Thomond Park to host Ireland vs Socceroos

thomond2006

Source: RTE Sport

"The Republic of Ireland will warm up for their vital World Cup qualifier against Cyprus in September with a friendly against Australia.
Giovanni Trapattoni's side, who are currently level on points with World champions Italy at the top of Group 8, will face the Socceroos at the redeveloped 26,000-capacity Thomond Park Stadium in Limerick on Wednesday, 12 August."

"It will be the first time Ireland have played a senior international game in Limerick, and the first time the home of Munster rugby has hosted a major football fixture."

Should TP be used for soccer?

Deedsie

In a perfect world, No.

But i think we have enough limitations on who can play where in Ireland. Good on the Stadium management.

Vegeta

I've been to a soccer game in TP. Not a major one mind, it was a Limerick XI versus the Dream Team show on Sky.

Winter

It's also been used for a Rod Stewart concert recently, so Im guessing this would be an improvement

daveyrovers

Yes it should.

If Munster rugby can make money from the FAI then they should do it. It's as simple as that.

The only con of having a soccer international in Thomond park would be it might persuade young people taking up sport thinking about soccer instead of rugby. I just don't think this holds up as an argument. Go watch Munster play the all blacks and then go watch the republic of Ireland played Cypress in a friendly. Seriously if you were a kid which sport would you like to play?

Soccer is a bigger sport in Ireland because Sky sports shovel it down our throats. You watch a live soccer game and a live Rugby game and there is no comparison. Let the kids make up their own mind and in the meantime get some money from the FAI. Anyway Ireland is too small a country to have staduims for specfic sports, FAI IRFU and GAA should pool all their resources. Lansdowne road Should have been built big enough to hold a Gaelic Pitch it's small mindness that stops us doing this.

velocirafter

With rugby being played in croker and rugby and soccer sharing landsdown for so many years you cant really say soccer shouldnt be played in thomond

Kelter

"With rugby being played in croker and rugby and soccer sharing landsdown for so many years you cant really say soccer shouldnt be played in thomond"

I'm with velocirafter on this one. How could anyone rugby peoson argue this one considering rugby is squating in Croker?

In fact... I'm beginning to think I've been sucked into a clever piece of Trolling...

Amazotheamazing

If anyone knew the history of Thomond they'd realise that soccer has been played there for decades. Believe it or not, Waterford once brought a crowd of over 6,000 (in 1969, iirc) to see a cup tie against Limerick. Limerick v. Spurs brought 18,000 there in the 1980's. It's a shame people would even question the fine tradition of Thomond being available for soccer.

louthandproud

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

If anyone knew the history of Thomond they'd realise that soccer has been played there for decades. Believe it or not, Waterford once brought a crowd of over 6,000 (in 1969, iirc) to see a cup tie against Limerick. Limerick v. Spurs brought 18,000 there in the 1980's. It's a shame people would even question the fine tradition of Thomond being available for soccer.

Didn't Man City play there in the 90's also?

[Jackass]

Munster should and are using the stadium for every possible use they can and trying to fill every weekend of the year with some event and rightly so.

They have established a spectacular world class home in Limerick and that shouldn't limit the funding or function of the branch or team on and off the field, particularly in recruitment and development of players...in other words, it shouldn't have a negative impact on the future of Munster rugby, it should have infinite positives and a home for the long term with much more development potential if and when it's required. As a Leinster fan I'm very jealous but also in great admiration of how Munster rugby has developed it's self over the last decade.

If that means having mickey mouse events or concerts or soccer matches or GAA matches or whatever in Thomond Park on a night when it would otherwise lay idol, I say fair play to the Munster branch and hope they make lots of money of the 26,000 tickets that wouldn't be sold each time if they weren't doing this and they'll get the bills paid and limit the impact.

Also it's great for the community and local area to have such a facility. Everything has always been hosted in Dublin and it gives other regions a fair share of the fun provided by the stadium.

Amazotheamazing

louthandproud wrote: »

Didn't Man City play there in the 90's also?

Yeah in a friendly iirc, just to add, Limerick FC also played two European games in Thomond, against Young Boys Berne in 1960, and against Torino in 1971.

It's a pity to see how far Limerick FC have fallen since but hopefully a few high profile games will allow them get their act together.

ScholesyIsGod

Im delighted that there will be international football in Limerick, its good to spread it around and give everybody a chance to see Ireland play