Cascarino Stand

Read that Belfield Park programme article today - excellent read! One question though - it states that the Cascarino Stand was so named in the mid nineties. That's not true, (a) because I think I christened it (it was certainly christened by one of the STIG team after the fanzine came into being, which was 2001) and (b) because I think its first appearance was for the InterToto game.

So, what is the real story behind the stand? Was the Kyustendil tie its first game? And where did it come from? I always thought it was from the Cricket World Cup played in Ireland, but that's never happened. Any better memories than me out there?

It was put in at the same time that seats were put in the main stand. They were definitely in for the Inter-Toto game, but I've feeling they were there earlier.

I remember being at a game against Sligo in early 1999 (last time we didn't beat them, actually), and the benches were there then. So that'd narrow it down to between Feb '99 and June '00.

Summer of '99 they weren't in because Theo Dunne was a coach of a summer camp I was doing and he was telling me of plans to improve the stadium. I think they must have been put in during the following season because I remember the Inter-Toto game fairly well and don't remember it as the first time the seats were there.

I think Dmand is right about the close season of 1999.
The stands were retired bucket seats which had been used for a variety of purposes over the years. Which might account for how soon the stand came to resemble Tony's dental work.

The seats were in the main stand in February 2000 for my first game and I don't think the Cascarino stand was there at that stage.

Found a random photo at home dated April 2000 of a game against Shamrock Rovers (possibly the Leinster Senior Cup game) with the Cascarino Stand in place behind the goal.