Danes won’t play ball in ticket scramble

THE FAI face disappointment in the search for extra tickets for Ireland fans for the first leg of the World Cup play-off against Denmark in Copenhagen on November 11. The standard allocation of five per cent of the Parken Stadium capacity, roughly 1,900 tickets, is all the FAI can expect to distribute to the loyal Green Army ranks. FAI chief executive John Delaney has suggested both associations give each other 10 per cent of the tickets for the games in Copenhagen and Dublin, but the Danish Football Association (DBU) has no reason to play ball. Although selling out the 38,000 Parken Stadium will not be an issue, the Danes are notoriously poor travellers with numbers in hundreds, rather than thousands. ‘For the away game against Sweden in the Euro 2016 play-offs, we had about 2,000 fans in Stockholm, which was a very big support by Danish standards,’ said a DBU source. ‘We will receive five per cent of the stadium capacity in Dublin, which is about 2,500 tickets. That will be more than enough. There is no need for extra.’ For the first leg of the Euro 2016 play-off in BosniaHerzegovina two years ago, the FAI got just 880 tickets as

the game was played in Zenica’s tiny stadium.

Meanwhile, James McCarthy is on track for involvement in the play-offs after making his first appearance of the season for Everton on Tuesday night.

McCarthy played 45 minutes for the Under 23 team against Vfl Wolfsburg in Stockport and came through unscathed.

The 26-year-old midfielder, who hasn’t figured for Everton since March, could come into contention for a Premier League comeback against Arsenal on Sunday.

McCarthy last played for Ireland a year ago but returned to train with the squad before the recent double-header against Moldova and Wales.

Ireland manager Martin O’Neill is expected to name his squad for the play-offs in Dublin next Thursday.

Denmark coach Age Hareide will reveal his squad in Copenhagen on October 31.