Didn't look like it on tv, their was quite a few seats on the second tier empty

middle tier is, I believe, predominantly 10-year tickets. (technically 45,000 tickets were sold for the O2 Challenge at the weekend, yet only 35,000 turned up)

Wouldn't be unlike football bodies to count these people as being present at every game. (I know Celtic, for example, announced attendances of 60,000 last season when the ground was half empty)

That's the Club/Premium Level equivalent in the stadium. I've noticed this is a real trend with some stadiums of this design (Emirates, Croker etc spring to mind) particularly for friendlies. The vast majority are season ticket or long term ticket holders who more than likely have no real interest in attending the friendlies.

It's kind of a shame, if people are't going to attend, you'd think the owners/operators of the stadium would make the seats available for general sale so fans who actually want to go to the games can get a chance to get a ticket

Oh right, i see, it is a shame, if i was one of these season ticket holders, i would try to attend all the games, and get your moneys worth :) :lol:

Oh right, i see, it is a shame, if i was one of these season ticket holders, i would try to attend all the games, and get your moneys worth :) :lol:

Not unless you're a Manchester United fan in last night's case! The ironic thing is United pulled a bigger crowd than the League of Ireland did which gives you an idea of the state of Irish football!

Also in the Provinces game tickets were €10 - in last nights game they were much higher I gather (maybe one of the lads on here can tell you a price). Also the FAI had to lob in the caveat that if you bought a ticket for the Paraguay or Algeria friendlies during the summer it meant you were guaranteed the right to purchase for last nights match because they are so strapped for cash.

It's all stemming from the fact that the FAI are in way over their head with the stadium. With the IRFU, they've been comfortably able to sell their ten-year seats and corporate boxes etc for the rugby because Irish rugby at the moment is at it's best level for years. By contrast, the soccer on an international level has gone the other way in recent years (FAI mis-management but that's a whole other argument!) and they're struggling to sell off their seats or attract the corporate money in the same way as the IRFU.

Im a United fan :)

I know Ireland are playing there next week against Argentina, but will them "prawn sandwich eaters" be attending that game lol

I joke

The 1st tier is way too flat, the steel supports holding up the roof look dreadful, the cladding looks cheap and the small stand at the end is just plain ridiculous. If the site isn't big enough to fit a full size stadium then find another site. All in all this stadium is a complete failure.

The 1st tier is way too flat, the steel supports holding up the roof look dreadful, the cladding looks cheap and the small stand at the end is just plain ridiculous. If the site isn't big enough to fit a full size stadium then find another site. All in all this stadium is a complete failure.

Harsh words lol, but i think they wanted to keep the same location because of the railway track etc

went to the game last night and wasn't too impressed with the stadium to be honest.. nothing really jumps out at you... seems far too small for a national stadium too. croke park is better imo.

what a fantastic stadium, I can't stop watching it... the Irish people clearly deserved one for rugby!


but why that stand is so small?

Ireland 0-1 Argentina

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INCREÍBLE ESTADIO!!!!
Saludos desde Argentina!!!

http://www.crossed-flag-pins.com/Friendship-Pins/Ireland/Flag-Pins-Ireland-Argentina.jpg

what was the official attendance last night?

also, when is the first qualifier here for the euros

what was the official attendance last night?

also, when is the first qualifier here for the euros
ESPN Soccernet says it was 49,500 (not exactly official, but that's all I can find...).

That leaves about 3,000 empty seats. Just a little disappointing, even if it seemed to mostly be the corporate ones that were empty. Only a friendly though...

First home match is against Andorra on the 7th of September.

Fantastic stadium. Superb! :banana:

Ireland are playing andorra tonight at 7:45, i'll post any pics that are around after the match:cheers:

Apparently the University of Notre Dame will be playing the US Naval Academy in a college football game here in 2012.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Notre-Dame-traces-Irish-roots-to-Dublin-for-12-;_ylt=AgR49DH5NTCLJS4gFBvzZ2IcvrYF?urn=ncaaf-271386

Interesting.

What a great stadium, gratz Ireland!

I am sorry. Do not agree.
It is rubbish with the stupid stand.
Somebody messed up big time.

I am sorry. Do not agree.
It is rubbish with the stupid stand.
Somebody messed up big time.
A row of houses runs directly behind that stand, and they're cutting it DAMN close as is...

The capacity of this stadium is actually 51,500, the last football match played there was ireland v russia and there was 50,411 there, just something for the mods to do..

Why this small stand behind the goal? Is it for guests fans or what?

Why this small stand behind the goal? Is it for guests fans or what?

This question has been asked many times and the problem lies upon the space of the site i.e. there are peoples homes very close to that side of the ground and that was the biggest that Lansdowne Road could be, without knocking down houses. It is a problem for many football clubs in the UK and Ireland, given the heritage of the sport played.

Just some shots here of the stadium, needs an update i think!

Aviva can be seen to the left of the pic by the bridge
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this staduim was supposed to be outstanding but it turned out to be average

Reasoning?

In my opinion this is one of the most innovative designs of a modern stadium made within the last 10 years.

Agreed. This is a fantastic stadium.

personally, as an irishman i dont like it. If we could fill croke park of 82,000+ then obviously there is a demand for something along that capacity..even 65,000. also because of the new stadium, tickets are way overpriced, tickets to the autumn international test against south africa were 100 euro and thats in a recession, the result is only 35,000 turning up as opposed to 83 odd thousand for last years..this is killing off the game and forcing everyone to watch at home.

on the other hand, some positive aspects are very innovative design and stands as a result of the low end section, they clearly got the most out of the room they had..also one thing everyone has been saying is that the acoustics are unreal, very loud once the stadium is full.

The other point of view is that the GAA built Croke Park entirely with their own funds, not using any public money (please correct me if I'm wrong), so you could understand them feeling just a little bit aggreived if they were forced to accommodate other sports. Of course, if the GAA council votes to allow "garrison sports" in, there's no problem.


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The GAA got plenty of public money for Croke Park.

I was at the Aviva for the first time at The FAI Cup final on Sunday and was moderately impressed. Its obviously a quantum leap on from the dump that was there before, but there are plenty of niggles..poor sightlines, not enough toilets, bottlenecks on exiting, crappy PA to name a few.

Republic of Ireland 1-2 Norway

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when everybody says its innovative i dont really see it to be honest
the structure is a bit of an eye sore to be honest
seems like it should be (reading some of the posts in this thread) and easily could be bigger on the side that has but a tiny row of seats, i understand its probably due to siting issues but i still think that could have been worked around

not to say that this stadium is shite, its quite a nice modern stadium, certainly not the worst ive seen

when everybody says its innovative i dont really see it to be honest
the structure is a bit of an eye sore to be honest
seems like it should be (reading some of the posts in this thread) and easily could be bigger on the side that has but a tiny row of seats, i understand its probably due to siting issues but i still think that could have been worked around

yeah...by demolishing a row of houses behind the stadium...

yeah...by demolishing a row of houses behind the stadium...

of course, that seems to me the most logical solution to most siting issues :banana:

of course, that seems to me the most logical solution to most siting issues :banana:
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Very great stadium! I like the transparent roofs :applause:

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Watch how steep it is!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5177134392_090dd32131_b.jpg

thats EFFIN steep!!! i wonder, why they havent installed any railing?!
the "turk-telekom-arena" looks not this steep, but there are railings at every seat/row (at the upper stands)...

i'm too lazy to count :) but how many steps/rows are in the middle of the upper tier?! are the fai regulations different?!

i'd be afraid! imagine, you stumble over the high/steep steps. there is no barrier, which could stop you from doing a touchdown :)

theres handrails by the steps, i dont think theres any need for rails by the seats, if your gona fall your gona fall! same in the millennium stadium, very steep without any rails, id imagine the stadium requirements differ in britian and ireland to that of the contenent (Europe)

So the EU will be picking up the tab for this lopsided monstrosity?

Em... no. Government grant of €190 million has already been paid. The remaining €210 million is being paid by the IRFU and FAI. Anyway the EU isn't picking up the tab for anything but stupid f**king bankers but that's a different topic. :)

Anyway, having been in the stadium the upper tier is indeed very steep. Must be right on the edge of the regulations. Croke Park is just as steep though.

Some pics from the FAI Cup final (Sligo Rovers vs Shamrock Rovers):
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:cheers:

super stadium

It's quite neat how you see the Dublin skyline from the high up seats. Maybe one year when Scotland play Ireland in the 6 Nations, I will visit the Aviva Stadium. :cheers:

thats EFFIN steep!!! i wonder, why they havent installed any railing?!
I believe that's just regular 34 degree. And first tier is way to flat. About railing maybe it depends on country regulations?


Any section plans?

http://www.irishrugby.ie/aviva/map.php

(oh you of course meant the engineering plans , but i'll leave this here anyway)

Apparently the University of Notre Dame will be playing the US Naval Academy in a college football game here in 2012.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Notre-Dame-traces-Irish-roots-to-Dublin-for-12-;_ylt=AgR49DH5NTCLJS4gFBvzZ2IcvrYF?urn=ncaaf-271386

Interesting.

LOL, Notre Dame is going on quite the tour in the coming years. They've finagled Cowboys and Yankee Stadiums. I guess they don't need home games because their fans travel so well. Are they scheduled for Wembley at some point? That wouldn't surprise me at all.

Wonder how the college game would be accepted. Its much different than the pro game. Far more offense. Larger variety of offensive sets, uniforms and pageantry with a little less athleticism.

LOL, Notre Dame is going on quite the tour in the coming years. They've finagled Cowboys and Yankee Stadiums. I guess they don't need home games because their fans travel so well. Are they scheduled for Wembley at some point? That wouldn't surprise me at all.

Wonder how the college game would be accepted. Its much different than the pro game. Far more offense. Larger variety of offensive sets, uniforms and pageantry with a little less athleticism.

I'm not sure how it will be accepted. Army runs the triple option, so maybe that will have some appeal over in Ireland.

LOL, Notre Dame is going on quite the tour in the coming years. They've finagled Cowboys and Yankee Stadiums. I guess they don't need home games because their fans travel so well. Are they scheduled for Wembley at some point? That wouldn't surprise me at all.

Wonder how the college game would be accepted. Its much different than the pro game. Far more offense. Larger variety of offensive sets, uniforms and pageantry with a little less athleticism.

Notre Dame fans do not travel well. They have fans is every city that go to see them.

Notre Dame has a massive fan base all across the country. Remember, Notre Dame was the premier college football team for decades and that bred legions of fans across the country. Of course ND hasn't been a relevant team for 15 or 16 years.

It's the same way as the Dallas Cowboys. They have not been an elite team since the mid 90s and yet they always get a few primtime games and they have a good number of fans in opponents stadiums.

Is there a reason why this thread was stickied?

UEFA Europa League final (http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/final/index.html) tickets are now on sale for Irish residents:
The first ticket sales phase for the 2011 UEFA Europa League Final in Dublin opens from 11am on December 16 – exclusively via UEFA.com and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) website, www.fai.ie.

Residents of the Republic of Ireland will be able to apply for a maximum of two tickets per person (in the same price category) during a four-week period running from 16 December until 13 January. Each applicant has to complete an online application form, and allocation will be decided by lottery.

Once that sales window is closed, every valid application will enter a ballot, irrespective of time of submission within the application period, to determine which fans are allocated tickets for the Dublin Arena showpiece. Any ticket order that is not in accordance with the Terms and Conditions will be rejected.

Tickets come in four price categories – Cat 4: €50, Cat 3: €80, Cat 2: €105 and Cat 1: €135. An administrative fee of €15 will be charged per successful ticket order. Payment is by credit card only (MasterCard or Visa), and applicants will be informed by 26 January if they have been successful or not in the lottery. Tickets will then be delivered by registered post from April 2011.

For questions regarding ticket applications that are not addressed in our FAQ section, fans can contact the customer service line directly, either by emailing uelfinal2011@fai.ie or by calling 0818 903001 (Monday to Friday between 09.00 and 17.00 local time), excluding bank holidays.

Orders can also be put in for disabled tickets, with each €50 disabled ticket including one free seat for an accompanying person. Email uelftickets@fai.ie for further information.

Ticket sales for fans living outside Ireland will commence on 21 February and last until 23 March. These tickets will be intended for neutral supporters wishing to attend the final of a competition that, in its second season, is already building impressively on the UEFA Cup's proud legacy.

http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101463:uefa-europa-league-final-ticket-ballot-opens-today&catid=75:about-fai&Itemid=139

great stadium but the wind seems to be very present with this design! The 3rd tiers seats are very exposed :(

Which team's stadium ?

great stadium but the wind seems to be very present with this design! The 3rd tiers seats are very exposed :(
Yeah it is quite windy but that's a design feature. :lol: Not only does the roof let a lot of wind in, the shiny plastic shutters on the outside can be opened to let the air flow around the stadium so the grass can grow (apparently that was a big problem with Wembley stadium in London which has the same architects and had big problems with the pitch for a while). Although it's the north stand that has that dipped bit and the Irish weather usually has wind coming from the south, so some protection from the elements that way.
Which team's stadium ?
It is the (all-island) Ireland rugby team and the Republic of Ireland football team's stadium.

Yeah it is quite windy but that's a design feature. :lol: Not only does the roof let a lot of wind in, the shiny plastic shutters on the outside can be opened to let the air flow around the stadium so the grass can grow (apparently that was a big problem with Wembley stadium in London which has the same architects and had big problems with the pitch for a while). Although it's the north stand that has that dipped bit and the Irish weather usually has wind coming from the south, so some protection from the elements that way.

It is the (all-island) Ireland rugby team and the Republic of Ireland football team's stadium.

Also Leinster rugby use the stadium for the big matches

why is this one so expensive ? am in what period of time will the stadium pay itself ?

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2011/0124/leinster_aviva.html

Aviva will host Leinster's quarter-final
Leinster have confirmed their Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leicester will be played in the Aviva Stadium.

The decision by the Leinster Professional Board to play the fixture in the Aviva Stadium was taken in consultation with the Leinster team management and squad.

The match will take place on the weekend of 8-10 April.

Leinster Chief Executive Mick Dawson said: 'In our two fixtures in the Aviva Stadium to date we have enjoyed two outstanding spectacles with the team having been inspired to victory by close to 100,000 supporters over the course of both games.

'Existing Leinster season ticket holders will be offered the priority option to purchase tickets for this game and information will be circulated shortly. There will also be a range of family packages and junior tickets on public sale.

'We will continue the increasingly popular 'One Province' scheme as we do for all of our home matches, a community ticketing initiative designed specifically for underage groups travelling to matches at discount prices.

'We remain committed to our home in the RDS, but given the manner in which our Leinster supporter base has grown in recent years, we believe that we have a duty to cater for as large an audience as possible for special one off matches such as this, which will be a local and international event.'

Dawson added: 'I would like to thank Martin Murphy and his team for facilitating our plans to play in the Aviva Stadium, a venue which is fast becoming one of the leading arenas in Europe.

'Over the coming days we will finalise competitive ticket prices, mindful of the difficult economic climate and the great commitment of our supporters, both at home and abroad, over recent seasons.'

Good news for fans hoping to get tickets!

This is such a nice stadium, congrats Dublin ! Much beter than many projects not even started ! Ver y innovative design and an impression of lightness/transparency.

Why is this thread a sticky???

Why is this thread a sticky???

I don now! :dunno:

Wierd Huh?

It's new and also the Uefa Cup Final venue... but that surely doesn't merit 'stickynes!'

Wierd Huh?

It's new and also the Uefa Cup Final venue... but that surely doesn't merit 'stickynes!'

surely its because of its status as host of the prestigious, erm, Carling Cup of Nations? ;)

Heres a video showing Ireland v England playing in the Aviva stadium, brilliant last 10 mins of the match and class atmosphere.

Anyone thats wondering what the acoustics are like in the place note 2mins 11 seconds for an Ireland chant and 4:24 for the fields of athenry.

eFrifPhf9wI&feature=related

^^^^

http://pl.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Photo/competitions/Final/01/63/20/24/1632024_w2.jpg
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How have ticket sales been for the match? Will it be a sellout?

^^^^

http://pl.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Photo/competitions/Final/01/63/18/38/1631838_w2.jpg
www.uefa.com

love the use of those banners on the lopsided end! fills the stadium out a bit more! the ground is going to look amazing on tv!

Will hopefully be a great game in a great stadium tonight! :)

double post, sorry

^^^^



http://pl.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Photo/competitions/Final/01/63/18/43/1631843_w2.jpg
www.uefa.com





:nuts: :ohno:

nice stadium.!! awsome.!! amazing!!

lets check our stadium projecy in indonesia

visit us

national stadium Indonesia (http://suasanapekanbaru.blogspot.com/2011/05/update-terbaru-stadion-utama-pon-2012.html)


Indonesiam stadium (http://suasanapekanbaru.blogspot.com/2011/05/stadion-balikpapan.html)

other nice stadium (http://suasanapekanbaru.blogspot.com/2011/05/stadion-utama-pon-2012-pekanbaru-riau.html)
peace world!

Europa League Final 2011
FC Porto 1–0 SC Braga
Attendance: 45,391

http://pl.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Photo/competitions/Comp_Matches/01/63/27/38/1632738_w2.jpg
www.uefa.com

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the stadium is very good but i don't understand those ridiculous white painted seats in the fisrt tiers :ohno:

It says "Aviva" if you look closer. Great stadium!

boring game but a very nice stadium :)

the stadium is very good but i don't understand those ridiculous white painted seats in the fisrt tiers :ohno:

Nothing ridiculous about it at all. If you'd bothered to look back over other photos in this thread you'd understand that the sponsors name, Aviva, was imprinted across the lower tier with white seats. However for European competitions, Uefa stipulate that non-official competiton sponsors cannot display their names/logos inside the stadium.

For example at Old Trafford on European nights, the Nike swoosh logo that appears on the lower tier at one end of the ground is removed by replacing some of the white seats with red ones (see image below). The same thing applied in Dublin (The Aviva logos on the exterior were also covered and the official name of the stadium was the 'Dublin Arena' for the night)

http://i56.tinypic.com/fozmyu.jpg

really huge stadium and you can see the sea (?) from the upper tier

The stupidly oversized roof support that hangs under the roofline ruins the stadium big time.

Great stadium, but the low stand...

really huge stadium and you can see the sea (?) from the upper tier

it strikes me how few people actually know that dublin is located close to the coast of DUBLIN BAY :bash:

Great stadium, but the low stand...

that stand annoys me big time and when i went to the aviva i was sat looking directly at it which kind of makes the stadium seem smaller than it is. saying that there was nothing they could do about it as there are houses behind the stand and it is an extremely affluent area. i have mentioned a couple of times that perhaps a different site should have been chosen to build a new stadium but the irish being who they are wanted to keep with tradition. it's kind of ironic that the 2 iconic stadiums of this country (aviva and croke park) both have massive horse shoe shapes with lopsided ends.

^^ Bay is a part of the sea, isn't it? :nuts:

The stupidly oversized roof support that hangs under the roofline ruins the stadium big time.

It´s actually one of the features I like most in the stadium.

I think the small stand is awesome, imagine if you were an away side and you could get a whole end of the (50k+) stadium to yourself! Or the home side and got together all the singers, maybe the acoustics are better in the stand and make for a better atmosphere?

I quite like the small stand, if only because it recognises the fact that the location of the stadium was more of a priority than the size of the stadium. They could have built a 70k stadium out on some field but they chose to stay where Irish football has always been.

the stadium is very good but i don't understand those ridiculous white painted seats in the fisrt tiers :ohno:

I think it's because of the UEFA Cup Final. UEFA doesn't allow commercial naming of the stadiums during it's competitions. Same thing with FIFA as Allianz was named World Cup stadium druing the tournament. So instead of Aviva, only the lines.

How comes the Wales/Scotland match is being played there tonight?

Or are all these Home Nations cup games being played there...?

Aviva is hosting All Carling Nations Cup games, so Scotland V R of Ireland and Wales V N Ireland will be played there this weekend too.

Hopefully they make this annual and move it around every year, next year at the similar capacity Hampden in Glasgow, or the large Millenium in Cardiff. They could perhaps make the winner the host the next year, which could mean returning to Dublin next year.

And if the small UK nations continue to make it an exciting event, then England may join and it could become as good am annual event as the 6nations rugby.

Aviva is hosting All Carling Nations Cup games, so Scotland V R of Ireland and Wales V N Ireland will be played there this weekend too.

Hopefully they make this annual and move it around every year, next year at the similar capacity Hampden in Glasgow, or the large Millenium in Cardiff. They could perhaps make the winner the host the next year, which could mean returning to Dublin next year.

And if the small UK nations continue to make it an exciting event, then England may join and it could become as good am annual event as the 6nations rugby.

I can't see England getting involved - certainly not regularly. Too many fixtures in the calendar already. The Premier League clubs would be stubbornly set against it and the FA need to keep them sweet.

Besides, it's a no win situation for England. They'd never get any credit for winning the tournament but would be roundly derided whenever they lost (as would inevitably happen - and probably all too frequently).

Furthermore, all four of the celtic nations would try that bit harder against England - as always happens. Would inevitably lead to a greater risk of injury. Simply not worth it.

I think your less likely to get injured when trying your hardest, it's when you play half heartedly to avoid injury that injuries tend to ironically happen.

Still I hope they move it around letting the winner hostthe next year's event.

I think your less likely to get injured when trying your hardest, it's when you play half heartedly to avoid injury that injuries tend to ironically happen.

Precisely what I'm getting at.

The England players would be half hearted about the tournament. The celtic nation players wouldn't - certainly in games against England.

So there would be a high probability of injuries for English players.

Aviva Stadium- Stadium Geometry Harmonises With Dublin Cityscape

http://designbuildsource.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Stadium-Geometry-Harmonises-With-Dublin-Cityscape-1.jpg

http://designbuildsource.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Stadium-Geometry-Harmonises-With-Dublin-Cityscape-2.jpg

http://designbuildsource.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Stadium-Geometry-Harmonises-With-Dublin-Cityscape-3.jpg

The stadium with the world’s oldest rugby pitch, Lansdowne Road Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, is being retired and replaced by the 400 million euro Aviva Stadium scheduled for completion in 2010.
The new stadium will be home to both the Irish rugby and soccer international teams and will play host to the Europa League final in 2011. While this will be the first time a Europa League final has ever been held in Ireland, the old stadium hosted many European Championship (UEFA) and World Cup (FIFA) matches over the last 25 years...

Read the article at http://designbuildsource.com.au/stadium-geometry-harmonises-dublin-cityscape

This is a beautiful stadium, i like it very much.

by Brian Holohan (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bholohan/) http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6182/6119750043_384a9d8399_b.jpg

by weeaidy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/weeaidy/) http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6070/6113948409_9a43e6e8fe_b.jpg

by rafter84 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66873219@N03/) http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6207/6090711066_b5250e80a2_z.jpg

by Oliver McKeown (http://www.flickr.com/photos/olivermckeown/) http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6082/6102256515_c33ef5fb2a_b.jpg

by Rafael OoOshiro (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rafaeloshiro/) http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6087/6074136241_97a7aeb58f_b.jpg

by TOF2006 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tof2006/) http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6063/6066128297_67d4bcc167_b.jpg

Would be one of Europe's best were it not for the lopsided seating.

I like football
I love the atmosphere at the stadium in the UK

http://nhadatltc.vn

I like football
I love the atmosphere at the stadium in the UK

http://nhadatltc.vn

hmm that's interesting because UK's stadiums are known for no atmosphere or commercial/asian toursits atmosphere. That's what my experience is telling me.

Just to clarify, Ireland is not part of the UK

Would be one of Europe's best were it not for the lopsided seating.

Agreed. That and if the IRFU and FAI could actually fill it.:bash:

Would be one of Europe's best were it not for the lopsided seating.

Yeah shame about the peoples homes behind that stand and all, they did the best they could have given the site constraints. Plus I think the small side gives it some character, rather than a generic bowl.

This is a really good looking stadium

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rYy1MfWE3d4/S_MFmeCU24I/AAAAAAAAAZA/XyPbt1SEI9A/s1600/irlanda+aviva.jpg

Yeah shame about the peoples homes behind that stand and all, they did the best they could have given the site constraints. Plus I think the small side gives it some character, rather than a generic bowl.

soldier field has character. the aviva just looks unfinished.

soldier field had character.
I just corrected your little typo.

soldier field has character. the aviva just looks unfinished.

Totally agree with you. The Aviva looks unfinished and I think maybe one day they should raise that stand to full capacity like the other three stands.
I wonder what the capacity of the stadium would be then.

60-65000 given it would be similar to Emirates and the one in Portugal.

It's a great stadium inside, but the exterior looks like it sticks out like a sore thumb in the area around it. Didn't need to look glassy all the way around, up and down.

I have to say it looks a lot bigger than just 51,700!

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00317/aviva_317121a.jpg

Why is one of the short side stands so small?

Did the IRFU and FAI ever try to buy the houses/land behind the North Stand?

I love the contrast of the large stands/multiple tiers with the small stand. But maybe only a minority like this.

And don't Soldier Field into this. That one and the rest of them are so :yawn:

Navy v Notre Dame will play in a college football (NCAA) fixture here in September 2012.

Navy v Notre Dame will play in a college football (NCAA) fixture here in September 2012.

It's one thing for the NFL to host matches outside the US, this one just seems odd. I know they're known as the Fighting Irish, but an international college game in Ireland seems a bit too much.

If they can draw anything over 20,000 it would be an incredible success I think.

Think it could be a sell out. I might fly over for the game. The Boston Bruins played the Belfast Giants in a friendly game that sold out, now its not the same country but American sports sellout fast and well

I would think the game is more for Notre Dame, it's fans, players, and alumni than it is for Ireland. I see it as a pilgrimage for them.

I would think the game is more for Notre Dame, it's fans, players, and alumni than it is for Ireland. I see it as a pilgrimage for them.

The players are really going to love having the chance to get in touch with their Irish Catholic roots :|

It's one thing for the NFL to host matches outside the US, this one just seems odd. I know they're known as the Fighting Irish, but an international college game in Ireland seems a bit too much.

Haven't Notre Dame already played a game at Croke Park?

Haven't Notre Dame already played a game at Croke Park?

no. if im correct though i think they played at the old lansdowne road.

The players are really going to love having the chance to get in touch with their Irish Catholic roots :|

Obviously not all the players...

Obviously not all the players...

I was being sarcastic

Haven't Notre Dame already played a game at Croke Park?
I thought non-Gaelic sports were prohibited from being played there? (until Landsdowne Road was being rebuilt of course)

^^ American Football was an exception, due to the close historical ties between Ireland and the States, as well as the fact that it did not directly compete with Gaelic Football and other GAA sports.

Not to mention that it is of North American origins (even if derived from Rugby) and therefore a non English sport.