Originally Posted by
EalingGreen
No offence to other posters, but there are some serious misconceptions going on here.
Assuming this bid is successful, you have to remember that in reality, it is "England's bid". I mean, they could easily stage a 32 team tournament on their own with the stadia they already have. However due to the politics of UEFA, they needed to rope in the other four Associations for their votes, and to make the bid look something different from "those bloody English again, with their Home of Football and We Invented The Game, dontcha know?"
Add to that the fact that Westminster will be putting up serious dosh, and the other four Associations will have to accept pretty much what the FA allows.
Re FAW, that means the Millennium. The SFA will get Hampden and possibly Murrayfield? While the FAI will get the AVIVA. It is just possible that Croke might also be allowed, but I think it highly unlikely, for two reasons. First, unless hosting the final, no other city has ever been permitted two stadia. And second, Croke would likely need serious money spent on it to bring it up to UEFA tournament standard in 2028. And even then, the FAI isn't going to be happy at Irish government money for football actually going to the GAA - that's if your government would be prepared to stump up the extra in the first place (debateable). And as for eg Cork or Galway... try 2128 fellas!
Which leaves little ol' Norn Iron. First of all, the minimum UEFA capacity requirement is 30k, with Windsor currently being 18k. UEFA might just make an exception down to 25k, but even then I really doubt WP could physically accommodate that and even if it could, it would cost many millions, which ain't gonna materialise.
Which leaves Casement. The GAA have right royally screwed up on this one. First, their original 40k plan was rejected on planning grounds, also a Judicial Review and local opposition. Then they came back with a revised 34k plan. This (somehow) got Planning Permission from Stormont, but the locals are just as unhappy and have been granted a second JR.
And even if the GAA wins this one (not guaranteed), such has been the effect of inflation over the intervening 14 years, that they now need another £33m (and counting), over and above the £62m originally awarded by Stormont in 2008.
For political reasons, the present SF Sports minister wants to grant this, but even if the money could be found, both the IFA and Ulster Rugby are going to say: "If we managed successfully on time and within our original budget, why should the GAA now be rewarded for their failure? We should get an extra wedge too.".
One way out for her might be get extra dosh from Westminster by using Casement to host Euro games (if they do get it built within the next 6 years, that is). And as for GSTQ ringing out over Casement etc, there is no guarantee NI will qualify, and even if we do, the GAA would need the IFA's support in making their funding request to Stormont/Westminster and as the great philosopher Marx* once said: "Whenever I hear people say 'It's the Principle, not the Money', rest assured it's the Money!" So they'll just have to stick their fingers in their ears for 90 seconds and quietly hum the Soldiers Song!
Meanwhile - and especially if Casement doesn't materialise - if Westminster is going to have to be stump up serious cash for this whole event, they'll be politically bound to spread it out between the four nations. And if NI football isn't getting a shiny new 30k stadium, which it won't, then top of the IFA's shopping list is a shiny new Training Centre. This could be used as a base for one or more of the teams playing in Dublin/Glasgow/Liverpool etc, then afterwards provide far more of a long term benefit to the domestic game than 3 or 4 internationals in June 2028.
I'd certainly be happy with that.
* - Groucho, not Karl.
