Oh My Word! Ronan O’Flaherty @ronanoflaherty
All was right with the world on March 6, 2020. Well, in the detached perspective of a football fan it was. A deserved 1-0 win over Cork City ensured that the locals headed for the Richmond Park exit signs with a collective pep in their step. That victory was the perfect remedy for the hard-to-credit 1-0 defeat at Tolka Park seven nights earlier, when ample possession never quite led to anything more valuable. Defeating the Leesiders gave St Pat’s some measure of hope that a positive result would be attainable in Dundalk the following Friday. There have been some hard nights at the county Louth venue in recent years, and the trauma of heavy defeats instantly spring to mind. So, perhaps that hope was misplaced, but it’s not the role of any supporter to have an outlook that is grounded in reality. Hope or no hope, it didn't matter in the end. On March 13, Oriel Park lay in silence. Not a sinner in sight. There would be no match taking place that night. The postponement wasn't down to a waterlogged (plastic) pitch, or any of the usual reasons that may force a cancellation in the #GreatestLeague InTheWorld. You Know What had made an unwelcome appearance on these shores and life as we knew it would change instantly and profoundly. The last four-and-a-half months have taken a toll on us all. Livelihoods have been toppled, mental stability shaken. But perhaps it is inappropriate to speak of inner turmoil when so many have paid the ultimate price. Never again should we allow the importance of sport to be called into question, or the flippant "it's only a
game" cliché be uttered. Football is lots of brilliant and wonderful things and, perhaps more than anything, it is escapism. If recent months haven't taught us the value of an outlet that offers an escape-of-sorts, it is unlikely anything ever will. The rescheduled fixture at Oriel Park was finally played last Friday, July 31. It was St Patrick’s Athletic’s fifth league game of the season and it took place 147 days after the fourth. At that rate, we'll be due to finish the 2020 season – in its originallyplanned 36-game format – at some stage in 2033. Most currently-active players will be retired by then. Hopefully the same can be said for currently-active viruses. Tonight, competitive football returns to Richmond Park for the first time since the abrupt halt. In normal circumstances, one might say it's great to be back, but that would offer a false impression of the landscape, which remains deeply altered. No spectators are permitted to enter the stadium, but at least we can watch the action unfold on a streaming service, which feels like a belated, quantum leap into the same era as richer, more illustrious yet more detached leagues across the continent. Nothing beats being there, in one of the most atmospheric venues in Irish sport. Richmond Park is not just a ground where football matches take place. That is merely its base function. It is a unique amphitheatre dripping with tradition that comes into its own once populated by seasoned zealots. It is just one of several iconic places within a short radius: Richmond Barracks, Kilmainham Gaol, the Royal Hospital,
2020 Season • Vol. 32 • No. 3 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City / Finn Harps
and the War Memorial Gardens to name but four. This is a time for renewing our appreciation for live sport and culture on our doorstep. Upon reopening to full capacity, the aforementioned quartet should all be viewable on a day pass that climaxes with a visit to Richmond Park on match-day. As the infection count in Ireland finally receded, the season restart somehow appeared even further away. In other countries, where the spread of the virus worsened, plans for a return to football were nonetheless put in place. And in that snapshot we saw why Irish football continues to paddle against an overpowering current in a sinking kayak. When the return to action was finally announced, it wasn't a moment of joy for League of Ireland followers. More than any other cross-section of sports supporters in this country, we care about being there in the flesh. We need to be there. It is an integral part of our very identity. Some say our numbers are modest, but those numbers are maintained season after season, and have been growing in recent times. We place great value in loyalty and don’t accept ill-informed criticism of our league, which is never far away. The new normal of watching matches on a screen will never feel right. Next season and, hopefully, the return of supporters to the stands and terraces, can't come soon enough. For now, however, stay safe and make sure you have a reliable WiFi connection. Ronan O'Flaherty
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