FAI backing Rovers in stadium case

super_furry

http://www.rte.ie/sport/2006/1214/rovers.html

Great news from the FAI. They will help fund Shamrock Rovers in the court case that Thomas Davies GAA club have brought to try and prevent Rovers getting into Tallaght. I'm surprised that Delaney and company have had the guts to take a stand against the biggots in Thomas Davies and by implication, the GAA, but it's a more than welcome move.

Guy:Incognito

While this is good news, if they wanted to get financially involved they could have done so and avoided court by buying the stadium ages ago, finishing it and renting it to Rovers.

applehunter

Least they could do. About time that the FAI backed them publicly.

After all the Milltown stuff and Kilkoyne etc., they owe them a bit.

SectionF

Good stuff. About time.

KdjaCL

It suits the FAI masterplan to have 2 teams in Tallaght so Rovers shouldnt view this as a help to them, who the other club will be is debatable ...pick shels pick shels pick shels.......



kdjac

super_furry

Even if that is the case which I doubt, I don't think you'll find a great deal of serious opposition to a properly arranged ground-share from many Rovers fans.

Rovers are already thought of as a Tallaght team - the entire set up, aside from the senior team is already based here. There's a big ready made fanbase just waiting for the move and I think that if a groundshare did come about the other team, whoever they may be, would suffer more than the Hoops

KdjaCL

super_furry wrote:

whoever they may be, would suffer more than the Hoops

Not really Shels dont have any fans to lose, we average 1.5k would imagine we would get that plus some GAA fans


kdjac

MrJoeSoap

KdjaCL wrote:

Not really Shels dont have any fans to lose

We've had a higher average attendance than Pats for three seasons running now. Pats highest attendance is almost half that of Shels, and surprise surprise, it was against us too!

_blank_

KdjaCL wrote:

Not really Shels dont have any fans to lose

Yeah, because I'm invisible.

MrJoeSoap

And we all know how many Pats fans there are on boards...

stepbar

super_furry wrote:

http://www.rte.ie/sport/2006/1214/rovers.html

Great news from the FAI. They will help fund Shamrock Rovers in the court case that Thomas Davies GAA club have brought to try and prevent Rovers getting into Tallaght. I'm surprised that Delaney and company have had the guts to take a stand against the biggots in Thomas Davies and by implication, the GAA, but it's a more than welcome move.

Why dont the FAI buy the park? hmmm?

evilhomer

MrJoeSoap wrote:

And we all know how many Pats fans there are on boards...

Some of us prefer to stay anonymous, oops!

redspider

stepbar wrote:

Why dont the FAI buy the park? hmmm?

My understanding of this situation is that the place is owned by South Dublin County Council, as the local authority is called (www.sdcc.ie) and its not for sale.

The discussion is whether it should be designed and built to hold multiple sports, and I think there is a case for that, such as for GAA. Dublin at the moment is awash with sports grounds that aren't of good quality for any sport really, so it makes sense to concentrate as many sports into a new arena as possible. That will serve the community better in my opinion.

I dont think sharing the ground between Shamrock Rovers and another club is a good idea as its a new ground, and distant from where other grounds have traditionally been.

redspider

Benedict XVI

super_furry - What eaxctly is your problem with the GAA being allowed to play in a ground that will be build with public money.

John_C

Benedict XVI wrote:

super_furry - What eaxctly is your problem with the GAA being allowed to play in a ground that will be build with public money.

I don't speak for super_furry but I think there are two main objections. That the government have said they're not willing to pay for an almost finished stand to be demolished and rebuild a few meters away, making the current situation a choice between a soccer stadium and no stadium. And also, even if that were to change it would involve a delay of a few years which Shamrock Rovers can't really afford.

super_furry

Benedict XVI wrote:

super_furry - What eaxctly is your problem with the GAA being allowed to play in a ground that will be build with public money.

My problem is the GAA don't actually want to play in the stadium, they just want to stop Rovers playing in it. If a senior GAA pitch is to be accomodated, the existing stand would have to be demolished and the capacity of the stadium would be reduced to 4,000. Now can you tell me what the GAA want with a 4,000 seater stadium which would be open to the elements on three sides? Thomas Davies themselves said that the reason they're in court is to stop "the youth of Tallaght from being restricted to a diet of association football."

Should the GAA be able to claim free reign over every sporting construction built with government money? Should the national aquatic centre make allowences for them, should the national stud have to accomadate GAA? What about the K Club? Government money was spent there, so do the GAA have a right to insist that they can have a part of that too?

The fact is that Thomas Davis and the Dublin county board are maliciously trying to prevent football in Tallaght. It's the same "garrison games" mentality they had in the 50s and it just shows exactly how backwards the GAA is.

I, and nearly every Shamrock Rover fan, would have no problem with GAA being played in the stadium if it didn't mean the capicity would be severly reduced and the already completed work would have to be demolished. Minor and under-age GAA games could be held there without any problems, but that isn't good enough for the Grab All Association.

applehunter

Heres my opinion on the whole situation.

1. It will need adjusting to the pitch & stands. Best soccer grounds are intimidating with the stands close to the play. Look at Juve's ground. Think the increase in pitch size would spoil it in the long run.

2. Soccer need a good suface to play on, GAA doesn't. Flower Lodge was known in Europe as one of the best pitches around. Now look at it in its present guise as Pairc úi Rinn its not half the pitch it was.

3. I believe Thomas Davis are more interested in not allowing soccer into Tallaght than actually playing there themselves. Its a threat to them.

4. The new people in charge of Rovers are doing things right for the 1st time in years. McGuire and his merry men almost got the club bust after trying to compete and the pitch and get into the new ground at the same town. And the way they used €1m of public money was a disgrace. However that was the old regime and I think the new owners, ie. "The fans" should not be judged by the actions of the old board.

5. The sale of Milltown was the biggest disgrace in the history of Irish soccer/sport. Have people forgotten so soon?

DaveH

The Best argument i heard was from a friend of my dad's, who would be a bigger gaa fan than soccer and he said

"I dont agree with this, The GAA dont let anyone play in their stadiums, but they have to be let play in everyone else's"

I thought that was a good point. Didnt John O'Donoghue also say something like, The GAA had their fair share of public money and other sports desreved a share?

Just another point, I used to work with a guy who was a member of the Rovers 400 Club, he told me something along the lines, that when the old rovers board ran out of money and they hit problems with tallaght, that they went to Thomas Davis looking for help. Thats how all this has started? just wanted to know if that is acurate?

Guy:Incognito

redspider wrote:

My understanding of this situation is that the place is owned by South Dublin County Council, as the local authority is called (www.sdcc.ie) and its not for sale.

But thats only in the last year or two. The fai could have stepped in much sooner, ie when it first hit difficulty and certainly before it was accuired by sdcc.

redspider wrote:

The discussion is whether it should be designed and built to hold multiple sports, and I think there is a case for that, such as for GAA. Dublin at the moment is awash with sports grounds that aren't of good quality for any sport really, so it makes sense to concentrate as many sports into a new arena as possible. That will serve the community better in my opinion.

The GAA have their own facilities and are only pulling this crap to either get money or use of a stadium they didnt have to pay for. I mean I cant just pitch up to a sdcc building and demand a free office to operate from becaus eI dotn like mine.The Gaa are only bettered by the church for crying poverty. Thomas Davis have a super pitch and grounds and have just buil dand enclosed astro GAA pitch for themselves.

redspider wrote:

I dont think sharing the ground between Shamrock Rovers and another club is a good idea as its a new ground, and distant from where other grounds have traditionally been.

redspider

A share between 2 EL clubs would be great but other sports should not be added to the list. If there are 2 clubs in it, the pitch will be used every week, added a GAA game and the pitch will be in ****e.

Benedict XVI wrote:

super_furry - What eaxctly is your problem with the GAA being allowed to play in a ground that will be build with public money.

Croke park was partly funded by public money so why was football not automatically allowed and why are they hhaveing to pay so much?

Mushy

DaveH wrote:

"I dont agree with this, The GAA dont let anyone play in their stadiums, but they have to be let play in everyone else's"

Ah, but the GAA are allowing them in by now!

Although yeah, I actually sympathis with football in this case. They should be let build the stadium, play their matches there, and let the people of Tallaght have a choice if they want to concentrate moreon soccer or gaelic. It is actually petty by the GAA

Benedict XVI

Mushy wrote:

Ah, but the GAA are allowing them in by now!

And the public money for Croke Park excuse does not wash any more, seeing as other sports are allowed in for the re-development of Lansdowne and when the partly publicly funded Lansdowne is complete GAA will not be allowed play there, as the pitch is too small.

Mushy wrote:

Although yeah, I actually sympathis with football in this case. They should be let build the stadium, play their matches there, and let the people of Tallaght have a choice if they want to concentrate moreon soccer or gaelic. It is actually petty by the GAA

I am much more of a GAA fan than a soccer fan but I do agree with the above statment, let it be built and let's see what happens.

Guy:Incognito

Benedict XVI wrote:

And the public money for Croke Park excuse does not wash any more, seeing as other sports are allowed in for the re-development of Lansdowne and when the partly publicly funded Lansdowne is complete GAA will not be allowed play there, as the pitch is too small..

Why would they want to play in it when they have a bigger, better stadium a couple of miles away thta they own?

Benedict XVI

Stekelly wrote:

Why would they want to play in it when they have a bigger, better stadium a couple of miles away thta they own?

Croke Park becoming unavailable due to fire, accident etc ?

After all the pissing and moaning from the anti GAA folks about CP and public money it's quiet ironic that whne Landsdowne is complete the shoe will be on the other foot.

Guy:Incognito

Croke park is not available to football and rugby for watever matches they want to use it for. Its there for competitive games while Lansdowne is being redeveloped. Plus they arent doing it for the good of their health, they are getting paid a lot of money for it, which is why they are renting the staium, just like for concerts etc.

Benedict XVI wrote:

Croke Park becoming unavailable due to fire, accident etc ?

You think Lansdowne should be made small to accomodate a bigger pitch so that it can be a contingency plan for the gaa should their own stadium burn down?:rolleyes:

What world are you living in? 50,000 is already too small.

Do you think that if a GAA pitch was smaller than a soccer pitch that the gaa would have allowed for that, by spending more more and reducing capacity when they were redeveloping croke park?

Benedict XVI

Stekelly wrote:

Croke park is not available to football and rugby for watever matches they want to use it for. Its there for competitive games while Lansdowne is being redeveloped. Plus they arent doing it for the good of their health, they are getting paid a lot of money for it, which is why they are renting the staium, just like for concerts etc.

You think Lansdowne should be made small to accomodate a bigger pitch so that it can be a contingency plan for the gaa should their own stadium burn down?:rolleyes:

What world are you living in? 50,000 is already too small.

Do you think that if a GAA pitch was smaller than a soccer pitch that the gaa would have allowed for that, by spending more more and reducing capacity when they were redeveloping croke park?

The new Landsdowne is too small at 50K anyway, once again all involved, IRFU, FAI, Gov. have shown a lack of vision. I had a look at it on Google Earth, there is loads of space behind the East Satnd, why not change the pitch direction and use that land for a bigger stadium. Or move to a green field site with space for expansion, I can see a debate in 20 years time about the size and location constraints of Landsdowne.

I am not saying that GAA games should be held in Lansdowne, please God the situation will never occur where the GAA cannot use Croke Park, my point is that it's very ironic after all the pissing and monaing forn the anti- GAA crowd they now find themsleves with a stadium partly funded by public money that cannot accomadate the GAA if an emergency were to occur.

Big Ears

If an 'emergency' was to occur there are numerous other GAA stadiums that would be suitable .

John_C

Benedict XVI wrote:

when the partly publicly funded Lansdowne is complete GAA will not be allowed play there, as the pitch is too small.

That's not correct use of the word 'allowed'. The GAA will not be able to play there, as the pitch is too small. No differnet from not being able to play in a swimming poor or a tennis court.

super_furry

John_C wrote:

That's not correct use of the word 'allowed'. The GAA will not be able to play there, as the pitch is too small. No differnet from not being able to play in a swimming poor or a tennis court.

The exact same scenario as Tallaght Stadium. However, this is the GAA we're taking about - the same crowd of bullies that are used to getting their own way without question.

stepbar

Hold on there, the FAI had the opportunity to buy the stadium but instead let the SDSC carry out what they should have been obligated to do in the first place. And then they have the cheek to go and fund Shamrock Rovers legal fees :eek: What a cop out :rolleyes: If you want anybody to blame for all this you can look squarely over at the FAI.... Public money in its ENTIRETY was used to purchase the ground and so Thomas Davis and every other sports group in the community are entitled to have use of the ground. In fairness you cant begin to call it "Tallaght Community Stadium" if it is going to exclude a portion of the community, who dont play soccer, from playing on it.

stepbar

Stekelly wrote:

Why would they want to play in it when they have a bigger, better stadium a couple of miles away thta they own?

Yes I see Kilmacud Crokes and Thomas Davis playing a Dublin Championship Semi in Croke Park alright...... :rolleyes: In fairness, there are few club matches that would even fill a tenth of Croke Park. Its irrevalent the fact that the GAA have a bigger better stadium on the Jones road, its not going to be used to play the First round (or any other round) of the club championship, just like Landsdowne Road is not used every time Shels and Bohs play in the Eircom League.

John_C

stepbar wrote:

Hold on there, the FAI had the opportunity to buy the stadium but instead let the SDSC carry out what they should have been obligated to do in the first place. And then they have the cheek to go and fund Shamrock Rovers legal fees :eek: What a cop out :rolleyes: If you want anybody to blame for all this you can look squarely over at the FAI.... Public money in its ENTIRETY was used to purchase the ground and so Thomas Davis and every other sports group in the community are entitled to have use of the ground. In fairness you cant begin to call it "Tallaght Community Stadium" if it is going to exclude a portion of the community, who dont play soccer, from playing on it.

But Thomas Davis or any other local sports club is entitled to use it for what ever purpose they see fit. The same as they're entitled to do cross training in the local pool or gym. That's very different from wanting to have it demolished and rebuilt to their specs.

stepbar

John_C wrote:

But Thomas Davis or any other local sports club is entitled to use it for what ever purpose they see fit. The same as they're entitled to do cross training in the local pool or gym. That's very different from wanting to have it demolished and rebuilt to their specs.

And why not? If they are willing to contribute towards it, they have every right. Tell me what have the FAI / Shamrock Rovers contributed towards the stadium? SFA thats what.... the couldnt even finish the god damm thing :rolleyes: The FAI have let their members down very badly in all this, if I was a Shamrock Rovers fan I'd be taking a can of petrol to the front door of Merrion Sq....

John_C

stepbar wrote:

And why not? If they are willing to contribute towards it, they have every right. Tell me what have the FAI / Shamrock Rovers contributed towards the stadium? SFA thats what.... the couldnt even finish the god damm thing :rolleyes: The FAI have let their members down very badly in all this, if I was a Shamrock Rovers fan I'd be taking a can of petrol to the front door of Merrion Sq....

To save time I'm going to quote myself from earlier:

I think there are two main objections. That the government have said they're not willing to pay for an almost finished stand to be demolished and rebuild a few meters away, making the current situation a choice between a soccer stadium and no stadium. And also, even if that were to change it would involve a delay of a few years which Shamrock Rovers can't really afford.

Guy:Incognito

stepbar wrote:

Yes I see Kilmacud Crokes and Thomas Davis playing a Dublin Championship Semi in Croke Park alright...... :rolleyes: .

But yet they could justify spending up to €1,000,000 to rent a 50,000 seater down the road? It'd be cheaper to play in a half empty Croke park.

super_furry

GAA WANTS NOTHING MORE THAN TO SEE RIVAL SPORT DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY

Stadium shambles leaves soccer in an almighty lurch

Cathal Dervan - The Star

It is the time of year to spare a thought for the homeless — so let’s wish the FAI well as the world gangs up against them yet again in their search for a new home for Irish soccer. Let’s face it folks, those of us in the Irish football family are facing into another spell as the nomads of the nation’s sporting community. From the Lansdowne Road residents to the Michael Guiney suits in Drumcondra and on to the Tallaghtban of the West Dublin GAA, no one likes us - but we do care. We care so much that the FAI really should cut their losses, move the Wales game in March to Tolka Park and tell the begrudgers to stick their Fainne badges where the sun don’t shine.

It is time for a reality check and a wake up call as the implications of all those decades when previous FAI regimes brushed the stadium issue under the Merrion Square carpet come home to roost.

Truth Number One - the GAA don’t want us at Croke Park. They’re not brave enough to stand up and admit it in Irish or English, but the Pioneer Pin brigade in Croker would be quite happy if soccer just disappeared off their agenda altogether. They’d rather welcome a 32 county rugby team to their North Dublin headquarters, some of whom won’t sing the national anthem and all of whom will openly stand to attention in February as they play God Save The Queen for their English visitors.

The GAA can’t even let the soccer team train on their patch. They would rather have Donnacha O’Callaghan’s red underpants on the sacred ground than Damien Duff’s silky skills. And they’re not alone.

Truth Number Two - their GAA brethren out in Tallaght want to prolong the suffering of Shamrock Rovers fans everywhere and delay their arrival in the satellite town as long as possible. The Thomas Davis Club are seriously worried that the presence of the Hoops in their catchment area will undermine their attractiveness as an outlet for the youth of Tallaght. Well lads, the behaviour of your GAA bosses in Croke Park towards Tallaght’s finest Robbie Keane and Richard Dunne isn’t doing you much good on that score. And just in case you haven’t noticed, soccer long ago passed gaelic football and hurling as the biggest participation sport for the youth of this country.

Truth Number Three - many of the residents in and around Lansdowne Road aren’t all that keen on the idea of a super stadium literally springing up over their doorsteps as their deliveries at this week’s oral hearings would seem to suggest. The FAI and the IRFU still believe in the Lansdowne Road project. They still believe the GAA’s rent boys will take their money in 2007 and in 2008, even if the price goes up year on year.

Shamrock Rovers and Thomas Davis, if they are truthful, know that the new Glenmalure Park will open as a soccer only ground as soon as the barristers stop earning handsome fees on the back of it.

They all believe in Lansdowne, Croker and Tallaght because they have to. Those of us who don’t subscribe to the manifesto though are allowed think otherwise and we should. Why are we building a new Lansdowne when there are green field sites all over Dublin county that could easily accommodate a national stadium with transport links and car parks that don’t come complete with the clampers? Why does the national stadium have to be built in traffic jam Dublin? Why does everything in this country have to centre on a capital city that is now a nightmare to get in and out of? And why didn’t the FAI solve their own problems when they had the chance to build eircom Park almost a decade ago?

The sad reality here is that Bertie Ahern’s interference stopped eircom Park in its tracks, the same eircom Park that would be up and running now but for the bullying acts of the government of the day. All Bertie succeeded in doing when he stopped eircom Park was splitting the FAI down the middle and leaving us hanging onto this hope of a new Ale Lansdowne when really he wants Irish soccer to move elsewhere.

The amazing reality is that the Bertie Bowl site out in Abbotstown is still untouched by human hand. They are in the process of building all around it but have yet to build anything on it.

I’ll bet they’re waiting for the Lansdowne Road project to collapse and the GAA to finally come clean and admit they don’t want soccer on their Holy Ground though they’re quite happy to accept €3.5m from the soccer-playing tax-payers for their floodlights. When all that falls into place Bertie will tell us he told us so and build his bowl. Five years from now we’ll all be watching the Ireland team in Abbotstown — remember where you read it first.

Blackjack

super_furry wrote:

The Star

Ah yes, that quality newspaper. What did you expect but a poorly written piece of Paranoia?.

evilhomer

stepbar wrote:

And why not? If they are willing to contribute towards it, they have every right.

To reduce capacity in a half built stadium?
To delay construction even further?
Would the GAA have made the pitch smaller if the FAI "threw in a few quid"?

The GAA are more then welcome to use the stadium when fully built, but it's not being rebuilt just because the GAA have decided they want in.

It's a public sports arena that accomodates certain sports, same as an equestrian centre accomodates showjumping and not much else!

Every field sport stadia built in this country (with or without public money) does not have to accomodate everyone.

/end rant

Bateman

Benedict XVI wrote:

. I had a look at it on Google Earth, there is loads of space behind the East Satnd, why not change the pitch direction and use that land for a bigger stadium

Have you ever been in Landsdowne? There are two rugby pitches on "that land". I can't see the clubs being too keen on giving up that space just so Delaney & co can build another conferencing suite.

stepbar

To reduce capacity in a half built stadium?[/QUOTE]
Who said capasity would be reduced?

evilhomer wrote:

To delay construction even further?

In fairness its taken rovers the best part of 20 years to come even close to getting a new home so...........

evilhomer wrote:

Would the GAA have made the pitch smaller if the FAI "threw in a few quid"?

Any why would you want to make a pitch smaller if the stadium was constructed to accomadate a bigger pitch? :rolleyes:

evilhomer wrote:

The GAA are more then welcome to use the stadium when fully built, but it's not being rebuilt just because the GAA have decided they want in.

It's a public sports arena that accomodates certain sports, same as an equestrian centre accomodates showjumping and not much else

Well if the FAI / Shamrock Rovers had to have put their money where their mouth was / costed the place correctly in the first place neither party would be facing this problem. The park is now classed as public property and should be used as such.

evilhomer wrote:

Every field sport stadia built in this country (with or without public money) does not have to accomodate everyone.

Well it would be stupid if it didnt.... there's money to be made if the club had to have been smart enough from the start...

Another point lets not forget Rugby in all this, they deserve the opportunity to use the tallaght stadium and grow a base in tallaght

stepbar

Stekelly wrote:

But yet they could justify spending up to €1,000,000 to rent a 50,000 seater down the road? It'd be cheaper to play in a half empty Croke park.

The IRFU / FAI rent our stadium, you be a good neighbour and rent theirs. Whats the problem? And in fairness would the IRFU / FAI be complaining? I dont think so.......

evilhomer

stepbar wrote:

To reduce capacity in a half built stadium?
Who said capasity would be reduced?

Mmmm, the minister!

Mr. O&#8217 wrote: »

: In short, I am not because to do so would require us to have a lower capacity ground than will be in existence. This would be required if the pitch were to measure up to the measurements required for a standard size GAA pitch. In addition, a commitment was given that this particular stadium would be a home for Shamrock Rovers. I consciously made that commitment and it is one I will keep. It is not the case that other sports are completely excluded from the Tallaght stadium. I have no difficulty with other sports taking place there, but no provision can be made for the GAA there because it would require extending the pitch considerably and lowering the capacity of the stadium. All this would require further expense.

The Dublin GAA county board will be aware of land at Rathcoole. I have indicated in the past that I would be prepared to consider favourably applications for funding for the development of the facility there.

http://www.cademuir.eu/archives/2006/06/thomas_davis_and_the_gaa_and_d.html

stepbar wrote:

In fairness its taken rovers the best part of 20 years to come even close to getting a new home so...........

So they should have to wait now, just because the GAA want on the bandwagon?

stepbar wrote:

Any why would you want to make a pitch smaller if the stadium was constructed to accomadate a bigger pitch? :rolleyes:

Because the atmosphere would be much better!!

Which is just as valid a reason as the GAA's "We want to play here because Soccer can play here!!!"

stepbar wrote:

Well if the FAI / Shamrock Rovers had to have put their money where their mouth was / costed the place correctly in the first place neither party would be facing this problem. The park is now classed as public property and should be used as such.

As I stated above, not all public property has to accomodate all sports.

stepbar wrote:

Well it would be stupid if it didnt.... there's money to be made if the club had to have been smart enough from the start...

mmmm, that never stopped the GAA keeping it's doors closed for so long.

stepbar wrote:

Another point lets not forget Rugby in all this, they deserve the opportunity to use the tallaght stadium and grow a base in tallaght

Rugby can be played on that pitch, it's only Gaelic games that require it be be made larger.

Guy:Incognito

stepbar wrote:

The IRFU / FAI rent our stadium, you be a good neighbour and rent theirs. Whats the problem? And in fairness would the IRFU / FAI be complaining? I dont think so.......

The point is not whether the FAI/IRFU want to rent the stadium to the GAA its why would the GAA spend a lot of money renting a smaller staium to host their games when they could half fill their own for free. It would be stupid.

Benedict XVI

super_furry wrote:

GAA WANTS NOTHING MORE THAN TO SEE RIVAL SPORT DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY

Stadium shambles leaves soccer in an almighty lurch

Cathal Dervan - The Star

It is the time of year to spare a thought for the homeless — so let’s wish the FAI well as the world gangs up against them yet again in their search for a new home for Irish soccer. Let’s face it folks, those of us in the Irish football family are facing into another spell as the nomads of the nation’s sporting community. From the Lansdowne Road residents to the Michael Guiney suits in Drumcondra and on to the Tallaghtban of the West Dublin GAA, no one likes us - but we do care. We care so much that the FAI really should cut their losses, move the Wales game in March to Tolka Park and tell the begrudgers to stick their Fainne badges where the sun don’t shine.

It is time for a reality check and a wake up call as the implications of all those decades when previous FAI regimes brushed the stadium issue under the Merrion Square carpet come home to roost.

Truth Number One - the GAA don’t want us at Croke Park. They’re not brave enough to stand up and admit it in Irish or English, but the Pioneer Pin brigade in Croker would be quite happy if soccer just disappeared off their agenda altogether. They’d rather welcome a 32 county rugby team to their North Dublin headquarters, some of whom won’t sing the national anthem and all of whom will openly stand to attention in February as they play God Save The Queen for their English visitors.

The GAA can’t even let the soccer team train on their patch. They would rather have Donnacha O’Callaghan’s red underpants on the sacred ground than Damien Duff’s silky skills. And they’re not alone.

Truth Number Two - their GAA brethren out in Tallaght want to prolong the suffering of Shamrock Rovers fans everywhere and delay their arrival in the satellite town as long as possible. The Thomas Davis Club are seriously worried that the presence of the Hoops in their catchment area will undermine their attractiveness as an outlet for the youth of Tallaght. Well lads, the behaviour of your GAA bosses in Croke Park towards Tallaght’s finest Robbie Keane and Richard Dunne isn’t doing you much good on that score. And just in case you haven’t noticed, soccer long ago passed gaelic football and hurling as the biggest participation sport for the youth of this country.

Truth Number Three - many of the residents in and around Lansdowne Road aren’t all that keen on the idea of a super stadium literally springing up over their doorsteps as their deliveries at this week’s oral hearings would seem to suggest. The FAI and the IRFU still believe in the Lansdowne Road project. They still believe the GAA’s rent boys will take their money in 2007 and in 2008, even if the price goes up year on year.

Shamrock Rovers and Thomas Davis, if they are truthful, know that the new Glenmalure Park will open as a soccer only ground as soon as the barristers stop earning handsome fees on the back of it.

They all believe in Lansdowne, Croker and Tallaght because they have to. Those of us who don’t subscribe to the manifesto though are allowed think otherwise and we should. Why are we building a new Lansdowne when there are green field sites all over Dublin county that could easily accommodate a national stadium with transport links and car parks that don’t come complete with the clampers? Why does the national stadium have to be built in traffic jam Dublin? Why does everything in this country have to centre on a capital city that is now a nightmare to get in and out of? And why didn’t the FAI solve their own problems when they had the chance to build eircom Park almost a decade ago?

The sad reality here is that Bertie Ahern’s interference stopped eircom Park in its tracks, the same eircom Park that would be up and running now but for the bullying acts of the government of the day. All Bertie succeeded in doing when he stopped eircom Park was splitting the FAI down the middle and leaving us hanging onto this hope of a new Ale Lansdowne when really he wants Irish soccer to move elsewhere.

The amazing reality is that the Bertie Bowl site out in Abbotstown is still untouched by human hand. They are in the process of building all around it but have yet to build anything on it.

I’ll bet they’re waiting for the Lansdowne Road project to collapse and the GAA to finally come clean and admit they don’t want soccer on their Holy Ground though they’re quite happy to accept €3.5m from the soccer-playing tax-payers for their floodlights. When all that falls into place Bertie will tell us he told us so and build his bowl. Five years from now we’ll all be watching the Ireland team in Abbotstown — remember where you read it first.

Brilliant article ??
It’s a mindless piece of drivel no better than an internet rant or something you would hear from some eejit in a pub.
It’s full of clichés, and name calling, I’m surprised he has not used that pathetic over used term ‘the beautiful game’.

I’ll wait for a properly written opinion piece on this, not some tabloid rant.

Bateman wrote:

Have you ever been in Landsdowne? There are two rugby pitches on "that land". I can't see the clubs being too keen on giving up that space just so Delaney & co can build another conferencing suite.

Many time but only to the West Stand. The IRFU are also involved in this, surely they have some influence with the rugby clubs on the sites. I know it’s water under the bridge now but a little more foresight by the associations involved and the Government and a bigger stadium or the existing site or on a new one might have been achieved.

SectionF

Benedict XVI wrote:

I’m surprised he has not used that pathetic over used term ‘the beautiful game’.

You're probably right in saying that it's over-used. However, I think that in making comparisons between football and GAA, which could be called many things, but surely not beautiful, then it is highly appropriate.

patmac

super_furry wrote:

The exact same scenario as Tallaght Stadium. However, this is the GAA we're taking about - the same crowd of bullies that are used to getting their own way without question.

You see your not doing yourself any favours with comments like that, I love all sports but mainly soccer, GAA and rugby. I am a club officer with a GAA club, I fought long and hard to convince people that opening Croke Park to soccer and rugby is good for everyone involved, it was rebuilt with some government money but also with a lot of money raised by GAA people voluntary who had the foresight to rebuild Croker before building costs went through the roof. Lansdowne was a delapitated old stadium which should have been rebuilt years ago and the national stadium was scuppered by Mary Harney at the time. If Thomas Davis are as you say doing this just to protect their players from being lost to soccer then they are wrong and stupid, with a population of 500 we have 2 soccer teams to compete with and we can handle it no problem with most players play both, personally I have more of a problem with the government spending €8m on some Mickey mouse ladies Golf event which could be spent on more people orientated sports. Yes their are bigots in the GAA who have no time for other sports but the comments about Grab All Association etc makes you and others like you no less bigotted or narrow minded.

super_furry

Thomas Davis are unashamadly trying to destroy my club. I think I'm entitled to feel that way about them.

I used to play Gaelic football for St Marks, I used to spend most of my summer following the Dubs and rarely missed a game on the Hill. However football was always my first love and the behaviour of the GAA in Tallaght means that I have grown to intensely dislike the organisation and I no longer have anything to do with them.

It's the GAA who are the agressors in all this - it is not Shamrock Rovers attacking the GAA, Rovers and by extension their fans are being backed into a corner and forced to defend themselves. Their stated aim is to keep football out of Tallaght and if expressing my revultion at this and defending my club leads you to believe me a bigot, then so be it.

patmac

super_furry wrote:

Thomas Davis are unashamadly trying to destroy my club. I think I'm entitled to feel that way about them.

I used to play Gaelic football for St Marks, I used to spend most of my summer following the Dubs and rarely missed a game on the Hill. However football was always my first love and the behaviour of the GAA in Tallaght means that I have grown to intensely dislike the organisation and I no longer have anything to do with them.

It's the GAA who are the agressors in all this - it is not Shamrock Rovers attacking the GAA, Rovers and by extension their fans are being backed into a corner and forced to defend themselves. Their stated aim is to keep football out of Tallaght and if expressing my revultion at this and defending my club leads you to believe me a bigot, then so be it.

I have no problem in you defending your club, I can understand your feelings if what is stated is true, but your problem is with Thomas Davis GAA club not the GAA in general, you have already had two threads on the GAA boards locked you would get a more measured response if you weren't so agressive towards the GAA.

super_furry

patmac wrote:

I have no problem in you defending your club, I can understand your feelings if what is stated is true, but your problem is with Thomas Davis GAA club not the GAA in general, you have already had two threads on the GAA boards locked you would get a more measured response if you weren't so agressive towards the GAA.

If only that were the case. Thomas Davis may be the ringleaders, but they have the support of every GAA club in Tallaght, the Dublin board and Croke Park. It is as clear a case of GAA against football as you will ever see.

As for having threads closed on the GAA board, I don't believe I have ever posted there and I've certainly not had any threads closed there.

patmac

super_furry wrote:

As for having threads closed on the GAA board, I don't believe I have ever posted there and I've certainly not had any threads closed there.

Apologies there was two closed but you weren't involved, this was the latest one http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055007042 lots of fun the Waylander comment I thought was interesting.