Last Friday I had the opportunity to watch the League of Ireland matchday 10 clash between Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers from the press box. In this blog I summarise my experiences of this unique opportunity.
Admittedly, it’s quite a different experience to know in advance that you won’t be watching the game as a spectator but as a reporter, but first things first.
I arrived at Tallaght Stadium, the home of Irish record champions Shamrock Rovers, about an hour before kick-off. Instead of scanning my ticket at one of the many turnstiles, I went straight to the main reception to get my matchday accreditation.
Equipped with a press lanyard, I then climbed a few steps up to the West Stand, where VIPs and the press are accommodated alongside spectators. Once I arrived at my padded seat, I unpacked my laptop to look at the line-ups for today’s game. With a great view of the pitch, I could watch the players of both teams warm up and make notes on which players might be in the spotlight today.
There were interesting players on both sides in the starting lineup for this match: For the Shamrock Rovers, there was topscorer Darragh Burns who scored three goals in eight matches in this season and for the opposition, Fabrice Hartmann, a 23 year old striker talent that is currently on loan from the big German club RB Leipzig.
The atmosphere in the stadium was already pretty good half an hour before kick-off, but as soon as the first notes of “Foggy Dew”, the Irish classic that Shamrock Rovers use as their warm-up anthem every match day, the anticipation of an exciting evening of football was high.
But before the match kicked off, there was one more item on the programme that many people don’t want to experience, but which is also part of football. Several long-serving members of Shamrock Rovers had passed away in recent weeks, and these were honoured in a minute’s applause just before kick-off. Referee O’Sullivan then blew the whistle. All the signs promised an exciting game. And the statistics were not to be mistaken, the first 15 minutes of the game were characterised by high intensity from both teams, which lasted until Graham Burke scored the deserved opening goal for the hosts after 36 minutes.
The hosts went into the break with a 1:0 lead. Even if the 15-minute break can sometimes seem long as a spectator, as a journalist you still have a lot to do. You try to summarise all the important events of the first half and organise them in such a way that you can easily use them later.
The home side continued to capitalise on their superiority after the restart, scoring two goals in 13 minutes to make Shamrock Rovers striker Aaron Greene the player of the match and make the final score 3-0.
After the game, when many fans had already made their way home, the day is not yet over for a journalist. The second half also has to be summarised before heading to the press room to interview the coaches of both teams. Shamrock Rovers coach Stephen Bradley in particular was very friendly towards the journalists present and was not afraid to crack a joke or two. To the delight of the reporters, match-winner and double-packer Aaron Greene also answered the journalists’ questions.
My day at Tallaght Stadium ended with these impressions, but what remains are many fond memories of an exciting evening of football in an unfamiliar role.
You can watch my experiences summarised in a short vlog here.
