Stadium Updates (All Clubs)

[Nesta99]

Stuart Byrne in his column in Irish Mirror today said that Tolka Park held 10k regularly when all 4 stands were open. Would that ever happen again I wonder?

It did, or close enough to it when all 4 sides of the ground were fully open. I would say the Ballybough End being restricted had the biggest impact on reducing numbers, maybe the wings/back of the Riverside Stand too. Cup finals and European games, the odd international certainly were in an around the 10k. Bohs v Aberdeen was full but it was properly rammed during the 2002 FAI Cup final, hard to imagine additional 5k or whatever would have been at internationals though the Drumcondra end was mainly just the new stand in my days so maybe there was an old terrace there at some point. Here's some 'old' footage that feels like yesterday when it held about twice what is allowed now, particularly the Ballybough End, one of the best atmospheres Ive experienced at a football match and not enclosed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLmkFY-2Uu0

*Is that a poor copy that was uploaded or did we really see the world on TV as if we were all severely short sighted???