to refuse them.

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Nout to do with ya moving to Uni in Belfast and getting nice a close to the matches of course ;) (hoping you got the right grades!)
Not sure how many people in Belfast have left the 80's behind but could secaterian violence deffinatley be ruled out?

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Originally Posted by liam88

Nout to do with ya moving to Uni in Belfast and getting nice a close to the matches of course ;) (hoping you got the right grades!)
Not sure how many people in Belfast have left the 80's behind but could secaterian violence deffinatley be ruled out?

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That hadn't actually crossed my mind, but now that ye mention Windsor seems even better. :D

Violence could be avoided by police escorts into and out of the area.

Play at Nottingham Forest's City ground!!!
Reidy won't have far to travel (if he is still there).
And neither will I as its right on my door step.
Fair few of Irish descent there and it has a popular
city centre for a 'refreshments'.
Also the manager Joe Kinnear is a Dubiner.

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Originally Posted by brendy_éire

Would the IFA not be glad of the extra money? In the new spirit of co-operation, eg the Setanta Cup, I'd like to see Windsor be used.
Basically, if the FAI offered a decent amount of money to play at Windsor, I wonder whether the IFA would be in a position to refuse them.

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Why would we want to play in a 14,000 seater stadium though? All other issues aside, it's just not big enough a stadium.

I'd forgotten windsor was so small

waste of time alright

Cardiff I say.. or rebuild dalyer in the meantime :D

Croke park is FAI first choice and Murrayfield is the second as they have already offered quite an attractive deal , apparently Glasgow is not an option due to security reasons , Wembley should be up and running by then and would be my first choice.

Lets put tempory seating in an eL ground? After going back time and again to Uefa to say the 'this really is the last time that we will use the bucket seats', how do you think that they'll react this time? :rolleyes:
Battenburg Park, what a capacity of 14,000? Aside from the potential trouble for Ireland fans coming up to the game (anyone remember the Monaghan buses being stoned :confused: on their way back from Casement Park last year,) lets just stop people from being able to attend Ireland games full stop shall we, all these principled lads who are saying that Ireland shouldn't move outside, Ireland, fair enough I agree it is a sad reflection, but unless the GAA open up Croke Park is the only alternative that we can come up with that we want to severely restrict the amount of supporters attending games?

I disagree with the Millenium, or Celtic Park for the simple reason that this would take away the potential advantage of being able to negotiate when we can play our fixtures.

It would have to be somewhere like the City of Manchester Stadium or Old Trafford (hey why not gaive some Irish Manure fans the opportunity to actually visit the ground) this would at least give Irish fans travelling a easily accessible route to games and allow many more people to see games.

Who owns/playes at Murrayfield?
Whey-Bucket seats! We can take up our ol' friend Paddy J's suggestions and have a good old game of music chairs!!
I presume by Cletic park here we're talking Celtic park Gladsgow and not brendy's local ;) sorry had to throw that one in.....
Easter road/Irish links+less secateriansim than Glasgow but still to small...

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Originally Posted by liam88

Who owns/plays at Murrayfield?

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SRU/the Scottish rugby team.

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Originally Posted by londonred

Croke park is FAI first choice and Murrayfield is the second.

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With a capacity of 67,500 I think we're fooling ourselves if we think we need somewhere like Murrayfield!