The Croke Park experience and atmosphere

[OneRedArmy]

Upper tier isn't corporates - the empty section was likely to be some screw-up on the ticket distribution.

Aren't they overspill media/VIP seats in the centre block of Upper Cusack?

[Peadar]

Aren't they overspill media/VIP seats in the centre block of Upper Cusack?

That's the Hogan Stand.

[Stuttgart88]

I used to get all my tickets at Elverys going all the way back to the 70's. I completely agree about half the tickets going on open sale again.

I remember camping out overnight to get tickets for the England game in November 1990. It was a cold October night. I was in the doorway at the Trocadero restaurant and they brought us out chips when the kitchen was closing. We arrived at 6pm the day before and were still 200m from the door, where 4 lads had set up a picnic table and were playing cards.

Anyway, 30 mins before the doors opened eraly in the morning, word got out at Ray Treacy's, the other outlet, that they were selling out fast and many ran up to Exchequer Street. Basically there was a stampede from the back and within minutes 100 of fcukers ran over us in our sleeping bags and we lost our place in the queue and got no tickets. These people should be ashamed of themselves. As for the policing...what policing?

Anyone remember the day where it all changed? You could ALWAYS buy tickets from Elvery's or Mick Dowling's except for the Spain game in 1989. They sold out in a flash and from then onwards it was a much tougher proposition.

[OneRedArmy]

That's the Hogan Stand.

Thats why I said overspill.

I'm fully aware the regular media and VIPS are in lower/upper Hogan.

[Jerry The Saint]

I've sat in that section before, just through normal GAA club tickets

[head the ball]

Largely agree about the atmosphere, but I thought it was actually not too bad. (I have sat thru some turgid games at Lansdowne as we all have) I mean there was no aggro between the players which is always good for getting the crowd going. Also I thought the Welsh support was very quiet, obviously they have no faith in their team or management, now we know why.
Wednesday will be better, it'll be too cold and too late to bring wee micky and the suits wont fancy it and we know Slovakia are a decent team. With Robbie out it will be interesting to see what our approach will be. With Hunt and Duff out wide and hopefully Doyle and Ireland lurking around the box I think the change might do us some good. Over to you Stan to get the selection right!
Oh and more time for a jar too beforehand which always lifts the spirits.

[padzer]

I was in Upr Cusack 711 and i thought the atmosphere was dire. I have been in Croke Park many a time and the place was electri and I think it was a strange decision to give the Wales fans the hill. The fans needed something from the game to liven them up tho, like Carsley flying in with a tackle early in the Czech game, playing with a high tempo even a couple of surging runs would have done the trick. We live in hope but Wed should be better.

[elroy]

I cant stand people booing/abusing our own players, we're there to support them after all! Fair enough the odd criticism when its deserved, poor performances, cyprus/san marino.

However, there were a number of people around abusing a number of irish players at any opportunity. It makes me wonder about how well some irish people understand the game.

We are not Brazil, we're a small nation with limited players. Robbie Keane is our best striker by a mile, he shattered the goalscoring record and no one can deny if tries his heart out. Yet he gets tons of abuse. Hes not the polished striker he ought to me but hes without doubt the best we have.

I get as frustrated as everyone else with this team but abusing players like finnan, duff and kilbane on sat is uncalled for.

[jbyrne]

I remember camping out overnight to get tickets for the England game in November 1990. It was a cold October night. I was in the doorway at the Trocadero restaurant and they brought us out chips when the kitchen was closing. We arrived at 6pm the day before and were still 200m from the door, where 4 lads had set up a picnic table and were playing cards.

Anyway, 30 mins before the doors opened eraly in the morning, word got out at Ray Treacy's, the other outlet, that they were selling out fast and many ran up to Exchequer Street. Basically there was a stampede from the back and within minutes 100 of fcukers ran over us in our sleeping bags and we lost our place in the queue and got no tickets. These people should be ashamed of themselves. As for the policing...what policing?

Anyone remember the day where it all changed? You could ALWAYS buy tickets from Elvery's or Mick Dowling's except for the Spain game in 1989. They sold out in a flash and from then onwards it was a much tougher proposition.

i was camping outside elverys that day and people almost got killed in the stampede when hundreds tried to skip the queue. dont think those days are they way to go unless well marshalled by stewards. there wasnt a lack of tickets last sat in any case

[RogerMilla]

i think the atmosphere would have been far better had we got a few early goals!! results and quality of opposition is what creates the atmosphere , especially when we as a support were trying to get used to a new stadium , wednesday should bring a better atmosphere , if we get three points then the feel good factor wiill start to take root ensuring a massive day when the germans come

[Peadar]

By the way, the bars in the Premium Level were very welcome on Saturday but what's the story with this? I thought UEFA didn't allow alcohol to be sold in the stadium for competitive games?
I've certainly had my share of non-alcoholic beer in European grounds.
Savage hotdogs in Croker too but a bit of onion wouldn't have gone astray.

[bennocelt]

saw the game on TV here in wales, the game was far too depressing for irish and welsh fans to sing and dance about, by the end i honestly couldnt have given a fcuk if wales had scored an equaliser

it was depressing to see a mexican wave at the game, what kind of muppets do that at football (compare it to the irish fans in germany who refused, quite rightly, to join in with the germans and their all signing and dancing waves)

anyway to be honest lansdowne hadnt much of an atmosphere for ages too
i gave up going to home games due to the boredom of it all

see you all in slovakia and cezech , god willing

[Countyman]

saw the game on TV here in wales, the game was far too depressing for irish and welsh fans to sing and dance about, by the end i honestly couldnt have given a fcuk if wales had scored an equaliser

it was depressing to see a mexican wave at the game, what kind of muppets do that at football (compare it to the irish fans in germany who refused, quite rightly, to join in with the germans and their all signing and dancing waves)

anyway to be honest lansdowne hadnt much of an atmosphere for ages too
i gave up going to home games due to the boredom of it all

see you all in slovakia and cezech , god willing

sounds like you're in it for the craic rather than the football.

[John83]

I thought the overall support was quite good until it became apparent that there was nothing more to get excited about. The canal end made a very good attempt to generate an atmosphere but as always, what happens on the pitch is what gets a crowd alive, or at least sustains it, not the other way around. The lack of any real critical context for the game was a factor too.

I agree with you. The atmosphere started out pretty reasonable for a crowd packed with, as others have called them, daytrippers, but it died out when it became clear that the game was so poor.

[NeilMcD]

Yeah I hate the mexican wave. I found the stewarding to be great on Saturday as in I did not notice it any point. At LR they are in your face to sit down etc. Atmosphere was good to start but the second half killed it due to Wales control of the football. I was in the Lower Cusak but it was really the lower Davin. Going to be in the Uppper David on Wednesday night so will be able to compare.

Drank in the Swan bar on Aungier St and there were a great lot of Welsh in it after the game. Far enough from teh stadium to get away from the madness but not too far that there was no atmosphere.

[Schumi]

I was at both the rugby matches at Croker... France was nothing special.

I thought the atmospehere at the France game was much better than on Saturday. There was far more of a sense of occasion about it anyway.

[Torn-Ado]

I watched the match in a pub in Sweden and it sounded fairly dead to be honest. There seemed to be a lack of colour too.Possibly because of the flags problem.

I still think the atmosphere can and will be better in Croker. All we need is a good game of football. there would be no mexican waves if the two teams played quality football.

[noby]

The only thing more cringeworthy than the mexican wave was the booing of the Welsh for not joining in.

[joe_barry80]

I remember camping out overnight to get tickets for the England game in November 1990. It was a cold October night. I was in the doorway at the Trocadero restaurant and they brought us out chips when the kitchen was closing. We arrived at 6pm the day before and were still 200m from the door, where 4 lads had set up a picnic table and were playing cards.

Anyway, 30 mins before the doors opened eraly in the morning, word got out at Ray Treacy's, the other outlet, that they were selling out fast and many ran up to Exchequer Street. Basically there was a stampede from the back and within minutes 100 of fcukers ran over us in our sleeping bags and we lost our place in the queue and got no tickets. These people should be ashamed of themselves. As for the policing...what policing?

Anyone remember the day where it all changed? You could ALWAYS buy tickets from Elvery's or Mick Dowling's except for the Spain game in 1989. They sold out in a flash and from then onwards it was a much tougher proposition.

i used to get my tickets through the school only 2 pound it was great. Nowadays it is f**king farce applied for 2 tickets for all the home games and got f**k all reply I was 5000ish on the list. I got tickets no problem for the sa marino game away. Surly with the extra capacity I would have got something.
There should be an amount on public sale no internet just outlets where people who care to get off their ar*ses get tickets.

[Peadar]

All the Welsh were already standing, as they did for the whole game, so they couldn't very well join in.