Ireland to face Colombia - London, 29th May

**Greenforever** · 22/02/2008, 12:26 AM

Originally Posted by GavinZac

Dalymount is one of the kips I was referring to, half the stadium is unsightly and unusable and the "shed" wouldn't exactly be welcoming to first timers. The capacity is as limited as TC and if it were to be played in Dublin, surely the RDS would take priority, as it has in recent Cup finals?

And exactly who would the first timers be if played in Dalyer

tickets would be like golddust 30,000 blockbookers into less than 10,000 tickets after sponsors were looked after. And I would'ne need a ticket, i found a back way in for the Italy game all those years ago through a neighbours garden

**Greenforever** · 22/02/2008, 12:36 AM

Originally Posted by GavinZac

I have a fair idea actually, for someone who wouldnt really be in a position to attend games elsewhere. I was assuming it would be classified as a home game. If the FAI are arranging it, and the other team are going whereever the FAI say, and the FAI decide "lets play it in london", it would be a home game, as would the mooted games in liverpool have been had they gone ahead?
Would you feel entitled to tickets for such a game?

Why would you be ****ed off? If its a game added in at the last moment and its a gesture for the sake of pointing out that not every ground in the LoI is a kip (by then, TC will hopefully be the first all-seated, all-roofed soccer stadium on the island... including any national stadium), or a gesture to try to attract some non-Dublin centred support from people who rarely if ever get to see their national team... rather than evacuating to Shepards Bush because they're embarressed by their distinct lack of riches elsewhere, surely as an LoI supporter you wouldnt be too worried? Especially considering the pathetic sub-EL capacity attendences in previous London games.

Yeah, I was there too. In front of a small crowd, very few of whom actually paid in, and most of whom had little time for givens/Ireland. a fair whack of them were moronic celtic fans there to boo the English national anthem and little else.

First the previous games in London were a cup competition featuring 3 nations at a neutral venue, and yes the games and attendences were crap but then so where they in the US last summer

Second there are very few sell out games in Ireland so I dont suscribe to this cant get a ticket theory, for virtually all games the FAI are selling tickets in the last few days before the match, being the visitors unsold tickets, so like Neil I would be very ****ed if i couldnt get a ticket for a game weather in Ireland or not, and yes it may be nice to add another venue for a full international to my collection of Dalyer, Lansdowne, Tolka, RDS and Croker

Third, as previously posted what has Givens done wrong, does anyone know his job is to give players experience and results at U21 dont matter a shi* and count for absoloutley nothing

Lastly I wonder was it the Cork fans of Celtic booing the English Anthem as it was such a small crowd from the peoples republic

I doubt if any travelled down from Dublin as they wouldnt even have known the game was on!!

**GavinZac** · 22/02/2008, 7:51 AM

Originally Posted by Greenforever

Second there are very few sell out games in Ireland so I dont suscribe to this cant get a ticket theory

I didnt say I couldnt get a ticket, or people who dont normally get to see the national team cant get tickets. Its just impossible for myself and most people I know to make it to Dublin and back for games. I manage a few but generally its when I'm in Dublin for some other reason at the same time.

Lastly I wonder was it the Cork fans of Celtic booing the English Anthem as it was such a small crowd from the peoples republic

I doubt if any travelled down from Dublin as they wouldnt even have known the game was on!!

yeah i'd imagine they were people from Cork... probably the type of people who had to ask for directions to Turners Cross.

**Deckydee** · 22/02/2008, 8:07 AM

Originally Posted by GavinZac

I don't even agree with staging an away game. What bloody harm would it do holding it in an Irish stadium? Loss of income for an unscheduled game? Loftus Road and the surrounding area are a dump.

Tell you something, you would not want to be sensitive on this board

**ifk101** · 22/02/2008, 8:23 AM

Originally Posted by Deckydee

Tell you something, you would not want to be sensetive on this board

???

It's embarrassing that people are being ridiculed for supporting their own local team and the development of local football. I think the staging of a full senior international in an LOI ground would be a great boost to encouraging the further development of LOI grounds and local football in general. I think it would be a great initiative and would introduce, for the first time, countless numbers of Irish fans to a LOI ground.

Anyways I think NeilMcD is right about the booking issue and that's the most likely reason why the FAI are looking at playing in London. However if this is not the case and the game is being organised by the FAI, the match should be played in Ireland.

**GavinZac** · 22/02/2008, 9:28 AM

Originally Posted by ifk101

It's embarrassing that people are being ridiculed for supporting their own local team and the development of local football. I think the staging of a full senior international in an LOI ground would be a great boost to encouraging the further development of LOI grounds and local football in general. I think it would be a great initiative and would introduce, for the first time, countless numbers of Irish fans to a LOI ground.

We can cross our fingers and hope for a game if/when we get our planned new 28,000 seat stadium down here in Cork. Having that sort of an outlet for these situations would surely be preferable than playing it in a corrugate iron box in west london?

**Bluebeard** · 22/02/2008, 9:43 AM

Convenient as it would be for e to have the game in London, I would rather see enough suitable grounds in Ireland to take games, ideally outside of the capital. Currently, it looks as though Cork City are in the best suited of those. I think it would be a big advantage to the game in Ireland to be able to move thegames around.

Sadly the country's infrastructure is still not up to the knocker despite the combination of European funding and the amount of money we are told is in the economy.

It does also lead to the question of why, if there would be 30,000 people willing to fight over tickets for a meaningless friendly, is it so rare to get over 4,000 people at a local level game. Especially when you think back to the 60s and 70s when league games occasionally tipped 20,000, yet attendances at international games were seldom much more?

**NeilMcD** · 22/02/2008, 9:47 AM

Originally Posted by ifk101

???

It's embarrassing that people are being ridiculed for supporting their own local team and the development of local football. I think the staging of a full senior international in an LOI ground would be a great boost to encouraging the further development of LOI grounds and local football in general. I think it would be a great initiative and would introduce, for the first time, countless numbers of Irish fans to a LOI ground.

Anyways I think NeilMcD is right about the booking issue and that's the most likely reason why the FAI are looking at playing in London. However if this is not the case and the game is being organised by the FAI, the match should be played in Ireland.

Who ridiculed who because the support their local team and if they did that is bang out of order.

I am not against staging games in LOI grounds but I was just explaining the reason why it will not happen. Of course we would all love a situation where there was suitable grounds for Ireland to play around the country and that the LOI was getting average gates of 15,000 a week. That would be great. Sadly it is not the case.

**ifk101** · 22/02/2008, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Who ridiculed who because the support their local team and if they did that is bang out of order.

I am not against staging games in LOI grounds but I was just explaining the reason why it will not happen. Of course we would all love a situation where there was suitable grounds for Ireland to play around the country and that the LOI was getting average gates of 15,000 a week. That would be great. Sadly it is not the case.

I quoted DeekyDee as I felt his comment about sensitivity was a bit flippant to GavinZac's opinion. But I read "between the lines" too often so apologies to DeekyDee as it's not clear he's riduculing GavinZac's support of local football.

Yes I agree that your point about the ticketing issue is valid. Ireland will never play around the country so to speak as the FAI is investing in their own international standard ground - Lansdowne. It wouldn't make financial sense to move games around, even if there existed the possibility. But with the announcement of an unscheduled game the possibility to play a match in a LOI ground exists. And that's all I want to say - if ticketing isn't an issue and the FAI is organising the game, the match should be played in Ireland. I'm sure our local publicans would agree with me.

**Billsthoughts** · 22/02/2008, 10:23 AM

I think its a great idea to play the game somewhere like Cork or Galway. As a block booker I wouldnt have any objection. The pros of giving people outside of Dublin the chance to watch their own team in action far outweigh the cons of any financial concerns. Some things cant be measured in euros. Would be a good idea to have one of these games every year. The national team belongs to everyone. Might add a bit of atmosphere/occasion to what would be otherwise meaningless friendlies.

**Morbo** · 22/02/2008, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

I think its a great idea to play the game somewhere like Cork or Galway. As a block booker I wouldnt have any objection. The pros of giving people outside of Dublin the chance to watch their own team in action far outweigh the cons of any financial concerns. Some things cant be measured in euros. Would be a good idea to have one of these games every year. The national team belongs to everyone. Might add a bit of atmosphere/occasion to what would be otherwise meaningless friendlies.

Good point, It might also help promote the game in parts of the country where its losing ground to GAA and Rugby which would be a financial gain for the FAI on the long run

**Bondvillain** · 22/02/2008, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by ifk101

I quoted DeekyDee as I felt his comment about sensitivity was a bit flippant to GavinZac's opinion. But I read "between the lines" too often so apologies to DeekyDee as it's not clear he's riduculing GavinZac's support of local football.

I took the Deckydee post to be an off-the-cuff defence of the Loftus Road area. (which was described in the post he referenced as a 'dump')

**Deckydee** · 22/02/2008, 2:33 PM

Originally Posted by Bondvillain

I took the Deckydee post to be an off-the-cuff defence of the Loftus Road area. (which was described in the post he referenced as a 'dump')

Yes, that is correct, I was defending QPR

Originally Posted by ifk101

I quoted DeekyDee as I felt his comment about sensitivity was a bit flippant to GavinZac's opinion. But I read "between the lines" too often so apologies to DeekyDee as it's not clear he's riduculing GavinZac's support of local football.

Apology accepted

**Bondvillain** · 22/02/2008, 3:46 PM

Anything concrete on whether it's Columbia in Loftus road then?

Theres a load of sites claiming it's guaranteed & quoting the examiner, but I cant find any reference to it on the examiner site...

**Greenforever** · 22/02/2008, 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by GavinZac

We can cross our fingers and hope for a game if/when we get our planned new 28,000 seat stadium down here in Cork. Having that sort of an outlet for these situations would surely be preferable than playing it in a corrugate iron box in west london?

I would be delighted to see a full international played in such a stadium, even a qualifier, to be honest playing Italy in such a venue would be preferable to Croker at times provided the real fans got the tickets

Definition - real fans - those that sing for 90+ minutes win lose or draw

**Greenforever** · 22/02/2008, 11:39 PM

Originally Posted by Bluebeard

Convenient as it would be for e to have the game in London, I would rather see enough suitable grounds in Ireland to take games, ideally outside of the capital. Currently, it looks as though Cork City are in the best suited of those. I think it would be a big advantage to the game in Ireland to be able to move thegames around.

Sadly the country's infrastructure is still not up to the knocker despite the combination of European funding and the amount of money we are told is in the economy.

It does also lead to the question of why, if there would be 30,000 people willing to fight over tickets for a meaningless friendly, is it so rare to get over 4,000 people at a local level game. Especially when you think back to the 60s and 70s when league games occasionally tipped 20,000, yet attendances at international games were seldom much more?

In my case it's probably hard to feel the same allegience to a club who will probably change 75% of it's players every 2 to 3 years as the players go from a to b to c etc

Mind you dont ever remeber 20,000 at milltown in the 70s, i would say 10,000 was a great crowd in those days and mainly for Dubin derbys

**gwhite** · 23/02/2008, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Bondvillain

Anything concrete on whether it's Columbia in Loftus road then?

Theres a load of sites claiming it's guaranteed & quoting the examiner, but I cant find any reference to it on the examiner site...

Mentioned here; http://www.eleven-a-side.com/boysing...p?newsid=31123

**geysir** · 23/02/2008, 1:09 PM

If there are a few friendlies arranged at the end of the season, I'll take a guess and say that there won't be too many withdrawals due to the first cousin of the brother's wife getting married.