A working class opera in Dublin 4.

The first game I covered at the AVIVA stadium was on the 25^th May this year during the Carling Cup. Scotland v Wales. The stadium was, save for a couple of thousand boisterous Scots, empty.I noted at the time that on the 44^th anniversary of Celtic’s finest hour that Jock Stein’s observation about the beautiful game was true for all time that:

“Football without fans is nothing.”

http://www.philmacgiollabhain.com/football-without-fans/#more-1224

Two days later Northern Ireland played Wales in the same competition.

Then the stadium really WAS empty with the workers (police, stewards, camera crew and some hardy hacks) outnumbering the few hundred paying punters.

The Dublin Super Cup has hit on a magical formula to make these non-competitive competitions a hit.

Celtic supporters.

Yesterday Dublin 4 was   all “Hooped Up” the accents were from Ballyfermot, Ballymurphy, Creggan, Gallowgate and Gweedore.

I was reminded of another observation by Jock Stein when confronted with the question about Celtic’s ethnic identity as a club. Being asked “Is Celtic a Scottish or an Irish club?”

With typical candour Stein gave his answer.

“Celtic is a working class club.”

He was,of course, correct.

The middle class,with their safe ordered lives, just can’t generate this amount of oomph!

Had this been a rugby event could a  less than full AVIVA have bounced like this?

Not a chance.

The atmosphere in the AVIVA was brilliant.  I was sharing a work station with a lad from the Irish Sun. He just shook his head as either side of the press box “I just can’t get enough” bounced.

Behind us was a venerable Italian journalist.

As the placed throbbed I turned to him for his reaction. At this stage Celtic were two down and Inter were bringing on two substitutes.

Samuel Eto’o and Wesley Sneijder.

From a Celtic perspective this was not good not good at all.

Oh dear I thought…

Yet still the place shook with joy.

I turned to my new friend Conchetto to gauge his reaction. He just raised his hands as he looked around and smiled. It said it all. He was loving the vibe.

This is what makes the game beautiful.

Stein was right

Having watched some non-events in May masquerading as sporting encounters yesterday I saw a proper game of football.

Maybe someone in Inter is still sore about that day in May all those years ago for they were certainly out of the traps with their blood up and their studs showing.

Down to 10 men there could easily have been a couple more sent for a walk.

The difference in the quality of the two teams was evident as any match report today will corroborate.

The soccer market is now globalised from the day when Jock Stein took eleven guys from a twenty mile radius of Parkhead and conquered Europe.

Pub teams have had bigger catchment areas.

In the “mixed zone” afterwards I caught quick chats with Celtic players from England, Israel, Kenya, Poland and Wales.

Changed days for sure from Simpson, Craig, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeil, Clark, Johnstone, Wallace, Chalmers, Auld and Lennox.

However Jock Stein’s observation about the centrality of the paying punter remains a given (actually we could have done with a Given in goal…).

Without those fans yesterday it wouldn’t have been worth writing about.

Indeed it wouldn’t have been worth anything at all.