Fran Rooney calls for Ireland fans to support Shelbourne in Champions League game

**soccerc** · 03/08/2004, 11:55 AM

Fran Rooney, Chief Executive of the FAI, today called for Ireland fans to come out and support Shelbourne in Wednesday night’s crunch Champions League game against Hajduk Split.

“It is an important game for Shelbourne and the domestic game in Ireland generally,” Mr Rooney said.

“A victory for Shelbourne on Wednesday night would see them qualify for a lucrative Champions League game against Deportivo La Coruna,” Mr Rooney added.

“Massive support on Wednesday night to create the atmosphere that would help Shelbourne on the road to the victory they need,” Mr Rooney continued.

“League football in Ireland and Shelbourne FC have had a traditional fan base down through the years. I call on that fan base to turn out on Wednesday night for this mouth watering tie and create the type of atmosphere associated with Ireland’s games at Lansdowne Road,” Mr Rooney urged.

**pete** · 03/08/2004, 2:11 PM

Ah good old FAI, sure aren't they great with all these best wishes messages to eL teams.

Hows about some sort of structure or initiative to actually help eL clubs improve european competition results?

**wws** · 03/08/2004, 2:28 PM

i'm fully expecting Rooney to release a press release like this one of these days:

"I call on all Glasgow Celtic fans based in Ireland to support whoever it is in the eircom league are playing in europe tomorrow, lets get behind these Mickey Mouse leaguers and give them our best wishes!"

ah "best wishes" the cheapest way to "care about Irish football"

**Slash/ED** · 03/08/2004, 6:42 PM

"and create the type of atmosphere associated with Ireland’s games at Lansdowne Road"

I hope we can manage a bit better than that...

**City Hero** · 03/08/2004, 9:50 PM

Originally Posted by Patrick J.

Think a lot of ye are paranoid. I think Rooney is another political hack within the FAI but what more can the guy do? He gave his best wishes and encouraged people to attend the game. If you ask me the EL clubs are sucking the life out of the development of the game in this country. Wasn't it the clubs that voted against Eircom Park some years ago. The EL clubs want all the money. They expect our national team to linger in the same third world facilities that domestic clubs inhabit. If you want more support then improve the productivity of the league and get rid of the stupid low-lifers who tend to run EL clubs.

That's a bit harsh. Are you one of the people who wish that EL teams would just pack it in so that pitchs can be sold for a few expensive apartment blocks close to the city centre, and so that the production line of young Irish soccer players can be merged intravenously into the English/Scottish game.

The reality is that we are probably one of the only countries in the world where 100 % our international team plays for foreign clubs. To most "football fans" in this country that means little as most of the players play for "their" club, but to me it is a source of embarrassment, but at the moment it is a reality.

These "stupid low-lifers" may exist at some EL clubs, but it has been proven recently that some of them run the FAI itself. Maybe they should just wind up and hand every thing over to the English FA (now theres an organization who are 100% focused on football). In fact lets just pack it all in. Can someone let Michael Collins know that we have surrendered.

By the way (and it is painfull for me to say this), good luck Shels, I hope you get hammered by Deportivo.

**Éanna** · 03/08/2004, 10:37 PM

why the hell any of us should support a club that has consitently acted in its own interests to the detriment of the league over the years is beyond me. good luck to them, but I certainly won't be cheering them on