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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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Shamrock Rovers (v Molde FK), Tallaght Stadium

Competition: Europa Conference League

Date: 20 Feburary 2025

Result: Shamrock Rovers 0 – 1 Molde FK (1-1 on aggregate, Molde win 5-4 on penalties)

Tickets:  €20 (adult), €8 (kid), plus a €1 per ticket transaction fee.

Attendance: 9,533 (close to a sell out)

Game/ Experience Rating:  ☆☆☆

The Game: This should have been the one. I say ‘should’ rather than could, as the first modern era proper knock out game for an Irish club in Europe was very, very winnable for Shamrock Rovers having arrived back in Tallaght with a lead. An early mistake gifted Molde what was an equaliser in the context of the tie with a defensive mix up after Shamrock Rovers had somehow come back from Norway with a 1-0 lead, and from then on Shamrock Rovers controlled the game, though with relatively few clear cut chances.

It was the 16 year old wonder kid Michael Noonan who scored away in Molde, and he had a great chance here, too, with a header from about 6 yards out that went just wide. So we went to extra time, and then penalties, all without Molde really offering a whole lot (I felt they were playing for penatlies from about the 50th minute, and especially in extra time when they were a man down).

Perhaps they knew what they were doing, as the shootout was immaculate from Molde, without Rovers getting anywhere near any of their finishes, and one weak one from Rovers being saved ending the tie. Still, the little lad’s first time seeing a live penalty shoot out, and a good night out. It’s just a real shame when we could have had a last 16 European tie in Dublin. I do feel it’ll happen sooner or later, but it’s odds against every individual year, so perhaps we’ve a few more years to wait. Still, for anyone who doubts the value of the Europa Conference League, here it is, this run was fantastic despite the loss.

The ground: Tallaght Stadium is a fairly regular haunt for me, however it’s a slightly different beast for a European game: assigned seating (I stupidly picked a seat with a slightly restricted view from a fairly free choice at the time I booked – watch out for the top left corner of the West Stand, where the near end goal is difficult to see). Nice to see it so close to sold out for the second consecutive time I’ve been there.

Extras: We chose McDonalds over the very long multi-storey car park queue afterwards. A good call. That car park is quite daft – after games queues are so long you have to pay another hour on the ticket as the allowance for getting the car has expired. They really should fix that for game nights.

Assorted asides: I couldn’t find a programme, which is probably a sign of the status of this game (it’s unusual that I wanted one). The new club shop looks good, though, in the bottom of the North Stand.

My totals for the year so far:

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

Goals: 5. Home goals: 0. Away goals: 5. Goals per game: 2.5

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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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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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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: Shamrock Rovers (v KAA Gent, Tallaght Stadium)

Competition: Europa Conference League Group F

Date: 27 October 2022

Result: Shamrock Rovers 1 – 1 KAA Gent

Tickets: I’ve decided I’m all in for Shamrock Rovers Europa Conference League Group Stage. €75 for the three Shamrock Rovers home games. €30 for kids for the same. There were more expensive tickets, but I don’t need to be in the padded seats!

Attendance: 6,203

Game/ Experience Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Game: It’s amazing how often a dead rubber of a football match sees a team up their performance – “it’s already dead, lads” is one of the great frustrations of a football fan, and this was just such a case (though yeah, better they turn up at some stage, of course!). Shamrock Rovers, fresh from winning the League of Ireland for the third year in a row thanks to Derry failing to win in Sligo during the week, are already eliminated from the Europa Conference League, and should really have beaten KAA Gent, a far superior team on paper, here.

Rovers start well, scoring early through Rory Gaffney, who often looks the most dangerous player on the pitch when he plays. For much of the game they threatened to add to the tally, though Gent had their moments too. The game was spoiled a little bit a very picky referee, whose quick-fire approach to yellow cards eventually sees him send a Rovers player off for a pretty mild looking second yellow with 12 or 14 minutes to go, after which they conceded and looked like they might lose for a while. Hong Hyun Seok, the Korean substitute who got the equaliser, could have scored a couple more.

Bizarrely, one draw in the Europa Conference League is worth €166,000 in prize money, more than winning the League of Ireland title in full, so I suspect we’ll be seeing a bit more Rovers dominance on the domestic scene in the coming couple of seasons as they keep grabbing that European money. Despite a good performance at this one, they do look some way short of threatening to get out of a group: getting into one has to be the main aim again next year.

The ground: I love walking up to a football ground in the pitch black. With the floodlights and the colour, its like walking up to a spaceship on a decent clear winter night. I suspect I won’t be in Tallaght again until they have the fourth side of the ground done, and that should add to the atmosphere a lot, I think.

Extras: Gent fans start out making a hell of a lot of noise (we walked past a fairly manic lot on the way in), only to go pretty quiet when Rovers scored and stay that way. Something tells me they were expecting a fairly easy win! This result pushes Ireland’s European club coefficient even higher – dare we hold out hope of two sides in the group stages next year?

Assorted asides: Season over, really, apart from the relegation play offs. I might have to find my way down to UCD for one more LOI hit for 2022.

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 12. Home wins: 6 Draws: 2 Away wins: 4

Goals: 33. Home goals: 17. Away goals: 16. Goals per game: 2.75

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Groundhopping: Shamrock Rovers (v Molde, Tallaght Stadium)

Competition: Europa Conference League Group F

Date: 13 October 2022

Result: Shamrock Rovers 0 – 2 Molde

Tickets: I’ve decided I’m all in for Shamrock Rovers Europa Conference League Group Stage. €75 for the three Shamrock Rovers home games. €30 for kids for the same. There were more expensive tickets, but I don’t need to be in the padded seats!

Attendance: 5,860

Game/ Experience Rating:  ⭐⭐

The Game: With Shamrock Rovers coming under increasing pressure at the top of the League of Ireland, Stephen Bradley has made it clear their priority is no longer Europe, but ensuring they maintain their Irish title. Which is a shame, but I get it: trying to get out of this group was always going to be a big ask, and while any kind of result is worth a serious cash influx, it’s unlikely to top the totals involved in doing it all again from the position of Champions (which vastly increases your chances of a group stage as well as the obvious implicit benefit) next season.

This was not a sparkling performance, and I think that’s a shame as despite losing 0-3 away and 0-2 today, I feel Molde are beatable for Rovers on their day. In fact, had a very good chance in the opening minutes been put away – a fairly easy one on one – this could have been a very different story.

It turned out, instead, Molde got a relatively routine win in which Shamrock Rovers’ threat seemed to fade throughout. A disappointing performance and officially the end of the campaign, though it’ll be interesting to see KAA Gent drop by in a couple of weeks time.

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Groundhopping: Shamrock Rovers (v Djurgårdens, Tallaght Stadium)

Competition: Europa Conference League Group F

Date: 8 September 2022

Result: Shamrock Rovers 0 – 0 Djurgårdens IF

Tickets: I’ve decided I’m all in for Shamrock Rovers Europa Conference League Group Stage. €75 for the three Shamrock Rovers home games. €30 for kids for the same. There were more expensive tickets, but I don’t need to be in the padded seats!

Attendance: 6,330

Game/ Experience Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐

The Game: Djurgårdens, oddly, are the fourth ranked team in Shamrock Rovers group, with Shamrock Rovers the third. I think its quite a balanced group with little between Molde, Djurgårdens and KAA Gent, though it’d be a stretch for Rovers to qualify.

Still, any kind of porgress is progress, and Djurgårdens looked pretty ordinary in this game, which on a better day Shamrock Rovers could have nicked. They grew into the game, particularly in a dominant period towards half time in which the Irish side were by far the better side. I’ve been hoping to see more of Jack Byrne, who has been struggling for fitness but is one of the best players I’ve seen in the League of Ireland, and when he did make it on, he was good but not outstanding.

Both sides could have won this, but neither really set the place alight. Still, a fairly comfortably point for Shamrock Rovers is great for the famous coefficient, the significant funding on offer for any kind of points in the Europa Conference League. They’ll certainly need to be home wins if they’re going to progress, though, so perhaps a missed opportunity.

The ground: Surprisingly, less are showing up to these group games than the knock out games (less riding on them as inidividual games, and slightly more expensive, perhaps). It’d be nice to see sell outs going forward. Tallaght was the same as always: a good, neat place to watch football but not one of Ireland’s most interesting stadiums.

Extras: This match made the news for a chant about the Queen that was a little bit tasteless. I didn’t hear it, as I was right down the other end of the ground (in fact, where I usually sit in Tallaght, the away fans are easier to hear than the home ones). What I did hear was Rovers fans chanting for Djurgårdens rivals Hammarby, and a vocal response from the away end, which was fairly comic.

Assorted asides: Djurgårdens has the best away fans I’ve seen of any European side in Ireland to date. Which is interesting as I’d rank Norkopping, who I saw play St Patrick’s Athletic a few years ago, second. The Swedes are a bit mad, but likeably so.

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