Croke Park to facilitate visit by UEFA inspectors

The GAA will facilitate an assessment of Croke Park by UEFA officials next Monday despite the significant threat to the joint Irish-Scottish bid for the 2008 European soccer championship as a result of yesterday's Government decision not to provide Exchequer funding for a national stadium.

But, while they will facilitate the visit, GAA president Seán McCague yesterday also stressed that any visiting delegation should understand the association's rules and policy on the use of Croke Park by other sports, and that no commitment can be given in respect of making the stadium available for the 2008 European Championship.

McCague said that the visit was being arranged as a matter of courtesy, and that the association had facilitated visits to the stadium by numerous groups and individuals from other sports in the past.

However, McCague also stated for the record that as of yet the GAA has received no formal communication in regard to the proposed UEFA visit.

While it remains clear that only a change in Rule 42, which prohibits other sports from being played in GAA grounds, would clear the way for any possible use of Croke Park as a venue for the 2008 championship, the joint Irish-Scottish bidding team seem intent on visiting GAA headquarters.

The UEFA inspection officials will spend all of next week assessing the joint Irish-Scottish bid, starting in Dublin on Monday. As well as the visit to Croke Park, the UEFA team are also due to inspect Lansdowne Road.

Later in the week they will visit Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, as well as Hampden Park and Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow.

While the GAA have yet to receive any formal request to assist the UEFA inspection team, according to a spokesperson for the Irish-Scottish bid yesterday the visit remained on schedule.

"It may be a case of paying our €4 and getting a tour that way," said the spokesperson.

A final decision on the venue for the 2008 championship will be made in mid-December.

In a related statement issued yesterday, McCague said that the association "had affirmed and reiterated its position in this regard on a regular basis and that any consideration of change in policy was a matter solely for Congress, representative of the GAA nationally and abroad."

In a separate statement from Croke Park, the GAA clarified the confusion over the official attendance at last Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final between Kilkenny and Clare.

Though the total issued tickets of 79,500 were sold for the game - representing the capacity of the stadium allowed under the terms of its planning permission - the official attendance on the day was given as 76,257.

According to Croke Park, there were no ticket returns, in a scenario where the demand far outstripped the supply. Even allowing for unforeseen cancellations affecting a small number of individuals, the GAA reckon there had to be close to 79,500 people in the ground.

"The only explanation for the discrepancy," they said, "is the possible malfunction or inaccuracy of elements of the new electronic stile system recently installed. Albeit, this was working perfectly since Croke Park reopened earlier in the year.

"The system will be fully examined and any adjustments required will be made in time for the football final."