’No to Casement’ brigade may feel like they scored a massive own goal when the Euros roll around

Fast forward in your mind to summer 2024, the Euros about to kick off and excitement building right across our shared islands.

We all know the stature of the event and what it means when our own team is taking part – in this case the games themselves will be within reach so we might be making plans to get tickets, travel to games, be a participant rather than an armchair supporter.

England will have cruised through their qualifying group, most likely winning every game en-route and they will be playing their matches in a sold out Wembley.

Scotland are on the up again, they finished their recent Nations League campaign very strongly and will be fancied to qualify as of right for the Finals.

Wales are a more stuttering side but let’s say they finish at least second in their group and therefore take their chances in a play off; one way or the other they will be part of Euro 2024.

Let’s stay optimistic and imagine that the Republic of Ireland team under the leadership of Icelander Heimir Hallgrimsson grows as a team and puts some performances together.

I can see them maybe getting to the play off stage but they are probably going to be dependent on the automatic place reserved by UEFA for hosts, or co hosts.

That will involve matches played a heaving Aviva Stadium throughout June at a time when the capital city is already hosting major sporting fixtures involving a rearranged GAA calendar, visiting major league American Football teams and headline music concerts.

Dublin will be busting at the seams with fans willing to spend their money and inject further economic regeneration into the hospitality sector and beyond.

Northern Ireland’s green and white army are making steady progress under the impressive Michael O’Neill.

With a fortunate qualifying draw they may make it to a play off stage, maybe not.

Being realistic it is fair to conclude that Northern Ireland are less likely to qualify than more likely and of course, as confirmed this past week by the FAI, they will not benefit from an automatic place as co-hosts now that the prospect of a Casement Euro specification re-build has been quashed.

And I’m afraid a blow up temporary stadium, as suggested last week, is a non running alternative.

I can’t help thinking that when the tournament rolls around the vocal, minority ’No to Casement’ brigade may feel like they scored a massive own goal.

That is not to say that those protests were the nail in the coffin of the project, but that outpouring of aggressive opposition could almost be discerned in the faces and voices of those unionist politicians who were less than enthusiastic about giving the Casement project the push it needed.

Even if NI do qualify, they won’t have the once in a lifetime benefit of playing tournament games at home.

In the ultimate irony they are more likely to be sent to Dublin where their pounds will be welcomed with arms wide open.

It’s a self-inflicted lose-lose situation and, bookmark this article, the recriminations will be flying come Summer 2028.

I can sometimes stand accused of being too focused in or too invested in sport and, hands up, viewing, coaching or even still trying to take part in sport through running, remains a major priority for me and always will.

I was glad then to get an opportunity on Friday last to attend Perf4mance – a conference in the perfect setting of W5 to look at all ranges of sport and their impact on life, business and community here in Northern Ireland and globally.

I take inspiration still from the likes of Conleith Gilligan and his story of how Armagh gaelic football team treated setbacks as lessons and finally this year got over the line to win a second All Ireland; how Marissa Callaghan, aged 39, still has the desire to play football for Cliftonville and Northern Ireland and is actually playing better then ever.

We heard from Pierre McGuire, a household name in North America, who has gone from coaching successful Stanley Cup winning ice hockey teams to being a renowned broadcaster on all sports.

It was an insightful, entertaining and though provoking event and it also allowed us to take a bit of pride in our own sports achievements and sense of sporting community as perceived and recounted by the US based visitors.

It’s just a pity that we can’t bring them back in 2028 as a host of the Euros and really blow them away.

• Brendan Mulgrew is managing partner at MW Advocate. Follow him on X at @brendanbelfast.