Aviva Stadium opening game, LOI XI against the SCUM

The Football Association of Ireland have confirmed that Manchester United are coming to Dublin's Aviva Stadium on 4 August, where they will face an Airtricity League XI.

The game will be the first football match to take place in the new stadium and will be closely followed on 11 August by the meeting of the Republic of Ireland and Argentina.

The Airtricity League XI, which will be managed by ex-Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers and Cork City manager Damien Richardson, will represent the league against one of the biggest clubs in world football.

With no age or nationality restrictions, Richardson will be able to name the very best Airtricity League players for the encounter.

Manchester United will bring a strong squad to Dublin for the match, as they prepare for the start of the 2010/11 Premier League season. Among the host of senior international players likely to feature for Manchester United are current Irish internationals John O'Shea and Darron Gibson.

Welcoming the announcement, Manchester United Chief Executive David Gill, said: 'It is a great honour to have been invited to play the opening football match in the magnificent Aviva Stadium. Anyone who has visited Old Trafford on a match day knows the strength of Manchester United's support in Ireland and we are delighted to be able to play a match on their home soil. Their loyalty and willingness to undertake long trips to support their team is remarkable. The players always enjoy their visits to Ireland and I'm sure this occasion will be a memorable one.'

John Delaney, CEO of the FAI, said: 'We are delighted that the first football match to take place in Aviva stadium will see a representative Airtricity League side in action against one of the top club sides in the world. Along with the friendly match against Argentina on August 11 and our two home European Championship qualifying matches, football fans are in for an eventful and exciting autumn at Aviva Stadium.'

Damien Richardson, Manager of the Airtricity League XI said: 'Representative football is something which I feel can be extremely beneficial to the league, both in terms of publicity and experience. The Airtricity League is represented in international competition by the Republic of Ireland Under-23s, and today's announcement 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 and I am really looking forward to the challenge of taking on Manchester United.'

 

Hope the fai don't send me an invoice for this one cos it will be going straight into the bruscar.

 

I believe the stadium was opened today and the public could go in and have a look around. Wonder how much they were charging!

 

Think ill wait for an Irealnd match for my first Lansdowne trip!!!Will be interesting to see how the LOI select do though. On an other note stadium looks brilliant been going by it everyday for exams, will be a great ocassion for the country at the Europa League final next year

 

Just on ssn now, takes 4 secs to pull a pint They reckon when full 2000 pints will be pulled in a minute

 

4 seconds!!!

 

Yep, thats what they said, wonder how that works, will they have some machine that does 10/20 at a time or what?

 

is that to pull it or drink it i'm sure a few could give it a race

 

Glad to see they got their priorities right!!

 

Thats what the ssn commentator said We're Irish, what do they expect?

 

I've worked in the bars in Croke Park and will be working in the Aviva too. Some bars in Croke Park have these new quick pour taps where all you do is put the glass to the tap and it naturally stops when full. Really quick but I hate using them, have a load of problems with them and the gas from the kegs. The smallest bit of dirt in the line and the tap spits everywhere plus even the guinness is one pour and as a guinness drinker myself I think the normal taps always produce a better pint...

 

They are saying you have to buy tickets for two matches to get a ticket the this one. Similar to the internationals so where you have to buy tickets for the friendlies v china and gahna to get one for brazil etc. Cute whores the Fai

 

Smart whores!!! Make sure the small game sells out too...

 

I was in the stadium on Saturday. It is top class and with the stands being so close to the pitch it should have a much better atmosphere than Croker.

 

Apparently those who forked thousands on the vantage club thing won't be getting a ticket for the first game. If you were a manc who bought 1, you'd be seriously raging. Some f*ckin shower they are in the fai

 

They won't be getting a free one, maybe a discounted ticket or the chance to buy two tickets isn't it?

I would be more pi$$ed off if I signed up for that Vantage Club thing over a year ago and to find out that they are now doing deals/discounts on the price of the Vantage Club now.

 

Am glad i didn't sign up for the Vantage club now. I was half tempted last year and they wouldn't stop ringing me and leaving voicemails. Non stop for at least a month or more.

 

A lads I know is selling for them, apparently the moral in there is shyte and has been for ages - they'r sick of the FAI, sick of the company that is being used to sell the vantage tickets. Staff have left, sales are really bad etc

 

Ha ha that the snobbery coming out in you there Gerry??