Croke Park could host Rangers in fan zone

CROKE Park could host Liverpool and Glasgow Rangers fans this summer after UEFA ‘reserved’ the stadium as a fan zone for the Europa League final. The final on May 22nd at Aviva Stadium was labelled ‘challenging’ by UEFA’s top official, general secretary Theodore Theodoridis yesterday, who hinted that in the event of a LiverpoolRangers showdown, that Croke Park may not be big enough to cope. ‘Under certain conditions, because of the potential teams that could qualify, this might end up being the most challenging for us. ‘There are a couple of pairings – I won’t speculate on the names but you are clever enough to work it out – that would be extremely challenging to find ways to accommodate everybody that will be present for that game. ‘We have already reserved Croke Park as a potential public viewing venue but that could not be enough,’ said Theodoridis. A GAA spokesperson confirmed last night the stadium will be used as a fan zone, but stipulated that it will only happen in the event of Liverpool reaching the final. Rangers are favourites to reach the quarter-final – they host Benfica tomorrow having drawn the first leg in

Portugal – and should they make it to the final it would lead to increased security after their fans infamously rioted when playing Bohemians in 1984. Fourteen years later their European clash with Shelbourne was moved out of Dublin and played in Tranmere. The final takes place just 72 hours after Croke Park hosts a Bruce Springsteen gig, which is expected to see the pitch relaid for the business end of the season.