RDS or Lansdowne the likely venue for FAI Cup final

THE FAI Cup final may be moved from Tolka Park after consultations between Cork City, Drogheda United and the FAI suggested that the ground’s capacity of 9,500 would not be large enough to cater for the demand for tickets.

Though the last two finals were held at Lansdowne Road, the Ballsbridge venue was initially unavailable due to rugby commitments when the eircom League calendar was devised. However, that situation has since changed and Lansdowne, Tolka Park and the RDS are all now being considered as possible venues.

The game on December 4 will be City’s first appearance in the Blue Riband decider since the win over Shelbourne in 1998, while Drogheda have never won the competition and their only previous appearance in the final came back in 1976.

Demand for tickets from both clubs is expected to be high and it is worth remembering that Longford Town brought 8,000 supporters with them to Dublin for the final against St Patrick’s Athletic two years ago.

After sponsors’ tickets and complimentaries are handed out, there would probably be no more than 4,000 tickets available for each club were the game to be played at Tolka Park. Cork’s average attendance this season hovers around 3,300, while Drogheda’s is less than half that, though both clubs will expect to bring far bigger crowds to a game of this magnitude.

League officials understand the concerns but will be anxious to avoid a repeat of last year, when vast swathes of empty seats detracted from the game between Longford and Waterford United at Lansdowne.

There are other concerns besides. The Irish rugby team will face Australia, New Zealand and Romania on successive weekends in November and that may have implications for the Lansdowne Road surface.

As for the RDS, Leinster face Bourgoin at the showjumping arena just six days after the FAI Cup final and the surface there showed signs of cutting up during the province’s defeat by Bath last Saturday.

Cork City are already involved in fixture rearrangements. The Bohemians-City eircom League game on October 31 has been brought forward from 7.45pm to a 4pm kick-off at the request of the Dalymount Park club.

The change was sanctioned by the League as Bohs asked for the time-change within the specified nine-day period.

It’s understood that the Dublin club hopes to both maximise its Bank Holiday gate and possibly avoid any security issues that might arise from having the kick-off at the height of the Halloween festivities.

Though the time change will require Cork City to change their planned travel arrangements, the earlier kick-off could mean a bigger show of support by the Rebel Army, with a one-day return trip to the capital now more feasible.