THERE WILL be no shortage of all-nighters pulled next Friday night/Saturday morning with the Irish soccer and rugby teams facing separate all-or-nothing clashes within the space of 10 hours.
The Republic of Ireland get the ball rolling in Andorra on Friday evening (Estadi Communal, 8.30pm) where only a win will keep hopes of a place in the Euro 2012 finals alive. When the final whistle sounds in the principality at about 10.20pm (Irish time), the countdown then begins to Ireland’s seismic World Cup quarter-final against Wales some eight hours later. Kick-off in Wellington’s ‘Cake Tin’ is 6am Irish time. Set the alarm clock now.
‘Double-headers’ involving the two teams are few and far between and although both are guaranteed full houses in their respective fixtures, there could scarcely be a bigger contrast in the occasions. Uefa’s decision to keep the game in Andorra means the Republic of Ireland will be playing high in the Pyrenees in front of a lowly 850 supporters – the FAI received just 200 tickets for Irish fans. In Wellington, the famous ‘Cake Tin’ is getting ready to welcome 36,000 Irish and Welsh fans. Given the head of steam both sides are building, demand will inevitably outstrip supply with the scramble for tickets likely to be intense.
