Spain Move Northern Ireland Match To Gran Canaria

[y2krog2000]

Northern Ireland football fans hoping to support the side in their Euro 2008 qualifier against Spain later this year are facing big problems getting there.

Many NI fans had already booked flights to mainland Spain, but the Spanish FA has announced that the match will be played on Gran Canaria.

It is the first time Spain will have played a competitive match there.

Fans spokesman Gary McAllister said it was proving very hard for people to get flights to the island.

Mr McAllister said that several thousand fans had planned to travel to the match in November, but many may not now be able to make it.

He said the fact fans had already booked flights to Spain, the difficulty getting flights to a popular holiday resort and cost were all causing problems for fans.

"Firstly a number of fans had booked to mainland Spain hoping they could get connecting flights or travel by rail or road (to wherever the match was being played)," Mr McAllister said.

"I know that a number of fans have found it very, very difficult trying to get even a package deal - what flights that were available have been snapped up."

As a result of the demand, the cost of flights was now going up, Mr McAllister added.

"Obviously with the demand - that has pushed the price of the flights up and a lot of people will be priced out of it."

Mr McAllister said he knows of a case where a group of fans who thought they had their travel to the game sorted were soon told otherwise.

"I spoke to a fan last night and 32 of them had booked on Sunday through a travel agent, but were subsequently contacted yesterday and told that the package was double-booked and they wouldn't be able to travel."


You would wonder was this done to minimise the number of Northern Ireland fans who are able to get to the game?
Gary McAllister

Mr McAllister said many fans will probably now rely on planes being specially chartered for the game.

However, he said the Spanish FA could still change the venue as long as it's at least 60 days before the game on 21 November.

Northern Ireland are currently top of their Euro 2008 qualifying group and beat Spain 3-2 at Belfast's Windsor Park last September.

The stadium at Las Palmas has a capacity of 32,500 and Mr McAllister said the fact Spain had not previously played a competitve match there was causing suspicions among NI fans.

"You would wonder was this done to minimise the number of Northern Ireland fans who are able to get to the game?" he said.

Fifa should hand out a big fine to Spain if they insist on playing a match in a place where away supporters cant get to.