Old Trafford Could Stage Irish Matches
Eire Home Games?
By Chris O'Brien
January 2 2004
Old Trafford could host some of the Ireland's upcoming international games. Manchester United have confirmed that they would be delighted to host the games following the success of England games at the ground, with Ireland unable to play at Lansdowne Road due to a delay in stadium improvements.
| Old Trafford Could Stage Irish Matches |
| Manchester United have offered the
services of Old Trafford to host the Republic of Ireland's international
matches. The club have announced they would be delighted to host Ireland's international matches at Britain's biggest stadium. Plans to redevelop Lansdowne Road have been put on hold recently, which means the Irish FA may look to play their games elsewhere and could be forced to play their matches at a British arena. “We have had informal conversations with the FAI and, subject to approval from the appropriate bodies, we would be delighted to host some games at Old Trafford.” said a statement from the club. Liverpool and Glasgow Celtic have also confirmed they would be willing to see games staged at their stadiums. Obviously, with Celtic's strong links with the Republic, Parkhead looks the most likely of the grounds in Britain to stage the games, but with the success of England's matches at Old Trafford during Wembley's reconstruction, Old Trafford is certainly an option for Ireland. |