Airtricity League XI Vs Manchester United

It was an odd crowd, like the one you'd expect at eurodisney. Thank god for the Dubs. Say what you will, it being a friendly 'n all, but that's the oddest demography I've ever seen at a football match. Today was a stark example of how 'soccer' has changed in the 'marketplace' of sport.

All in all it was nice to see United. Valencia's pure simplicity was a joy, and Chicarito's goal was great.

The stadium announcer should be shot for not announcing the teams pre match. Biggest day of those lads careers and no cheer from the crowd.

The half time penos were great although if Tony O Donoghue had said 'airtricity' one more time I was going to pitch invade and kill him. Next time any smug LOI twat says he hates what the money has done to the premiership can feck right off. Same ethos, lower return. Shocking.

And what the feck happened to the Havlock Sqaure End? Build 3/4 of a great stadium, nice one Paddy.

My 20 year FAI boycott remains.

(ta for the ticket dad)
 
Anyone have highlights of the game? I was only able to watch the first half... And even that was on a dodgy stream.

And also, was Carrick's injury serious?
 
Scholesy said:
I find it strange why Fabio and Rafael travelled but not involved.
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Explaination from ManUtd.com

Phelan plays down injury worries - Manchester United Official Web Site

They were sick.

"They (the twins) came down with a little bit of a bug this afternoon. They weren’t too good this morning but we decided to bring them with us, and during the course of the day they got a little bit worse, so there was no point risking them. They just sat in the stand, watching the game."
 
moses said:
It was an odd crowd, like the one you'd expect at eurodisney. Thank god for the Dubs. Say what you will, it being a friendly 'n all, but that's the oddest demography I've ever seen at a football match. Today was a stark example of how 'soccer' has changed in the 'marketplace' of sport.

All in all it was nice to see United. Valencia's pure simplicity was a joy, and Chicarito's goal was great.

The stadium announcer should be shot for not announcing the teams pre match. Biggest day of those lads careers and no cheer from the crowd.

The half time penos were great although if Tony O Donoghue had said 'airtricity' one more time I was going to pitch invade and kill him. Next time any smug LOI twat says he hates what the money has done to the premiership can feck right off. Same ethos, lower return. Shocking.

And what the feck happened to the Havlock Sqaure End? Build 3/4 of a great stadium, nice one Paddy.

My 20 year FAI boycott remains.

(ta for the ticket dad)
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Line-up was announced before the game, twice.

The Havlock Square End couldn't be built any higher than it is because of planning law. They, similar to United's south stand, would have to buy the houses behind them in order to build it any higher.

Anyway, the atmosphere up where I was, was pretty good. We had a group of Mancs about ten rows back so they were singing to their hearts content which was good craic.

I got the penalty recorded on my phone as I had just taken it out to record the mexican wave. Will try upload it at some stage.
 
I was in the ground 15 mins before the game and didn't hear it, I know it's a big event the but working man is busy til 6 and don't live along the dort line.

Havlock Square used to be better is all. And within the same planning laws - were you really pointing that out to me?
 
Don't mind moses, CZ, he's a grumpy old curmudgeon.

Of course, talking about videoing mexican waves on your mobile phone was always going to raise hackles ;)

Good point about the strange demographic, moses, I said the same thing to my mate. Most unusual.

I take it you didn't order the Tempura Battered Fish?
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Don't mind moses, CZ, he's a grumpy old curmudgeon.

Of course, talking about videoing mexican waves on your mobile phone was always going to raise hackles ;)

Good point about the strange demographic, moses, I said the same thing to my mate. Most unusual.

I take it you didn't order the Tempura Battered Fish?
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Not a POTY for nowt young Mahone. All spot on.

And as for the Tempura, that was the planned hook for my Jon Nicholson style rant! The rant may have to be tommorow as I have a load to do today.
 
Stemmy said:
This is true. Its a league thats struggling in a country that is largely disinterested in the league itself. I'm a culprit myself despite supporting Shellbourne when I was a kid for a short while. Sad to see
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El B said:
Yeah im the same, for a long time i was a regular to Derry games, these last couple of years though i haven't been. I still take an interest in the league and watch MNS but thats not going to help. I hear stories of Derry in the 80's having the best part of 10,000 at home games and taking a couple of thousand to away games. Sad really how its turned out.
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Name Changed said:
The Airtricity players showed what they are, amateur players. I think they acquitted themselves very well though. Mulcahy's goal was a super goal. It really does highlight the weakness in the domestic game at the moment though and I can't see how it's going to improve to be honest.
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:lol: Strolling down to the odd game might help a bit lads.
 
I enjoyed the game, great to be able to get to a game in Ireland (even if it was a meaningless friendly).

The crowd was very weird alright, it was like 4 kids for every adult.

Some of the organisation was funny, as is to be expected I suppose, €12.50 for a cold manky burger and 10 cold chips :eek: someone needs to tell the FAI that the Celtic tiger left town a couple of years back, glad I wasn't there with a couple of kids or it would have been a fairly pricey night!!
 
Eyepopper said:
I enjoyed the game, great to be able to get to a game in Ireland (even if it was a meaningless friendly).

The crowd was very weird alright, it was like 4 kids for every adult.

Some of the organisation was funny, as is to be expected I suppose, €12.50 for a cold manky burger and 10 cold chips :eek: someone needs to tell the FAI that the Celtic tiger left town a couple of years back, glad I wasn't there with a couple of kids or it would have been a fairly pricey night!!
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4 kids in new United tops for every tanned besuited adult.

But yes, most importantly the game was quite enjoyable.
 
moses said:
Or it might not WP. The history of mismanagement of our domestic game far overshadows and even causes the fans disinterest?
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It wouldn't exactly turn things around massively, when you have the likes of Nick Leeson in charge of a football club and John Delaney in charge of a league you're always going to be up against it. But attendances that meet four figures more than once in a blue moon would be a good starting point. I doubt most of Ireland's olé olé football 'fans' would be aware enough of how badly the league is run to be put off by it, not when the more dazzling alternative is right next door.
 
Wonder Pigeon said:
It wouldn't exactly turn things around massively, when you have the likes of Nick Leeson in charge of a football club and John Delaney in charge of a league you're always going to be up against it. But attendances that meet four figures more than once in a blue moon would be a good starting point. I doubt most of Ireland's olé olé football 'fans' would be aware enough of how badly the league is run to be put off by it, not when the more dazzling alternative is right next door.
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Aye, they are seperate arguments alright, but my aulfellah, who unlike me is not a bitter man at all, does resent the mismanagement that didn't reinvest in the league in the last 40 years when the size crowds you want were exceeded all over the country.
 
Well, anyway. I do hope you caftards didn't take part in the goonish mexican waves and the chorus of olé olé olé.
 
'kin architects

SDC11758.jpg
 
Jaysus, was that you're view?

I was pretty much directly opposite you but up in the heavens, I had a great view. (at least you had that blond to your right :drool:)

As for the mexican wave it was a bit cringy but quite funny I thought, anyone that utters the words 'ole ole' should be shot in the face with a ball on Traveller shit though!
 
moses said:
I wonder how that Beatles play was.
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moses said:
Anyone else suspect Brophs is out somewhere in some early house riding the post theatre adrenalin wave?
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Pogue Mahone said:
:lol:

<Brophs standing on a chair>

"Come on everybody! All together! One last time! Loooooove looove me dooo..."
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Ah lads, wait 'til I tell you about my night.

So we strolled down towards the Olympia and met a couple of my mates for a drink beforehand. Immediately we got worried because the crowd seemed to be full of what I'd politely term 'Facebook wankers'. This shower of cnuts seemed to have four iPhones per person, and weren't talking to each other, just surfing the net.

So we go in to the theatre, grab our seats and settle in. The curtain comes up, and behind it there's another white curtain to project stuff onto. So far so good. Then they show an arty little montage of old footage backed by a radio being tuned until it settles on a radio announcer saying 'And here are the new sensation....THE BEATLES'. Un-oh. Then the curtain lifts and the Beatles launch into 'Twist and Shout' and a couple of other songs from their earlier period. The 'band' stay in character throughout, and even do the 'George is looking for a girlfriend' line. The bloke who's playing Lennon is a dead ringer for Harrison. The bloke playing McCartney is as big an arsehole as McCartney, without the redeeming feature of being McCartney. On a screen at the back of the stage you can see where the screen is linked to a computer. At one stage the bloke had to take a file out of the recycle bin.

My missus: Isn't this supposed to be a play?
Me: Yeah, er, they're probably just going to do songs in between scenes.

The white curtain drops again. They project a 30 second Brian Epstein interview. It's running horribly out of sync. The curtain lifts and they do three more songs. From the Ed O'Sullivan show. They keep repeating the things the Beatles said on the show. More cringey, in-character banter. The bloke playing McCartney keeps doing his trademark raising of his fist/bass to gee the crowd up. It's not working.

My missus: This isn't a play, is it?
Me: Er.....

The curtain drops. They project an interview with Epstein saying 'And of course, the next step was to make a film.' The interview fades to footage of 'Help!' Except that they've recreated it (badly) using the 'band' instead of the real Beatles. It's still running out of sync. They still keep cutting to MS Windows, and the the person who is obviously lining up the next video clip by double clicking it.

My missus: What's going on?
Me: Er.....

They come back on and do three more songs 'from Shea Stadium', one of which is McCartney doing 'Yesterday on his own'. They break for the interval.

Me: Do you fancy leaving? This is a bit....
My missus: No. We should probably stay.
Me: You sure?
My missus: Yeah, let's go.

About fifty people had the same idea as us. There was a stampede out the door. We were home half an hour later. What an absolute pile of toss. They sold it as a play/show/musical thing, but it was just a covers band taking themselves way too seriously. And I've seen McCartney doing that tour when he basically only did Beatles records, so it was never going to top that. Admittedly the vocals were very similar, but I have sympathy for the people who actually paid €30 for that.

Then we got home and my missus' flatmate was crying, so I ended up going to bed on my own and listening to a Ricky Gervias podcast.

:SadMermanSmilie:
 
The biggest cringe I had of the night was on the Dart on the way in, a typically ignorant and arrogant 'Dalky Dad' (you know the type, fat, high blood pressure, 'leinster rugby' jacket') hopped on with his little lad, his mate and his mates little lad.

They began talking about the kids, 'oh such a job I had to get this one to wear his jersey!' he pipes, 'he wanted to wear his Chelsea one but we managed to compromise on this (the blue Utd one)'...

Not a hint of a joke, so I stabbed the dad in the throat with my iPhone and threw the kid off the back of the dart.


feck me!
 
Eyepopper said:
Jaysus, was that you're view?

I was pretty much directly opposite you but up in the heavens, I had a great view. (at least you had that blond to your right :drool:)
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Aye, halfway line but I felt I was sitting where I should have been standing, I'd say I was just within the boundary of the old East Terrace.

the blond wasn't that great but she did flash me a 'oh you're so witty' smile when I recommended Dimitar pay attention to the young lads taking the half time penos.
 
Eyepopper said:
The biggest cringe I had of the night was on the Dart on the way in, a typically ignorant and arrogant 'Dalky Dad' (you know the type, fat, high blood pressure, 'leinster rugby' jacket') hopped on with his little lad, his mate and his mates little lad.

They began talking about the kids, 'oh such a job I had to get this one to wear his jersey!' he pipes, 'he wanted to wear his Chelsea one but we managed to compromise on this (the blue Utd one)'...
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Who says it's OK to wear Ireland rugby shirts to a United game?


And one point of clarification, Dalkey is a village and has one of the proudest football clubs in the capital - we all give Zebs a hard time (and should continue to) but this just to qualify it with the fact there's a slim chance he might be ok.
 
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