FAI Cup 2021

[Stuttgart88]

I saw one guy identified without his mask on Twitter. I'm sure people know who these guys are.

The game itself looked great in terms of atmosphere and occasion. The continuous smoke made it look like a match on a cold winter night at San Siro. Overall it was a poor game. The LOI rarely misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity to impress, at least in terms of quality. That said, though I'm not a supporter of either team, it was easy to put myself in the shoes of a supporter and appreciate just how tense it was and the tension by itself made it a compelling contest. The only problem is that I'd say many casual viewers on TV couldn't quite relate to the tension. Then again, many of the casual viewers on TV might not be able to discern much about football anyway!

Pats started very well I thought and both teams started trying to play the right way. Ultimately though they canceled each other out. Kelly forced his way through a few times but on either side most of the best play was in their own half. The game lacked a creative player in advanced roles and often there weren't enough players in the box for wingers to cross too. Overall, crossing was poor. That said, a highlights reel of the opening 90 would show some very good counterattacks, mainly by Bohs and a great save by Talbot.

The fans made it a great occasion though and this did more than the quality of the game to pass it off as some form of "big time" football.


The sub-headline to Gavin Comiskey's match summary (https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/st-pat-s-and-bohs-put-domestic-game-front-and-centre-in-raucous-fai-cup-final-1.4741259) in The Irish Times read

Season finale felt like a major sporting event and showed that the game is on the up here

David McWilliams wrote this (https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/david-mcwilliams-irish-soccer-is-the-winner-as-premier-league-loses-its-way-1.4739747) the previous day

Tomorrow, between 30,000 and 35,000 fans are expected to be at the FAI Cup final in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Even without Shamrock Rovers, the league champions, it should be quite the afternoon of soccer in the city, in a league where the standard of the game is increasing dramatically, as are crowds, and so too is the possibility of regular European soccer.

This is happening at a time when the national team is showing promise and schoolboy football has made the transition to a national league, with teenagers travelling all around the country every weekend for competitive games. There has even been a Brexit dividend as talented Irish lads no longer head straight to England but play in the League of Ireland until they are far more mature before heading across to try their luck.

Soccer in Ireland is looking up, after years of well-documented squalid mismanagement, and generations of playing second fiddle to the English divisions. Indeed, the rampant commercialisation of the Premier League, while thrilling fans with the majesty of the football, has left those younger fans looking for something more authentic than Rupert Murdoch’s Sky, searching elsewhere for meaning.

I think both are right. The occasion was certainly better than the actual game and would in my opinion have just about won over the casual. The Irishtown violence was terrible, no doubt, and could offset some of the good imagery that the occasion created. I would hazard a guess though that most people open-minded enough to give the LOI a try will recognise this as the action of a moronic few and that the biggest criticism will come from usual quarters, those who are just anti-football to begin with, or the usual inter-club bickering (Rovers and others bickering at Bohs, everyone bickering at Rovers (RSC fireworks incident...)). I hope so anyway.

I think the domestic game is at an interesting place right now. Yesterday's fan spectacle, recent big crowds at Tallaght with the chanting of schoolchildren prominent, a fantastic UCD performance on Friday, a full Finn Park, a likely resurgence at Derry, Damien Duff managing Shels, the recent good performances by Ireland, the interest in the WNT...it does all point to what I think many of us feel.

[Nesta99]

What's to be done about what happened though, that's the question. Can the people involved be identified and banned? And can those bans actually be upheld?

That's probably whats so annoying, for all the discussion or reporting theres feck all you can do within reason if individuals or small groups are intent on thuggery. What clubs' supporters can do is outright fully condemn, name and shame to clubs, try and make antisocial behaviour around games totally socially unacceptable, including pyro, through sheer numbers railing against damaging behaviour. Lets be honest, Im pretty sure the vast majority on here know at least 1 person that has the potential to step out of line but how many of us have really demanded that the club oust that person or people. There's usually a 'cheerleader' of 'singing sections' that could use their influence. It can be done over time maybe- consider how RoI fans pride themselves on good behaviour and to maintain that rep self steward even with gallons of booze on board. Young supporter education maybe, Bohs could write a poem on the subject!

[Asterix]

They were let into dalymount yesterday morning to take some group photos so theyre obviously known to the club.

[EatYerGreens]

What's to be done about what happened though, that's the question. Can the people involved be identified and banned? And can those bans actually be upheld?

A number of them can be identified very easily in the video footage, and images of some of them from their social media profiles were also circulating last night. If Joe Average knows who these people are as a result, then the Guards will too.

They need to be identified and arrested - preferably at work - brought before the courts and given whatever sentence is possible. Some (thouhg obviously not all) of them will just be young d!ckheads and hangers on, who a run-in with the law will bring sense to. All who can be identified should be banned by Bohs and the FAI. I'd also say that Ireland should have a Sports Banning Order legal process. A bit like the Football Banning Order in England, but covering all live sports, as unlike in England we have a number of other large popular sports that anyone excluded from football could look to extend their poison to instead.

[Nesta99]

They were let into dalymount yesterday morning to take some group photos so theyre obviously known to the club.

Source/pic?

[Martinho II]

I came up for the day on the train from Longford .One pointer for me and Im sure for other loi fans in the same boat as me why a 4pm KO? I had to leave at FT as last train for Longford was 1905. There was others in same position as me that they couldnt stay. I couldnt even get a single bus fare on buseireann online after 8 pm due to other factors Black friday/Black Monday COVID etc. Got chatting to ex Sligo Rovers player Conor OGrady on dart coming back and he was on same train as me. Its just not on!

Enjoyed the occasion but match was poor for wot I saw of it. Didnt agree with the flares being fired on the pitch and bangers being thrown on too and as for what happened in Irishtown its shocking carryon!

In future maybe the FAI could move the KO earlier and properly check people for flares etc as my bag was searched.

[Nesta99]

A number of them can be identified very easily in the video footage, and images of some of them from their social media profiles were also circulating last night. If Joe Average knows who these people are as a result, then the Guards will too.

They need to be identified and arrested - preferably at work - brought before the courts and given whatever sentence is possible. Some (thouhg obviously not all) of them will just be young d!ckheads and hangers on, who a run-in with the law will bring sense to. All who can be identified should be banned by Bohs and the FAI. I'd also say that Ireland should have a Sports Banning Order legal process. A bit like the Football Banning Order in England, but covering all live sports, as unlike in England we have a number of other large popular sports that anyone excluded from football could look to extend their poison to instead.

We should have such a law, cant see it happening unless there is a 1995 England like incident. Nothing stopping the FAI and club introducing a voluntary Behave or be Banned (BoBB) system where clubs share details on those in the BoBB records. To be really effective there would need to be some way to legally share names and photos maybe via an incentivised supporters ID system - to complex for the FAI probably!

[sbgawa]

Rovers have banned multiple heads from Tallaght Stadium and tbh its noticeable how behaviour has changed as a result imo as people know there are consequences, its not as hard as it seems to keep them out as the Stewards tend to know them so its not as hard as having to have pictures available constantly etc. Also plenty of the "normal" fans are apt to have a word with Stewards as nobody generally wants to have these eejits around. Guys who are lowlifes at matches tend to be lowlifes in life in general.

[2 Year Contract]

once Georgie Kelly went off, the game seemed to be missing a player of real quality. Benson and Forrester had their moments.

Georgie Kelly? Can you absolutely 100% confirm he was playing yesterday? I don’t seem to recall him at all :)


Pats deserved it over the 120 mins SOD has done a great job to be fair to him.
The viewing figs will be interesting, I'd say they will be decent as the extra time and especially pens will have brought people in. Clashing with Chelsea Man U for neutrals won't have helped.

Declan McBennett on Twitter "Tv audience for @RTEsport when Robbie Benson scored the winning penalty for @stpatsfc was 310k.Average audience on tv was 131k. More on @RTERadio1 & online. Great crowd & great atmosphere with thrilling climax."

I’d imagine the huge rise in numbers for the shootout would have been majority people that were watching the chelsea man United match which had ended by that stage

[EatYerGreens]

I’d imagine the huge rise in numbers for the shootout would have been majority people that were watching the chelsea man United match which had ended by that stage

You'd expect so. Even in the stadium - there was a row of lads behind me going on about the Chelsea-ManU game throughout the Cup Final, and someone in foront of me who was glued to his phone watching it instead of the actual game he was at !

It was also a bit of a bpooring match in the latter half of the second half, so you'd imagine as well that a fair few people were flicking backwards and forwrads throuhgout rhe game. Once it got to ET then penalties were always a possibility, and who doesn't like the drama of a penalty shoot-out ! :o)

[pineapple stu]

Rovers have banned multiple heads from Tallaght Stadium and tbh its noticeable how behaviour has changed.
Yeah, there's now only six fireworks shot off from a gun at games.

I remember the days it used to be ten. :cyclops:

[sadloserkid]

Source/pic?


https://mobile.twitter.com/danbyrne1895/status/1465226075831681026

I presume this is what people are referring to.

[redarmyfaction]

I read in the IT that the culprits come from the UK.

[Nesta99]

Looks like it could be the guy furthest left (l-r)in the dalymount pic all right but not 100%. There are people at Bohs that will know and if involed with the trouble should never see the inside of Dalymount or any other Irish football ground again. Not acting is not doing thee people any favours either as one day their general bad behaviour will lead to a serious injury to someone and they will land themselves in jail. Intervening now might just be the lesson needed. It is the civic duty for a socially conscious club like Bohs.

[Longfordian]

I read in the IT that the culprits come from the UK.

You'd hope they won't be let in the next time they come over.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/anger-at-garda-response-to-cup-final-violence-1.4742151

[EatYerGreens]

You'd hope they won't be let in the next time they come over.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/anger-at-garda-response-to-cup-final-violence-1.4742151

I wouldn't describe what happend as "significant violence"

Who sis the 'UK' (presumably English?) club that Bohs allegedly have a link with ?

[joey B]

I wouldn't describe what happend as "significant violence"

Who sis the 'UK' (presumably English?) club that Bohs allegedly have a link with ?

I think its Wrexham.....

[boynemunich]

I wouldn't describe what happend as "significant violence"

Who sis the 'UK' (presumably English?) club that Bohs allegedly have a link with ?

Bohs hooligans have "a connection" with Wrexham and Celtic so most likely from there. Didn't BBC do a documentary on it before? English lads coming over for the Dublin Derby, was embarrassing stuff altogether. Gardai really should have been more present yesterday as well for it to go on as long as it did, should really have been a couple of them present at the pub.

[EatYerGreens]

I think its Wrexham.....

How the hell do Bohs have a 'link'with Wrexham ? Have the clubs ever even played each other ?

I wonder what Wrexham's new owners think about this sort of stuff.

[DCSIL]

Bohs hooligans have "a connection" with Wrexham and Celtic so most likely from there. Didn't BBC do a documentary on it before? English lads coming over for the Dublin Derby, was embarrassing stuff altogether. Gardai really should have been more present yesterday as well for it to go on as long as it did, should really have been a couple of them present at the pub.

Seen a pic on a mates FB of the Bohs - Wrexham - Celtic flags. Chester(Wrexham’s rivals and a nasty derby itself) have got involved with Rangers/Chester flags.

It’s daft like when Harps fans sing what’s it’s like to have a queen and make flags saying go back to the Irish league at Derry games.

Simple minds.

[Nesta99]

I think some of the shed lads have or tried to create a link up with fans of a UK based club also. Didnt Rovers have something daft too? It's basically groups who have probably met on social media and a few times a year travel to each others games and misbehave also.

[DCSIL]

I think some of the shed lads have or tried to create a link up with fans of a UK based club also.

Barnsley? They were away to Peterborough on Saturday.

[Red Star]

How the hell do Bohs have a 'link'with Wrexham ? Have the clubs ever even played each other ?

I wonder what Wrexham's new owners think about this sort of stuff.
Wrexhams mob are lefty and anti English I think Celtic played them in a friendly so they linked up after that. Then with Bohs lads going over to Glasgow they linked up with "Celtic Soccer Crew" then it's a case of amigos dos amigos with the BSC and Wrexham

[redarmyfaction]

Wrexhams mob are lefty and anti English I think Celtic played them in a friendly so they linked up after that. Then with Bohs lads going over to Glasgow they linked up with "Celtic Soccer Crew" then it's a case of amigos dos amigos with the BSC and Wrexham

I don't remember Marx exhorting the proletariat to throw flares and bottles into pubs containing multi generational groups having a drink, but maybe I should dust off my copy of Kapital to check.

[ger121]

I came up for the day on the train from Longford .One pointer for me and Im sure for other loi fans in the same boat as me why a 4pm KO? I had to leave at FT as last train for Longford was 1905. There was others in same position as me that they couldnt stay. I couldnt even get a single bus fare on buseireann online after 8 pm due to other factors Black friday/Black Monday COVID etc. Got chatting to ex Sligo Rovers player Conor OGrady on dart coming back and he was on same train as me. Its just not on!

Enjoyed the occasion but match was poor for wot I saw of it. Didnt agree with the flares being fired on the pitch and bangers being thrown on too and as for what happened in Irishtown its shocking carryon!

In future maybe the FAI could move the KO earlier and properly check people for flares etc as my bag was searched.

Funny you say that. I saw people reluctantly leaving at FT. I twigged it might be because of last trains out of Dublin. I would have been in the same boat if I had not of been staying in Dublin overnight.

[Philosophizer]

Nice to hear Second Captains dedicate a big part of their podcast today to the cup final. It got at least 35-40 mins.
Regarding attendance, as long as the cup final stays in the Aviva, I'm guessing it needs to be 2 Dublin teams in the final if it's to pass the 40k mark. A Bohs Vs Rovers final would surely do it you'd imagine...

[Crosshead]

I came up for the day on the train from Longford .One pointer for me and Im sure for other loi fans in the same boat as me why a 4pm KO? I had to leave at FT as last train for Longford was 1905. There was others in same position as me that they couldnt stay. I couldnt even get a single bus fare on buseireann online after 8 pm due to other factors Black friday/Black Monday COVID etc. Got chatting to ex Sligo Rovers player Conor OGrady on dart coming back and he was on same train as me. Its just not on!

Enjoyed the occasion but match was poor for wot I saw of it. Didnt agree with the flares being fired on the pitch and bangers being thrown on too and as for what happened in Irishtown its shocking carryon!

In future maybe the FAI could move the KO earlier and properly check people for flares etc as my bag was searched.

This 100%. I know it was a late afternoon kick off in the past to do a double header with the women's final, but a standalone should have been earlier - you'd have had more neutrals from around the country going. Not too many chances to take in a final in one of the best stadiums in the country for €15. I know many might disagree but I think a Saturday would be better for it too, especially for people from outside Dublin who want to bring kids.

[sbgawa]

Maybe if it had been two country teams or even 1 then this might have been an issue raised before the match by one of the teams.
I suspect the reduced Public transport issue was not considered at all.
Makes 100% sense and someone in the FAI should have been considering it as an issue in the context of maximising attendance.
A 2pm kick off would be better as well for people bringing young kids ...plus not as baltic before sun goes down.

Lessons for 2022

[Macy]

Well even for coverage, 4pm is going to be up against the biggest EPL game. Unless it's going to go back as double header post covid, not much point being a 4pm kick off. I'd also agree Saturday would be better, again for TV coverage. It wasn't really a travel issue for me, but was a bit of pain being home so late. Although it would've been tighter getting from her match in the morning for a 2pm kick off.

Incidentally, we skipped the Women's final due to that kick off time (I don't know what logic with that, or even the 7pm kick off times for the Internationals!)

[Nesta99]

Later ko on a Saturday or earlier for a Sunday and assuming a full transport schedule is running - the sort of details the FAI should know in advance. It may be a bit idealistic but we shouldnt be scheduling with another game in mind in a league that has 6 months to play. We want LoI to have wider appeal yet we can be quite insecure about it.

[ontheotherhand]

First they were on Twitter blaming Rovers, now it's the pesky Brits. I wonder if it was the Brits who got block A of the Jodi shut down for the last derby. Maybe these Wrexham lads are the new stewards in Dalymount?

Entertaining game though and a cracking atmosphere from the real supporters of both clubs who were obviously in the vast majority. Bohs looked like the pressure of so much riding on the game got to them and they didn't look great until Pats legs went in ET. All those PoTMs didn't turn up for the day at all. Kelly was poor by his standards but I think if he'd stayed on they might just have nicked it. Funny to think where they'd be without his goals this season whereas if Pats had kept him and gotten him scoring they might have been close to a double.

Pats looked good in patches but really need that kind of focal point up front. Benson and Forrester were in control for most of it but there was no outlet ahead of them with Burns wrapped up by Wilson who had a great game. They didn't threaten much at all despite playing the better football and Bohs probably deserved to win in ET on chances. On balance though the day was Pats. That was clear when Bohs come out in leggings and tshirts before the game as Roddy has pointed out.

[Longfordian]

I don't agree with Roddy on much (and it didn't impact the game!) but I'd want to see my team's players in suits for an FAI Cup final. It's a bonus for them too. We got them for all of our players for the ones we were in.

[ontheotherhand]

Ah yeah I'm only jokingly agreeing with the Rodster...but I do think you should do everything you can to prepare properly for a cup final and that includes all the pre match build up. It should feel special because it is. Liam Buckley did the opposite with Rovers in 2002, preferring to pretend it was just another league game. He fell out with Pat Scully over it after we lost to Derry. Of course those Bohs players possibly thought they looked the part which is maybe all that matters.

[TonyD]

It’s daft like when Harps fans sing what’s it’s like to have a queen and make flags saying go back to the Irish league at Derry games.
.

I had to laugh when some Pats fans decided to treat the Linfield fans to “What’s it like to serve the Queen ?” during a Setanta cup match at Richmond back in the day. Talk about missing the point :D. I imagine the Linfield fans were thinking, “why it’s jolly nice, thanks for asking !”