Originally Posted by
MacDara Ferris
When asked, the County Architect pointed out correctly that the stadium was now a municipal facility, not a stadium owned by Shamrock Rovers. So this seemed to be a reason not to have a seating arrangement of green and white. It was almost a signal to the people of South Dublin that this was their stadium and, while Shamrock Rovers were a very welcome anchor tenant, it was a stadium not just for one community organisation. Most Rovers fans could understand this viewpoint even if deep down they wanted a green or a white seat to sit in. They probably would have accepted this position quite willingly if it wasn’t for the bizarre arrangement that was unfolding before their eyes like a game of Lego or Tetris unfolding in the real world.
The Council went on to explain that the reasoning for the arrangement is that it is common in European stadia to have “an assortment of colours across the stand. This reduces the appearance of emptiness on television for events with a small attendance. It also adds visual liveliness when the stadium is not in use.” Having the mixture of seats is indeed a practice seen in a number of stadia around the globe but the arrangement in Tallaght was not the “visual liveliness” most were looking for or had seen elsewhere.
Bookmarks