Home, sweet home as Aviva doors open

THE smells assaulted the senses every bit as much as the sights.

From the freshly-laid tarmac on Lansdowne Lane to the new-carpet aroma off the artificial grass in the indoor warm-up areas, the newly-monikered Aviva Stadium was all dolled up to make a dazzling first impression.

It certainly achieved that aim.

It was hard to square the €410m state-of-the-art structure with what had – a 15 degree rotation aside – stood in the same spot for over 130 years before.

Of all the plaudits that rained down on the venue, it was Keith Wood who summed up the transformation best.

For all its character, its history and traditions, the old Lansdowne Road was, essentially, a dump, or “a monument to grey” as the former Ireland captain so eloquently put it.

Lansdowne 2.0 will foster its own legends in time but it is already iconic.

Random workmen still scuttled around polishing windows and scrubbing scuffed fittings but such minutiae failed to dilute the overall presentation of a stadium that, for all the controversy surrounding its birth and size on delivery, is a breathtaking piece of work.

The outward shell has already settled comfortably into the Dublin skyline and the 4,251 polycarbonate panels that make up the roof’s ‘cladding’ were displayed to optimum affect yesterday on a day when the sun shone on Dublin 4.

The interior has done its best to live up to such an arresting first impression. The bowels of the new West Stand, with its presidential suite, atrium and grand piano, resembles a five-star hotel more than it does a sports arena.

All of which is wonderful but none of that would matter if the arena itself didn’t measure up to standard. Thankfully, it does. The stadium is a riot of green from top to toe and is far removed from the boring, flatpack stadia that predominate in England.

Which isn’t to say there are no caveats. There are, especially that 51,000 capacity. With the FAI and IRFU tied to home games in Ballsbridge for the next 10 years and 82,250 seats lying idle across the Liffey, a permanent shadow will linger over the Aviva.

Joe Duffy will, no doubt, be inundated with calls for a few days when the first big games swing around and the realisation dawns that 30,000 spectators will be locked out, but people will learn to accept it eventually, just as they will the new corporate title.

“Lansdowne Road certainly had a great tradition going back to 1872,” said stadium director Martin Murphy, “but it was also called Haig’s Lane then so it has changed names over the years and ... we are very fortunate to have Aviva on board.”

The completed project is, unquestionably, a pretty picture and one that incorporates a stand that is surely unique in international sport – the North End’s curvilinear roof swoops down dramatically to frame 3,000 seats with a wall of glass.

It will come to serve as the venue’s trademark – as Hill 16 does for Croke Park – but it owes its existence to local residents who refused to countenance a three-tier mammoth of a stand perched mere feet from their garden walls.

So it is then that a handful of houses in Havelock Square now peep surreptitiously into the ground, like schoolboys perched on fences in days of yore, and stadium chiefs were mindful of their neighbours during yesterday’s celebrations.

“The relationship with the local community is very important to us and we are mindful that we are in a residential area,” said stadium Murphy. “We have established a project monitoring committee which will live into the future beyond the project. That is a liaison forum where we deal with issues that the local residents have. Those issues have been mainly construction related up to now. The committee also dispenses a grant fund of €100,000 per annum and that will also pertain into the future.”

Keeping the locals sweet is laudable but paying customers will determine the success or otherwise of a ground which opens to the general public for the first time on July 31 with a combined provinces rugby fixture.

That may or may not test the stadium’s capacity. The game between Manchester United and an Airtricity League XI four days later certainly will and only be then will the Aviva Stadium receive its opening grade.

Claims of restricted sightlines have dogged the venue but Murphy said that the number of possible seats that may be affected numbers no more than a hundred or so and he added that the minimum requirement of a 50,000 capacity was not in danger.

“We are conducting a survey next week where we will actually sit on every seat and look at the touchlines and pitch markings. We won’t be able to get a full view of the issue until the pitch marking go in.

“There are some issues with barriers. We are going to take out the metal crossbeams and put in toughened glass but this story has been around for quite a while. There are very few seats that have restricted views.”

Given the capacity, it is just as well.