Saints Facing Russian Roulette With Flight Gamble

  • Tue, Jul 28, 2009 @ 11:09

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC are facing a logistical nightmare and potentially a financial hit in relation to the organisation of their Europa League tie with Krylya Sovetov Samara.

The Saints welcome the Russians to Inchicore this Thursday for the first leg of their third qualifying round tie and are hoping for a 3,000 sell-out.

However, the problem surrounds Pat's trip to south east Russia for next week's second leg, with the Saints currently unable to justify the cost of a charter. The alternative is taking scheduled routes which would require three separate flights.

Saints CEO Richie Sadlier was planning to meet with the club's fans last night to ascertain if enough were interested in travelling so the charter idea can be revived; however, if they failed to fill the available number of seats on a hired plane then they risk spending the majority of the €90,000 they received as a reward for making this stage on travel.

"It's difficult," said Sadlier yesterday. "We know the Russians are landing on a charter flight on Wednesday afternoon, training Wednesday evening, playing Thursday night and getting straight back on the plane. That would be the ideal way but they have a lot more money than we do.

"The worst case for us would be if we booked a 100-seater, there's about 30 of us in the official party, and if only 10 or 15 extra decide to turn up we're paying for a half-empty flight. That would kill us.

"Now, it's about trying to get the shortest, least-hassle journey out there to prepare for the game."

Taking scheduled flights will mean a longer journey with stopovers, leaving little time for rest before the match. Further headaches arise from the fact that they face three domestic games in seven days after their return while they do not receive the prize money from UEFA until November, which means short-term cash-flow concerns.

With visas to be sorted out yesterday, it's a hectic time for all at the club and in the wake of a disappointing league defeat to Sligo on Sunday, Jeff Kenna faces a huge task to rally his troops ahead of a meeting with quality opposition who include Czech veterans Jan Koller and Jiri Jarosik in their ranks.

"The logistics of getting there have proven difficult and all the prize money could be spent on just getting there," concedes Kenna. "But it's another round in the Europa League, I'm excited about it.

"They are a good side, they have pace to complement their size and strength. (On Thursday) I'd like a clean sheet. It's going to be a very difficult tie."


Next Fixture

Drogheda United / March 29th @ 7:45pm
Competition: League
Venue: Weavers Park
 
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Waterford FC68
Galway United FC67
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