Ireland bid gets home help

The Republic of Ireland will start and finish their bid to qualify for the 2006 World Cup with home matches.

Ireland open their campaign on September 4 at home to Cyprus and wrap up the 10-match series on October 12, 2005, with the visit of Switzerland.

Ireland manager Brian Kerr met representatives from their qualifying group four rivals in Dublin yesterday to arrange the fixture schedule.

Kerr was hoping to finish with a clash against France, but got the reigning European champions as their penultimate home match on September 7 next year.

The manager got his wish to avoid a repeat of finishing their bid to qualify with too many away matches, with Switzerland the final opponents at home.

Kerr said: “I’m happy we’re starting with a home game against Cyprus and that we will finish with another match in Dublin in our final game against the Swiss in what will be obviously a difficult group.

“Not everyone gets their way in these fixture arrangements – but I am quite happy at the outcome.”

After 10 hours intensive negotiations without even a break for lunch, representatives of the six nations eventually agreed on a formula.

FAI chief executive Fran Rooney said: “We had a goal to achieve and I’m happy that we have reached most of the objectives we wanted at the start.

“It was hard work – but in the end a good day’s work.”

World Cup Group four qualifying dates

2004: September 4 – Republic of Ireland v Cyprus; France v Israel; Switzerland v Faroe Islands.

September 8 – Switzerland v Republic of Ireland; Israel v Cyprus; Faroe Islands v France.

October 9 – France v Republic of Ireland; Israel v Switzerland; Cyprus v Faroe Islands.

October 13 – Republic of Ireland v Faroe Islands; Cyprus v France.

November 17 – Cyprus v Israel.

2005: March 26 – France v Switzerland; Israel v Republic of Ireland.

March 30 – Switzerland v Cyprus; Israel v France.

June 4 – Republic of Ireland v Israel; Faroe Islands v Switzerland.

June 8 – Faroe Islands v Republic of Ireland.

August 17 – Faroe Islands v Cyprus.

September 3 – France v Faroe Islands; Switzerland v Israel.

September 7 – Republic of Ireland v France; Cyprus v Switzerland; Faroe Islands v Israel.

October 8 – Switzerland v France; Israel v Faroe Islands; Cyprus v Republic of Ireland.

October 12 – France v Cyprus; Republic of Ireland v Switzerland.