Croke Park takes UEFA’s breath away

CROKE PARK was identified yesterday as a future venue for a Champions’ League final if the GAA relax their rule banning football in advance of Euro 2008.

UEFA officials who visited the stadium yesterday as part of an on-going monitoring of the joint bid from Scotland and Ireland to host the Euro 2008 finals were so impressed with the 80,000 capacity stadium that it was immediately identified as a potential final venue.

The UEFA officials were not prepared to discuss the issue with press representatives later but I can reveal it was mentioned in conversation with Croke Park authorities.

But the venue will only be considered for major football promotions if the GAA are prepared to make it available for Euro 2008.

The UEFA team believe the quality of facilities available at Croke Park were such that they would consider it an honour to be given the use of the stadium for the 2008 championship finals.

UEFA director of communications Mike Lee and the Scottish leaders of the bid were surprisingly upbeat after a day spent visiting Croke Park and Abbotstown, the scene of the proposed National Stadium.

Mr Lee said the joint Scottish and Irish bid was very much alive and kicking and “competing well”.

He said their visit was part of an on-going evaluation process and final submissions would not be made until December.

Much of their confidence clearly stemmed from meetings they had with An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Minister for Sport John O’Donoghue.

At those meetings the delegation was told the Government was confident the plan to develop Stadium Ireland in partnership with a private developer would go ahead.

They were also told the Government would approach the GAA and ask for their co-operation in making Croke Park available.

FAI general secretary Brendan Menton said the Taoiseach had told the visiting delegation and the Scottish representatives that he had identified a potential investor in a joint development with the Government at Abbotstown.

Mr Menton said: “We all know there are issues to be resolved but I think the Government remains very committed to the project. It would be fantastic to have 2008 here in Ireland.

“There are significant issues but we still have time and we want to get away from the idea that today was, in some sense, a deadline day.

“It’s not, the deadline day is the 12th/13th December and we have to create a certainty on a number of issues.

“But he also said we were not unique, that all bids have their difficulties on different issues.

“The stadia at this time are both our strength and our weakness and if we can resolve these difficulties and create certainty (that they will be delivered) then I am convinced we stand a very good chance of winning this bid.”

As regards Croke Park he said: “The Government reiterated today they are going to ask the GAA about the possibility of using Croke Park.

“UEFA were hugely impressed with what they saw at Croke Park. It was well up to the standard criteria for a championship stadium and if the GAA changed their policy that would resolve one of the stadium issues.”

When he was asked whether the FAI would directly approach the GAA he said: “We have not considered that. If there is a role for us to play we will certainly play it but we accept that Croke Park is a GAA facility ... and they have to make their own decisions on this.”

Mr Lee said the delegation had been impressed by the presentation.

He added: “We have also been impressed by the political commitment that we have seen from the Taoiseach and Government and also from the Dublin City Authority.

“We are still in the process of evaluation, the decision will not be made yet for several weeks. It was indicated to us today that in relation to Stadium Ireland that private funding is a genuine possibility and in relation to Croke Park that is a matter for the GAA.”

The UEFA delegation will continue their visit to the bidding centres this week and then prepare a written report.

There will be further evaluation meetings before the end of November and the decision will be taken following final submissions on December 12.

Mr Lee said the visit had underlined how strong the joint bid was and he referred to the existence in Scotland of four stadia of more than 50,000 capacity.

He said: “Our impression so far is that this bid has looked strong on paper and it looked strong on our visit.”