“DZIEKUJEMY WAM” read the banner carried by Robbie Keane and Aiden McGeady as the Irish team received a heroic welcome in the GOSiR Stadium in Gdynia. Finally, the Irish had arrived in Poland. The sign translated as “Thank You”: simple but heartfelt. And for all we knew, the Irish stars had been up half the night making it.
It wasn’t quite on the scale when Poland’s most famous goalkeeper, Pope John Paul II, arrived in Ireland back in 1979.
Still, the Irish players were clearly charmed by the enthusiasm welcome they received in the port town, where 15,000 tickets for this training session were snapped up inside two hours.
“I am a Tottenham fan and Robbie Keane is my idol. This is my first time to see him,” explained Patrik Wrober, who came wearing an Ireland shirt from the 2002 World Cup.
John Delaney, chief executive of the FAI, bravely stood centre circle, his business suit decorated with a Polish/Irish scarf and promised/threatened to address his hosts in Polish.
Any bit of trickery the Irish players displayed during their warm up was greeted with such enthusiastic cheers that they must have felt like the Brazilian 1970 vintage.
In truth, it wasn’t the most riveting football session the world has ever seen but the locals left the stadium with smiles. After years of planning, their hour has come.
“This is one month when the whole world will be watching on us,” said Pavel Plecha as the Polish fans streamed out of the ground.
“And we can show them how we like people.”
