Amid all the number crunching and ifs, buts and maybes surrounding FAI seat sales in the Aviva Stadium, Keith Duggan hit the nail flush on the head in Saturday’s ‘Irish Times’. The reality is that the FAI are trying to sell something that’s been surpassed by economic events. When the new Lansdowne Road was conceived the Celtic Tiger was still tickling itself. But since the bulldozers went in the corporate set in this country has shrunk faster than an overweight bride-to-be a month out from her wedding.
Hence all the vacant Vantage Club packages and passed-up premium spaces, which are clearly overpriced in the current climate. Cathal Dervan raised the issue of what to do with the empties in the ‘Irish Mail on Sunday’, airing a complaint on behalf of two businessmen (and supporters of grassroots football) who were aghast to find their enjoyment of the recent Euro qualifier against Andorra spoiled by screaming kids who were allowed into the game free gratis, and, naturally, couldn’t contain their excitement.
John Delaney, nursing a €38m-plus repayment headache, which will almost certainly affect funding for the game at local level, definitely can’t please all of the people any of the time.
