FAI fail to find financial assurances
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When a spate of multi-functional stadiums propped up across the US in the late 20th century, franchise owners from the NFL promised massive boosts to the local economy.
By hiring economists to release bogus figures compiled by using a pretty loosely fitting formula, the franchise owners sometimes convinced the local community to pay more taxes to fund the benefits.
Without fail, the stadiums were built quicker than a football club owned by a clueless property developer would in disappear in flames.
What about the promises, then? Where was the glorious increase of spending in American towns? Nowhere to be seen.
Comparisons can immediately be drawn towards the Aviva stadium. Undoubtedly, it’s a magnificent structure and a stadium to be proud of but is the debt inherited by re-building Lansdowne Road really worth it?
Now, I’m not denying once that Irish football was in desperate need of a top class facility. And we have been granted it, but on inspection so far, it has been a soulless bowl with no sign of a Lansdowne roar. It would even be fair to suggest that the atmosphere becomes even more morgue like if you’re anywhere away from the south stand.
It’s going to be incredibly difficult for the FAI to recoup their losses in the short term, while the spending of visitors in Dublin on matchnight will undoubtedly be a lot less than originally projected.
With the FAI’s ‘Vantage Club’ failing to attract the numbers it was expecting, due to the hovering up of any dispensable income by a never-ending economic catastrophe, the shortfall is now hoped to be cleared by 2020 according to association CEO John Delaney.
Therefore, questions could be asked from certain sectors within the game about whether this will slow down the progress of other areas within the Irish game such as our underage sides and the domestic league.
Funnily enough, the Europa League final has been heralded as the epitome of success for the ‘Dublin Arena.’ It was promised that it will boost the local economy by millions as thousands of tourists come pouring into the capital.
Sadly, the truth is that it will only equate to a drop in the ocean in comparison to tourism in Ireland and one of the main marketing points in building the stadium is turning out to be majorly exaggerated.
Indeed, that is mostly down to circumstances beyond the FAI’s control and the truth of the matter is: we’re unlikely to see a sporting infrastructure development of this magnitude for a very long time to come on these shores.
On Friday, Ireland will welcome their Euro 2012 group favourites Russia to the Aviva and tickets are still readily available. We were reminded again and again that it would be difficult leaving Croke Park because of the reduced capacity and fans would face a scrum for tickets.
Sadly, that’s not the case as empty seats are likely to appear due to the costliness of matchnight.
As it turns out, they might not even fill the ground on Friday for the biggest game of the campaign, with an over-priced ‘cheap’ seat at the pivotal qualifier priced at €90 from the FAI website, though that also gives you a seat for yet another meaningless friendly against Norway in November.
What's the solution? The FAI need to make money somehow but will having extra bums on seats for a cut-price be more beneficial than a couple of thousand empty seats because of high ticket prices?
They'll just have to see but one thing is for certain, the normal fan is being priced out of the game.
By hiring economists to release bogus figures compiled by using a pretty loosely fitting formula, the franchise owners sometimes convinced the local community to pay more taxes to fund the benefits.
Without fail, the stadiums were built quicker than a football club owned by a clueless property developer would in disappear in flames.
What about the promises, then? Where was the glorious increase of spending in American towns? Nowhere to be seen.
Comparisons can immediately be drawn towards the Aviva stadium. Undoubtedly, it’s a magnificent structure and a stadium to be proud of but is the debt inherited by re-building Lansdowne Road really worth it?
Now, I’m not denying once that Irish football was in desperate need of a top class facility. And we have been granted it, but on inspection so far, it has been a soulless bowl with no sign of a Lansdowne roar. It would even be fair to suggest that the atmosphere becomes even more morgue like if you’re anywhere away from the south stand.
It’s going to be incredibly difficult for the FAI to recoup their losses in the short term, while the spending of visitors in Dublin on matchnight will undoubtedly be a lot less than originally projected.
With the FAI’s ‘Vantage Club’ failing to attract the numbers it was expecting, due to the hovering up of any dispensable income by a never-ending economic catastrophe, the shortfall is now hoped to be cleared by 2020 according to association CEO John Delaney.
Therefore, questions could be asked from certain sectors within the game about whether this will slow down the progress of other areas within the Irish game such as our underage sides and the domestic league.
Funnily enough, the Europa League final has been heralded as the epitome of success for the ‘Dublin Arena.’ It was promised that it will boost the local economy by millions as thousands of tourists come pouring into the capital.
Sadly, the truth is that it will only equate to a drop in the ocean in comparison to tourism in Ireland and one of the main marketing points in building the stadium is turning out to be majorly exaggerated.
Indeed, that is mostly down to circumstances beyond the FAI’s control and the truth of the matter is: we’re unlikely to see a sporting infrastructure development of this magnitude for a very long time to come on these shores.
On Friday, Ireland will welcome their Euro 2012 group favourites Russia to the Aviva and tickets are still readily available. We were reminded again and again that it would be difficult leaving Croke Park because of the reduced capacity and fans would face a scrum for tickets.
Sadly, that’s not the case as empty seats are likely to appear due to the costliness of matchnight.
As it turns out, they might not even fill the ground on Friday for the biggest game of the campaign, with an over-priced ‘cheap’ seat at the pivotal qualifier priced at €90 from the FAI website, though that also gives you a seat for yet another meaningless friendly against Norway in November.
What's the solution? The FAI need to make money somehow but will having extra bums on seats for a cut-price be more beneficial than a couple of thousand empty seats because of high ticket prices?
They'll just have to see but one thing is for certain, the normal fan is being priced out of the game.
About Alan Smith
Alan Smith works as a sub-editor for the Guardian newspaper in London. Originally from Cork, he freelances for several other newspapers and websites. Follow him on twitter @alansmith90. View Full Profile