UEFA sa Ghaeltacht - TG4 Sun 15.35

On TG4 Sunday 7 Jan, 15.35:

UEFA sa Ghaeltacht (OS)
In 1986, one of the world’s most prestigious soccer tournaments, the UEFA Cup, came to a small Gaeltacht village in the west of Ireland. The Dutch team, FC Groningen, had been drawn against Galway United, but little did Groningen and their squad of Dutch internationals think they would be playing on a windswept community pitch in An Cheathrú Rua, used primarily by the local GAA team, and lacking such soccer niceties as grandstands and floodlights! Twenty years prior to Croke Park’s decision to open its ground to soccer, what led to a UEFA Cup match being played on An Cheathrú Rua GAA club’s home ground? (Repeat)

Its defintely one to watch alright, make you realise the work that is being done by United now anyway. Galway fans should all be checking if they have blanks video tapes, it would be a good one to hold onto.

Nice one.A friend told me about that the other night.Didnt think they would show it again.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by el punter

Twenty years prior to Croke Park’s decision to open its ground to soccer, what led to a UEFA Cup match being played on An Cheathrú Rua GAA club’s home ground? (Repeat)

---

the pitch is a community pitch, ie owned by the county council and not the GAA. while the local GAA team play there so too do the local junior soccer team and the community games are held there annually.

totally different situation to CP and most other local GAA stadiums which are owned by the GAA.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

the pitch is a community pitch, ie owned by the county council and not the GAA. while the local GAA team play there so too do the local junior soccer team and the community games are held there annually.

totally different situation to CP and most other local GAA stadiums which are owned by the GAA.

---

That may be true in Connemara and I've never heard of any reprisals for the hosting of the Groningen game. However Balindereen suffered after the OB game and didn't get to host a club championship match for 8 years afterwards.

In both cases the local GAA clubs are to be greatly commended. They both made the early running and helped out Galway in their time of need. It would have been a shame to have seen those games leave the county. They were both groundbreaking in their own way and a GAA club in Carraroe has every right to claim they were 20 years ahead of their time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gspain

That may be true in Connemara and I've never heard of any reprisals for the hosting of the Groningen game. However Balindereen suffered after the OB game and didn't get to host a club championship match for 8 years afterwards.

In both cases the local GAA clubs are to be greatly commended. They both made the early running and helped out Galway in their time of need. It would have been a shame to have seen those games leave the county. They were both groundbreaking in their own way and a GAA club in Carraroe has every right to claim they were 20 years ahead of their time.

---

What was the "OB game"...?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

What was the "OB game"...?

---

Odense?

Was at the Odense game. Started raining at half time and everyone fcuked off to the pub. Future nutter Lars Elstrup scored in a very easy 3-0 win for Odense.

Joey Malone on the radio the following day saying that Galway would definitely score in the second leg. Maybe they did but on the pitch it ended 4-0.

Enjoyed the documentary though. Groningen's new gorund looks superb. Good to see they had all but one of 10 goals scored in the 2 ties.

KOH

The TG4 programme suggested that european football was new to Galway United when seems to was new to Radio Na Gaeltacht...?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pete

The TG4 programme suggested that european football was new to Galway United when seems to was new to Radio Na Gaeltacht...?

---

See thread in the Galway forum re some of the mistakes. Galway were in Europe the previous year too.

Where was the Lyngby game played then, and was the Odense one also played in the Gaeltacht ?

Lyngby game was played in the Sportsground but the uefa observer wasnt happy with the ground so then we went to cararoe.


We played OB in Ballindereen over 6,600 attended the pitch was beautiful but the local GAA Club was punished by the County Board who stopped any senior hurling games being held there.

Well I saw the documentary and small factual errors aside it was not a bad effort. Fair play again to the community of Carraroe. I don't think they were ever likely to be penalised by the GAA. After all think of the rotten publicity the GAA would have gotten in BOTH official languages of the State. The GAA would never have lived that one down!

i saw it, very funny
isnt TG4 a bloddy great TV station
i looked at it cause i actually lived in gronigen and i never knew theu played played galway

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gufct

Lyngby game was played in the Sportsground but the uefa observer wasnt happy with the ground so then we went to cararoe.

---

Hang on GUFCT - you've confused me now. The Lyngby game was played in the Showgrounds, but then yees went to An Cheathru Rua ?

Was that on a sight-seeing tour after the Showgrounds game, or did the Showgrounds Lyngby match never actually happen in the first place ? :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Hang on GUFCT - you've confused me now. The Lyngby game was played in the Showgrounds, but then yees went to An Cheathru Rua ?

Was that on a sight-seeing tour after the Showgrounds game, or did the Showgrounds Lyngby match never actually happen in the first place ? :)

---

Lyngby game was in 1985. it was played in the SPORTSground (Connacht rugby pitch).

Groningen was in 1986. This was played in Connemara.

we were european regulars in the 80's :D :D