Special Congress may decide to open Croke Park

APPROVAL from the GAA to the Government request to use Croke Park on a once-off basis for the 2008 European Soccer championships may ultimately happen on a groundswell of support being generated within the association.

This was the view expressed yesterday by Noel Walsh, the man who framed the Clare motion rejected strongly at this year's Congress which called for the Central Council to decide on the use of the stadium for other sports.

Walsh, one of the GAA's two trustees and a management committee member, said he would be astonished if a similar motion was not on the agenda for the upcoming Special Congress to debate the report of the strategic review committee.