Dalyer Days - Attendances?

[stojkovic]

Just looking at the attendances for the qualifiers for Euro 1988. The attendances for the qualifiers in Dublin varied widely, in the days before block booking. The Scotland match attracted 49,203 spectators, Belgium 44,600 while 26,000 watched our final game against Bulgaria and 18,000 attended the Luxembourg match.

I wonder what the highest ever attendance for an Irish home game was ?

I can tell you what one of the lowest attendances was.
In May 1987 at Lansdowne - 17,000.
It wasnt v Malta or Cyprus.
We played BRASIL.
We beat them 1-0 and all those fickle fans stayed away.
I had half the upper west stand to myself.
A digrace, but I bet if you asked 'fans' if they were there that day you would have about 200,000 claiming they were.

[lopez]

...Do I get kicked out of the Booze Shack for insubordination?

Njet comrade! You'll just get sent into internal exile into the kitchen.

Of course standing can be safe. Look at the German Stadiums where flip up seats allow that to be the case? And I was at the Arsenal v Spurs game a few weeks back in the Spurs section and everyone was standing (although the section had one small door as an exit). My objection is the majority terraced stadium, no bogs and pack them all in scenario. Still good riddance to them IMO.

I can tell you what one of the lowest attendances was.
In May 1987 at Lansdowne - 17,000.
It wasnt v Malta or Cyprus.
We played BRASIL.
We beat them 1-0 and all those fickle fans stayed away.
I had half the upper west stand to myself.
A digrace, but I bet if you asked 'fans' if they were there that day you would have about 200,000 claiming they were.

Ah come on Stojkovic: The 'fans' had a very good reason for missing this game. The Tans were playing the Jocks live on TV. Wasn't the NI game (Omagh fundraiser) in 99 similarly p*ss-poorly attended because of a certain cross-water cup final constested by two teams whose names escape me and attended by a well known, tattooed, Belfast-based, director of terrorism.

For someone that never visited Lansdowne Road that often I travelled up from Cork for the Brazil game (meeting Conchita's mother for the first time ) so I have to admit I'm one of the 200,000.

[OwlsFan]

I have to admit I'm one of the 200,000.

So am I but attendances at a friendly didn't upset me. I remember us beating the Soviet Union 1-0 in front of only 28k in a competitive game (bearing in mind Lansdowne could hold around 50k in those days:

IRELAND 1-0 U.S.S.R.
Almost 10 years after Ireland had surprised the Soviet Union with a 3-0 win at Dalymount Park the Irish again pulled off another surprise in the opening game of their World Cup qualifying campaign. The Soviet's came to Dublin on a run of 12 games unbeaten and few gave Ireland much hope of an upset which was reflected in an attendance of just 28,000 at Lansdowne Road.
The only game came mid way through the second-half when a great run by Michael Robinson ended with a cross for Mickey Walsh who steered the ball past Dasaev in the Russian goal. Ireland rode their luck later when the Soviet's hit the woodwork twice but held on to give Ireland manager Eoin Hand what was to be his second last win.

All these Johnny come lately fans amuse me. Huge uproar when RTE lost the viewing rights to our home games to SKy. Where were all those fans when we really needed them ?

[OwlsFan]

And here's one I can't even remember! Any of our Cork brethern remember this one ?

IRELAND 0-0 SPAIN
Ireland played a home fixture outside of Dublin for only the second time in their history when they hosted Spain in Cork for a friendly international. The only other time Ireland had played outside of Dublin was also in Cork when they played Hungary in 1939. Unfortunately the home fans had little to cheer about in a game that produced no goals.

Ireland: McDonagh, Langan, Hughton, McCarthy, O'Leary, Brady, Daly, Waddock, Galvin, Campbell, Robinson. Subs: O'Reagan for Hughton (65 mins.), P. Byrne for Langan (81 mins)

[davey]

You got a date for that game?

[geysir]

I can tell you what one of the lowest attendances was.
In May 1987 at Lansdowne - 17,000.
It wasnt v Malta or Cyprus.
We played BRASIL.
We beat them 1-0 and all those fickle fans stayed away.
I had half the upper west stand to myself.
A digrace, but I bet if you asked 'fans' if they were there that day you would have about 200,000 claiming they were.

Well I do have a vague memory from national school days in 1968, a wet wedensday evening, a 2-3 loss to the Czecks complete with a Charlie Hurley own goal and only 13,000 turned out.

[OwlsFan]

You got a date for that game?

26th May 1985
Flower Lodge, Cork
International Friendly

[fergalr]

Last time it was pretty easy to get tickets for Lansdowne. Could this be a coincidence with the great atmosphere that day. I think Luis Suarez said it was one of the worst atmosphere for a side of his to have played against. He also described the Irish team as a bunch of green wolves. I also heard a story that appeared in an Irish paper that TVE was flooded with complaints about how spanish viewers could hardly hear the comentator. No chance of that now.

That was a few days afte Hillsboro wasn't it?

In exile at the time, I watched it on TV with the locals in Rotterdam - they too were stunned by the constant crowd noise downing out the commentator.

[fergalr]

Wednesday, February 19, 1992
The first - and so far only - full international to be played at the Royal Dublin Society

My vote for the worst ever atmosphere at a home game. Awful game, awful pitch, stuck in the side stand miles behind the pitch (!). Boozed-up Welsh fans taunting us for our lack of home support.

[fergalr]

Wasn't the NI game (Omagh fundraiser) in 99 similarly p*ss-poorly attended because of a certain cross-water cup final constested by two teams whose names escape me and attended by a well known, tattooed, Belfast-based, director of terrorism.

There were 12,000 at that game if I recall correctly. Again, awful game and awful atmosphere. The few of us who were there were outshouted by Ian Dowie's rellies. I think that was the period under Mick when we could't win a game to save our lives.

[anto eile]

record irish internatioal home crowd is 54000 v france-interesting givent he stadium,without changing has the officail capacity as 49000 when terrraces are used. so agaisnt france there was overcrowding by an extra 5000

[Dotsy]

There were 12,000 at that game if I recall correctly. Again, awful game and awful atmosphere. The few of us who were there were outshouted by Ian Dowie's rellies. I think that was the period under Mick when we could't win a game to save our lives.

I thought there was more than 12K at it but you could be right. The atmosphere was crap alright.

[dublinred]

record irish internatioal home crowd is 54000 v france-interesting givent he stadium,without changing has the officail capacity as 49000 when terrraces are used. so agaisnt france there was overcrowding by an extra 5000

People weren't as fat back then.