Well Done lads!!!

I’m a bit out but is that about the Euro 2008 ?

I never thought Ireland would get it because, unlike the scottish, you don’t play much football, do you ? ei. can you play it at the Croke Park stadium ? and who payed for that stadium?

More then infrastructures, good politians and projects you have “to love football” in general, and not fight it with other major sports.

ps: WE LOVE FOOTBALL – portuguese slogan for the Euro 2004, simple but honest.

I still think we should demand our money back from the taxes given to the GAA for Croke park.

I personally have never been to , and will never go to , a gaelic of hurling match in croke park and yet a portion of my money has been taken (without my permission) and given to the GAA. I’m not a soccer fan, but I’ll be damned if I’ll fund someones personal hobby at the expense of everyone else’s pleasure.

also, didn’t a GAA council member say “No gombeen politician is going to dictate to the gaa”. fine, no “gombeen” GAA councilman is going to make a living off my labour!

ps. I’m not anti GAA. I’m anti gaa attitude to non-gaelic games which to me smacks of racism and uber-nationalist b*ll*x.

Pity though, would have been nice to show europe that our stadiums aren’t limited to the rather minuscule and laughable Landsdowne road.

I can understand the money and the cultural values beghind all that GAA story, but why don’t you just try to build more flexible stadiums ?! Go to Holland, Japan, USA or even here and bring home some lessons about it…

I’m not a football fan, so two consecutive draws with Portugal in the run up to the world cup doens’t brings much into my mind. But I do know your best players are playing in England 😉
Why did Scottland decided to go with you at first place ?

Why did Scotland seek us out………a great mystery..that Ist executive chap came over looking for about a 10% input..I bet he resigns.

I blame the BANANA problem – Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything. There is too many vested interests and there is such a weak mentality in the government of trying to appeal to everybody at the same time.

Can this be the end of this national stadium nonsense? Give the IRFU and FAI assistance and cash (same as GAA) in building and Developing their own stadia. Then at least we could have 2 decent stadia that could be opened up for the 2012 European Championships

Here is a good summary of how this bid went of the rails the Bull O’Donoughue should read it as his homework.

http://www.news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1383232002

CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST:

This failed bid for EURO 08 will hopefully result in some realism setting into the post BC (Before Charlton) supporters. We never stood a chance not only on the fact that no plans were even in place for stadia but also on the fact that soccer is relatively a new comer to most people (post EURO 88) in this country when compared to any other country in Europe. We have the least developed National League AND CONSEQUENTLY STADIA in Europe and this is not all the fault of the FAI. It’s a wonder that the FAI were not outlawed as an illegal organisation who’s aim was to distract the youth of our free state from playing our National Games. Up until the 70s the Guards would chase young lads for playing soccer on the quiet roads of the Corpo estates. When this state was founded a deliberate policy was implemented by government and Catholic schools to ensure that the garrison English game of soccer would be suppressed at every opportunity and confined to the back-streets of the garrison towns (Dublin, Cork, Dundalk, Sligo etc). The big arm of the GAA with their bans on foreign games also ensured that the game or its necessary infrastructure and political support never developed as would have been the case in any other country. The GAA has always to a large extent been FF at play and compared to soccer rugby always has had the support of Irish business. Basically soccer was supported and managed by ordinary Joes in ordinary jobs. So for most “fans” soccer was only invented in Stutgart on Sunday June the 12th 1988……… and who can never forget that horrible sight of Haughey running around the stadium in Rome at Italia 90 waving the Tricolour at “his people”. None of “them” were at EURO 88 because soccer was not fashionable and they did not realise the national latent fervour that was to emerge post EURO 88. I should think now after the farce of bidding for EURO 08 that the necessary support from government and Irish big business will emerge to make up for years of neglect and indifference to soccer and will finally result in the necessary infrastructure been developed to support due to international success what now ironically has become our National Game !!

Up the Saints – Hang in there Pat Dolan.

Yes, well said Luke, I can remember dribbling along the rightwing on GAA gamesday at the local “seco” (secondary school) and then the roar from the Brother or “Brot-er” pick up the ball Papworth or else !! God be with the days of our joyous National Games and the hatred for soccer taught in our schools.