Hoops set another record

Finally a truly historic night in sport. After years of shortfalls and many crushed dreams the League of Ireland can finally give itself over to the European game.Shamrock Rovers will soon find themselves in a state of delirium as they enter the sometimes endless pit of torture in the group stages of the Europa  League. However as an utterly unknown entity on this stage is it possible to fathom that "The Hoops" will take a point or two or even shock us all and defeat odds.

In 2004 Shelbourne became the first Irish club to reach the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. However Shelbourne's historic Champions League run came to an end when they were beaten by Spanish club, Deportivo La Coruña 3-0 on aggregate, having achieved a 0-0 draw in Lansdowne Road in front of 25,000 fans. Derry city, Drogheda and 2005 league champions Cork City all completed historic runs in European football in recent years with the latter becoming the first league of Ireland club to get to the final 8 of a european competition in the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

But now, after years of perseverance and inevitably falling at the final hurdle, an Irish club has arrived in the big time. Having just missed out on UEFA Champions League group stages earlier this month, Shamrock Rovers have qualified for the Europa League group stages, becoming the first in the country to achieve this great honor. And it is perhaps fitting that all others have failed in this achievement as Rovers hold so many records in the Irish game, it just seems right.

In an era of continuous uncertainty and controversy in the league it is always good to see the critics silent at last and after a goal as special as Pat Sullivan's equaliser against former European Champions Partizan Belgrade few can expect those critics to speak up any time soon. In stifling heat that registered 32 degrees at kick off time, Rovers never gave up as they went o extra time before Stephen O'Donnell sent the keeper the wrong when he buried a 113th minute penalty to seal the victory.

Selfishly as a Cork native I would like to offer my own congratulations to the man who captained Cork City  through their European Odyssey's in recent years, a truly great servant to the club and indeed the league as a whole. Also Congratulations to our other former players such as Billy Dennehy and also both the goalscorers in Belgrade on the night.
Congratulations to all