[fabio]

I honestly though Darkcloud would get here ahead of me but not so it seems...

Came home last night to find that Shamrock Rovers beat Patrizan Belgrade 3-2 on aggregate to be the first Irish team to make it into the coveted group stages of the Europa League. A cracker of a strike from former Cork City player Pat Sullivan (Pat come back to City pleeeease!) and another former City player, Stephen O'Donnell hit a lovely penalty to put the Hoops through. I'm a Cork City fan, I'm meant to hate Rovers but I can only admire and respect this and revel in the joy of it!!! Fair dues to ye, ye heroes!

Here's the goals:

And here's a few Rovers fans celebrating at home (turn it up and get ready to laugh a lot, bloody heroes!):

[Darkcloud]

Thanks fabio....I'm a bit worse for wear today...kind of a long nite...
Couldnt even make it to work


A great night for Irish soccer indeed...I'm absolutely thrilled and flights to London for Spurs match are booked already

Obviously it's Rovers time but I'd be equally (ok not equally ) thrilled if any Irish club (except Bohs..) advanced to this stage

[fabio]

Darkcloud, on 26 August 2011 - 05:11 PM, said:

Thanks fabio....I'm a bit worse for wear today...kind of a long nite...
Couldnt even make it to work


A great night for Irish soccer indeed...I'm absolutely thrilled and flights to London for Spurs match are booked already

Obviously it's Rovers time but I'd be equally (ok not equally ) thrilled if any Irish club (except Bohs..) advanced to this stage

With you on that one! The nights City spent on that edge...so close to going through, I remember the joy and the pain! Slavia Prague in 2005, didn't we hit the crossbar twice in 2 minutes and then hit the post. If even one of those had gone in...!!!

Anyway fantastic for Rovers and fantastic for another fan-owned club to do something so great as this. Here's hoping the other big fan-owned club (Cork City) can do likewise in time.

Long night was had indeed I'd say hahahaha! Well done!

[Animal]

Did I here that rovers are turning down the avavia for the spurs match Coz they would rather have the game at home??? That's kinda siht for fans of Irish football or indeed Irish spurs fans! Why can they cater for in tallaght? 4 or 5 thou??

[Gasman]

Absolutey brilliant result and Sullivans goal could be goal of the seaon......

Rovers should play in Tallaght, play at home and qualify for the next round..... I know less fans but home is home and they spent so long getting their own ground.....

[fabio]

Animal, on 26 August 2011 - 06:05 PM, said:

Did I here that rovers are turning down the avavia for the spurs match Coz they would rather have the game at home??? That's kinda siht for fans of Irish football or indeed Irish spurs fans! Why can they cater for in tallaght? 4 or 5 thou??

hahahahaha!

Rovers, in my honest opinion, can do whatever they fancy doing because if they reckon they want to keep it at home then I'm fully supportive of that. That's like saying Rubin Kazan should move their home-tie with Rovers/Spurs/PAOK to Moscow to ease the travel on them.

6,000 at Tallaght I think it is but I heard today that Tallaght is a Cat 3 stadium and you need Cat 4 for the group stages. In saying this though Tallaght and Turners Cross here in Cork...two very good grounds. Not sure of Tallaght but Turners Cross is all-seater, all covered too and the new floodlights are the job.

[Darkcloud]

Animal, on 26 August 2011 - 06:05 PM, said:

Did I here that rovers are turning down the avavia for the spurs match Coz they would rather have the game at home??? That's kinda siht for fans of Irish football or indeed Irish spurs fans! Why can they cater for in tallaght? 4 or 5 thou??

As far as I know all 3 home games will be at the Aviva....due to UEFA requirements...however I believe it's a shame they can't play in their own ground .. it's 'home' afterall ..as gasman says they spent long enough waiting for it...

Mind you they'd have been mad to keep spurs game at Tallaght..they'll make €0000's in the aviva

[andy gaw]

great result for all league of Ireland supporters, bit of a nail-biter but they done all Irish soccer supporters proud last night. I hope they play in Tallaght..as for the "Irish" Spurs fans, I dont think there are that many Irish living in Tottenham, and after all the bother over there recently, most of them probably couldn't afford to travel

[Animal]

I don't really follow the football, I was thinking of the money they would make if they could fill the Aviva! I know a few guys here that follow spurs so I reckon they will have no problem filling it!

[The Greek AKA The cat]

Darkcloud, on 26 August 2011 - 05:11 PM, said:

...................I'd be equally (ok not equally ) thrilled if any Irish club (except Bohs..) advanced to this stage

I was going to say something nice but I tasted a little sick at the back of me throat!

I remember going to Lansdowne to support Shelbourne but I think I will give it a miss this time!

[kairos]

Great achievement for Irish football !!!
...and that's what matters

[Darkcloud]

The Greek, on 26 August 2011 - 09:12 PM, said:

I was going to say something nice but I tasted a little sick at the back of me throat!

I remember going to Lansdowne to support Shelbourne but I think I will give it a miss this time!

Ooops I meant to put a aftet my Bohs comment.. I was of course only kidding.. I even cheered them on in Dalyer the night they beat Rangers (showing my age now.. ) I blame my massive hangovet for that slip..
I was also mighty relieved when they came bak from the brink of extinction in the close season.. Imagine LOI with no Bohs
KOH

[The Greek AKA The cat]

Darkcloud, on 27 August 2011 - 08:57 AM, said:

Ooops I meant to put a aftet my Bohs comment.. I was of course only kidding.. I even cheered them on in Dalyer the night they beat Rangers (showing my age now.. ) I blame my massive hangovet for that slip..
I was also mighty relieved when they came bak from the brink of extinction in the close season.. Imagine LOI with no Bohs
KOH

Sure where would we be without the auld enemy

[Fr Dougal]

Tis a great achievement for Rovers and a goo dlift for Irish Footie. Well done hoops

[Darkcloud]

and tonight it was announced that all home games will be held at Tallaght stadium

[Empty One]

AFAIK clubs have to nominate a single stadium for all group stage home games so the Aviva option was never on. I'm up for 2 tickets if anyone has spares!

[crispy]

Thats deadly, although the stadium is small on europe league standards it will hopefully help the club financially.

Good business for hungry local taxi drivers aswell

[Darkcloud]

Tomorrow night is the big night

[andy gaw]

Good luck tonight DC, enjoy it, I got a sneaky feeling ye may make a bit of history for yerselves and the L.O.I tonight......Billy D to score !!!!

[Darkcloud]

andy gaw, on 03 November 2011 - 01:43 PM, said:

Good luck tonight DC, enjoy it, I got a sneaky feeling ye may make a bit of history for yerselves and the L.O.I tonight......Billy D to score !!!!

Thanks ag...we're knocking on the door so hopefully tonight is the big one...time to leave 'moral victories' in the past..

Billy D was fab over in Greece..more of the same tonight please