AN OFT-MOOTED quadrangular tournament involving clubs from Ireland, England and the continent is to become an annual feature of the Irish footballing calendar after it was confirmed yesterday that Newcastle United, PSV Eindhoven and Celtic will compete with the National League champions at Lansdowne Road on July 15th and 16th.
The, as yet, unsponsored Irish International Soccer Tournament should net the FAI a significant profit and provide prospective National League champions with an additional carrot of invaluable pre-European Champions' League preparation. However, their expected participation fee, after expenses, of roughly £15,000 is a good deal less than the undisclosed sum clubs invited from abroad will pocket.
Already, a three-year deal has been signed with the tournament's promoters, MatchMaster, the originators of the eight identikit Makita and Umbro pre-season tournaments held in England over the part eight years.
RTE will be the host broadcasters and according to the organisers, the tournament will be. relayed to 76 countries, while highlights and news coverage will reach over 150 countries.
It is clear that the event has been designed with Derry City in mind as the National League champions. The latter have been `drawn' against Celtic in the first semi-final at 6.0 on Tuesday, July 15th, with Newcastle playing PSV at 8.15. A third-place play-off and final will be held at the same times the following evening.
The tournament takes place at the beginning of the holiday/marching season in the North, thereby facilitating a likely exodus south from both Derry supporters and northern-based Celtic fans.
The presence of Celtic ensured a 40,000 crowd for Mick McCarthy's testimonial last summer and [the Glasgow club will also provide the opposition for the Republic of Ireland when Packie Bonner's testimonial takes place at Lansdowne Road on May 18th.
Although there is a danger of overkill here, attendances in the region of 40,000 on both evenings could certainly net the FAI something in the region of £300,000-£400.000.
When the idea of such a tournament was first mooted by other interested parties from England, the thinking was that the profits would be invested in Irish coaching structures. However, the FAI's chief executive Bernard O'Byrne yesterday revealed that the monies accrued from the event are more likely to go to the association's investigations into a new stadium.
Given the possible security risk, he also conceded that the FAI would have to "work closely with the Garda and tap into Match Master's expertise".
With terracing permitted in the 43,000 capacity, David Shapland, a director of MatchMaster Promotions Ltd, also claimed they gave much thought to the price structure for tickets. They will range from £6 (for childrens' double-day, two-match tickets) in the terraces, to £24 or £40 for an adult's single-day or double-day ticket. Tickets will go on sale in HMV shortly.
Representatives from PSV, Newcastle and Celtic were in attendance yesterday, among them the latter's new signing from Aston Villa Tommy Johnson and Newcastle's tight-lipped manager, Kenny Dalglish, who, as usual, said little.
