SOCCER:IT WAS still unclear last night whether the supporters singing Flower of Scotland at the Aviva Stadium this evening will outnumber the Shamrock Rovers fans who normally belt the anthem out at Tallaght in homage to Gary Twigg.
Scottish fans making the last leg of the journey by train yesterday were claiming there would be 5,000 of their countrymen at the second game of the Carling Nations cup but official estimates put the likely figure at closer to half that number.
The IFA, meanwhile, say they have sold 5,000 tickets to supporters, most of whom will arrive in Dublin this afternoon while only a few thousand locals are expected to turn up, despite the flat rate admission charge of just €20, yielding a total attendance, it is thought, of slightly more than 10,000.
Despite the prospect of playing in a stadium with so many empty seats, both managers were still talking up the game and tournament yesterday even as they mulled over the absence of so many players, like Darren Fletcher and Graham Dorrins (Scotland), Aaron Hughes and Kyle Lafferty (Northern Ireland).
Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington, already without half a dozen, was dealt another couple of blows yesterday when Jonny Evans and Warren Feeney picked up ankle injuries in training, leaving him with 17 fit players.
He also confirmed George McCartney had retired from international football on Sunday – by text to one of the team’s coaches, apparently – an event that appeared to trouble the northern reporters present rather less than James McCarthy’s absence had their southern counterparts on Monday.
The manager described himself as “dumbfounded” by it all, not least because he had only earlier that day read a long newspaper interview with the Sunderland defender in which he expressed his excitement at being in the squad. The reporters admitted to being rather less surprised, with the 29-year-old Belfastman, who is on loan to Leeds, said to have some form in this regard having previously retired under Lawrie Sanchez only to be coaxed back by Worthington.
Kenny Miller, who recently moved from Rangers to Bursaspor, will captain the side, setting up something of a reunion with Stephen Craigan, tonight’s Northern Irish skipper who has played against the striker on many occasions in the Scottish Premier League. “Actually I think he’s scored about 12 times in 10 games against us,” said the Motherwell defender, “so I’m expecting that he’ll be giving me a few pounds from the transfer.”
Asked for his views on the tournament which others have tended to build up as more competitive because of that familiarity between so many of the players, Craigan admitted to seeing things slightly differently. “I think if you’ve had fish and chips every night,” he said, “then come Sunday it’s nice to have something a little different.”
The consolation, he added, was that “there will be more of our supporters there than if we were playing in Albania or Montenegro. I know it won’t be full to capacity but when the green and white army get in, they’ll make a bit of noise.”
They will, one suspects, certainly aim to turn up the volume when it comes time for God Save the Queen shortly before kick-off.
SCOTLAND (v Wales): McGregor: Hutton, S Caldwell, Berra, Bardsley; Morrison, Adam, Commons, Brown, Naismith; Miller.
