Cathal Dervan, Editor
Firsts and lasts. It’s all about the firsts and the lasts this morning as Irish football continues to cling on to the past and hope for a better future - Troy Parrott and Dalymount Park being the latest focus of obvious attention.
Troy has had a number of firsts in the last few days - his first appearance for Real Betis, his first start for the club, his first goal, his first ever Champions League appearance, his first Champions League goal. All good news stories.
Dalyer has had a number of lasts in recent weeks as well. The last European game at the famous old ground, the date set for the last ever FAI Cup match at the ground, all landmarks ahead of the rebuild of the old lady of Irish football.
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Net nestlers…
I’ve no problem with all the celebrations around Troy’s series of first. After November last year, when he briefly rescued Ireland’s World Cup hopes and earned Heimir Hallgrimsson a contract extension he didn’t deserve, Troy was the Budapest hero who answered his country’s call when needed. Those Budapest goals alone have earned him all the credit he wants in my book.
That he put his struggles in English football behind him and took his chances on the continent a couple of years ago - rather than taking the traditional route of dropping down to the Championship from Spurs - also earned him an enormous amount of credit.
That the plan is working, albeit we would all be well advised not to get carried away with the instant success of his Seville move, is indeed something to celebrate.
Irish football needs new heroes who can stay the course and Troy is as good a contender in that regard as any of the current crop, better probably than most of those we hype up far too easily in this corner of the Atlantic.
No doubt he will be named in the Ireland squad next week and no doubt he will add seats to the Austria fixture that will be the Aviva’s only fixture in a four game window that is going to be dominated by Israeli discourse, whether we like it or not.
Let’s hope Troy stays fit with Betis and is ready to torment the Kosovans, the Israelis and the Austrians on the pitch the next time he wears the green shirt of Ireland.
He has never, as far as I can recall and certainly not as an adult, worn the green shirt of Ireland at Dalymount Park and that’s a pity. Whatever about the claims that the Aviva Stadium is the home of Irish football, it’s not. The long term lease will expire somewhere around 2070 so the FAI are effectively tenants in a rugby stadium that will revert to rugby ownership long after some of us have moved on to another arena.
Dalymount was our home, even when it wasn’t fit for purpose for international football. It’s where Don Givens routed Russia, where Paul McGrath made his debut against Italy, where Hurley and Giles and Farrell strutted their stuff, where FAI Cup finals were won and lost. And then it was abandoned by international football, when it became too small and too old and too lacking in corporate opportunities.
Now they are going to rebuild it - after the last Cup game and after the last League of Ireland game. After the last of the lasts they will knock it down and replace it with an 8,000 all-seater at an estimated cost of €63million according to the most recent reports. That’s around €7,500 per seat as things stand and a lot more than the cost of the old seats recrafted as garden furniture which you can buy via Bohs.
It’s great to see Dalymount reimagined but it is too small in my opinion. As someone who walked from one end of the ground to the other at half-time in games in the late 70s, I have always wanted to see Irish football stay at home, stay at Dalyer.
But that’s never going to happen now. That boat sailed years ago when buying the houses around Dalymount would have been cheaper and easier and possible.
So Troy will never get to play a World Cup or Euros game in Dalymount Park. More’s the pity.
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AROUND THE HEADLINES
Troy Parrott scores on Champions League debut as dream Real Betis start continues after Real Madrid heroics - Irish Sun
Séamus Coleman to decide future ‘very soon’ - RTE Sport
Barry Cotter joins Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia from Derry City - The 42
FAI recruit Joey O’Brien for Ireland U17s role - Irish Examiner
‘You’d think in this day and age you’d get lines drawn properly’ – Celtic boss Martin O’Neill on VAR offside drama - Scottish Sun
Cork connection crucial for Ireland as they prepare for Páirc Uí Chaoimh return - Echo Live
Where do PSG rank among Europe’s greatest dynasties? - BBC Sport
Robbie Keane deserves chance to manage Celtic, says former Hoops and Ireland star - Irish Mirror
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