Rovers Home Again

Walking from the Tallaght shopping centre towards Shamrock Rovers new ground you could feel the buzz in the air. As we approached the ground I could see the stand for the first time with fans already in there and the green blood in my veins pumping. Remember I was only a teenager when my local team lost their fight to keep their ground and base in Milltown. This new feeling was made even better when I saw the ground for the first time with fans approaching from every direction.

The Maldron Hotel in Tallaght is opposite the ground and that was where the Rovers fans gathered all in anticipation for what was to come next. As I entered the new ground I saw stands full of fans in the Shamrock Rovers colours with lots of old and new faces looking happy. To be fair the Sligo fans that made it were top class and joined in the unique atmosphere.

As the game grew nearer you could feel the crowd getting noisier and anxious. When Shane Robinson led Rovers onto the pitch the roar nearly blew my eardrums away. There was a lovely tribute when two of the Rovers mascots were grandchildren of Rovers fanatical fans who sadly passed away before they saw the Tallaght stadium with the team playing in it. There was also an announcement asking people to remember hoops fans who had passed away and a screen with words to the same effect.

The match was significant as Sligo Rovers were the last team to play Rovers in Milltown and it was appropriate that they were to be our new guest. The game kicked off with Rovers dominating the play and Gary Twigg putting the ball in the net 3 times but scoring only one goal. The Scottish player drove the ball into the net after a mix up and became a legend being the first player to score at the new ground.

At Half time the ground was buzzing with excitement and colour. FAI Chief Executive John Delaney was there as he was a big supporter of the Rovers move to Tallaght. The well known faces of famous players and coaches associated with Rovers were Liam Tuhoy, Mick Meegan, and Patrick Martin "Paddy" Mulligan.

The second half kicked off with Dessie Baker putting Rovers 2 nil up and in total control of the game. The home side dominated, but Sligo did have a few chances with Gavin Peers scoring a nice consolation goal at the end of the game. This was to be Rovers day and Tallaght is surely their future.