Ireland to play at Parkhead?

**lopez** · 10/09/2003, 2:12 PM

Originally posted by Countyman
Do you all think 50,000 irish people will pay megabucks for a midweek international in the UK 5 times in a year and a half??

10,000 maybe but cant see 50k travelling.

Apart from Lansdowne Road, is there a football ground with 10,000 seats in Ireland?

If I were being totally selfish I would suggest alternating between Watford's Vicarage Road and Luton's Kenilworth road. But even though I don't attend home games like a did a decade ago, I'd think it would be a joke if Ireland were to play its home games in Britain.

I too hope this is just a load of cojones. For an independent country, especially one of the world's thirty richest countries, to play its home games abroad, is nothing but a national humiliation. However by highlighting the fact that there are rumours suggesting Ireland will play in Britain may be enough to shame both that cono Aherne and those other cabrones at the Grab All Association into doing the right thing.

Originally posted by MikeW
This just can't be allowed to happen, it'd be the ultimate humiliation for Ireland as a footballing nation, worse than any 10-0 defeat. .

Exactly. Let's make sure it doesn't happen then!

**Peadar** · 10/09/2003, 2:45 PM

Originally posted by lopez
Apart from Lansdowne Road, is there a football ground with 10,000 seats in Ireland?

Tolka Park isn't far off 10,000 as far as I know.
That's seated 4 sides round.

**lopez** · 10/09/2003, 3:18 PM

Originally posted by Peadar
Tolka Park isn't far off 10,000 as far as I know.
That's seated 4 sides round.

If I'm correct then its about 8,000. Still better than playing at Watford or Luton...or Glasgow or Manchester, but seeing the number the swiss put aside for 'corporate partners', then just how many present on Saturday will gain entry to a similar match at Tolka Park?

While there are those that argue Croke Park is too big, I would suggest that it is a complete waste of money to build a soccer only stadium in a city like Dublin. Either get the go ahead to rebuild Lansdowne, in which case a spell at Parkhead or Tolka or wherever for two years would be a price worth paying, or put pressure on the GAA to allow Croke Park to be used as a national stadium for the three sports.

Thanks to consecutive Irish governments fearing the emigrant vote, and in contrast to most European countries, I don't have the vote. Bertie's remarks about 'people' (that's Irish people by the way, the real ones born in Ireland, not just plastics like myself who just have this little thing called Irish citizenship) in Manchester deciding the government of Ireland, is one reason I would have booed the w anker on Saturday had I been there, as if I was Silvio Dante just witnessing Andy Goram in a Russia shirt. But there is one thing that TDs always are concerned about and that's their constituents (or rather their consituents' votes). A bit of pressure from all football fans in Ireland, particuarly those in North Dublin, might make a difference. Hopefully BA got some of the message on Saturday.

**Peadar** · 10/09/2003, 3:38 PM

Originally posted by lopez
Thanks to consecutive Irish governments fearing the emigrant vote, and in contrast to most European countries, I don't have the vote.

You don't live in Ireland so why should you have a vote?
Let's be a small little bit realistic here, you need an Irish address to be on the Register of Electors in Ireland. Without that you can't vote.

The rest of your post made no sense but I suppose we can blame the education system in England for that?

The long and the short of it is, we need to build a National Stadium with the FAI/IRFU as primary tennants or else the FAI/IRFU need to build their own ground with the support of the government. We need this to happen sooner rather than later.

How many people would be willing to make a once off donation/loan to such a project?
20,000 people paying �5,000 each would amount to �100,000,000
For that you'd get your seat for 20 years and be given special privilages.

**Barna Bee** · 10/09/2003, 3:48 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Peadar
[B]You don't live in Ireland so why should you have a vote?
Let's be a small little bit realistic here, you need an Irish address to be on the Register of Electors in Ireland. Without that you can't vote.

Peader , many countries (especially democratic ones)allow expats vote in elections . This is not an unusual request.

Since Mary Robinson , this has also been a muted move in the constitution as far as I know .

I am Irish born and bred and would love the opportunity to have a say in what happens at home.

**ger121** · 10/09/2003, 3:51 PM

Lets say that Ireland don't make it to the play-offs(and I'm only saying

) then that was in affect our last competitive game at Lansdowne. So next September when the world cup qualifiers kick off we'll have to have found somewhere else to play, unless they stick with Lansdowne and I doubt they will. That doesn't leave a lot of time. The next few months will make for interesting reading

**NigeSausagepump** · 10/09/2003, 3:59 PM

I still reckon it'll be fudged, in the grand tradition of football associations worldwide. They'll come to some mealy mouthed compromise to allow Ireland to keep playing at Landsdowne for the WCQs.

And if the horrible eventuality of playing abroad ever came to pass, you can take it as read that the likes of Ryaniar and Aer Lingus would jack the price of flights to the destination right up, thieving b*stards that they are. There's no way more than a few thousand would be able to fly to "home" games on anything approximating a regular basis.

**Peadar** · 10/09/2003, 4:09 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Barna Bee
[B]

Originally posted by Peadar
I am Irish born and bred and would love the opportunity to have a say in what happens at home.

There is no reason why you can't is there?
I remember hearing something (contradicting what I've said above) when I lived in England, that if you have a British address you can still vote. Not sure where you have to go to vote though.
To be honest they should sort out an On-Line voting system.

**petef** · 10/09/2003, 4:26 PM

I think this is another journalist sitting on the bog on a Sunday afternoon wondering what new story he can concoct to fill column inches and sell papers.

**lopez** · 10/09/2003, 4:39 PM

Originally posted by Peadar
The rest of your post made no sense but I suppose we can blame the education system in England for that?

Miiiiiaow! Put your nails back in, darling. I didn't do so bad myself (university, BA, MA) and I went to a crap comprehensive. Just imagine what would I have become if I had your education.

Still I bet there is one subject that I'm sure wasn't taught at your school and that was Irish emigration. Bit of a dirty word in the Ireland pre-Celtic tiger days, wasn't it?

Let me explain my post to you.

"...seeing the number the swiss put aside for 'corporate partners', then just how many present on Saturday will gain entry to a similar match at Tolka Park?"

In other words, taking away corporate hangers-on, politicians, away fans nowhere near the 10,000 Irish fans you suggest would travel abroad would gain entry to games.

"...I would suggest that it is a complete waste of money to build a soccer only stadium in a city like Dublin."

IMO the money would be better spent on a couple of hospitals. (No need for education, because as you prove yourself, this is wonderful in Ireland).

"Thanks to consecutive Irish governments fearing the emigrant vote, and in contrast to most European countries, I don't have the vote."

Most European countries allow their citizens a vote, no matter where they live and sometimes no matter where they were born. True these countries do not have the same proportion living outside their states than inside and a PR system based on list system rather than on constituencies. Trouble is, and this is my opinion, Ireland likes to think of its emigrants in the way they used to treat its daughters that got pregnant outside of marriage.

Still not to suggest that I think you are total p r i c k, I did like the idea of a �5,000 donation.

**petef** · 10/09/2003, 4:45 PM

Fair point, I'm not sure why he took such a stance towards you, just because a person doesnt live in the Ireland I dont see why they shouldnt have a say in the countries running.

**lopez** · 10/09/2003, 4:50 PM

Originally posted by petef
Fair point, I'm not sure why he took such a stance towards you, just because a person doesnt live in the Ireland I dont see why they shouldnt have a say in the countries running.

Next he'll be saying because I don't live in the country, I shouldn't be allowed to watch Ireland play (as opposed to play for Ireland, of course).

**patsh** · 10/09/2003, 5:47 PM

Croke Park will open soon for soccer games, and if things go well, it's more than possible that it will be available for WC qualifiers.

Btw, it should be pointed out that one solitary person can be held responsible for the fact that we do not have a national soccer stadium or have an agreement to play in the only proper stadium in the country. Not the FAI, they tried to build their own stadium, not the GAA, not the IRFU, not the PD's, not even FF. It is none other than Man U and Celtic's biggest fan, the so-called sports lover himself, B. Ahern. Actually he probably would prefer to go to Parkhead or Old Trafford, he'd feel right at home there.

**Bald Student** · 10/09/2003, 6:06 PM

Back to the original topic of the thread, didn't the
English FA play the FA Cup final in Wales while Wembley is being redeveloped? I understand that the sky didn't fall in that day.

The all Ireland football final was played in New York one year. The GAA survived that.

Would losing the however many million euro involved in playing in front of a smaller crowd in Dublin not be of greater damage to Irish soccer than playing some international games abroad.

**tiktok** · 10/09/2003, 6:46 PM

Originally posted by Bald Student
Back to the original topic of the thread, didn't the
English FA play the FA Cup final in Wales while Wembley is being redeveloped? I understand that the sky didn't fall in that day.

The all Ireland football final was played in New York one year. The GAA survived that.

Would losing the however many million euro involved in playing in front of a smaller crowd in Dublin not be of greater damage to Irish soccer than playing some international games abroad.

the FAI would lose money on the deal anyway, Celtic aren't going to let them have the ground for free, are they.

when Liverpool played at Cardiff, a liverpool fan could get in their car, didn't have a border check and were in the ground sooner than they would have been in wembley.

the polo grounds was a once off, if the GAA suddenly decided to play all their championship games in another country there'd be uproar, people complain about having armagh -v- tyrone in croker as it is....(and rightly so)

which leads me to croke park, The GAA have to fill that stadium as often as they can because the running costs are so high, it takes an attendance of 25,000 per game for them to break even on costs, eventually they will see that letting the FAI in will make financial sense and they will give in. all the talk about the pitch being too big is irrelevant, you'd be a lot further from the field of play if they moved the games to Britain.

**Macy** · 11/09/2003, 8:19 AM

Originally posted by tiktok
the FAI would lose money on the deal anyway, Celtic aren't going to let them have the ground for free, are they.

The IRFU don't let the FAI use the ground for free either, and with the temp seats and the resultant increased insurance costs I'd say it costs the FAI a fair whack to put on games in Lansdowne. FF/PD have to accept that they fooked up by not supporting eP, left the FAI with no choice but to go with the Bertie Bowl and now must cough up...

NO TO GOING CAP IN HAND TO CROKER BIGOTS! They can hand over Croker to the state (seeing as so much tax money was put into it) or fook off.

On the whole vote thing, I think it's ridiculous the way it operates in the UK for example with ex-pats voting.... It's people that are living in the country that have put up with the policies of whoever is elected.... Also I think it would drag us back further into the civil war politics that we desperately need to get away with.... btw it's not a question of Irishness by not giving the vote, logically it just doesn't make sense!

**liamon** · 11/09/2003, 8:30 AM

Originally posted by tiktok
.. croke park, The GAA have to fill that stadium as often as they can because the running costs are so high, it takes an attendance of 25,000 per game for them to break even on costs, eventually they will see that letting the FAI in will make financial sense and they will give in.

GAA using common sense? Can't see that happening in the near future. They don't need to worry about money, coz they know that no government could allow them to go bankrupt.

We need a new stadium for Rugby/Football/etc. Lansdowne might be an option if it was rebuilt, but it probably makes more sense to sell it off to a developer and build on the outskirts of Dublin.

**Peadar** · 11/09/2003, 8:57 AM

Originally posted by lopez
Most European countries allow their citizens a vote,

I don't know what you're getting so worked up about.
If you vote in Ireland all you can choose between are a few poxy parties who are so similar that it matters very little which one holds power. New governments come and go but nothing ever changes.
Check out a book called "This Great Little Nation" written By Gene Kerrigan and Pat Brennan
Published by Gill & Macmillan
ISBN: 0717129373
If it's a vote you're after we have online polls here all the time

Your point about building hospitals instead of a football stadium is rubbish because government departments get budgets and if the money isn't spent on a national stadium it will be spent on a new lawnmower for the Morton Stadium.

I wasn't suggesting that the education system in England was inferior to ours, I was suggesting that since you were in the mood for blaming governments you might want to have a go at them as well.

**lopez** · 11/09/2003, 10:56 AM

Originally posted by Peadar
If you vote in Ireland all you can choose between are a few poxy parties who are so similar that it matters very little which one holds power.

As if its different in Britain. I agree that FF and FG are like tweedle dum and tweedle dee (AP/RN had both Fitzgerald and CJ on the cover in the early eighties dressed as them). However politicians still like to keep their jobs, and maybe they will be influenced by voters on this particular issue.

Check out a book called "This Great Little Nation" written By Gene Kerrigan and Pat Brennan.

Got it already.

If it's a vote you're after we have online polls here all the time

Opinion polls are not as effective as deseating politicians.

Your point about building hospitals instead of a football stadium is rubbish because government departments get budgets and if the money isn't spent on a national stadium it will be spent on a new lawnmower for the Morton Stadium.

Poor excuse. The Minister of Finance's budgets are made for the purpose of allocating money. There is nothing to stop him switching money from sport to health, if he and the cabinet chose it.

I wasn't suggesting that the education system in England was inferior to ours, I was suggesting that since you were in the mood for blaming governments you might want to have a go at them as well.

You were trying to take the p**s. Anyway, how does the British government's well known shortcomings affect the fact that Ireland has no decent national stadium to host soccer and rugby? Except for their fear of true democracy for all its citizens (which can be comparable to 'New' Labour's rejection of PR), I wasn't having a go at the government. I was dissing Bertie Aherne for reasons already stated by patsh. If he hadn't stuck his nose in with that bag of cash, everybody wanting to see Ireland's games in the forthcoming World Cup would be there. Instead, people like yourself will either be spending hundreds of euros in hotel and travel or fighting over probably 4,000 tickets for Tolka Park.