A TOTAL OF 19,036 supporters attended the four Dublin derbies between Bohemians and St Patrick’s Athletic in the Premier Division last season.
That accumulative figure will be topped when the sides meet this afternoon in the Aviva Stadium for their novel 2026 opener.
Over 19,000 tickets were sold by Friday.
And for those who tend to compare through the prism of the Premier League, that’ll be at least 8,000 more than were at Bournemouth v Aston Villa yesterday.
Should there be a late surge because of the improved weather it may even upstage the 21,273 at Burnley v West Ham United.
If that doesn’t make this latest venture in Dublin 4 worthwhile and indicates a growing appetite for such occasions, then what will?
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It’s already on course to have a higher attendance than all bar one FAI Cup final staged in a variety of grounds between 1991-2010, when the showpiece took up permanent residency in south Dublin.
On the back of last season’s historic crowd of 33,208 – a record for a League of Ireland fixture – when Bohs faced Shamrock Rovers, the Dalymount Park club took the decision to once again begin their campaign in Ballsbridge rather than Phibsborough.
We’re talking Roly’s instead of The Hut but no one is getting notions.
This game may not have captured the imagination in quite the same way as the Bohs-Rovers derby – their other three fixtures drew 22,414 in total last term – but the reason for taking the chance on it is clear and should also be applauded.
Bohs have once again shown the kind of foresight and ambition that should be at the forefront of all thinking when it comes to the League of Ireland.
Of course, it’s also viewed as a necessity.
Like last year, this is their own undertaking. Bohs were the ones assuming the risk and while St Pat’s were part of the pre-match media promotion at the Aviva on Wednesday – manager Stephen Kenny and midfielder Jamie Lennon did their part – they won’t benefit financially.
“For players to give their lives up to be at the top of their game in Ireland, to not be able to play in their own national stadium unless you’ve been to a cup final – cup finals are not easy to get to,” the former Republic of Ireland boss, who will take charge of his first game here since leaving the job, said.
“So it is great to have a league game here. The attendance is obviously going to be quite decent. It’s a game to embrace. There is probably less hype about it [compared to Rovers last season] but people couldn’t get into Dublin derbies at Tolka [Park] and Dalymount and Richmond last year. If someone brings their children to a game and they get turned away – which I have seen – they are less likely to come back. So it’s fantastic in that regard.
“We want St Pat’s fans to come and really get behind their team here. St Pat’s have been in cup finals in recent years, but it’s a very unique occasion having a league game here and it’s a great idea.”
This is Bohs’ last year playing at Dalymount before the ground is redeveloped and they face a couple of seasons away until the planned return in 2029.
Boosting their bank account to help ease the burden of renting for two years after this one is a necessity. They have already seen their merchandise revenue grow from around €100,000 per year in 2014 to close to €2 million a decade later.
Take into account that the latest jersey is sponsored by Kneecap – the band’s manager, Daniel Lambert, is also chief commercial officer at Bohs – and follows last year’s release with Oasis that coincided with their reunion tour, and you can be sure that amount will increase in the accounts to come.
Even before those collaborations, 45% of the club’s €4.5m annual turnover was accounted for by merchandise sales, that’s up from 10% 10 years earlier.
Bohs can bank on at least one round of European money this season, too, after they crept into the Uefa Conference League preliminary stages thanks to their fourth-place finish in the Premier Division, combined with bitter rivals Rovers completing the league and FAI Cup double.
Their versatile operator Jordan Flores – who scored a fine goal in an empty Aviva for Dundalk against Arsenal in Europa League action during the Covid-19 pandemic – insists success has to be determined by more than just European qualification.
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“You have to relish it, of course. To play for a club like Bohs, there has to be pressure. If there wasn’t those expectations you could just go through the motions. There are times where you feel hard done by but that’s just football, that’s natural.
“It was a nice end (last season) but the thing is, especially since I’ve been at the club, is that we haven’t won any trophies. That is something we want to do, to bring silverware back to Dalymount, especially with it being the last season. We want to create those memories for the fans. That’s where we’re looking…”
St Pat’s, on the other hand, had no such salvation as their season disintegrated over the final two months.
Today will feel like a fresh start because it’s a new campaign kicking off in such a venue, backing up up that sense of optimism on the pitch will be vital for both sides.
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Aviva Stadium opener for Bohs and St Pat's shows vision and ambition League of Ireland needs
A TOTAL OF 19,036 supporters attended the four Dublin derbies between Bohemians and St Patrick’s Athletic in the Premier Division last season.
That accumulative figure will be topped when the sides meet this afternoon in the Aviva Stadium for their novel 2026 opener.
Over 19,000 tickets were sold by Friday.
And for those who tend to compare through the prism of the Premier League, that’ll be at least 8,000 more than were at Bournemouth v Aston Villa yesterday.
Should there be a late surge because of the improved weather it may even upstage the 21,273 at Burnley v West Ham United.
If that doesn’t make this latest venture in Dublin 4 worthwhile and indicates a growing appetite for such occasions, then what will?
It’s already on course to have a higher attendance than all bar one FAI Cup final staged in a variety of grounds between 1991-2010, when the showpiece took up permanent residency in south Dublin.
On the back of last season’s historic crowd of 33,208 – a record for a League of Ireland fixture – when Bohs faced Shamrock Rovers, the Dalymount Park club took the decision to once again begin their campaign in Ballsbridge rather than Phibsborough.
We’re talking Roly’s instead of The Hut but no one is getting notions.
This game may not have captured the imagination in quite the same way as the Bohs-Rovers derby – their other three fixtures drew 22,414 in total last term – but the reason for taking the chance on it is clear and should also be applauded.
Bohs have once again shown the kind of foresight and ambition that should be at the forefront of all thinking when it comes to the League of Ireland.
Of course, it’s also viewed as a necessity.
Like last year, this is their own undertaking. Bohs were the ones assuming the risk and while St Pat’s were part of the pre-match media promotion at the Aviva on Wednesday – manager Stephen Kenny and midfielder Jamie Lennon did their part – they won’t benefit financially.
“For players to give their lives up to be at the top of their game in Ireland, to not be able to play in their own national stadium unless you’ve been to a cup final – cup finals are not easy to get to,” the former Republic of Ireland boss, who will take charge of his first game here since leaving the job, said.
“So it is great to have a league game here. The attendance is obviously going to be quite decent. It’s a game to embrace. There is probably less hype about it [compared to Rovers last season] but people couldn’t get into Dublin derbies at Tolka [Park] and Dalymount and Richmond last year. If someone brings their children to a game and they get turned away – which I have seen – they are less likely to come back. So it’s fantastic in that regard.
“We want St Pat’s fans to come and really get behind their team here. St Pat’s have been in cup finals in recent years, but it’s a very unique occasion having a league game here and it’s a great idea.”
This is Bohs’ last year playing at Dalymount before the ground is redeveloped and they face a couple of seasons away until the planned return in 2029.
Boosting their bank account to help ease the burden of renting for two years after this one is a necessity. They have already seen their merchandise revenue grow from around €100,000 per year in 2014 to close to €2 million a decade later.
Take into account that the latest jersey is sponsored by Kneecap – the band’s manager, Daniel Lambert, is also chief commercial officer at Bohs – and follows last year’s release with Oasis that coincided with their reunion tour, and you can be sure that amount will increase in the accounts to come.
Even before those collaborations, 45% of the club’s €4.5m annual turnover was accounted for by merchandise sales, that’s up from 10% 10 years earlier.
Bohs can bank on at least one round of European money this season, too, after they crept into the Uefa Conference League preliminary stages thanks to their fourth-place finish in the Premier Division, combined with bitter rivals Rovers completing the league and FAI Cup double.
Their versatile operator Jordan Flores – who scored a fine goal in an empty Aviva for Dundalk against Arsenal in Europa League action during the Covid-19 pandemic – insists success has to be determined by more than just European qualification.
“You have to relish it, of course. To play for a club like Bohs, there has to be pressure. If there wasn’t those expectations you could just go through the motions. There are times where you feel hard done by but that’s just football, that’s natural.
“It was a nice end (last season) but the thing is, especially since I’ve been at the club, is that we haven’t won any trophies. That is something we want to do, to bring silverware back to Dalymount, especially with it being the last season. We want to create those memories for the fans. That’s where we’re looking…”
St Pat’s, on the other hand, had no such salvation as their season disintegrated over the final two months.
Today will feel like a fresh start because it’s a new campaign kicking off in such a venue, backing up up that sense of optimism on the pitch will be vital for both sides.
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