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I've refrained from boasting about the exploits of Shamrock Rovers in the Champions League qualifying rounds, with Latics fans support, but tonight, without that support, the part-time players in daytime temperatures in the 90s, overcame the mighty Partizan Belgrade, with all the Serbian hostilities, to win the Europa League Play-off away leg 2-1 against all odds. Fantatstic - the equivalent of Burton Albion beating ManUre at OT! Bring on the mighty Athletic Bilbao, not to mention Spurs, Birmingham, Fulham and Stoke. B)

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Quote from one of the 43 Shamrock Rovers' fans in Belgrade before tonight's game:

Sitting in team hotel foyer supping on the local brew. We were in a cafe bar earlier on Republik Square and we had a "minder" sitting across from us. Leaving here at 6pm Irish time under armed escort to stadium. Wouldn't mind meeting a few Partizan fans to swop scarves, but hey, glad to be here.

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No apologies for milking this - I cannot overestimate the achievement!

The vital goal

 

SRFC Ultras’ Video of the scene at Dublin Airport at 11:30pm on 26th August 2011, as supporters await the return of SRFC from Belgrade, having become the first Irish club to qualify for the group stage of a European competition:

 

Comments from fans on message board:

 

Must be great for the players to get a great reception from the fans and for the fans to see the players for the first since qualifying for the group stage, still hasn't sunk and to be honest. I don't think it will sink in until our first game in the Europa League, you just can't make up a story like ours. From almost being dead and buried to being the first Irish team to qualify for the group stages in Europe in such a short space of time is unbelievable. The effort to be where we are is exceptional. Noise levels in Dublin will hit new levels once the team come out.

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Mayhem. I'm awful at estimating crowds but I'd say 700 or 800 but could be way off. Everyone behind barriers until about 11ish then just a huge surge up to the actual door where you come out of in arrivals. Had some great craic with non-Rovers people coming out as well!

 

Garda tried to move people back and create a corridor for them to come through but there was no stopping us and in the end the crowd had pushed right up to the door. Loads of chanting and when team came out (with about 20 Garda moving them through the crowd) everyone went mental. Some of team stayed around for a while to sign autographs and get pictures. Ryan Thompson led a rendition of Bob Marley with about 30 Hoops and then got lifted onto their shoulders. Brilliant!

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Great craic at the airport, although it took forever for the team to come through. It was wonderful to see the lads treated like pop stars and the heroes that they truly are, and there were lots of emotional hugs between long-standing Hoops. Even the cops enjoyed it, with one of them telling me that it was brilliant what Rovers have achieved. Obvious, maybe, but nice to hear.

The feelgood factor beyond our fanbase is enormous and we must, as a club, exploit this to the hilt. I've never felt more optimistic in my life. Belgrade changed everything.

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Just in , Great welcome home for the lads. The lads sticking around to sign autographs and get in pictures, great knowing the players love the club and fans as much as we love them , :censored: modern Football!

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We ARE modern football!

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I know. I was just pointing out that we are the alternative to that Heat/Hello celeb :censored:e.

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Just home what a great night, was in the airport since 9 but time flew in excuse the pun. My 8 year old asked me when would we be playing Barca or Liverpool, just shows at that age the impression she has of Rovers and where our club is at, mostly down to all the positive on and off pitch activities.

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Great night out there. Just a quick word of thanks to the 3 young girls at the front of the arrivals door (they'll know who they are) who looked after my daughter and to Ciaran Kilduff's Dad who lifted her out when the Gardai decided to push everyone back, gob:censored:es, could have been very messy and I saw a good few people giving out to them over it. She got a bit upset but a pic with Ciaran and Gary Twigg soon put the smile back on her face. Great night.

Shamrock Rovers more than just a team we are a very big family. Every one knows each other and the players in turn know almost each and every one of us. I went with my daughter and we had a fantastic time, no other club in the world has such a good bond as we do with our team. The rest of the world could learn a lesson from our fans and players on how to enjoy ourselves. Fantastic video from the Ultras - well done.

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Videos:

Fans watching the winning goal at home

 

 

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Does Dean Kelly still play for them?

 

He does indeed, when he is not working for Dublin City Council.

 

He impressed the fans from the start of the season. It took the manager longer to be impressed, but eventually he realised the lad had a lot to offer. He has been playing on the right side of midfield! At one point he had played more European games than league games, but he was injured for the Partizan Belgrade games and is still suffering from a groin strain.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Thursday’s Europa League Group A fixture between Spurs and Shamrock Rovers is to be broadcast live on Channel 5 from 7:30pm to 10:10pm. I’ve never been able to get Channel 5, but I can since our area went digital on 21st September. So I’ll be able to record it while spending the day Hooping in London.

 

The Radio Times has the following preview for the game:

 

Tonight's Group a fixture (kick-off 8:05pm) sees the Irish Champions continue on their European dream ticket with a glamour tie at White Hart Lane.

 

The Hoops have a long history in Europe, having first played in the European Cup in 1957, but are only recently enjoying a resurgence after almost 20 years of not having a home ground and teetering on the brink of financial ruin.

 

Saved from extinction by a consortium of supporters, the club's arrival as the first Irish League team to reach the Europa League group stages was heralded by an outstanding 30-yard volley from full-back Pat Sullivan during the second-leg victory against Partizan Belgrade in the qualifying stage.

 

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, meanwhile, is hoping to bring through some young faces during the competition - so players such as Harry Kane and Tom Carroll could be in the starting line-up alongside established players such as Jermaine Defoe and Ledley King.

 

The match is also being broadcast live in the following countries:

Australia, Canada, China, Cyprus, Denmark, Norway and of course Ireland.

 

So it’s 'Goliath' Spurs (stars/reserves - UEFA ranking 28) v 'David' Rovers (semi-professionals/part-timers - UEFA ranking 324).

 

UEFA preview:

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/season=2012/matches/round=2000272/match=2007301/prematch/background/index.html

 

Dean Kelly is still injured. He is not included in the Europa League squad, which contains only 21 players compared to those clubs which are able to name four additional home-grown players.

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