TT No.3: Neil Fissler - Monday, 14 July 2008, Shelbourne vs. Millwall; PS - Mid Season Friendly;         Result 1-1; Admission 20 euro; Programme: 3 euro (16 pages); Match Rating : **

Tolka Park is situated in the Northside of Dublin only a short stone's throw from the GAA headquarters Croke Park, the fourth biggest stadium in Europe. But the contrast between the two couldn’t be more different with the 9,500 capacity Tolka Park despite having hosted national cup finals, internationals, Champions League qualifier, UEFA Cup and Cup Winner Cups clearing seeing better days. The Shels like many Irish teams are struggling to pay the bills and it would seem their days at Tolka are numbered especially after a flood caused extensive damage to the ground in the early part of the decade, and it has never really recovered. This might help to explain why they bumped up the admission price from 15 euros for a normal league game to 20 euros for this game. Entering from behind the goal is a large seated area but this was closed off after presumably being condemned with nearly all of the seats broken meaning that the large contingent of Millwall fans were housed along the side of the pitch in a huge seated bank where a roof covers about four sections. Along the opposite side is the main stand, which runs almost the length of the pitch with a round barrel type of roof. Meanwhile behind the opposite goal is another all seated stand, well I say a stand but it only covers half the width of the pitch because the other half is someone’s back garden! Behind either goal kiosks serve Fish and Chips, I joke you not, the first time I have ever seen that at a football ground, as well as normal football ground fare. The game itself was a typical pre season - mid season friendly, the Lions played one team in the first half before fielding a completely different side in the second half while The Shels battling for promotion used the game to take a look at a number of fringe players.

contributed 19/07/08