Staunton calls for Croke friendly From BBC

**NeilMcD** · 01/02/2006, 3:07 PM

Staunton calls for Croke friendly

Stephen Staunton would like a friendly at Croke Park
Republic of Ireland boss Steve Staunton is concerned that their first match at Croke Park could be a competitive European Championship qualifier.
The Republic are due to play home games at the Dublin GAA venue in 2007 while Lansdowne Road is being redeveloped.

"I would like to play a friendly game at Croke beforehand, but I am not sure if that will happen," Staunton told BBC2's Season Ticket programme.

"It is important we get some good training sessions on it."

Staunton said he hoped the 80,000 capacity staduim would prove intimidating for their Group D opponents, who include Germany and the Czech Republic.

"The opposition will feel the effects of what Croke Park is all about," he added.

"It is a tremendous venue as everybody knows about from the gaelic.

"It will be an historic

**OwlsFan** · 01/02/2006, 3:13 PM

Two hopes: Bob Hope and no hope.

**paul_oshea** · 01/02/2006, 3:38 PM

here paste it all...

do you think that it would be better that a competetive match is the first match though in terms of atmosphere etc.

**OwlsFan** · 01/02/2006, 4:25 PM

What he says is correct. Obviously it would be nice to get a friendly in at Croker in advance of a competitive game but there is absolutely no hope of the GAA giving way on that.

**gspain** · 01/02/2006, 4:33 PM

My take is

We play San Marino first

1) Guaranteed 3 points

2) Guaranteed total sellout.

3) Players now sued to the venue.

Otherwise w eend up playing Wales and could end up losing/drawing

**sligoman** · 01/02/2006, 4:37 PM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

"It will be an historic

He didn't finish his sentence then no?

**paul_oshea** · 01/02/2006, 4:41 PM

gspain i think i agree with ye.

**jbyrne** · 01/02/2006, 5:19 PM

Originally Posted by gspain

My take is

We play San Marino first

1) Guaranteed 3 points

2) Guaranteed total sellout.

3) Players now sued to the venue.

Otherwise w eend up playing Wales and could end up losing/drawing

my guess would be we'll play san marino and cyprus at home in lansdowne in the autumn. they will not necessarily pack croke park but will fill lansdowne. the bigger games against the other countrys will be saved for croke pk next year.

cant see croke park staging a friendly.

**Metrostars** · 01/02/2006, 5:49 PM

Originally Posted by sligoman

He didn't finish his sentence then no?

...occasion which everybody is looking forward to."

**Dassa** · 01/02/2006, 8:48 PM

why would this first go to BBC instead of RTE does the FAI have a problem with your network across the border or something. sorry if missed something just seems strange.

**soccerc** · 01/02/2006, 9:31 PM

My take is that we will play Wales at Lansdowne in one of the first games this autumn

**Troy.McClure** · 01/02/2006, 9:56 PM

Why should it be, sure weren't City winning the league that day

**Den Perry** · 02/02/2006, 7:40 AM

Did anybody see Staunton and Lawrie Sanchez on BBC 1 Last night?

Staunton comes across like he hasn't got a f****** ing clue

**klein4** · 02/02/2006, 8:00 AM

what was he sayin?

**Drogstar** · 02/02/2006, 8:01 AM

If there was a friendly it would be shown only on sky sports, i sense sky might be trying to show the first soccer game played in croke park, it would be a hell of a coup.

**Stuttgart88** · 02/02/2006, 8:05 AM

Here's what John Toshack is planning for Wales' pre-qualifying friendlies & how he's intending to blood as many youngsters as possible.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_...700129,00.html

**Den Perry** · 02/02/2006, 8:28 AM

Originally Posted by klein4

what was he sayin?

Din't catch the whole interview, but the subject of Robert the Bruce came up etc. The Staunton went on about how they (As in him and the senior mgment) woud be keeping a close on eye on the u17 and u19 teams and gave the impression that these lads were going to under serious consideration .....Now its great to have good underage teams, but if he intends picking any of these youngsters (which is what it sounded like) then God help us.

The interviewr also went on about the Granny Rule and Staunton played along with him. Woldn't you think he would say "Hold on, lets stop calling it the Granny rule......"
But i suppose he made a rod for is own back with that one....

**klein4** · 02/02/2006, 8:34 AM

yeah I wish he had not said that about the granny rule. it plays up to all them english stereotypes about us bein the england b team and all that. its embarrassing. he should of kept it to himself and just pursued players on the qt if he had to. yeah they would have to be really good to be thrown in at 16 or 17. like maradonna and pele good.

**Jerry The Saint** · 02/02/2006, 8:56 AM

I know Sanchez has more experience at this sort of thing (well more than zero experience anyway

) but he sounded a lot more principled. He doesn't want anyone who isn't committed and if a player has to hesitate making the decision then he doesn't want them. He said he mostly lost interest in Alex the Bruce when he turned down the chance to play for the U-21s and that Bruce would have a much better chance of playing for NI than ROI but he wasn't going to beg him.

Staunton agreed with Sanchez on the commitment thing but it looked very much like an afterthought because he didn't say this upfront. The implication of all this "Granny Rule" talk is that ROI will gladly take any player whether or not they want to play for us...

The interviewer spent most of the time trying to get Lawrie and Staunton to agree to a friendly game in the summer, long after it had been dismissed by both.

**Dodge** · 02/02/2006, 9:02 AM

Originally Posted by Dassa

why would this first go to BBC instead of RTE does the FAI have a problem with your network across the border or something. sorry if missed something just seems strange.

He was appearing on a BBC NI programme. It wasn't just a general interview and the snippet above was released before the TV show aired.

Originally Posted by Tuff Paddy

Stories appear quicker on the BBC because their newsgathering operation is of a far higher standard than RTE's.
Take for example the day Roy Keane left Man Utd . . . not so much as a story on RTE's website for several hours and when it did pop up, it wasn't even a main story!

See above. Plus its hardly earth shattering news...