LOI in Europe 2011

I sat in an Irish pub, watching an illegal feed put up on a big screen, with only Russians, a couple of Armenians and an Uzbek wondering what was going on. I got in at 4am (under special licence) and now have to do 2 hours work before herself goes to visit her Dad in hospital. However she gave me a hug and mug of tea this morning and said - "you were right, well done." I'm delighted for Rovers, for what they've done, for how this will lift Irish football, and I just hope they will plough the returns into their youth sector to build on this huge result.

Slightly better quality highlights video that includes Rovers' celebrations after O'Donnell scores the peno:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=floGPzbUMxY

Edit: Actually, more highlights shown in this one and it's from Setanta's coverage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp9iiuIB3H4

Congratulations to everyone involved with Shamrock Rovers! What a wonderful result, and one I never thought I'd see. Every plaudit is deserved!

Sullivan's goal was Fox Soccer Report's "Highlight of the Day" here in the US (and Canada). Goal looked even better on TV!

I actually shed a tear tonight. All those days spent scrambling to find links to watch Irish teams playing in Europe, praying for the breakthrough that we thought would never come. I actually never thought that the moment it happened I'd be working my ass off in a restaurant in NY, only to be told by a text from my sis what was after happening. I always imagined myself glued to the comp screaming my head off and jumping for every ball! - like all of ye on here! (was great reading through it all btw)

It was the first LOI game in Europe in a long time I didnt try to take work off or go out of my way to watch - I thought (like most) that shams had no hope, I also feel like I was actually losing faith, losing faith that it'd ever happen, but just when your on the brink, the unthinkable happens... That's what makes sport a brilliant!

That is what that result means to a Sligo rovers fan, and perhaps more importantly tonight, a LOI FAN.

Everyone's talking (rightly) about rubbing this in the faces of fans of English and Scottish football. Let's not forget our nordy friends who claim their teams are as good as ours, bless 'em

Some more Twitter updates:

Floriana FC
Congratulations to our Irish friends Shamrock Rovers F.C. - They made it to the group stages of the Europa League.

Daniel McDonnell
Have to say, in terms of the bandwagon element, got a great voicemail from unnamed radio show researcher around midnight tonight...[ctd]

"Oh, sorry, heard foreign ring tone. You must be on holidays or something. I wanted to see if you could talk on show about Shamrock Rovers."

They're still rolling in thick and fast by the second. The club's name is being tweeted right around Europe as fans of competing clubs express hopes of drawing Rovers as part of their "ideal draw".

Congrats to all involved with Shamrock Rovers FC. What a great night for the club and the league in general.

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AN incredible night for Shamrock Rovers. A ground-breaking night for Irish football. Historic. Brave. Fearless. No amount of adjectives can do it justice.

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http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...e-2858775.html

Congratulations Rovers, wonderful, heroic performance, truly phenomenal acheivement, take a bow each and every one involved with the club.
What a story over the last few years, fairytale stuff for the fans. Brilliant! :party:

Great to come into work today and hear everyone talking about the match last night

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Originally Posted by athloneman

so full of joy tonight for the league and the proper fans!!!! will rte now cop on and buy the rights for the europa league and show all of rovers games????

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Nope, Setanta and TV3 hold the rights for Ireland. I'm kinda glad to be honest. RTE are a shower of hoors for jumping on the bandwagon at any sign of success. Just look back at the under-19's a few weeks ago - once they qualified from their group, RTE took an interest. However, a complete lack of interest up until then. RTE SHOULD have shown last night's game, but just couldn't be bothered. Fair play to Setanta for stepping in and doing so.

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Originally Posted by placid casual

That victory is for all who went to the home game in turners cross.

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Don't mention it , sure twas only over the road. :D

A fantastic achievement considering where ye have come from over the last few years.
A true success story of a fan run club, from promotion out of the First Division to European Glory.
If that doesn't show our lads what they've got to do, I don't know what will.

Anyone still on an absolute high from last night??? I know I am and Im not even a Rovers fan.

Looking forward to the draw at 12 now. Ah man this is fantastic-either way there will be one or two 'glamour' ties for Rovers. For some reason Id love them to draw Stoke or Fulham, it would be a good draw from a media/attendance point of view and I also think Rovers would give them a real good game.

Its a pity that the games cant be played in Tallaght, but with sensible pricing and perhaps closing the upper tiers (open only if required), maybe the aviva can be used to great effect.

Also, I know this may screw up the league scheduling a bit, but if necessary it should be extended to accomodate Rovers in Europe. We as a league should be supporting each of our clubs in Europe, not hindering them. (I hope Im wrong but) This opportunity may not come around again for a few years.

Amazing, amazing result and performance. The quality and type of football they played make it even better. Had a good feeling about the tie all along, never thought those guys looked better than Copenhagen; they lacked a certainty maturity, something that Rovers proved they themselves did have. Great day for everyone who cares about football in this country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce14dbAR1Oc

Some very decent, magnanimous folk on here, fair play all round.
As far as Shams go, great achievement to come back after being behind both at home and away, shows some cojones. And the Sullivan goal! reminded me of the Zidane cracker at Hampden Pk in the CL final, every bit as good. The penalty was good too must have been nerve shredding the way the ball wouldn't hold still.

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Originally Posted by sullanefc

Well done Shamrock.

Now, when are the PFAI going to start asking the players to strike over the fact that the games will go beyond the length of some contracts plus they will want a slice of all the wonga that Shamrock will make now.

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All this talk of €1 million in the media is making me very concerned about what the PFAI will do.

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Originally Posted by thischarmingman

http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...e-2858775.html

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Remember I said this to you: "In future, follow the maxim, 'Never let the truth get in the way of an optimistic article"?

Mad - you don't have to worry about the truth now!

Still smiling this morning, still find it hard to believe. Waited years and years for this but deep down I assumed it would never happen. I really hope Rovers can give a good account of themselves now.

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Originally Posted by osarusan

turned on the pc here this morning and went to this thread expecting to see the usual posts of 'rovers doing ok so far', 'too defensive', followed by 'ah ******', and then a few posts about how they did ok despite going out.

But when i saw 19 pages of posts since last night, i began to think..........maybe? Possibly? Then i kept reading and i did see the 'doing ok so far' and the 'ah ******' posts, followed by the unprecedented 'comeback and qualification into group stages' posts.

Amazing, never-to-be-forgotten night for rovers fans. Truly historic. As a limerick fan who has never even seen his team in europe, i can only imagine how it must feel, but genuine congratulations. (we concern ourselves with more mundane matters like getting a valuable point at home to salthill.)

as for posters asking if deportivo and valencia fans were delighted when barcelona won the cl(or some post to that effect) - you can't compare the two. The spanish league is not shunned by the majority of its own people, with serious (and often wrong) assumptions made about the standard of football played in it. That leage doesn't suffer an image crisis like ours does - there will not be anybody saying 'wow, i used to think la liga was crap but i might have to take another look' like here will be people saying it about loi after tonight.

Though i'm a little sceptical on the financial boon to the league that people have talked about (in the 'success of one team benefitting the whole league' thread), rovers' qualification for the el certainly does benefit the entire league in the sense that it will encourage people to give the loi a chance, rather than instantly dismissing it.

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*poty*