John Fallon: FAI miss opportunity to give Ireland deserved Aviva Stadium setting for Sweden clash
Denise O’Sullivan is at the peak of her club career and has become an iconic player for Ireland. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
When Sweden faced Ireland at Euro 2016, they vowed to erect a “yellow wall” of fans around the Stade de France to buoy Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his side.
Of course, their best-laid plans were scuppered by the opposition outnumbering them so it’s a pity that the strength of the Green Army isn’t being mobilised for the meeting of the women’s teams in a World Cup qualifier on October 21.
Ireland’s senior international team are on a bit of a wave, backing up their equal pay deal and sponsorship by Sky with a 3-2 win over Australia last week.
It was easy to forget much of the anguish that went before in seven successive defeats as Vera Pauw’s players rejoiced at the final whistle in Tallaght.
There were joyous scenes aplenty; team-mates embracing each other and mingling with the crowd of 3,341, comprised mainly of young girls.
Every player who spoke afterwards, as well as Pauw, credited the home support for their contribution in Ireland taking their biggest scalp, in seeding terms, for 30 years.
Although it was a friendly, the beating of a team ranked 11th in the world underlined what is achievable for a team still awaiting their first-ever major tournament qualification.
Ireland will soon enough discover whether the prospect of ending that famine is realistic when they face the two seeds above them and one below in their opening three qualifiers.
First up are the Swedes, officially the best team in Europe.
Then, it’s Finland away five days later before Slovakia arrive in Dublin on November 25.
For Ireland to be in the mix to clinch second and a secure play-off for the 2023 World Cup, then four or five points from those nine available are necessary.
All possible advantages within their control ought to be explored.
Entering the twilight of their distinguished international careers, it behoves the FAI to do everything they can to ensure 30-somethings Louise Quinn, Niamh Fahey, Diane Caldwell, and Áine O’Gorman crown it with a World Cup appearance.
That includes exposing them to the widest audience at the national stadium.
Sharing that stage with females in an era of equality has become a staple of neighbouring associations.
In the same World Cup window that Ireland host the Swedes at the 7,500-capacity Tallaght Stadium, England welcome Northern Ireland to Wembley. The North themselves played their recent qualifier against Latvia at Windsor Park.
Elsewhere in the UK, Wales take on Estonia at the Cardiff City Stadium while Scotland face Hungary at Hampden Park, the second of the four qualifiers at the Glasgow venue.
The Finnish FA, eager to augment their fourth European Championship qualification in five by reaching a first World Cup, have allowed the women’s team use the 40,000-capacity Helsinki Stadium for their game against Ireland next month.
The FAI won’t be following suit anytime soon.
“Tallaght Stadium has been home for the Ireland women’s team since 2013 with 23 games played there so far and our attendance record has been broken on seven different occasions there,” a spokesperson said.
“We want to continue building on that by attracting a consistent crowd to all home games and enhancing the fantastic atmosphere that our fans bring to games in Tallaght.
“We remain open to Ireland playing in the Aviva Stadium in the future, but Tallaght is our home venue right now and we look forward to another memorable night when we host Sweden in our first World Cup qualifier.”
Fair enough but, to borrow Stephen Kenny’s phrase, are there shades of short-sightedness to that stance?
Not alone are Olympic silver medalists Sweden a huge public draw, stacked with players from Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG and Chelsea, but icons are developing in the Irish set-up. Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan, for instance, are both at the peak of their club careers, renowned in the global game and act as inspirations for the growth sector of the FAI.
Surely, they and their team-mates are deserving of the ultimate platform within their own country for the biggest game of the eight-match campaign? It won’t carry the same appeal next year if the side are out of the qualification hunt. The FAI remain sensitive to costs, yet armed with a proper promotional campaign and a pricing structure of, for example, kids free with a €10 paying adult, the business case to open the stadium could be made.
A concerted drive by the GAA succeeded in spiking the turnout for the 2019 women’s Gaeic football final at Croke Park to 56,114, representing double the figure present for the decider five years earlier.
Bohemians showed what atmosphere at the Aviva could be created with restricted attendances of 6,000 and 8,000 in the summer and the FAI could have accommodated three times that capacity two days before a further easing of limits. And they’d be utilising an existing asset to gain optimal benefits, on and off the pitch.
Instead, Connacht Rugby nipped in to book the digs for their URC duel with Ulster.
“To see the Scottish FA backing the team by putting us into Hampden for all our qualifiers was a really good feeling,” said McCabe Arsenal’s colleague Jennifer Beattie.“You never really know when these stages are going to happen and when you do, you think: ‘We are heading in the right direction’.”
Northern Ireland’s Rachael Furness is equally enthused by taking centre-stage.
“It’s the National Stadium — not just the men’s National Stadium,” she declared.
Sounds like the FAI have missed a trick. As their new sponsor would say, time to believe in better.
Challenging times for Gavin Kilkenny
Stephen Kenny unveils his Ireland squad for Saturday week’s World Cup qualifier in Azerbaijan tomorrow and there’s been no clamour for a specific rookie to be drafted in.
Perhaps the absence is for the best, given the last bolter tipped for elevation has experienced the downside of hype.
Gavin Kilkenny started the first six games of the season for Bournemouth and his poise and composure in the holding midfield berth strengthened his case for a call-up.
However, Kenny was present for the 21-year-old’s last outing, a 6-0 EFL Cup humbling at Norwich City, and opted against including him in his squad two days later for the September window.
The return of more experienced midfielders from suspension and injuries was always going to threaten Kilkenny’s standing but what wasn’t expected was him being culled completely from the matchday squad.
“It was a tough call but Gav has got two options,” said Cherries manager Scott Parker, whose side have made a solid start to their promotion charge. “He can’t do anything between now and the January window. He either feels sorry for himself or relishes where he is. We have had that conversation.”
So goes the uncertainty of being a budding player at a Premier League club or, in Bournemouth’s case, one that feels they should be.
We may expect similar stories for many of his Irish peers.
Chance for young Saints to take scalp
The name Red Star Belgrade doesn’t register with the St Patrick’s Athletic fledglings, but they’ll remember the Serbians as a scalp if they progress in the Uefa Youth Champions League tie.
Irish football fans will recall the club from the former Yugoslavia as the one Manchester United’s Busby’s Babes faced in the European Cup before their air disaster in 1958. They also lifted the famous trophy in 1991, defeating Marseille on penalties.
Nowadays they are known as Crvena Zvezda, and the first team are more Europa than Champions League regulars. Still, they and City rivals Partizan Belgrade hold their reputations as two of Europe’s most prolific academies.
Tonight, their latest batch take on the Irish champions at Inchicore in the first leg of the opening round.
“Not one hand went up,” revealed Saints manager Sean O’Connor about his pre-match opposition briefing.
“That was a bit surprising, because I knew them growing up, but it might be a good thing they don’t know them.”
Cork City’s win over HJK Helsinki in 2016, sealed by Aaron Drinan’s winner, remains the only time a League of Ireland club has progressed beyond the first round of the competition.
Pat’s will be without most of last season’s champions due to age restrictions, but recent recruit Sam Curtis will feature. “I don’t think we’ll be outclassed,” added O’Connor.
- john.fallon@examiner.ie
