Ungrateful FAI Delaney

[T Fearon]

The knackers in this case are on the gaa side,who reluctantly made Croke Park available at exorbitant rental charges (my soccer tickets increased from 45 euro to 70 at

[T Fearon]

Croker) and the GAA are begging both the soccer and rugby associations to stay as they see the cash cow running dry.

Of course Delaney is right. Croke Park should have been designated the National Sports Stadium at Bertie's request all those years ago

[Trevor Hill]

I know, I thought of nothing else all day and am considering going to the FAI's headquarters and setting myself on fire 

Are you a Dundalk fan by any chance? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jEJLy34RBQ&feature=PlayList&p=290028333D6ABF15&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=26

[heffo]

Of course Delaney is right. Croke Park should have been designated the National Sports Stadium at Bertie's request all those years ago

Can't agree Tony.

The Govt met with the FAI, IRFU and GAA around the time of Italia 90 and wanted a joint venture stadium between all four parties - the FAI & IRFU both scoffed at the prospect as they believed they didn't need the GAA.

[heffo]

The knackers in this case are on the gaa side,who reluctantly made Croke Park available at exorbitant rental charges (my soccer tickets increased from 45 euro to 70 at

I wouldn't call €1.3m in rent for 75,000 seats exorbirant - I think it's the FAI who are being a little greedy with their margins..

Croker was offered to the FAI for €830,000 for the Brazil game.

[The Worker]

should never have let the beggars in

[tyronefan]

The knackers in this case are on the gaa side,who reluctantly made Croke Park available at exorbitant rental charges (my soccer tickets increased from 45 euro to 70 at

will the prices go back to €45 when they move back to Lansdowne

[Nally Stand]

Agree they should never have been allowed in. Shows the nature of delaney and co that even as a "professional" organisation, they would happily scrouge off a proudly amateur organisation for a stadium rather than get off their asses and build their own.

[ziggysego]

Bye Bye
Don't wanna be a fool for you
Just another player in your game for two
You may hate me but it ain't no lie,
Baby, bye, bye, bye...
Bye Bye
Don't really wanna make it tough,
I just wanna tell you that I had enough.
It might sound crazy,
But it ain't no lie,
Baby, bye, bye, bye

[T Fearon]

It seems to me that the GAA are now the beggars and just watch the corporate sector up sticks to the new Aviva leaving the boxes at Croker empty,gaa tickets (now at 20 quid for first round championship games) going through the roof, more championship matches being diverted from headquarters in the summer to facilititate money making ventures like Bono and his mates etc.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

It seems to me that the GAA are now the beggars and just watch the corporate sector up sticks to the new Aviva leaving the boxes at Croker empty,gaa tickets (now at 20 quid for first round championship games) going through the roof, more championship matches being diverted from headquarters in the summer to facilititate money making ventures like Bono and his mates etc.

International soccer friendly games were charged at over 3 times the price of 1st round championship games. Having watched bits of these friendlys on tv I know were the better value is. How much does is cost you to run to Spurs to watch premier league games? The gaa don't have that many games in the year and need to generate money some were. The day we go begging to the IRFU or FAI is the day we are in trouble.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

The FAI and IRFU made more profit out of the games in Croke Park than they were making in the old Landsdowne so that crap about you paying more for your soccer tickets was rubbish.

[INDIANA]

It seems to me that the GAA are now the beggars and just watch the corporate sector up sticks to the new Aviva leaving the boxes at Croker empty,gaa tickets (now at 20 quid for first round championship games) going through the roof, more championship matches being diverted from headquarters in the summer to facilititate money making ventures like Bono and his mates etc.

A few facts for you Tony. The FAI can't sell their corporate boxes. My workplace and many others who had intended to do so- told them to shove it when they came with the prices they quoted. The FAI are in serious financial difficulty.

The Aviva Stadium is a shite development. 37,500 seats for the ordinary punter- 12,500 for corporate sector. Too few. Arguably the biggest white elephant in Irish society today. Then again anything with Bertie's fingerprints on it we shouldn't be surprised.
When the Irish rugby team were bad Landsdowne could still get 50000. So what do they do when rugby is on a high? They build the same size of a stadium. What a laugh- and what a let-off for the Gaa.

[T Fearon]

It is time you stopped "dreaming" and woke up. The GAA is now effectively begging the FAI and IRFU to stage more games at Croker, even after they move into their new stadium.

Incidentally the term "begging" implies petitioning goods or services for free, and thats certainly not what the IRFU and FAI got Croke Park for.

[T Fearon]

Indiana, with the current popularity of rugby and soccer reviving, I'd say when a lot of the corporate deals run out at Croker the box owners will move swiftly to the Aviva.

Hard to judge what size of stadium is adequate given capital and maintenance costs. Aviva is arguably too small then again by the same argument Croker is too large, given that the only two GAA fixtures guaranteed to fill it annually are the two All Ireland Finals, and by all accounts it can't be opened at all without losing money unless a minimum crowd of 35,000 or so is in attendance.

I think the GAA should be open to criticism for the mistakes and incompetency just as the FAI is continually