Dalymount Park has been saved to Irish football - John Delaney

There was plenty of discussion about bridge building, legacy and logos at Thursday morning’s UEFA EURO 2020 launch of Dublin's host city logo. The heavy hitters were here at Dublin’s CHQ Building where An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Minister for Sport Shane Ross, FAI CEO John Delaney, and UEFA Executive Committee member Frantisek Laurinec.

They all spoke in the venue adjacent to the River Liffey just down from the Samuel Beckett Bridge which is part of Dublin’s logo.

These big sporting events don’t come around too often, nor is it often that John Delaney chats to the football media but the FAI Chief Executive was happy to do so on this occasion. Delaney was keen to discuss the legacy of Dublin hosting three group matches and a last 16 tie at Lansdowne Road.

“There’s a legacy committee set-up, to look at first of all Dalymount Park,” said John Delaney. “It’s a big piece that we want to see complete, in and around 2020, maybe 2021. The tournament coming to Dublin is absolutely brilliant, but part of the legacy should be Dalymount Park.”

This week one Shelbourne supporters club, Reds Independent, unhappy with what they see as lack of consultation on the move to Dalymount stated that “while the current board hold its’ supporters in such disregard…we ask all Shelbourne supporters not to fund the club in any way.”

Asked by extratime.ie about his reaction to some negativity surrounding the proposed Dalymount ground share between Bohs and Shels, Delaney said that “I think that’s a matter for the club to deal with. The club were very much supportive of moving. The club came to the position that they wanted to move to Dalymount Park with Bohemians, and if that’s what the club want to do, of course we’ll support the club in that.

“Dalymount Park has been saved to Irish football, which is really important. The detail now has to be worked out over meetings over the next number of months, and I’m sure next year, as to what capacity, and how that development is going to take place. I’m pretty sure that by 2020, it will be well on its way to being completed.”

Further discussing the League of Ireland, the FAI CEO spoke about how the FAI are working together with the clubs and the Premier Clubs Alliance (PCA) on the future of the league.

“There is an international brand report that will be put to the public in the next few weeks which the FAI Board only received this week.

“That is a very good report as well. We are working with the clubs, we are working with Michael Cush (of the PCA) and also working on the Conway report with the clubs. I’m sure between this we will come up with some positive answers for them.”

Discussing the Euro 2020 games in Dublin, Delaney was delighted that the tournament provides the opportunity, should Ireland qualify, for two of Ireland’s group games to take place in the city with benefits for beyond just Dublin.

“That will be special for the supporters, who have gone from Kazakhstan to Korea, wherever they’ve been following the Irish team. They will get the opportunity to follow the team here in Dublin. Dublin City Council are looking at (Fan Zones) with UEFA and there will be more than just Fan Zones in Dublin. They will also be in other cities and those details will be announced over the next 12 months.”

Some teams will also likely base themselves in Ireland during the tournament. “That is the idea. Tallaght is very important for that. The development we are doing in Glanmire is important. There will be facilities available for the teams who come. They have to be here a day or two before so training facilities and hotels will be supplied.”

The focus for the FAI, John Delaney and Martin O’Neill at the moment though is qualification for the 2018 World Cup. Whether O’Neill will remain on after this current qualifying campaign for Euro 2020 is unclear.

“There is the little matter of Russia and qualifying for the World Cup in between though. Martin has done really well. Martin and Roy have done fantastic. There is a great trust between Martin and I. We shook hands last May that he would lead the team for the World Cup qualifiers.

“They have done really well, are top of the group after four matches, but none of us including Martin and myself are looking past the game in March against Wales at home which is a big game for us.”