FAI Cup 2021

[TonyD]

35,000 tickets sold as of this morning the FAI have confirmed.

The Aviva record will be beaten can the all time one be beaten?

That’s fantastic. I wonder why the jump in numbers this year ? Would be great to think there is an increase in interest in the league. Hopefully it will be a good game. (And we win of course. No point in losing a thriller. Been there, done that twice v Derry in 2006 and 2012.)

[El-Pietro]

Blinkhorn as well. They changed the rules after that so accumulation of yellow cards wouldn’t keep you out of the cup final but red card suspensions do.


Danny Murphy and Roy O'Donovan were suspended in 2005 after receiving yellows in a league game against Waterford. Neal Horgan was suspended in 2007.

[El-Pietro]

That’s fantastic. I wonder why the jump in numbers this year ? Would be great to think there is an increase in interest in the league. Hopefully it will be a good game. (And we win of course. No point in losing a thriller. Been there, done that twice v Derry in 2006 and 2012.)

Two Dublin teams has to help, and its two teams who haven't been to the final in recent years. Seven years for Pats, 13 for Bohs so no fatigue from the fan bases, and probably some neutral interest after 3 teams playing in the last 6 finals. Plus crowds have been limited in the last 18+ months so lots of latent desire to go to football.

[Nesta99]

and Cork fans couldnt travel to the game on a school night!

[pateen]

That's a fantastic crowd so far. I think in comparison to previous years the matches I've seen for the most part have been very entertaining.

Bohs and Dundalks European games were very enjoyable to watch.

[Martinho II]

Danny Murphy and Roy O'Donovan were suspended in 2005 after receiving yellows in a league game against Waterford. Neal Horgan was suspended in 2007.

Same with Gary Deegan in 07 for us too. Whats capacity of Aviva does anyone know?

[sadloserkid]

51,700

[CuanaD]

51,700

[Bohs11]

That’s fantastic. I wonder why the jump in numbers this year ? Would be great to think there is an increase in interest in the league. Hopefully it will be a good game. (And we win of course. No point in losing a thriller. Been there, done that twice v Derry in 2006 and 2012.)
The big club returning to our second home! :cool:

[nr637]

It will defo be over the 40,000 mark and the Bohs fans will prob out number St. Pats by 2:1. The Bohs fans are planning a real colourful show for TV, I hear!

[D24Saint]

Wondering why the FAI or ticketmaster went for unallocated seats. With the numbers that we are looking at on Sunday surely this will lead to issues. It’s always best to have a seat number.

[Nesta99]

It's an old bugbear of mine!! Watch for the empty sections while another section is dangerously packed. Bohs singing section will probably all pile in to one block. If the crowd is over 40k it should at minimum be allocated blocks.

[2 Year Contract]

It's an old bugbear of mine!! Watch for the empty sections while another section is dangerously packed. Bohs singing section will probably all pile in to one block. If the crowd is over 40k it should at minimum be allocated blocks.

It is allocated blocks but unreserved seating within those blocks. I can’t see stewards strongly policing people moving between blocks however so yeah there'll probably be some very overcrowded areas, particularly in the singing sections of both clubs as you mentioned

[Kingswood Rover]

It will defo be over the 40,000 mark and the Bohs fans will prob out number St. Pats by 2:1. The Bohs fans are planning a real colourful show for TV, I hear!
Sounds fab oh for me beloved hoops to be involved you would think that it would be close to capacity with Pats and Rovers:giggle:

[sbgawa]

The cup is so 2019 tbh :D

[Nesta99]

It is allocated blocks but unreserved seating within those blocks. I can’t see stewards strongly policing people moving between blocks however so yeah there'll probably be some very overcrowded areas, particularly in the singing sections of both clubs as you mentioned

I hope they do, at previous finals it was basically go where ye like (bar premium entry). By the 3rd year of being in the final nobody fussed too much about how ticket master released tickets as once in the ground people just picked their spot - far too many behind the North goal and we saw that the overpacked area a crowd surge resulted in the collapsible seating getting a test. It was bad at half capacity crowd, but heading for 40k it will just be downright dangerous unless properly stewarded. Tbh allocated seating can cause rows in itself lol.

[Nesta99]

The cup is so 2019 tbh :D

One hit wonders!!

[Longfordian]

This is a fantastic piece by David Sneyd with Chris Forrester and Keith Buckley. Highly recommended.

https://www.the42.ie/fai-cup-final-2-5610370-Nov2021/

[DCSIL]

Meant to be flying from London to Dublin for cup final tommorow but UK Government just announced restrictions coming back into UK.. gutted!

[D24Saint]

Meant to be flying from London to Dublin for cup final tommorow but UK Government just announced restrictions coming back into UK.. gutted!

I looked it up as I’m due in the uk in a few days . They require you to pre book a flow test and not a pcr as reported by the independent and few other papers. Afaik the flow test gives a quicker result to the pcr.

[Nesta99]

and yet someone could fly in to Belfast, take a 90-120minue drive and mingle with 40k people no problem and be carrying covid-19 Om. Its early for it likely to be an issue but one UK case is in Brentwood, Essex and where I lived and flew home to a couple of FAI Cup finals from. It does show how daft 'restrictions' can be between the UK and ROI/EU.

[DCSIL]

and yet someone could fly in to Belfast, take a 90-120minue drive and mingle with 40k people no problem and be carrying covid-19 Om.

You know where I am, it’s easiest to fly into Dublin…

[Nesta99]

Ive been gtting myself in to trouble today I think without intending to for a change. Of course it would be easier to fly to Dublin, its just in general going to be a waste of time requiring flow or PCR tests to fly in to Dublin when there are bound to be people that will get around the process by flying in to Belfast instead and could then potentially attend an event in Dublin where there will be a lot of people. Good luck with tracing everyone and containing any contacts. Between this new new variant, that it is that different it is almost a new flipping virus, that it has already appeared in Europe and the UK, moving in to the Christmas season - well it could be an extra fun spring on top of a post christmas and new year Delta peak!

[joey B]

PCR not required inside the CTA according to this …

https://mobile.twitter.com/Nick468official/status/1464701733301624836

[Nesta99]

Not particularly a good thing, less inconvenient sure, but an even more porous infection control border. Though cant have it every way, in the CTA but restrict travel in a CTA? Stopping red zone flights in to the UK will help protect us with not having direct flights to southern africa, hope other hubs do the same - the speed at with the brits have acted, rolled Boris out in front of the cameras and are rolling back lifted restrictions is nearly as big a red flag as any as its not like them, indicates serious concern and/or genie out of the bottle. We can be glad tomorrow closes our season as more cases in the UK and they're looking at stadia having restricted capacities again.

[sbgawa]

In the interests of public safety today's final should be abandoned , no winner this year.
Better safe than sorry. ;)

[D24Saint]

In the interests of public safety today's final should be abandoned , no winner this year.
Better safe than sorry. ;)

If Bohs are fearful of the omicron I’ll take a default. A win is a a win.

[Yossarian]

In the interests of public safety today's final should be abandoned , no winner this year.
Better safe than sorry. ;)

I agree. And just to be fair, the current holders should keep the trophy for another year and also take the associated European spot. I’m sure everyone will agree that that is the best option for public health.

[2 Year Contract]

Over 39,000 tickets sold now. Pats have sold their entire ticket allocation

[pateen]

Great to see. Great to see the Dublin public come out in support

[Philosophizer]

Looks like it will be a clear day too, albeit quite nippy. If the freakish mild weather was still here it would probably help the crowd more, but at least it's not raining. I've been at most of the finals over the past 4/5 years and some of them were absolutely baltic!

[pineapple stu]

Not sure you could really add much more to 40k. That's a serious crowd; credit to both clubs

[D24Saint]

Not sure you could really add much more to 40k. That's a serious crowd; credit to both clubs

It would be lovely to break the record. That’s just getting greedy though , amazing number of tickets sold.

[Nesta99]

Let it be a cracking game with plenty of drama, not a 0-0 scrappy affair for the crowd which is bound to make the curios tune in on TV too.

[joey B]

The idiots are out aswell I see…

[Asterix]

Videos of bohs fans attacking the Irishtown House going around

[Nesta99]

And there not an issue with Dundalk fans camped there when Rovers passed on the way to the stadium couple of years ago.

Absorbing game, as far as 0-0 goes it has been entertaining. Pats looking generally the better side but Bohs look to be set up more defensively and allow Pats to have a go and then hit on the break. Chances at a premium but Benson or Forrester look like they can pull the strings for an opening. Kelly the battering ram method for Bohs.

[SeanDrog]

37176 attendance - looks a great atmosphere

[Calcio Jack]

Official attendance given as 37,176 - not quiet the 40k predicted - wonder did the concern re covid numbers in last few days effect it- still great to see a new Aviva record

[Nesta99]

Incredible atmosphere coming across from TV coverage. I think we can always knock a few thousand off our predictions of cup final attendances as we all tend average up, and covid worries too - DCIL and myself stuck when planning to take a trip to Dublin for the game. I think if this goes to ET that things sway toward a Bohs win. No reason in particular why I feel that, maybe that Pats have been carrying longterm injuries and also Bohs have the European experience in the Aviva getting over the line.

[pineapple stu]

37176 attendance - looks a great atmosphere
Strange to be almost disappointed with that after talk of 40k a couple of days ago.

But it's what - ten times what the equivalent league game would get? It's great to see.

Shame the game is the dreaded damp squib

[osarusan]

Pretty poor game tbh. Loads of terrible first touches and needlessly lost possession.

I've long been a believer that one of the reasons non-LOI fans think the LOI is such crap is that (apart from it being a bit crap, to be fair) when they see it on TV it's played in fairly grim surroundings for the most part, with ramshackle stands and terraces and poor quality floodlights, and that if the exact same game had played out in front of 10,000 people in a modern well-lit stadium, the football itself would be considered better.

This match isn't helping my argument.

[Nesta99]

Strange to be almost disappointed with that after talk of 40k a couple of days ago.

But it's what - ten times what the equivalent league game would get? It's great to see.

Shame the game is the dreaded damp squib

Would be the 2nd highest ever attendance I think? I dont think its a damp squib game (pity the fireworks werent damp squibs!). Enjoying the game and glad there's an extra half hour. Whats that 8 from 12 Aviva finals that have gone beyond the 90mins. Great for the neutral, a total stress for fans involved. Of course Id want Dundalk to be involved today but its nice to actually be able to just enjoy the game and atmosphere without risking a stroke in the process.


Pretty poor game tbh. Loads of terrible first touches and needlessly lost possession.

I've long been a believer that one of the reasons non-LOI fans think the LOI such crap is that (apart from it being a bit crap, to be fair) when they see it on TV it's played in fairly grim surroundings for the most part, with ramshackle stands and terraces and poor quality floodlights, and that if the exact game had played out in front of 10,000 people in a modern well-lit stadium, the football itself would be considered better.

This match isn't helping my argument.

Cup finals anywhere can be poor in quality but still enjoyable as occasions, there have been some awful FA Cup finals (a few world cup one also) as its more frenetic than quality. Its all relative and the Irish sorting public dont see LoI. FAI Cup finals on a level playing field.

[pineapple stu]

Pretty poor game tbh. Loads of terrible first touches and needlessly lost possession.

I've long been a believer that one of the reasons non-LOI fans think the LOI such crap is that (apart from it being a bit crap, to be fair) when they see it on TV it's played in fairly grim surroundings for the most part, with ramshackle stands and terraces and poor quality floodlights, and that if the exact game had played out in front of 10,000 people in a modern well-lit stadium, the football itself would be considered better.

This match isn't helping my argument.
Yeah, it's like both sides are a bit stage-struck, but Bohs in particular shouldn't have an excuse for that having played so well in three trips to Lansdowne this season.

I'm not seeing much to say we'll lose all eight games against these two next season anyway :)

[osarusan]

A moment of real quality from Forrester for the goal.

[Philosophizer]

Lovely goal, but a bit of a shame there were so many errors in the game, on such a big stage. I know Tierney's had a v good season but I thought he was quite loose today.

[pineapple stu]

A moment of real quality from Forrester for the goal.
Thought the keeper could have done a lot better for it, but maybe it didn't help that Forrester was central and with a clear view of goal. Great run though.

And an immediate equaliser to liven things up

[Kiki Balboa]

Ronan Coughlan is a disgrace and an embarrassment of a footballer.

[osarusan]

Extra time a lot better alright.

[pineapple stu]

Jaros saved that peno from Wilson I think. Quality save if so