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Shamrock Rovers (v Derry City, Tallaght Stadium)

Competition: League of Ireland Premier Division

Date: 28 March 2025

Result: Shamrock Rovers 0 – 0 Derry City

Tickets:  €20 for adults and €8 for kids under 12 in the West Stand.

Attendance: 6,073

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆

The Game: I’m a big, consistent defender of the League of Ireland. I think it’s a vastly underrated league and I’d love to see it supported more widely in Ireland (though things are getting notably better). I feel the need to say that first because this was just awful, up there with the worst games I’ve ever attended in person.

Two red cards in the first half, both arguable to some degree, probably didn’t help, but all in I felt like I was watching two teams that were unable to create. Given these are probably the two most expensively assmebled squads in the league, it was incredible how little attacking intent there was in the game, with a handful of weak shots the entire sum total of the game. Two of the favourites for the league by all accounts. If this is the best they can do, they’ll be a long, long way short. I’m sure they’ll both improve.

The ground: I like Tallaght, in that it feels like a modern lower-league football ground in the UK, in a lot of ways, now it’s fully rounded off with the fourth side added. It has a decent atmosphere (though perhaps not today) and feels positively and friendly. The new shop is cool, too. Shame about the game.

Extras: Plenty on offer, I tend to avoid the programmes etc these days. Right call this time.

Assorted asides: I want to see more of Michael Noonan before he inevitably disappeared for the big leagues. The young striker sat on the bench for much of today while Rovers created essentially nothing. Ah well.

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 4. Home wins: 1 Draws: 1 Away wins: 2

Goals: 8. Home goals: 3. Away goals: 5. Goals per game: 2.00

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Aston Villa (v Club Brugge), Villa Park

Competition: Champion’s League Last 16

Date: 12 March 2025

Result: Aston Villa 3 – 0 Club Brugge (6-1 on aggregate)

Tickets:  The only way I could get in was a hotel package. As a result, the ‘tickets’ plus a hotel cost €230 or so each. The most I’ve ever played to get to a football match, and worth it.

Attendance: 42,461

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆☆☆☆

The Game: It felt almost unreal to me to watch the team I’ve supported for the whole of my lifetime play in the knock out stages of a competition they’ve not been anywhere near for most of that time. Still more surreal to see them win it comfortably. In truth, the tie was over as a contest when Martinez launched a ball over the top to Rashford, who was brought down on-on-one with Simon Mignolet, resulting in a red card for Brugge’s centre back after half an hour or so.

The first half, aside from that, was quite poor, in all honesty, but with tifo at the front of the Holte, the riotous support from the back of K6 (where my son and I sat), and the knowledge that a quarter final tie was on the horizon was enough.

Enter Marco Asensio, the best play on the pitch consistently since he arrived at Villa, and now heading back to PSG to see what damage he can do to his real employer. Asensio had blasted two and played a bit-part role in a third goal within 16 minutes of his arrival, and the tie was dead, a jubilant Villa Park turning to ‘oles’ by 70 minutes as Brugge couldn’t get a foot on the ball. And this was a good Brugge side, too, well able to turn over Villa on another day even without the gift provided by Tyrone Mings in the group stage.

This was something else. Villa are as good as I’ve ever seen them, and I will treasure having been there. More so with my 11 year old in tow.

The ground: Villa Park has adapted a little recently, not least to the tendency to welcome this heroic team noisily off the coach, and the new facilities around this (we missed it, unfortunately, as we waited at the usual spot near the North Stand; the team arrived up near the Trinity).

The following day we took a tour, heard some little tit bits of history I didn’t already know, and got a new appreciation for just how upmarket parts of the ground we’re not usually anywhere near are. It’s such a stunning spot, and to me a kind of spiritual home.

Extras: A programme was a must this once, though I usually find them bordering on a waste of space. The club also laid on scarves on every seat, which formed a part of the atmosphere. How big was this game? The scarves were going for over €100 in ebay the following day. With the cost of the trip, I was almost tempted!

Assorted asides: We couldn’t go any further… could we?

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 3. Home wins: 1 Draws: 0 Away wins: 2

Goals: 8. Home goals: 3. Away goals: 5. Goals per game: 2.66

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Shamrock Rovers (v Waterford, Tallaght Stadium)

Competition: League of Ireland Premier Division

Date: 2 November 2024

Result: Shamrock Rovers 2 – 1 Waterford

Tickets:  €20 (adults), €8 (kids)

Attendance: 9,522

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆☆☆

The Game: This was very much the ‘finale’ of the League of Ireland top tier season, with Shamrock Rovers needing a win at home to Waterford and for Shelbourne to drop points away at Derry to take yet another title. Honestly, I’d marginally have preferred to go to Derry, but ticketing and the length of the journey (an 8 hour round trip requiring time off work) had me down in Tallaght.

This had a cracking atmosphere, plenty of pyro from the Shamrock Rovers fans and plenty of that niggling noise from the Waterford away end, who seemed to enjoy their defeat given its ultimately being of no consequence for Rovers (that’s football, I guess). Waterford were decent and created chances, but never really looked like getting something, especially after Rovers hit their second early in the second half. It ended a fairly comfortable 2-1. All eyes, then, on Shelbourne, and an extended period of 0-0 in Derry meant that Rovers were top of the ‘as is’ league from the 4th minute to when Shelbourne scored a late winner in the 85th.

Even after that, rumours went around Tallaght of a Derry equaliser – I haven’t seen anything to suggest why – prompting a loud reaction from the Rovers fans. Personally. I’m quite glad Shels won, though I kept that quiet. It’s not good for any league for one club to dominate. I do suspect, though, given their deterioration in the second half of the season, that it might not be repeated next year.

The ground: We went in the North Stand for the first time, and apart from a few idiotic kids throwing things down from the back row at everyone in front of them, it’s a decent spot. The attendance of over 9,500 is by some distance the largest I’ve seen for a League of Ireland league match.

Extras: There’s a new shop in the North Stand, we arrived too late to check it out.

Assorted asides: There’s still the Europa Conference League, which may even see Rovers go to the knock out stages the way it’s going (fingers crossed!). But I’ll miss the League of Ireland.

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 11. Home wins: 3 Draws: 5 Away wins: 3

Goals: 27. Home goals: 13. Away goals: 14. Goals per game: 2.45

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Aston Villa (v Manchester United, Villa Park)

Competition: Premier League

Date: 6 October 2024

Result: Aston Villa 0 – 0 Manchester United

Tickets:  £67.50, in the Holte End Upper

Attendance: 42,682

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆

The Game: It’s a thing, isn’t it, that after a top class performance (Villa’s quite incredible home win against Bayern Munich midweek), what follows is usually something a bit indifferent. This was exactly that: an inspired game that’s main plus from a Villa supporter’s point of view was that Manchester United clearly no longer believe they can win at Villa Park, which is quite a change from recent history.

The most interesting thing that happened is that Marcus Rashford somehow avoiding being sent off for perhaps the most blatant second yellow card you’re likely to see (some things, I suppose, never change), and Villa demonstrated a singular inability to play a final ball in a scenario where they were well on top. I usually love these trips, but this, in short, was not a classic, though over two hours of walking Birmingham’s canals added a little something.

The ground: I love Villa Park and the Holte End Upper is usually rocking. I honestly felt they were a bit bored.

Extras: I managed to get a programme from Munich and my kid’s Christmas present (he’ll never read this, but he’ll love the Martinez third gk shirt). Let’s not talk about the prices.

Assorted asides: Watching players arrive via the new fanzone was quite a cool experience. Full marks to Diego Carlos, who engaged by far the most.

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 10. Home wins: 2 Draws: 5 Away wins: 3

Goals: 24. Home goals: 11. Away goals: 13. Goals per game: 2.4

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Groundhopping: Ireland (v England, Aviva Stadium)

Competition: Nation’s League (Second Tier)

Date: 7 September 2024

Result: Ireland 0 – 2 England

Tickets:  (apparently over €100 each for quite a lot of the normal tickets – but for us, included in our season tickets)

Attendance: 50,359

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆☆☆

The Game: This, of course, is a bitter rivalry, and the atmosphere reflected it, with relentless abuse directed to the England side… for about half an hour. England looking unaffected, truthfully. In fact, their dominance was substantial, with Ireland struggling to get decent posession, and there was something particularly galling for Ireland fans about the two former Irish players Declan Rice and Jack Grealish – the latter off a great passing move centred around Rice – scoring the two goals.

The booing was relentless (the irony of the like of James McLean also having played for different national teams when they were younger apparently lost on the home fans), but England under Carsley look a substantially better side than Ireland under their new Icelandic boss. The second half was disappointing, though England went close again. Ireland most frustratingly don’t really have any bite. In a game like this, they should. Still, a lively if one-sided experience.

The ground: The Aviva is rarely as lively at it was in the opening stages of this game, and then flat as anything. Plenty of Irish fans stayed under the stand well into the second half (I know, because the little lad decided he needed a loo trip). From lively to sedate in no time.

Extras: €10 for a programme seemed a bit much, I have to be honest. It’s a fairly basic programme at that.

Assorted asides: I had to keep my head down as an Englishman in an Ireland shirt (I’m an Ireland regular, going to easily two thirds of home games). While I only saw very minor verbal agro, I’m not sure allowing home and away fans to arrive down the same narrow route next to the river into the south/ west stand is a very clever idea.

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 9. Home wins: 2 Draws: 4 Away wins: 3

Goals: 24. Home goals: 11. Away goals: 13. Goals per game: 2.67

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Groundhopping: St Patrick’s Athletic (v İstanbul Başakşehir, Tallaght Stadium)

Competition: Europa League 4th Qualifying Round

Date: 22 August 2024

Result: St Patrick’s Athletic 0 – 0 İstanbul Başakşehir

Tickets:  €20 adults, €8 kids

Attendance: 6,219

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆☆☆

The Game: The first, home leg of the final qualifying round for the Europa Conference League group stage, so a massive game for St Pat’s in a season where Shamrock Rovers have already qualified – two teams in the group would be massive for Irish football, and for Pat’s team currently in a fairly uninspiring 7th in the League of Ireland. Başakşehir are a government funded Turkish side with a squad that far exceeds Pat’s in value, but they simply weren’t very good on the night.

They should, on paper, have been significantly overmatched here, but instead the game was controlled by the Inchicore side, who will be really frustrated not to have won it. They created a series of chances – a close range header, a shot from outside the box that slammed against the post, and a cross that just failed to connect two yards out. The ‘nearly’ moments that might be key, but nonetheless, a really excellent effort against a team they should have struggled against. Of course, going out to the heat of Istanbul for the return leg and getting anything is a huge ask, and they’ll probably go out now. But it was a great watch, a memorably strong performance. No harm in those extra UEFA points either.

The ground:  I’ve now sat basically everywhere in Tallaght except behind the goals. In the rain, it was surreal today, with fans packed in back from the touchline to stay dry. A decent turnout, with the noise all over in the traditional away end, and a collection of Turkish fans in the South Stand.

Extras: There was a programme, but as usual I didn’t buy it.

Assorted asides: I found the Turkish fans confusing, largely clad in Galatasary and Fenerbarche tops. I wasn’t even 100% sure they were supporting the Turkish side at times, and the noise from them was loud but very intermitant. I don’t think they were too impressed with their side.

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 8. Home wins: 2 Draws: 4 Away wins: 2

Goals: 22. Home goals: 11. Away goals: 11. Goals per game: 2.75

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Groundhopping: St Patrick’s Athletic (v Sabah FK, Tallaght Stadium)

Competition: Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round

Date: 8 August 2024

Result: St Patrick’s Athletic 1 – 0 Sabah FK

Tickets:  €25 adults, €9 kids

Attendance: 4,352

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆☆☆

The Game: St Patrick’s Athletic are having something of a horror season in the League of Ireland under former national poss Stephen Kenny, but Kenny has a reputation for doing damage in Europe and this was perhaps the best performance in Europe I’ve seen from an Irish side since the day of Dundalk doing damage.

Pat’s saw their own post hit in the first minute… and that was about it. From then on they piled on the pressure, with Sabah FK, admittedly not exactly a big name, but arguably more favoured than Pat’s, looking overmatched to the point that I stood somewhere in the second half where I couldn’t see the Pat’s goal, and it didn’t effect my enjoyment of the match one bit.

Pat’s scored a great goal in the first half, a volleyed finish from the edge of the six yard box, and then Sabah had a man sent off. From then on, they’ll be huge disappointment that they didn’t win by more, which makes a trip to Azerbaijan a tough challenge. It could easily have been a rout.

The ground:  We’re regulars at Tallaght Stadium, but still haven’t managed to get ourselves into the new North Stand (tickets wouldn’t go through this time, odd as it was clearly sparsely populated). Pat’s had made it their own, with the Invincibles in the traditional away section, complete with plenty of banners and making a decent noise throughout.

The atmosphere has definitely improved now there are stands on all four sides, and I noticed even the west stand seats have been replaced.

Extras: The small number of Sabah FK fans getting progressively more irritated in the heart of the West Stand was quite entertaining. I think they expected a win.

Assorted asides: I think this was a touch overpriced to be honest. Great game, better than most I’ve attended in Ireland, but if they’d knocked the price down a bit from €26 including fees for adults they could have sold a lot more tickets.

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 7. Home wins: 2 Draws: 3 Away wins: 2

Goals: 22. Home goals: 11. Away goals: 11. Goals per game: 3.14

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Groundhopping: Shamrock Rovers (v Sparta Prague, Tallaght Stadium)

Competition: Champion’s League Second Qualifying Round

Date: 23 July 2024

Result: Shamrock Rovers 0 – 2 Sparta Prague

Tickets:  €20 adults, €8 kids

Attendance: 9,684

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆

The Game: This was an odd one: Sparta Prague are unquestionably one of the bigger European names to turn up at Tallaght Stadium in recent years, but in my view Rovers kind of beat themselves. The first goal was scrappy as anything, and basically amounted to giving the ball away and then failing to clear it. The second was a bit more involved, but Sparta were by no means impressive (though obviously a much better side than Shamrock Rovers). Their away following was fairly weak, too.

Rovers themselves created a couple of decent chances, but nothing more than that, and had very little of the ball overall, struggling to play out from defence and create any space. Irish sides have struggled in Europe in recent years and this was never likely to be the game that changed that, but it could and perhaps should have been better than a 2-0 loss, simply because Sparta struggled so much to create. Still, Rovers are poor by their usual standards this year, so perhaps it’s not unexpected.

The ground:  This was my first time in the four-sided Tallaght Stadium with the new North Stand, and it really does give it the feel of a better ground, a more rounded, high-level spot. Nice to see in the League of Ireland, it’s always been a decent place to watch football. Having decided to go last minute, we didn’t get to check out the new stand, but felt lucky to squeeze in at all (the East Stand is definitely my least favourite location in the ground, but we got in a few minutes before sell out).

Atmosphere was only okay for this, but still a fun experience.

Extras: There were programmes, but I didn’t bother. Long queues for the refreshments throughout the first and second half surprised me. Maybe they need more food outlets; maybe people should focus more on the game!

Assorted asides: A continuation of my habit of going to any Irish side in Europe. Shamrock Rovers are out of this tie in my view, but at least they drop down the competitions, which means at least two more games, and only one win in those two required to make a group stage. Fingers crossed the draw is kind!

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 6. Home wins: 1 Draws: 3 Away wins: 2

Goals: 21. Home goals: 10. Away goals: 11. Goals per game: 3.5

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