did you ever imagine an irish side

**irishultra** · 26/08/2011, 9:29 PM

would make group stages proper. drogheda were the closest any team has been really, didnt think we'd see a team get closer and to think the glory days of loi football was seen when cork were doin good in the intertoto cup/

**Torn-Ado** · 26/08/2011, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by irishultra

would make group stages proper. drogheda were the closest any team has been really, didnt think we'd see a team get closer and to think the glory days of loi football was seen when cork were doin good in the intertoto cup/

Didn't Drogheda have another qualifier to play if they did beat Kiev that time.

**mandrake** · 26/08/2011, 10:28 PM

we wouldve had to beat spartak moscow, which i thim we wouldve won, kiev beat them 8-2 on agg....!
no europa legue parachute then... i think that was the last chance myself, we were a good team and all ............ bohs were never that good in europe and then everyone went part time...so it seemed further away...rover took their chances well done

**irishultra** · 26/08/2011, 10:37 PM

would drogheda not have gone into uefa cup no? ah that wud have been ****...thought it was same as now back then so even then drogheda werent that close

**TheBoss** · 26/08/2011, 11:52 PM

Correct, as said above they would have played Spartak, and they would not have gone into the UEFA Cup if they lost.

**DannyInvincible** · 27/08/2011, 1:29 AM

To be honest, I feared the broad departure from fully professional football might lead to a lull period, if you will, after a few years of knocking on the door with some very respectable so-near-yet-so-far efforts, but fortunately Shamrock Rovers nipped any possible regression in the bud by breaking through what I think has been nothing but a defining stigma for the league. It's clear from his post-match interviews that although he was approaching the game in a proper and professional manner, Michael O'Neill believed before hand that it was probably a step too far - especially with Partizan having the away goal - but European qualification now no longer needs to be psychological barricaded away as a pipe dream for any team representing the league in Europe.

Rovers fully merit their place and not once did they look out-of-place competing at such a level, be it against Flora, Copenhagen or Partizan. Please God, they can push on now and demonstrate that they're not just there to make up the numbers; something to force people to continue taking notice of their intent at least. Fair enough, the explosion in exposure is undeniably positive and where the club was a few years ago puts the achievement in perspective, but for the above reason, I find the whole over-riding "romantic fairytale" slant that the British media especially has been eager to put on this as somewhat patronising. Rovers aren't "minnows" or "a pub-team of butchers, bakers and candle-stick makers". They're a serious outfit who aren't competing in Europe for a bit of craic and a holiday. But I suppose people love a good rags-to-riches-type narrative.

As for other teams who've went close in recent years, Derry were one game away from the UEFA Cup group stage in 2006-07 after holding PSG to a 0-0 draw in the first round at the Brandywell before going down 2-0 in Paris. St. Pat's reached the same round in the 2008-09 UEFA Cup, although they were already 2-0 down to Hertha Berlin going into the second leg. They made it to what became the play-off round the year after that again but went down 5-1 on aggregate to Steaua Bucharest. It's not some flash in the pan. It's been building up to this and thankfully that period of progression has not been for nothing.

**irishultra** · 27/08/2011, 1:35 AM

oh ye definetly ever since shels run in 2003, the signs have been there, then there was corks run in intertoto, derry, drogheda drawing in ukraine and pat's over a couple of seasons.

pat's were kinda unlucky against hertha...cud have got the match to extra time and who knows wat would have happened then..fahey hit the post and few other chances.

but i really thought the last round would be too much, and once the kinda 'golden era' ended for the league of ireland in around 2008 i just cudnt see it happening.

but ye in a way this was 8 years comin all da way back to shels in those 2003 days...emotional when u think about it

**CuanaD** · 27/08/2011, 8:24 AM

Originally Posted by TheBoss

Correct, as said above they would have played Spartak, and they would not have gone into the UEFA Cup if they lost.

Not exactly right there
Spartak was next round alright, but even if they lost that they would have got another game in the UEFA - Round 1 (the last qualifying round before the group stages) as Spartak did that year winning 2:1 on agg & qualifying for the Group stages. Group stage was the 5-team leagues (1 game home or away) & Spartak met Spurs there too - 2:2 draw in that one.

It's all here:
http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/...match2009.html

**legendz** · 27/08/2011, 8:35 AM

I was confident Rovers were going in that direction but did not expect it this year. Their manager has admitted he didn't think they would. I thought they'd have needed at least another 2-3 years. Qualification did not look likely after the first-half of the first-leg but thankfully Rovers kicked on from there.

**freewheel30** · 27/08/2011, 9:20 AM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

To be honest, I feared the broad departure from fully professional football might lead to a lull period, if you will, after a few years of knocking on the door with some very respectable so-near-yet-so-far efforts, but fortunately Shamrock Rovers nipped any possible regression in the bud by breaking through what I think has been nothing but a defining stigma for the league. It's clear from his post-match interviews that although he was approaching the game in a proper and professional manner, Michael O'Neill believed before hand that it was probably a step too far - especially with Partizan having the away goal - but European qualification now no longer needs to be psychological barricaded away as a pipe dream for any team representing the league in Europe.

Rovers fully merit their place and not once did they look out-of-place competing at such a level, be it against Flora, Copenhagen or Partizan. Please God, they can push on now and demonstrate that they're not just there to make up the numbers; something to force people to continue taking notice of their intent at least. Fair enough, the explosion in exposure is undeniably positive and where the club was a few years ago puts the achievement in perspective, but for the above reason, I find the whole over-riding "romantic fairytale" slant that the British media especially has been eager to put on this as somewhat patronising. Rovers aren't "minnows" or "a pub-team of butchers, bakers and candle-stick makers". They're a serious outfit who aren't competing in Europe for a bit of craic and a holiday. But I suppose people love a good rags-to-riches-type narrative.

As for other teams who've went close in recent years, Derry were one game away from the UEFA Cup group stage in 2006-07 after holding PSG to a 0-0 draw in the first round at the Brandywell before going down 2-0 in Paris. St. Pat's reached the same round in the 2008-09 UEFA Cup, although they were already 2-0 down to Hertha Berlin going into the second leg. They made it to what became the play-off round the year after that again but went down 5-1 on aggregate to Steaua Bucharest. It's not some flash in the pan. It's been building up to this and thankfully that period of progression has not been for nothing.

Would agree with pretty much all of this, although there was one interview on the day of the game that gave a good insight into O'Neill's mindset, and perhaps revealed the real extent to which he believed they could get a result

http://www.herald.ie/sport/soccer/th...n-2857369.html

Trying to remember, did RTE televise the PSG-Derry game . . . Deportivo and Hertha they definitely did . . . the Steaua tie was probably too far gone for them to televise, although Pats did end up taking a 1-0 lead and came close to geting a second.

**placid casual** · 27/08/2011, 10:26 AM

Whatever clubs qualify for Europe next season, they will have Rovers victory and progress as a marker.
Sligo & Derry particulary look to have the necessary to hold their own amongst Europes teams so its up to them to instill in their teams the belief that any team they face can be beaten.

when we played Copenhagen the 1st time I felt we wouldnt beat them.
I would have been far more confident now if we had drawn them in the group stages .
Everyone is beatable.
Luck, clearly is a factor ,but application and confidence is absolutely vital to win home or away.

**Dunny** · 27/08/2011, 10:44 AM

To answer the thread title, yes. Dundalk progress to the final and beat Real Madrid 4-3 on penos, Cherrie saves.

**Spudulika** · 27/08/2011, 11:55 AM

Simple Answer, yes. Of course. We've had clubs come close, though with the revenue streams Rovers enjoy of course it would happen to them first. They are on a par with the Slovak, Slovenian and Cypriot sides who've gone through, and it's a great stepspite the hype, the same League first because despite the hype, the same money isn't there as it is for the european winners to 4th place league. Clubs can model themselves slightly on Rovers but do more to promote in order to bring in more fans. Of course the FAI can assist in this, though it's easy to blame them. It would be mgnificent to see another team in next season. If they do a BATE Borisov model they can be in the group stages, but to do this they need to plough as much of the "windfall" as possible into their youth set up, coaching and facilities as possible. SDCC must be absolutely thrilled with all of this. Credit to them too!

**KianD** · 27/08/2011, 1:43 PM

Yes. 100%.

Didn't think it was going to happen so soon what with the drain of players and clubs going back to part time since the recession but the signs have been there for a decade now.

**TheBoss** · 27/08/2011, 1:48 PM

Originally Posted by CuanaD

Not exactly right there
Spartak was next round alright, but even if they lost that they would have got another game in the UEFA - Round 1 (the last qualifying round before the group stages) as Spartak did that year winning 2:1 on agg & qualifying for the Group stages. Group stage was the 5-team leagues (1 game home or away) & Spartak met Spurs there too - 2:2 draw in that one.

It's all here:
http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/...match2009.html

Alright, thought that process began with the start Europa League

**fionnsci** · 27/08/2011, 7:38 PM

I think the system now aids our progress. The champions get two cracks at the whip now, provided that they beat the unseeded team like Talinn or TNS which should usually happen.

**gormacha** · 27/08/2011, 8:30 PM

To respond directly to the thread question (adopts Phineas and Ferb stylee): Why yes, yes I did.

However, I fully expected it to be Waterford United who would make the breakthrough. <coughs>

Hello - I'm a noob. Hope to enjoy some football blather with y'all.

**Charlie Darwin** · 28/08/2011, 1:05 AM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

To be honest, I feared the broad departure from fully professional football might lead to a lull period, if you will, after a few years of knocking on the door with some very respectable so-near-yet-so-far efforts, but fortunately Shamrock Rovers nipped any possible regression in the bud by breaking through what I think has been nothing but a defining stigma for the league. It's clear from his post-match interviews that although he was approaching the game in a proper and professional manner, Michael O'Neill believed before hand that it was probably a step too far - especially with Partizan having the away goal - but European qualification now no longer needs to be psychological barricaded away as a pipe dream for any team representing the league in Europe.

Rovers fully merit their place and not once did they look out-of-place competing at such a level, be it against Flora, Copenhagen or Partizan. Please God, they can push on now and demonstrate that they're not just there to make up the numbers; something to force people to continue taking notice of their intent at least. Fair enough, the explosion in exposure is undeniably positive and where the club was a few years ago puts the achievement in perspective, but for the above reason, I find the whole over-riding "romantic fairytale" slant that the British media especially has been eager to put on this as somewhat patronising. Rovers aren't "minnows" or "a pub-team of butchers, bakers and candle-stick makers". They're a serious outfit who aren't competing in Europe for a bit of craic and a holiday. But I suppose people love a good rags-to-riches-type narrative.

As for other teams who've went close in recent years, Derry were one game away from the UEFA Cup group stage in 2006-07 after holding PSG to a 0-0 draw in the first round at the Brandywell before going down 2-0 in Paris. St. Pat's reached the same round in the 2008-09 UEFA Cup, although they were already 2-0 down to Hertha Berlin going into the second leg. They made it to what became the play-off round the year after that again but went down 5-1 on aggregate to Steaua Bucharest. It's not some flash in the pan. It's been building up to this and thankfully that period of progression has not been for nothing.

Yeah, maybe a bit patronising, but you have to take note of the advantages the other teams have over Rovers (and Sligo/Pats/Bohs). Craig Sives said as much in the Rovers program before the first leg, that he went to take the ball around a Copenhagen player in Denmark and it was like he was running into a brick wall. Rovers players might not be carpenters by trade, but they don't have the same level of physical training that full-time sides do, which makes it all the more impressive that the breakthrough was made against a team that was in the Champions League last year.

**mypost** · 28/08/2011, 7:49 AM

Originally Posted by freewheel30

Would agree with pretty much all of this, although there was one interview on the day of the game that gave a good insight into O'Neill's mindset, and perhaps revealed the real extent to which he believed they could get a result

We're going to get that muck for a while to come. Everyone, absolutely everyone wanted us in the draw. Even rubbish like Bangor City wanted to face us. Partizan thought we were on a par with Rhyl, a team they battered a couple of years ago. Well now the 1966 EC finalists know how good we are. Spurs were delighted to get us too, their coach declaring he was going to have a good weekend in Dublin, despite the game on a Thursday.

Only with consistent good results and consequent international recognition though will we change the perception that we're little more than a pub side from an awful league having a holiday in these games. We may not earn as much as the opponents, or as physically strong as them, but what we do have is belief, spirit, and a refusal to give up when we're chasing the game. That's half the battle. Of course, there will be rough nights now and again, as we find our feet against this kind of opposition. But long gone are the days when Europe was a holiday, and clubs lost by 10 goals or more. We'll give it a go, and see whether it's good enough on the night.

**bennocelt** · 28/08/2011, 8:36 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

But long gone are the days when Europe was a holiday, and clubs lost by 10 goals or more. We'll give it a go, and see whether it's good enough on the night.

Exactly, LOI teams have improved enough now to at least be competitive in most Euro games, the league isnt as bad as it used to be and is producing good footballers and decent teams. Some day the general Irish public just might get off the bar stool and go to a match. Good results in Europe will push this I'm sure.
I expected a LOI team to get to the group stages this season - cause for the first time a Bohs, pats and Rovers were seeded (three seeds!) and Sligo in the third round. But I never would have expected the manner it was achieved, i was hoping for easier draws that the LOi teams were given, but Shams doing the business was great.