14Aug20-Shamrock Rovers-FINAL_A5 14/08/2020 13:41 Page 24
Community Dave Morrissey @dave_pats
A lot can change in a week. In the last edition of The Saint I referenced the excitement of football being back at Richmond Park, albeit without many of the key components that make supporting a football club special. While the team recorded a welcome win at home
holders to tonight’s game. While that number
to Finn Harps, I sat in the Main Stand alone as
represents a paltry amount of our match going
Georgie Kelly netted his first goals in red and
fanbase, it would have been fantastic to have
white. Normally when a new striker arrives at a
some supporters scattered around Richmond
club (amidst plenty of anticipation) and scores
Park which would have gone some way towards
his first home goal, fervour and excitement
recreating the passion involved in a Dublin
follow in the stands and on the terraces. His
derby, albeit on a smaller scale. From watching
goals last Friday were greeted with cheers on
derby games abroad in a Covid-19 world, the
the pitch (and in the dugout) and some isolated
passion and emotion that makes those games
roars from volunteers spread sporadically across
special sadly ceases to exist. In any other year,
the ground. While football fans love following
both sets of supporters would be fired up for
the fortunes of our teams from near and far, the
tonight’s game as they come through the
absence of the crowd as a collective, leads to
turnstiles. They would be right behind their
the inability to share that special feeling after a
teams from the off. Dublin derbies are special
goal is scored, in unison. Football brings people
and what happens in the stands often has more
together like no other. Consider some of the
impact on young people attending games than
online commentary surrounding our recent
what happens on the pitch. I recall attending St
results and performances. While it is fantastic
Pat’s games against Shamrock Rovers, Shels and
for football fans to interact online and discuss
Bohs as a child and being completely
the highs and lows of the game, many of those
mesmerised by the noise, colour, and excitement
discussions should and would normally be
in the stands. The following days were spent
taking place walking out of the gates of
repeating the songs from the terraces rather
Richmond Park, in the car coming home from
than attempting to recreate the winning goal.
Finn Park, or in the pubs in Inchicore and
While many young fans will be watching at home
beyond.
with family and friends on the excellent Watch LOI, the future growth of the league is
Everybody at the club had hoped that we would be welcoming circa three hundred season ticket
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contingent on what is happening at the game and not purely the game itself.
2020 Season • Vol. 32 • No. 4 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers
