5 Days In September - Part 5

Read Part 4 here: https://shotsfromdistance.blogspot.ie/2016/08/5-days-in-september-part-4.html



DAY 5 - Monday

I slept that night. To be honest I needed another 24 hours sleep but I soldiered on. The Ireland v Georgia EURO 2016 qualifier was the last chapter of an eventful few days. Only after a shower in the morning was I able to wake up to some extent. The 2nd muscle spasm is as many nights had hardly helped me walk but I left in good time in Monday morning. I stopped at an ATM where I met the manager of my Soccer team.


“You’ve had some weekend” he joked.
“It’s not over yet” I replied
“What ya mean?”


He was oblivious to the fact Ireland were playing again that night.


The fact this game was on a Monday night robbed some of the excitement that comes with going to Ireland games. It’s a new initiative that has been introduced by UEFA. The week of football where qualifier games are spread across different evenings. It gives people more opportunity to see other countries in action. Now I love football and international football especially. However, with the devoted following I give Ireland nowadays, I never see other games. I certainly take no interest in the exploits of England, unlike most football “fans” in Ireland. So the one upside I can think of is something I miss. The major downside is the different days they’re played on. No midweek/weekend combination. Days taken off work or working the next day contribute to a general lack of atmosphere that comes with a game on a Monday etc. This lack of excitement, along with a crazy weekend, has drained me of all life. People must have taken one look at me and seen death. I’m running on fumes as I make my way through Galway City, making sure I get some food and supplies for the journey ahead.


Usually for an Ireland game, the supporter’s bus from Galway is full. However this time there was only half the seats are filled. And it wasn’t a lively bus. Some of us had been to the Hurling final. Some of them had been drinking heavily in back in Galway City the previous day AND night. And some of us had been to the Algarve. In my case, I done most of that. We were willing but we were all drained one way or another. For example, There was an unfortunate individual from Mayo who’d been to the Football Semi-Final on Saturday AND drinking the next day in Galway for the hurling. As he got on the bus, he took one look at me and said “Go on, say it!”. Notorious for my anti-Mayo football stance, I solemnly replied, “What’s the point? we’re just as bad as you”. Little anlaysis of the games themselves took place as we took solace in discussing why both our respective teams screw things up on the biggest days in Croke Park. We were all broken souls going to Dublin that day. My struggling body limited me to a mere sup of Carling now and then every five kilometres. The Mayo man in question tried to take a mouthful of Bulmers he had just opened and somehow spilt it over himself. It summed up our predicament.


The beautiful thing about this dreary Monday was that our dire physical conditions did not mirror Ireland’s qualification hopes. Scotland’s defeat to Georgia on Friday revived our hopes and put a huge focus on our match with Georgia. A win tonight would really swing momentum in our favour ahead of a massive double header against Germany & Poland the following month. Flying out to Faro on Thursday, fans I spoke to were adamant we needed to take 6 points from 6 to give ourselves any chance. A win tonight wouldn’t just give us a chance, it would give us the initiative. Scotland were up against Germany so we expected the Krauts to do us a favour there. We just needed to do our own job in the games remaining. This was what kept us going. It would have been quite easy to stay at home, as a large number of people did given the attendance that night. However, with hope rekindled, I utilise the fumes in my body to keep the adventure going, keep the dream alive.


As we arrived in Dublin, a TV3 crew join us to film a segment on the supporters club for a programme they’re doing. TV3 are the last group I need to be dealing with. I can converse with Mayo fans, but that channel and anyone who is associated with them I have absolutely no time for. What a pathetic excuse for a TV channel, an Irish one they try to claim. There’s plenty of room for their crew on the bus and I take no part in the interview, fearful I go on a rant against them. It’s something new however I haven’t experienced going to an Ireland game. We arrive at the Sandymount Hotel, less than 2 hours before kick off. I sent a snapchat to my girlfriend as physical evidence I was still alive before the game. She, like many others who knew me, wondered if I was still in one piece. Somehow I was, despite All-Ireland heartbreak, large consumption of alcohol and cramp in both my calf muscles.


A bus load of more Galway fans joined us at the Hotel, all having returned from Albufeira an hour ago. They were as shook as us but we rallied together and made the most of pre-match festivities. We compared and contrasted our states of hungover and firmly agreed it was important to keep drinking and wean ourselves off it slowly. The three bottles of lager for a tenner offer had transported its way from Albufeira to the Sandymount Hotel. And bottles were all I could handle at that time. I downed them slowly and let the festivities grow on me. It really didn’t feel like such a massive qualifier. Between the crowd, my state of health, and the gloomy grey skies above, all signs pointed to the worse. You’d have never known we were hopeful of qualifying for Euro 2016. Along with that, I was just hopeful I’d arrive home in one piece.


A crowd of 27’200 entered the Aviva Stadium that night. Even allowing for some people not yet back from the Algarve, who’d spent great money that weekend or other circumstances, it was a disappointing attendance. It seemed to me that many had made their mind up on our qualification hopes. Now, I didn’t expect Scotland to lose in Georgia but I did know getting six points this weekend would put the pressure on them going into the final two fixtures. We were hopeful of them dropping points against Germany that evening and later against Poland in October. It was up to us to get points elsewhere. Tonight was the start. It took a moment of brilliance from Aiden McGeady to take three points in Tbilisi a year previous. And of course, the result that Friday against the Tartan Army gave them great confidence going into the game vs. Ireland. This was going to be a battle. The first half was nerve wracking. The team knew exactly what was at stake and the Georgians took advantage of our nerves by coming close on two occasions. At the other end, Robbie Keane was getting no joy and the scoreline was 0-0 at half-time. While Shay Given wasn’t called upon to make a serious save, we had our heart rate tested more times than we needed to. I was shook enough as it was.


It’s 0-0 at half-time. In Glasgow, Scotland have twice come from a goal down to level against Germany at 2-2. They had to go for it after dropping points in Georgia and playing at Hampden Park, they would have the backing of a passionate crowd. In Dublin, the Irish players to a half-full stadium. Those who were in the stands gave it their all but it only contributed to a nervous performance so far. Anyone making bets during half-time to call winners at the end of both game might have foreseen Scotland getting the better results at the evenings end. I seen a few people I met over in Portugal. They sympathised with me about the hurling final. I said that a win tonight would help me recover. I wasn’t sure if I would recover anytime soon from the previous days exertions but looking forward to another weekend like the one just past would give me reason to do so.


Shane Long comes on for the 2^nd half and immediately injects more urgency into our game. Glenn Whelan and Jeff Hendrick both come close from long shots as we step up the pressure. Meanwhile in Glasgow, Germany take the lead for a third time through Bastian Schweinsteiger. I was getting live updates from my friends phone. While pleased with the news, we all knew it would count for nothing if we didn’t score ourselves. On the right wing, Hendrick picks up possession and runs at the defence. With a lovely piece of skill, he leaves two defenders in his wake and approachs the goal. He evades the challenge of a third before looking and centering the ball. Jon Walters gets his foot to the ball somehow and prods it home past the Georgian keeper. I didn’t know it was Walters. All I saw was the ball roll into the net. The Aviva roars. The goal brings a weight off all our shoulders and relief comes over us. It was the first time all night we break down the Georgian defence and we made it count. For the remaining 20 minutes we have something to hold onto. Yet it was a 20 minutes fraught with more nerves and agitation as we looked on the events in front of us and waited for news of those in Glasgow. Nails bitten, heads turning away in agony, exasperated pleas for the final whistle to be blown. Each final whistle is greeted with delight. As ugly a 1-0 win I’ve ever seen has kept a beautiful dream alive. Ireland we’re now on course for at least a playoff to qualify for Euro 2016 with two group games left to go. Not many of us seen that coming a week previous.


Relief is the key word. We had carved out the result we wanted and for some of us, we were now finally going home. There had been heartbreak, moments where we feared the worse but by and large we had a fantastic time, even in the midst of vicious hangovers. We also now had a massive double header in October to look forward to. I’d figure that one out next week I said to myself. For now, I just wanted a good nights sleep. Something you can’t get on a bus back to Galway. I checked into a hotel in Galway that night. A night porter sussed that I was at the game. I elaborated on the previous days entails and his eyes widened! As I made my way to the stairs, he said if you’re still alive in the morning, breakfast is being served from half 7 in the morning.


I skipped breakfast that morning. I had no intention of getting up or being awake at 7am for some time.

POST-SCRIPT - 1 Year On

• Ireland qualified for the Euros, recording historics wins over Germany and Bosnia along the way. I attended each of those games and the subsequent Euros the following summer.
• Dublin won the All-Ireland Football title.
• Mayo Football and Galway Hurling players exacted mutiny on their respected managers that winter.
• Physically and financially, I still haven’t recovered from those 5 Days In September.
• I’m still in a relationship with the wonderful girlfriend mentioned throughout these series of articles