FIFA agree to put back play-off

FIFA are ready to facilitate the FAI with a 24-hour postponement if the Republic of Ireland are drawn to play at home in the second leg of the World Cup play-offs in November. Controversially, however, there will be no amnesty for players ruled out of the playoffs because of bookings sustained in the group games, en route to the play-offs.

For the first time in its long history, Lansdowne Road will stage back-to-back internationals if Ireland gain home advantage for the second game in the two-legged play-offs. And the FAI are confident that with the co-operation of the IRFU, the stadium will be perfectly prepared for soccer less than 24 hours after the finish of Ireland's rugby match against the touring New Zealand team on November 15th.

"The easy option was to play the first match at Lansdowne Road on October 29th, but that would have been to sacrifice a possible advantage in having a home game in the second leg of the tie when the teams will know precisely what they have to do to qualify," said an FAI spokesman.

"In spite of the problems, we were determined to insist on an open draw for the play-off and with the blessing of FIFA, we will now have that opportunity. None of this would have been possible without the active support of the IRFU and for that, we are grateful."

As yet, however, Irish officials have not informed the parent body of their second request - a waiver of the ban on standing spectators at competitive international games.

It is normal practice for the FAI to install temporary seating for 12,000 spectators on such occasions, to supplement the 23,000 fixed seats at Lansdowne Road, but with no such restrictions pertaining to rugby, that will not be possible on this occasion.

"There is no point in raising the matter officially until such time as we know that we will be playing the second-leg game at home," said the spokesman. "To have to play a game of this importance in front of only 23,000 spectators would be a travesty and we're optimistic that FIFA will also see it this way."

By far the more surprising announcement in Zurich yesterday was that confirming that the normal eligibility rules would stand for the play-offs and that there was no question of yellow-card offences being deleted before the four ties.

This runs counter to the views of many European countries and as recently as last weekend, FIFA officials, themselves, appeared to be moving towards the view that an amnesty would be appropriate.

Their only concession, however, was to state that their disciplinary committee will meet again in December to decide whether an amnesty will be put in place for the finals in France next summer.

This has become standard practice in modern years and to that extent, they were scarcely stretching the frontiers of benevolence with yesterday's statement. And it will do nothing at all to ease the apprehensions of many team managers, among them Mick McCarthy, who were hoping that the pitch would be levelled for all eight countries participating in the play-offs.

Ireland have no fewer than 10 players on yellow cards going into next month's meeting with Romania, a disturbing scenario for McCarthy. It is one that may affect his selection as he may feel compelled to experiment with players on the fringe of the squad.