FAST BECOMING the Bertie Ahern of the international stadium circuit, Manchester United will, it had been officially confirmed, return to Dublin this summer to take part in the first soccer match to be staged at the new Aviva Stadium.
Alex Ferguson’s side are already committed to playing in Guadalajara in July as part of their deal to acquire 21-year-old Mexican striker Javier Hernandez from Chivas, whose 45,000-seat ground they will help to unveil and they will now perform a similar role in Dublin on August 4th when they take on a League of Ireland representative side.
“It is a great honour to have been invited to play the opening football match in the magnificent Aviva Stadium,” said the club’s chief executive, David Gill, as the game was confirmed.
“Anyone who has visited Old Trafford on a match day knows the strength of Manchester United’s support in Ireland and we’re delighted to be able to play a match on their home soil. The players always enjoy their visits to Ireland and I’m sure this occasion will be a memorable one.”
United haven’t visited these shores with a first team squad in eight years with Roy Keane, post Saipan, the main attraction when they beat Shelbourne 5-0 in front of a full house at Tolka Park.
Only two players from that game – John O’Shea and Ryan Giggs – are likely to feature for the English outfit on this occasion but the expectation would be that this one too will sell out. Indeed, the association clearly suggested that it believes that tickets could prove hard to come by when it linked access to them to this month’s friendlies against Paraguay and Algeria in the RDS.
Those who buy the international tickets, which went on sale yesterday, priced €85 and €65 for two-match packages, will get priority when the United ones go on sale next month.
Damien Richardson, who will manage the home team, hailed the opportunity that the game will afford the league’s leading players to test themselves against opposition of United’s calibre.
“Representative football is something which I feel can be extremely beneficial to the league,” he said, “both in terms of publicity and experience. The game will give players from our domestic game another important opportunity to showcase their abilities. It will be an honour for me to manage the League side.”
The timing of the match, however, is likely to upset some of the league’s leading clubs with those who make it to the third qualifying round of next season’s Champions and Europa Leagues set to see their tie hijacked by such a high-profile friendly.
Bohemians could be worst affected with the second legs of the Champions League third qualifying round scheduled for the evening of August 3rd/4th.
The title holders could notionally be handed the choice of playing a home tie that directly clashes with the United’s game or surrendering home advantage in the second leg while Dundalk, Shamrock Rovers and Sporting Fingal, all of whom could be in action the night after the game at Lansdowne Road, might well have the build-up to their games – and their prospective gates – entirely overshadowed by United’s visit.
FAI chief executive, John Delaney, nevertheless, said he was delighted the first football match to take place at the stadium will involve a representative league side in action against such attractive club opposition.
“Along with the friendly match against Argentina on August 11th,” he said, “and our two home European Championship qualifying matches, fans are in for an eventful and exciting autumn at Aviva Stadium.”
