SHAMROCK ROVERS’ arrival on to the big stage of European football has brought back memories of a famous clash the club had with the “Busby Babes” of Manchester United in 1957.
The team’s progress into the group stages of the Europa League may be a first for an Irish club, but Rovers have met some of the “ontinent’s top teams in the past.
Perhaps the most famous of these occasions was the club’s tie with Manchester United a year before many of Matt Busby’s team were lost in the Munich air crash of 1958.
In the past, champions of the League of Ireland would proceed directly into the draw for the European Cup, rather than having to qualify as Rovers did this week.
This led to the double-leg encounter with Manchester United in 1957 in which Rovers almost stole an away victory, leaving Old Trafford after a 3-2 defeat.
The week before they had lost at home by 6-0.
“My memory of that game is them getting a few late goals: they really caught us for fitness,” said Ronnie Nolan, who played for Rovers against United.
On Thursday, more than 50 years on from that encounter, Nolan watched on TV as his former club beat Partizan Belgrade to set up more hopefully memorable European nights.
“It’s a great lift for League of Ireland. It was very well deserved and financially it’s great, and probably badly needed,” he said.
“It’s very hard to make comparisons between then and now. I hope they do well,” he added.
Despite Rovers having a trophy cabinet brimming with domestic silverware, club historian Robert Goggins believes this week’s success was the biggest event in Rovers’ history since the club was founded in 1901.
“If you want to make comparisons, this is bigger [than 1957]. They have already played all these matches just to qualify, which is something no club in Ireland, north or south, has ever done” he said.
In the past, champions of the Irish league League of Ireland would simply be entered into the same competition as champions from other domestic leagues in prelimenary rounds to qualify for the main tournament.
It led to the double leg encounter with Manchester United in 1957 in which Rovers almost stole an away victory, leaving Old Trafford after a 3-2 defeat.
The week before they had lost at home six goals to nil.
“My memory of that game is them getting a few late goals, they really caught us for fitness” said Ronnie Nolan, who played for Rovers against the ’Busby Babes’.
On Thursday, over fifty years after that match in Dalymount Park, Ronnie watched on television as his former club set up more memorable European nights over the coming season.
“It’s a great lift for League of Ireland. It was very well deserved and a financially it’s great, and probably badly needed” he said.
“It’s very hard to make comparisons between then and now, I hope they do well” he added.
Irish bigger [than 1957]. TV3 will also be hoping Rovers do well in the competition as their inclusion should provide an unexpected windfall for the station.
The broadcaster’s group commercial director Pat Kiely said he expected “huge audiences for all the games” which will mean increased advertising revenue.
By yesterday morning TV3 had received dozens of calls about taking part in a sponsorship package being prepared, he said.
The station has exclusive rights in Ireland to air all Europa League matches. With an Irish team now playing in the competition for the first time the value of that coverage is set to be a “significant multiple” of what it was, said Mr Kiely.
Costs will also be higher, however, as the broadcaster will have to provide the live feed for other stations covering Rovers’ home matches. Normally, TV3 would buy the coverage from foreign companies for a price much lower than the six-figure sum being estimated by the primary provider.
Mr Kiely expected the revenue generated by increased advertising rates to “more than make up” for this increased cost.