Shamrock Rovers - The Dream Comes True

[Diego_Sideburns]

For my 10,001st post I want to talk about Shamrock Rovers, and its supporters whose keeping of the Faith over the past 21 years of the Club’s homelessness has been a shining example to me of what it means to support actively a once-famous football club, which has fallen on very hard times.

I make no apologies for the length of this post, but hope that those who have ever felt passionately about a football club will appreciate my efforts.

First something about the club’s history. Formed in 1899/1901, but it was in 1926 when Shamrock Rovers moved from the Club’s first pitch to Glenmalure Park, Milltown, which was located just behind the original ground.

Up until 1926, Shamrock Rovers wore green and white striped jerseys but following a suggestion by then committee member John Sheridan, the club chose to adopt the green and white hooped strip, arising from a very close relationship with Belfast Celtic.

Shamrock Rovers is Ireland's most successful football club having won the league title a record 15 times, including four times in a row in the 1980s, along with the FAI Cup a record 24 times, including six times in a row in the 1960s. It was also the first Irish club to play in the European Cup, playing Manchester United’s ‘Busby Babes’ in 1957.

The Rovers’ goalkeeper at that time was Eamonn Darcy (pictured below in 1958), who had made 45 appearances for Latics after signing from Dundalk for £150 in 1954.

Rovers supplied 62 players to the Republic of Ireland national team, more than any other single club. The Club was well supported, attracting over 20,000 regularly to Glenmalure Park and up to 45,000 for Cup Finals and European matches at Dalymount Park.

There were many great European nights during the 60s in particular when Rovers entertained the cream of Europe including OGC Nice, Valencia, Rapid Vienna, Real Zaragosa, Bayern Munich, Schalke 04 and even Cardiff City.

Rovers were one of the European club teams which spent the 1967 season in the United States founding the North American Soccer League, representing Boston as the Boston Rovers.

If the 60s were kind to Shamrock Rovers then the 70s were the exact opposite. Times were hard in Irish football as televised highlights from England began to bite into attendances. The owners sold their interest in the club in 1972 and Glenmalure Park, Milltown fell into a sorry state.

Then came the arrival of a new saviour in 1978, when former dirty Leeds and West Brom midfielder Johnny Giles was appointed as player/manager. Giles brought a new professional ethos to Milltown and the public responded by coming through the turnstiles in large numbers once again. However, the success was short-lived as none of the other clubs joined with Giles in trying to make the League more professional. Apart from the FAI Cup (1978), Tyler Cup (1978) and Leinster Senior Cup (1982) the Hoops failed to deliver. Giles departed to Canada and the experiment came to an end.

But the Hoops were not finished yet and the Club’s owners, the Kilcoyne family, pulled off a major coup when they enticed the hugely successful Dundalk manager Jim McLaughlin to take over at Milltown. McLaughlin very quickly put together a team comprising the best of players in the League. They gelled together very quickly and the title was won in his first year in charge. They went on to win a further three titles in succession and the era became known as the 'Four in a Row'. Rovers also won the double in 1985, 1986 and 1987.

Spoiled by success, the fans seemed to lose interest: by the time the fourth title was secured in 1986/87, and Rovers' average attendance was only 1,200.

Tragedy was to strike in 1987 when, just as the season was coming to an end, the news leaked out that the Kilcoyne family, who had bought Glenmalure Park from the Jesuits, were to sell the Milltown ground for property development and share Tolka Park with Shelbourne.

However, they had not banked on the special allure the 'jaded old :censored:-hole' had for League of Ireland and Rovers fans, and a groundswell of support quickly built up to try to stop the ground being sold. Hollywood legend Maureen O'Hara (a life-long Rovers fan whose father was part-owner of the club).declared her support and Bono claimed to be a fan. Pickets and demonstrations were held and the Kilcoynes had to have police protection during the few remaining games of the season, as ‘Keep Rovers At Milltown’ (KRAM) was born.

After fury erupted amongst the Hoops faithful (including ‘Father Ted’ actor Dermot Morgan), they boycotted the alternative venue of Tolka Park and the Club was brought to its knees. For two years the KRAM campaign was kept on the front pages, involving everyone from ordinary people to politicians to pop stars, and even the Pope, in a desperate bid to save Milltown.

Jim, who we met in the Isle of Man in 1997, has green and white hooped blood running through his veins. He was very active in KRAM who drove the FAI crazy, after suffering the indignity of seeing Louis Kilcoyne smuggled into the back door of the FAI and elected as its President.

This was the same Louis who had proved he had no feeling for Rovers when he burned all the old pennants and photos of the old teams that were displayed in the club’s bar.

Jim was the youth with the bushy hair stood behind the banner on the above picture. When Louis was burning the contents of Glenmalure Park, Jim retrieved SRFC memorabilia, including the pennant from the 1959 European Cup game against Nice, along with the one from the 1974 game against Betis and the 1978 one against Academico Portugal,. He also found in the long grass behind the goal in Milltown the trophy that was presented to the Club in 1965 by Real Zaragoza. All of these he has kept safe for posterity.

There were Rovers families split down the middle over it, with family members not speaking to each other, after some supporters decided to pass the pickets and go into the matches and the others refused to do so. Ultimately the KRAM campaign failed, and in 1988 the Kilcoynes sold out to a consortium of interested fans led by John McNamara, but efforts to buy back Glenmalure Park, Milltown failed and the ground was lost forever. Houses now stand as testament to the developers' success and a monument is all that remains of Rovers’ history in Milltown. The monument was unveiled by An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who flew in by helicopter during a break in the peace talks.

A spokesman at the time said:
“Seemingly faceless men have sold it to other faceless men who will wipe out the loveliest football stadium in the island to placate their greed. And silly people who imagine themselves to be pillars of wisdom will nod sagely and say it had to happen. Their judgement will be based on the word 'money', a term which they invoke in such a way that it seems man's master rather than his servant.”

In recognition of the loss of Glenmalure Park, black became the club's official third kit colour.

In 1990, John McNamara pulled off a coup by securing the Royal Dublin Showgrounds (RDS) as a venue for Rovers to play in. For the first game, Jim and the other Hoops’ fans rode by open-top bus to the RDS from their home pub ‘The White Horse’, where we have drunk with them. That particular era came to an end in 1996. Rovers won just one honour in that time, their record fifteenth league title, which was won in 1993/94.

John McNamara sold out his interest in 1996 to a new consortium who, within a few months, announced exciting plans to bring Rovers to a new stadium in Tallaght on Dublin's Southside. The original plan was to have an all-seated stadium with a capacity of 10,000, but serious objections by a group of local residents held the project up for years and, when work finally began in 2000, Rovers ran out of money and were unable to finish off Phase 1, which would have seen them up and running there. The whole stadium saga soon became wrapped up in red tape, and when South Dublin County Council refused a further extension to the original planning permission in late 2004, the then board of SRFC had to finally concede defeat.

The land passed back to the local authority who unveiled a plan to complete the development as a community sports facility with Shamrock Rovers offered a very good tenancy package at the site. In the meantime, Rovers had been playing in a variety of venues around the city including Richmond Park (home of St. Patrick's Athletic), Tolka Park (Shelbourne FC), Dalymount Park (Bohemians) and the Morton Athletic Stadium. Despite the lack of funds to compete on the pitch, Rovers maintained a decent showing in the Premier Division. They qualified for the UEFA Inter Toto Cup in 2003 and made history by beating Polish side Odra Vodislaw in both the home and away ties.

While the Hooperati faithful were struggling against impossible odds, many of their fellow Dubliners had turned their backs on Irish Football and shifted their allegiance to the big clubs in the English Premier League, with the millionaire stars and twenty-four different camera angles. Irish money was also following the greedy trail rather than supporting roots football, placing domestic football in crisis.

Irish football is not cool. Its few supporters who remain are viewed by the rest of society as oddities, an almost subversive group of misfits not to be trusted. While the rest of society cheers on the English Premier League - the Emperor’s clothing of the twenty-first century - the supporters of the domestic game are marginalized and ridiculed. Latics diehards will be able to relate to this. For those who have remained loyal to the Irish League, it has provided them with some of the happiest moments in their lives, together with some of the saddest - again something to which Latics diehards can relate. Friends have been made, friends have been lost.

As the club awaited the move to Tallaght, much work was done off the pitch. Following a period of examinership (one step from liquidation) during the summer months of 2005, the supporters group, the 400 Club, which had funded the day-to-day running of Rovers and contributed more than €165,000 to the process, successfully bid for ownership of the club and it has since instilled a new thinking in taking Shamrock Rovers forward. The 400 Club Board of Trustees also became the Board of Directors of Shamrock Rovers Football Club.

At the January 2006 AGM, the Shamrock Rovers 400 Club changed its name to SRFC Members Club – reflecting the reality that the fans’ organisation was now the football club. Since then the members’ club has sought to bring Shamrock Rovers back to the pinnacle of Irish football and develop Rovers as a community-based semi-professional football club, serving the population of South Dublin as well as providing football and coaching for all ages. The club has also developed scholarship schemes, supporting young footballers through Secondary and Third Level education. In tandem with this, the club’s Football in the Community project offers coaching to schools in the South Dublin region. The 400 Club has more than 500 members who contribute €50 per month.

In 2005 the team had finished second last in the Premier Division and after losing a promotion-relegation play off, the first leg of which we attended, the club was condemned to the First Division for the 2006 season.

Undeterred by this setback, the club management set about rebuilding Shamrock Rovers. A much smaller budget was introduced and practically a whole new squad of young players, who had played in the First Division, was signed.

Off the field the club faced a new setback with the Tallaght stadium. Despite the go-ahead for funds to complete Phase 1 being given by the Minister for Sport, a legal challenge was mounted on behalf of six Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) clubs who claimed a right to use the facility.

2006 turned out to be a successful year for Shamrock Rovers both on and off the pitch With the new board having put properly-run structures in place and getting the club back onto a financial keel, the team captured the First Division title. The Hoops defence set a new record of having conceded the least number of goals in any campaign ever - just 13 in 36 games.

Shamrock Rovers was successful in being accepted as a member of the new FAI-run Premier Division. With the submissions examined by the Independent Assessment Group, SRFC was hailed as being a model club - a far cry from the depths to which the club had sunk just fifteen months earlier. The Club is run on a not-for-profit basis, so that it will never again find itself in a perilous financial situation, and any surplus funds are reinvested in the club.

Just when it appeared that there were no further hurdles, the stadium project was to be held up yet again, this time due to a High Court challenge by the Thomas Davis GAA Club. The Minister for Sport had pledged the funds to complete Phase 1, but only on the understanding that the stadium would be a football-only facility. Thomas Davis GAA Club attempted to have this changed by the Minister and SDCC, and when they failed to do so they took their case to the courts. The project was to be held up for the best part of another year but then, in February, 2008, the High Court ruled that Thomas Davis GAA Club had no case. The GAA organisation was left to pick up the full cost of the challenge, around €600,000.

We have the verdict! Club Director James Nolan is also on the ’97 Isle of Man picture squatting at the front (see below).

Today, Shamrock Rovers not only has a senior team and under 21 team operating in the Eircom League, but also an intermediate team, sixteen schoolboy teams, a senior ladies’ team and three schoolgirl teams. Despite living a nomadic existence for the past twenty one years, Shamrock Rovers is still very much alive and eagerly anticipating the dawning of a brand new era operating from the new stadium.

In the last 21 years, the Club’s history is akin to a romantic tragedy. It has even had a play written about it.

Just because the standard of football in Ireland (as in the lower divisions and non-league in England) is not as high as in other European countries, it does not make it any less relevant. To confine your football interest to only the top two or three leagues in the world is to dismiss 99.9% of the world’s football as meaningless. If you support the game you support the game, not merely the top 0.1% of it. Someone who worships at the church of football would go to any lengths to see a game, which would surely encompass those games being played on their doorstep.

To support a club through television is to simply follow its team. By absorbing yourself fully into a club, it becomes precisely that - a club. It is something that runs much deeper than last weekend’s result; it is something that crawls inside of you and becomes an intrinsic part of who you are.

The supporters have suffered greatly for sticking with the Club they love so much through thin and thinner. They have suffered ridicule and treatment like something stuck to the bottom of a shoe, because of the actions of a minority, and anti-Rovers propaganda from select media outlets. They’ve been banned from watching their team play, they've been told when they can play home games, they've lost their over 20,000 support in the 1950s to a present attendance potential of 1,200. Every aspect of the club has been affected in some form. They have been through so much, but they have survived. Finally, the way is clear for them to thrive in their new home, in Tallaght, the fastest growing urban centre in Ireland. Their Green Flag will be welcomed, and fly very high in their new neighbourhood. Home is where the Hoop lives.

We all live in a Tallaght housing scheme
Where all the walls are green
And Rovers are the team.

Latics fans sang that song with the Hooperati in the Isle of Man in ’97 and they joined us in singing Latics songs.

Picture taken after a shirt-swapping session, Isle of Man 1997.

The missus and I feel privileged to have been accepted as honorary members of the Hooperati, having watched Rovers play in the Isle of Man, Cardiff, Dublin, Dundalk, Sligo and in the UEFA Inter Toto Cup in Stockholm, Sweden.

On a mini-bus journey back from Dundalk (where it had been stoned by local kids) to Dublin after a match, we were very moved when Hoops’ supporters started singing Latics songs We also shared with Hoops’ fans the experience of drinking in a Stockholm pub when it was attacked by Djurgardens’ fans.

The Shamrock Rovers ‘Ultras’ is a group of fans which aims to enhance match-day by creating a carnival atmosphere. This is achieved mainly by flying large flags, singing, and organising special displays. Everyone in the ground is encouraged to get involved in helping create the fun atmosphere, and cheer on the Hoops. The Ultras have brought tremendous colour and noise to an already passionate set of supporters.

We are always made welcome in that special way in which football brings together people of different nationalities, and the craic is something really special.

The Club and its supporters are a beacon of strength in Irish football. The future prosperity of Shamrock Rovers relies continually on the voluntary efforts of its members, and the growth of its membership. Unique in Irish football, Shamrock Rovers belongs to and is administrated by those who care for it most – its loyal supporters.

The squad number 12 is no longer worn by any Rovers’ player. Instead, that number represents the Club's supporters.

Jim, who was behind the banner on the KRAM picture, has now become a Trustee of the Shamrock Rovers Heritage Trust. The memorabilia which he retrieved from Milltown all those years ago is to be on show in the Trust’s specially-made display cabinet costing €9,000 in the reception area at the new stadium.

Our acceptance allows us to share in the upcoming historic moment of Rovers’ first game in the Club’s new home in Tallaght, for which tickets are at a premium, and to meet up with friends and acquaintances, some of whom are returning from all over the world. There is also to be a memorial ceremony in remembrance of the fans, officials and players who did not live long enough to see the dream come true.

The new state-of-the-art stadium has a capacity of 3,500, but construction is underway on a second stand which is set to be completed this Summer. When the two stands are completed, Tallaght Stadium will have the capacity of almost 7,000 .

The new stadium is the latest addition to Tallaght, where there is already Ireland’s biggest shopping complex, a library, theatre, arts centre, multiplex cinema, five hotels and business premises.

The last game played at Glenmalure Park, Milltown was against Sligo Rovers. As the players take to the hallowed turf of Shamrock Rovers’ new home for the first time to play Sligo Rovers once again, memories will flood back to the shameful closure of Milltown in 1987, a decision whose legacy of bitterness and sadness still burns, with recollections of people weeping on the derelict site and taxi-drivers who, to this day, refuse to take a fare up the Milltown Road. Jim made the emotional journey back to Milltown once, simply to show us what had become of the Club’s spiritual home.

It could not be more appropriate that the Latics match we will miss to attend the first game at Tallaght, is the one against Franchise F.C., which is the very antithesis of everything that is Shamrock Rovers.

For years I feared that Oldham Athletic would become homeless - what happened at Milltown would happen in our mill town, with houses being built on Boundary Park. It is many thanks to The Three Amigos that this has been avoided, and not only are we still in residence at BP but, hopefully, we are looking onwards and upwards. However, as the crowds stay away, the interest in Latics wanes and the country’s economic crisis deepens, the future remains uncertain.

I think the efforts of the Rovers’ diehard supporters, who have kept the faith and believed in the dream, when odds have been stacked against them for 21 years, epitomise what football means to the working man, so often forgotten in these days of multi-million pound TV rights. They have proven time after time that their loyalty to the Club knows no bounds and if anyone can secure its future surely it is the fans.

In summary, I cannot do better than quote from the Shamrock Rovers Ultras’ web site:

“Gone are the speculators and carpetbaggers - those who were only interested in the club while the possibility of making vast profits from land deals and property speculation existed. Forced to the very edge of extinction, saved only by the intervention of the fans who maintained the club entirely for several months and who stood firm at the end to supply the funds to buy the club out of examinership.

To the men and women who follow this great club, and who supported it while it seemed ever and ever more likely that it might cease to exist, the past and future generations owe eternal gratitude.

No one player, no manager, no director or chairman is bigger than this club - they will come and go, but the fans will remain true to our colours and traditions.

Our belief in our destiny is unwavering.”


Videos:

Futbol Mundial - SRFC Story (including legendary supporter Big Dec at 5:57):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i68umsELidI

Last game at Tolka Park - Fans in bar (including the composer of the Gregan chippy song in the beige jacket with hood in the foreground):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5zXZihcCUw...feature=related

This Is Home:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=L9xzMOltrs0

Tallaght 09:
http://vimeo.com/2781268

Edited March 13, 2014 by Diego_Sideburns

[Rocky_Latic]

Videos:

 

Futbol Mundial - SRFC Story (including legendary supporter Big Dec at 5:57):

Dont you mean 5:47. Well if you're on about the Dec who's on that clip who along with a few other Shamrock fans, also has Rochdale as their second club and come over a fair bit.

[Oafc88]

Excellent read that, knew they had difficulties just not how severe. Good to see the club finally finding a home, wouldnt mind attending my first game next time im in Dublin, latics shirt/scarf in tow

 

[Diego_Sideburns]

Dont you mean 5:47. Well if you're on about the Dec who's on that clip who along with a few other Shamrock fans, also has Rochdale as their second club and come over a fair bit.

 

That's him, the one and only Big Dec!

[maddog]

Where did you cut and paste that from, Diego?

[Diego_Sideburns]

Where did you cut and paste that from, Diego?

 

The historical bits are adapted from various sauces.

 

The emotional bits are from the heart!

[alwaysblue]

It was very long so I haven't read it all but I get the gyst of it.So many clubs have been in a similar boat and most seem to battle their way through it due to the strength of the fans.We at Oldham certainly can understand what it means to fight for our a football club.A club is bigger than any player,manager or chairman,the fans will always be its strength.

 

Loved the videos.The passion is superb,recognised the big guy who I met when he visited latics.

 

 

Reminded me of those great pre season trips over to Ireland:Ballymena,Lisburn,Portadown,Waterford and the great night out in the club at Cohb Ramblers.

[oafc_ok]

Gutted I can't be there on Friday - give Jim and Dec my best wishes. I'm sure it will be an emotional night. Hopefully I'll be watching via RTE on t'internet.

[Diego_Sideburns]

A post I spotted on the SRFC Ultras’ Forum sums up what it means for SRFC to have a home at last:

 

Right - my name is Milltown Roader and I'm a Roversholic. I'm 40 years of age and have spent 30 of those years addicted to Rovers. I lost my first job because of my addiction [boss wouldn't let me off for the Linfield match so I told him I was going anyhow]. On Friday I'll have my 78 year old Dad with me - he brought me to my first game in Milltown 30 years ago, I'm simply returning the favour. I'll also have my two sons, 13 and 10 with me, both have been going since the age of 2. I intend getting a photo taken on the night of the three generations of Hoops in my family. I'll be a proud man.

 

If someone offered me all the money in the world I couldn't put it into words what Friday means to me.

 

What Latics do today, the world does tomorrow.

 

A limited edition pink charity kit is to be promoted by both Shamrock Rovers and their arch rivals Bohemians. In the spirit of the raising money for Action Breast Cancer Ireland, both clubs will wear the kits against each other in the four league meetings this season. In each case the away team will wear the kit. Umbro are endorsing and supporting the project and the idea came from supporters of the clubs and from the inspiration of other sporting associations’/clubs’ charitable efforts - Latics take a bow! There will only be 500 shirts available for both clubs.

 

http://www.umbro.ie/breast_cancer_support.html

 

Claire Tully who apparently is prominent in The Sun has admired the shirt and said she will buy one.

 

 

Some Hoopers prefer Sarah Morrisey whose family are Rovers fans.

 

 

Claire or Sarah, it’s a tough choice

[joe_lead]

Tremendous read.

 

Cheers Marra

[Diego_Sideburns]

If anyone fancies watching this historic match on t'internet on Friday (kick-off 8:05pm), click on the link for the RTÉ.ie media player.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/webcastschedule.html

 

I don't know what time the programme starts, but it may be worthwhile tuning in well before the kick-off as the excited and emotional atmosphere builds up to a crescendo when the team takes to the turf of Rovers' new home for the first time.

Edited March 12, 2009 by Diego_Sideburns

[maddog]

A post I spotted on the SRFC Ultras’ Forum sums up what it means for SRFC to have a home at last:

 

 

 

What Latics do today, the world does tomorrow.

 

A limited edition pink charity kit is to be promoted by both Shamrock Rovers and their arch rivals Bohemians. In the spirit of the raising money for Action Breast Cancer Ireland, both clubs will wear the kits against each other in the four league meetings this season. In each case the away team will wear the kit. Umbro are endorsing and supporting the project and the idea came from supporters of the clubs and from the inspiration of other sporting associations’/clubs’ charitable efforts - Latics take a bow! There will only be 500 shirts available for both clubs.

 

http://www.umbro.ie/breast_cancer_support.html

 

Claire Tully who apparently is prominent in The Sun has admired the shirt and said she will buy one.

 

 

Some Hoopers prefer Sarah Morrisey whose family are Rovers fans.

 

 

Claire or Sarah, it’s a tough choice

Nah. Option 6 every time.

[Diego_Sideburns]

Nah. Option 6 every time.

 

At the end of the day it's all about opinions.

[Diego_Sideburns]

Mrs. S. and I had a brilliant weekend attending the historic first 'home' match of Shamrock Rovers for nearly 22 years. Very late nights, plenty of singing and great craic!

 

I took some pictures if anyone is interested, and added descriptive notes.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/diego_sidebur...57615304876173/

 

 

[Markoasis]

A limited edition pink charity kit is to be promoted by both Shamrock Rovers and their arch rivals Bohemians.

 

going to be a bugger for the lineman to judge offsides..... only in Ireland can both teams wear the same strip

[Matt]

Some good pics there Diego...

[Diego_Sideburns]

In Saturday's first derby against arch-rivals and reigning champions Bohemians in the new stadium, Rovers came from a goal down to win with goals in the 88th and 89th minutes.

[Diego_Sideburns]

Shamrock Rovers have landed the dream fixture - a friendly against Real Madrid, with the part-timers taking on the latest Galacticos on Monday 20th at 8:00pm live on Sky Sports.

 

The instalation of temporary seating has increased the stadium capacity to 9,000, with all tickets @ 60 Euros sold out. Lots of merchandise has been produced and no doubt the Ultras will produce a special badge to commemorate any mishap befalling you-know-who.

 

[Diego_Sideburns]

The Media coverage and publicity for tonight's game against Real Madrid has been massive. Here's one example where the firm carrying out Examinership (similar to Administration) is using the match to advertise itself in the newspaper.

 

[Diego_Sideburns]

The Real Madrid representative watching Rovers play Sligo on Saturday night told the Irish Daily Star he couldn’t believe the passion of the Shamrock Rovers fans.

 

When asked what he thought standard-wise,d he said ‘Your team, second division in Spain. Your fans, Primera Liga!’.

 

He just couldn’t believe the atmosphere, that they were singing from the first minute to the 90th.

 

As supporters, you can't hope to get better praise than that!

[Oafc88]

The Real Madrid representative watching Rovers play Sligo on Saturday night told the Irish Daily Star he couldn’t believe the passion of the Shamrock Rovers fans.

 

When asked what he thought standard-wise,d he said ‘Your team, second division in Spain. Your fans, Primera Liga!’.

 

He just couldn’t believe the atmosphere, that they were singing from the first minute to the 90th.

 

As supporters, you can't hope to get better praise than that!

 

They've certainly done themselves proud so far (the 68th min) even if it is a friendly!!

 

Whats their average attendance btw? (Rovers i mean, not Madrid lol)

[oafcprozac]

They've certainly done themselves proud so far (the 68th min) even if it is a friendly!!

 

Whats their average attendance btw? (Rovers i mean, not Madrid lol)

 

Fabulous effort from Shamrock tonight and Terry photos capture the emotion of what it meant to return to playing in a ground of their own. TTA be aware of the path they may be going down if they sell BP and we have to groundshare. No move from BP until the first sod is cut at least!

 

BALLS! An over-priced ponce has just scored for Madrid!

Edited July 20, 2009 by oafcprozac

[Oafc88]

Fabulous effort from Shamrock tonight and Terry photos capture the emotion of what it meant to return to playing in a ground of their own. TTA be aware of the path they may be going down if they sell BP and we have to groundshare. No move from BP until the first sod is cut at least!

 

BALLS! An over-priced ponce has just scored for Madrid!

 

1-0 full time, Benzema probably made the biggest impression tonight out of the Madrid players. Shame Shamrock couldnt hold on for the draw and but it was still a good performance from them!

Edited July 20, 2009 by Oafc88

[ste1987]

1-0 full time, Benzema probably made the biggest impression tonight out of the Madrid players. Shame Shamrock couldnt hold on for the draw and but it was still a good performance from them!

 

Shame that! No doubt it was pretty much the last minute? Draw would have been excellent for them.

[Oafc88]

Shame that! No doubt it was pretty much the last minute? Draw would have been excellent for them.

 

Aye it was around the 85th minute i think, shame Shamrock couldnt put away a few of their own chances, even had a break away potential one on one put the guy over hit it as he was taking another touch!