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Groundhopping: Ireland (v The Netherlands, Aviva Stadium)

Competition: European Championship Qualifying.

Date: 10 September 2023

Result: Ireland 1 – 2 The Netherlands

Tickets:  Included in season tickets, but works out at about €45 for an adult and a kid.

Attendance: 49,807

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆☆

The Game: There’s a sense of inevitability around Ireland at the moment. I’m a strong defender of Stephen Kenny’s attempts to play decent football with what is overall a pretty weak group of players (especially absent Evan Ferguson, as tonight), but there’s also a naivety that’s somewhat depressing.

It’s shown a fair bit tonight. After some fantastic Ireland pressure in the opening 15 minutes and the Dutch looking genuinely rattled for a short time, Ireland led 1-0 through a penalty resulting from a fairly obvious handball. The Dutch came back when Gavin Bazunu was forced to fly out of goal and took out a Dutch forward, but for much of the first half, Ireland were at least competitive.

In the second half, though, there was only one winner, and Wout Weghorst eventually slammed in for a 2-1 Netherlands win, something that late Irish posession made all the more frustrating as it resulted in so little in the way of attacking intent. Kenny might be on his last legs. Though the losses to France and The Netherlands are far from shocking given the quality disparity, he’s simply unable to adapt strategy to the situation.

The ground:  I have mixed feelings about the national stadium. Great views and a decent design, but annoying to get to (we found a slighty better way to park this time, wihch I won’t promote for obvious reasons, but it’s always awkward), with poor service and ridiculous prices. True of the most corporate end of football everywhere, I suppose.

Extras: Programmes, limited and overpriced food and drinks. The Aviva usual.

Assorted asides: Dutch fans seems a whole lot of fun. From forming a ‘bus’ (a kind of vibrant dance-march) to the stadium, to the chatty woman outside the ground who handed my son a pair of orange glasses to remember her by, the nicest bunch of away fans I think I’ve come across. I suppose they did win!

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 19. Home wins: 11 Draws: 4 Away wins: 4

Goals: 54. Home goals: 35. Away goals: 19. Goals per game: 2.84

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Groundhopping: Derry City (v Tobol Kostanay, Tallaght Stadium)

Competition: Europa Conference League Third Qualifying Round, Second Leg

Date: 17 August 2023

Result: Derry City 1 – 0 Tobol Kostanay (1-1 on aggregate, Tobol win 6-5 on penalties)

Tickets:  £25 for adults, £9 for kids.

Attendance: 3,128

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆☆☆

The Game: Derry came into this game 1-0 down from a trip to Kazakhstan, and based on the highlights I’d seen, a little unfortunate with that. Forced to play in Tallaght instead of Bandywell or Windsor Park (which works for me, though I’d imagine was a serious frustration for their fans), they created an almost manic atmosphere which I really quite enjoyed, although almost entirely in the Tallaght Stadium’s West Stand.

I thought Derry dominated most of the game, creating a host of chances, though their actual goal came from a penalty. There wasn’t a lot of cutting edge, as demonstrated by the final kick of normal time, a one-on-one with the Tobol goalkeeper that was frustratingly scuffed. There was nothing in the tie, though, which is always a bonus, and ultimately it went to penalties, with Tobol’s goalkeeper, something of a game player, delaying loads of kicks and causing a few issues.

It was Derry goalkepper Brian Maher who was eventually key after Tobol had hit the crossbar with their first chance to win the game. He hit the seventh Derry penalty quite tamely at Tobol’s keeper, and then got nowhere near the reply, with Tobol coming out 6-5 winners after seven penalties each. A good contest that Derry were unlucky not to win, but neither side felt riddled with quality.

The ground:  I’ve been to Tallaght countless times but it felt different occupied by lively Derry fans, who lit up the normally quiet-ish West Stand. I particualrly enjoyed their renditions of ‘Teenage Kicks’. The North Stand looks close to completion, maybe another month’s work.

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Groundhopping: Swift Hesperange (v TNS, Stade de Luxembourg)

Competition: Europa Conference League Second Qualifying Round, Second Leg

Date: 01 August 2023

Result: Swift Hesperange 3 – 2 TNS (4-3 on aggregate)

Tickets:  €15 for adults, €7.50 for kids.

Attendance: 1,914

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆☆☆

The Game: A chance to visit a game in Luxembourg – at the cool looking but low capacity national stadium no less – whilst on holiday. Swift Hesperange are, much like the country they come from, a real mish mash of nationalities and styles, a side that create lots but largely shoot wildly. They went ahead after two minutes after a stinker of a pass back from TNS fell straight to their captain and was tucked home.

TNS came back strong, and should have scored several in reply, with both sides getting a series of one-on-one chances in a remarkably open game, before, after only 22 minutes, TNS were given a penalty and equalised. There were more chances through to half time, including TNS hitting the post twice, before Swift took control with two scrappy goals around the 60th minute.

A second, slightly dubious looking penalty gave TNS a chance late in the game, but with Swift killing lots of time as the game died as a spectacle, it finished 3-2 to the home side. Very watchable, if a bit cynical at times from the home side.

The ground:  The Stade de Luxembourg holds just over 9,000, which is madly small for a national stadium, but it’s such an incredibly cool design. The side panels give it this kind of ‘football box’ feel and have little gaps that mean the sun makes patterns as it shines through them onto the grass, and the Luxembourg flag is shone onto them from the inside.

Only two stands were open tonight, and even they weren’t overly full. Drinks and food costs a small fortune (€5,50 for a coke), but hey, it’s Luxembourg, everything costs a fortune.

Extras: I think I saw some programmes floating around but I couldn’t work out where to buy them. We had to settle for some Stade de Luxembourg branded cups. Still, €22,50 for two is good value for almost anything in Luxembourg, so can’t complain.

Assorted asides: Free park and ride from a couple of kms from the stadium is a cool touch, though we walked one way and that seemed to totally confuse the locals – too used to free public transport, perhaps!

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 17. Home wins: 10 Draws: 4 Away wins: 3

Goals: 50. Home goals: 33. Away goals: 17. Goals per game: 2.94

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Groundhopping: Shamrock Rovers (v Breiðablik, Tallaght Stadium)

Competition: Champions League First Qualifying Round

Date: 11 July 2023

Result: Shamrock Rovers 0 – 1 Breiðablik

Tickets:  €20 for adults, €7 for kids.

Attendance: 7,216

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆☆

The Game: I’ve made a habit of seeing some Irish clubs in Europe every season, as my groundhopping entries for the last few years show, and the Champions League appearance, being a knock out game for a single team, can often be very short lived, so I wanted to get to this one.

Shamrock Rovers have had some great runs in Europe in recent years but despite being top of the League of Ireland, they feel a bit off colour this year, and this game highlighted it. On balance it was fairly evenly matched, but Breiðablik’s tight close passing and defensive strength frustrated Rovers, who snatched as the best chances they created (including at least two clear one-on-ones) and always looked vulnerable at the back.

As it happened, the goal they conceded was a brilliantly worked free kick that was slightly moved when taken before being belted hard over the wall. Breiðablik are a much better side than I had expected, truth be told, with their neat midfield in particular impressing, but Rovers should have done much better, and now have the major challenge of going away to Iceland needing to win. Disappointing.

The ground:  Tallaght is by some distance the best League of Ireland stadium in Dublin if what you’re looking for is something modern and comfortable (I prefer the old-world ones personally), and the final side is almost finished. We headed for our usual spot up the top of the west stand, where you’ve got a great view of the hills as well as what’s going on in front of you. Easy access and relaxed (especially on nights like tonight, where there were only about 50 away fans), it’s always a decent experience.

Extras: I saw programmes but didn’t buy one. The kids went mad on the sweet stalls as usual. Apparently the burgers are decent but I’ve never been bothered queuing for them to be honest.

Assorted asides: No Champions League music tonight. Apparently it can’t be played until the group stages. I mainly watch football in a country where no side has ever reached the group stages of the CHampions League. In terms of building atmosphere and making the occasion special, this seems a spectacularly shortsighted rule.

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 16. Home wins: 9 Draws: 4 Away wins: 3

Goals: 45. Home goals: 30. Away goals: 15. Goals per game: 2.81

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Groundhopping: Drogheda United (v Dundalk, United Park)

Competition: League of Ireland Premier Division

Date: 23 June 2023

Result: Drogheda United 1 – 2 Dundalk

Tickets:  €35 for a family ticket (two adults, two kids)

Attendance: circa 2,500

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆☆

The Game: My second Louth derby of the season, and they are generally quite exciting if not overly high quality. Drogheda dominated much of this one, well on top in the first half, including taking the lead and hitting both posts early in the second period, too. Dundalk are dangerous, though, especially with Pat Hoban up front – he became the club’s record goalscorer with his first of two goals here.

Dundalk scored two second half goals in as many minutes to take control of the game – pretty much their only decent chances of the game, from what I can recall. That said, I may have that wrong – dealing with a toddler while you watch the match isn’t the easiest and I didn’t exactly take every second of this in. From what I saw, it was a good game overall, without ever being truly compelling.

The ground:  I’ve been to United Park before, and unintentionally found myself in the away end that time (they were playing UCD, and there were next to no away fans). This time I was the opposite side of the pitch, and it’s a much better set up: easy access, lots of flares from the home fans and a couple of decent snack spots. There’s a slightly irritating policy around standing on the barrier (the stewards allowed it for 70 minutes and then decided not to anymore), but otherwise a pretty good place to watch football. Fairly run down, but that’s part of the charm, I think.

Extras: Decent coffee, lively fans (at least until they were behind, which is understandable in a derby), a surprisingly large full-time police presence, and a nice lad in a technicoloured suit. All good fun.

Assorted asides: I’ve worked out recently that this is actually the easiest professional club to visit from my place, so might well be back more often. Fingers crossed they stay up, a promotion/ relegation play off is not looking impossible this year.

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 15. Home wins: 9 Draws: 4 Away wins: 2

Goals: 44. Home goals: 30. Away goals: 14. Goals per game: 2.93

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Groundhopping: Ireland v Gibraltar (Aviva Stadium)

Competition: European Championship Qualifers, Group B

Date: 19 June 2023

Result: Ireland 3 – 0 Gibraltar

Tickets: As part of our season tickets, circa €50 for one adult and one kid.

Attendance: 42,156

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆

The Game: Stephen Kenny’s Ireland project has been a strange journey. He’s launched a lot of younger players into international football, and unqiestiobnably plays a more attractive version of the game than his rather tactically limited predecessors, but is it more effective? I’d argue not. It was quite ugly to watch today, too, with the team far too focused on firing crosses into Evan Ferguson instead of actually trying anything all that original against an (obviously) below average Gibraltar side.

The first half was particularly poor, with Ireland going in at half time at 0-0, and the action so bad that for the first time ever, I let my son drag me downstairs five minutes before half time because he wanted a snack. The Aviva’s catering is dire, by the way. They were already out of any kind of soft drink before half time, and those prices…

Second half, thankfully, was better, with they ever-promising Mikey Johnston making an immediate difference (he really should be starting every game at this stage). It eventually finished 3-0, with Johnston, Ferguson and Adam Idah getting the goals. Honestly, though, this one wasn’t worth the effort, really. A shame, as I generally love seeing the minnows. San Marino, Lichenstein and Andorra are firmly on my bucket list.

The ground:  Great views from everywhere in the stadium as far as I’ve seen in the Aviva, but the atmopshere today was library-like, the most end-of-season vibe I think I’ve experienced at the place. The highlight was a Mexican wave, which probably says it all.

Extras: Let’s not get into the catering again. Poorly stocked and a rip off, what an odd combination.

Assorted asides: It’s a strange sensation going to an Ireland game that they’re expected to win very easily, and even stranger when, for the first half at least, it looks like a potentially memorable night because they might not. Not a classic, it’s fair to say.

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 14. Home wins: 9 Draws: 4 Away wins: 1

Goals: 41. Home goals: 29. Away goals: 12. Goals per game: 2.93

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Groundhopping: Aston Villa (v Brighton, Villa Park)

Competition: English Premier League

Date: 28 May 2023

Result: Aston Villa 2 – 1 Brighton

Tickets: £39.50 (adult), Doug Ellis Lower

Attendance: 41,925

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆☆☆☆

The Game: With Villa needing to win (or some complicated stuff involving Spurs and Brentford’s results if they didn’t – both won as it turned out) to qualify for Europe for the first time in 13 years, this was a game that I simply had to get over for, the culmination of a season that for Villa has had a redemptive story arc worthy of a full season Netflix series.

To say Villa fans were up for this is a huge understatement. Two hours before kick off, the team coach was welcomed into the club car park by thousands of fans chanting and a few flares. The ground was packed half an hour before kick off, and the atmospehre was electric in a way I haven’t expereinced at Villa in a very long time, probably going back to cup games in the late 00s (I don’t get to a lot of games, to be fair!).

Thankfully, the game lived up to it. Brighton are a remarkable club, considering their resources, and this match was properly toe-to-toe from the off, with Villa scoring two early-ish goals, from Douglas Luiz and Ollie Watkins, both assisted by an absolutely marauding local lad Jacob Ramsey, suddenly a really key player in a side transformed by Unai Emery.

Brighton got one back through Undav, but while they threatened, there’s a change in feel around Villa at the moment, a lack of the vulnerability that long felt like it lingered in the background of these kinds of games, and I felt we were more likely to add another than they were to score. That final whistle – after which I had to almost sprint to the exit to catch my late flight back – was nothing short of ecstatic.

The ground:  I love Villa Park and have attended dozens – possibly over a hundred – Villa games over the years, but this was the first time I sat in the Doug Ellis stand (I’ve been in all the others). I think the atmosphere was electric everywhere today, so it didn’t matter too much where you were sitting, but this was fiery fromt start to finish. Love the feel of Villa Park, too, and the mixing of Brighton and Villa fans outside without any issue was nice to see.

Extras: I couldn’t resist the end of season shirt prices (£20 for the away), and found a programme from a 2008 game against Ajax I attended in the charity box alongside the matchday programme, so pleased with that. The currywurst van was good, too.

Assorted asides: European football, baby! Sure, it’s not the Champions League, but if you flick through my groundhopping posts, you’ll see I’ve a bit of an affection for the Europa Conference League, so I’m all for this.

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 13. Home wins: 8 Draws: 4 Away wins: 1

Goals: 38. Home goals: 26. Away goals: 12. Goals per game: 2.92

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Groundhopping: Bohemians (v Cork City, Dalymount Park)

Competition: League of Ireland Premier Division

Date: 1 May 2023

Result: Bohemians 5 – 0 Cork City

Tickets: €16 (adult), €6 (kids) – prices including fees

Attendance: circa 3,000

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆☆

The Game: Currently top of the league and playing a Cork CIty side whose manager would complain and then be sacked after the game, this always looked likely to be a home win. Oddly, it’s also the fourth game in a row I’ve been to with a red card, three of them in the first half: when a Cork defender kicked out at Bohs point man and saw red off the ball, and the ever-lively Jordan Flores scored the resulting free kick, this felt like it was only ever going to go one way.

That said, the score was more than a little flattering – I think Bohs only had six shots on target, but their four late-ish goals made Cork look like they’d been hammered in a way that didn’t really reflect the majority of the game (in which Bohs were on top, but not totally dominant by any means). The free kick and a finely angled finish by McDonald were particulary impressive. Bohs are away to massive rivals Shamrocks Rovers next Friday – a game that could be key to the title outcome.

The ground:  “Dalymount is falling down” came the chant from the Cork City fans midway through the first half. I had to laugh, as I well remember their ground having its roof blown off only a few years ago during a storm, a far more literal falling down. Dalymount has improved slightly in the last few years, not least through the addition of the away (Mono) stand, in tribute to a dedicated fan who has passed on, and the improvement of the Des Kelly Stand.

With its moss-covered closed end and the endless graffiti around the outsides, though, I think Dalymount is nothing less than iconic, and I’ll be genuinely upset when it’s inevitably eventually gone. Grounds with character have so much more to offer the game than standard issue identi-kit stadiums, and this is one of them. It was slightly quiet today, but I’m putting that down to the win being so comfortable.

Extras: Dalymount is fairly well equipped now with food stalls, coffee, and a nice club shop. I’ve always been a fan of Bohemians kit, and while I didn’t buy any today, I do own a fair bit of their merch. The shop is well worth exploring. I didn’t dig into the programme but there was one.

Assorted asides: There were queues for the food truck for 100% of the game near the Des Kelly Stand, which strikes me as a slightly bizarre way to enjoy a football match. My son insisted on chips. I left him to it, it took half an hour. Probably room for another food stand!

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 12. Home wins: 7 Draws: 4 Away wins: 1

Goals: 35. Home goals: 24. Away goals: 11. Goals per game: 2.92

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