Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers face off in a highly anticipated Dublin derby at the Aviva Stadium, with over 31,000 tickets sold, setting a new record for attendance in a League of Ireland match.
David Sneyd IN ANY OTHER week, and any other season, the attendance figures for the opening weekend of the League of Ireland Premier Division season would have been enough to catch the eye. There were 4,780 at Tolka Park for Shelbourne’s rousing 3-1 win over Derry City. The enthralling 2-2 draw between Cork City and Galway United was watched by 5,031 in Turner’s Cross, while 5,034 crammed into Richmond Park for the St Patrick’s Athletic-Drogheda United stalemate.
Waterford’s dramatic 3-2 win away to Sligo Rovers saw 3,612 come through the gates at the Showgrounds. A combined 18,457 for those four fixtures indicates a thriving ecosystem. This afternoon, something truly wild will happen when the largest ever crowd for a league match gathers at the Aviva Stadium. As of 6.35pm last evening, over 31,000 tickets were sold for the Dublin derby between Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers. It will surpass the 30,000 recorded for the 1-1 draw between Drumcondra and Cork United in Dalymount Park in 1946. There have been enough false dawns in those 79 years, and the success of attracting such numbers for a Premier Division game shows now is the time to continue to push boundaries, especially on the back of impressive turnouts for FAI Cup finals. It hasn’t fallen below 30,000 since 2018 while the 43,881 that were there for St Patrick’s Athletic beating Bohs in 2023 set a record for Irish football’s showpiece. Bohs v Rovers brings an edge that makes renting the Aviva (the Gypsies are the designated home side after opting to switch) a worthwhile test of the appetite. Advertisement The five games between the teams last season (the four league fixtures and one in the Cup) totalled 29,509. That also included a record Tallaght Stadium attendance of 10,094. This opening-day derby will surpass that, and even though the intimacy of the vitriol won’t quite match Dalymount levels it’s clear that the decision by the club to stage it in Dublin 4 is a popular one in both dressing rooms. “Whether you’re player or manager you take the opportunity of playing in the national stadium,” Bohs boss Alan Reynolds said. “If I turned to the players and said ‘no, we’re not playing here’, they’d not been impressed. I know we’ve given up home advantage but it’s something they’re really looking forward to. Dawson Devoy (left) of Bohs and Dylan Watts of Shamrock Rovers. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO “We came back into pre-season in December, had a break at Christmas, but they always had this to say ‘this is how I’m starting the season’. Everyone wanted to be ready for that.” Midfielder Dawson Devoy agreed with his manager. “I’d have to say just for the occasion and how good the stadium is and how good the pitch is. “Listen, Dalymount is a special place to play when you’re playing against Shamrock Rovers but obviously I’m looking forward to Sunday. “I think you are , of course. Dalymount has that factor – tight ground, the fans, everything about it. But you’ve seen when the Bohs fans come here it’s similar, they create a great atmosphere wherever they go. Of course, you’re losing something from Dalymount but I’m sure we’ll be alright.” Danny Grant made the switch from Bohs to Rovers at the end of last season when he was informed by Reynolds that he was surplus to requirements. Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO The 25-year-old is from Lucan, Co. Dublin and while he admits to not supporting a League of Ireland club growing up, he made such a connection with Bohs after breaking into the professional game that he got a tattoo of Dalymount Park on one of his legs. “It doesn’t disappear,” he joked after helping his new club to a famous 1-0 win away to Molde in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League knockout phase play-off on Thursday. The return is in Tallaght on Thursday, so today’s derby is an enticing clash sandwiched in between. Grant will have “a good few” members of family attending but they will be among the neutral section because “they probably want to stay as far away from the madness as possible.” For Bohs, though, taking the gamble on renting the Aviva was a necessary gamble as they look to bolster income and assess alternative options for revenue as they brace themselves for two seasons away from Dalymount Park when redevelopment is due to start at the end of this year. Bohs boss Alan Reynolds. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO Club president Matt Devaney told the Irish Sun in November: “We had our AGM on Sunday and we laid it out quite starkly that this is going to be a really difficult time, when we move out . “As a collective/a membership, we need to bridge that gap through additional fundraising. We hit that message home and hopefully it landed. No doubt it will be a challenging period.” What matters most for both sides today is securing a positive resul
LEAGUE OF IRELAND DUBLIN DERBY AVIVA STADIUM RECORD CROWD BOHEMIANS SHAMROCK ROVERS
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