Madam, – I was invited to attend the first game at the new Aviva Stadium (Lansdowne Road) on Saturday, an occasion I looked forward to like the thousands of people who turned up to see what our new stadium had to deliver for the €400 million-plus investment. I use the term “our” as a taxpayer, as we have subscribed some €191 million to the venture.
Seated in the south stand upper tier, we were welcomed by a number of decent roof leaks. A lady seated “in the gods” in the east stand upper afterwards agreed with me. We are led to believe that this stadium was designed to be totally weather/rainproofed for all spectators. From my seat the playing area was visible but I was unable to see the tops of the far uprights, due to a monstrous steel support blocking the full view which also limited the viewing of the one screen visible.
The snag list is still there and many structural teething problems need immediate attention.
That said, I look forward to returning to Lansdowne Road in 2011 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of my first visit there in 1961. – Yours, etc,