Dalymount is a disgrace in fainess for the home of the champions of Ireland in 2010.

I wesnt to the Salzburg game last season with a friend who is from the Czech Republic and he couldn't believe the state of the place.

Admittedly we were over in the Connaught St. side but look at the terrace to the left.

WHAT A SHAM!
Anger as Rovers fail to reveal absence of newlywed Twigg
By PHILIP QUINN

Bohemians 0 Shamrock Rvrs 0

AFTER a gritty draw at Dalymount Park in which the integrity of the Shamrock Rovers players was without question, the club's insincere approach over the availability of Gary Twigg to play against Bohemians on Saturday cast the longest shadow of all.

Twigg got married on Saturday and was never going to figure against Bohs but that did not stop Rovers from engaging in shady tactics with the media and public.

Nor did it stop manager Michael O'Neill defending the club's controversial strategy, insisting it was all 'a storm in a teacup.' In the build-up to the game, Twigg was rolled out for a press briefing where he said how much he was looking forward to a game that he would not be involved in.

And the Rovers pre-match media bulletin made no reference to Twigg's unavailability, even though O'Neill had written him out of the Bohs game as soon as the Premier Division fixture list was known.

'It wasn't included in the team news. It didn't need to be out there,' explained O'Neill.

What Rovers were hoping to achieve by all this only they can answer — Pat Fenlon was told on Friday that Twigg would not be playing — but they did themselves no favours with the media, nor their fans who turned up expecting to see Twigg lead the line.

It would have been far simpler to have informed everyone in advance that Twigg was getting married, and that the date had been set in stone for some time — it would not have made a big deal.

'I don't know whether you're married or not but you don't organise a wedding within a week,' said a tetchy O'Neill afterwards.

'This wedding was organised two years ago, before he [Twigg] came to the club, before he even came to Brechin. It's not something that you can allow for.

'Obviously, we didn't know that we were going to be playing Bohemians today two years ago.

'Look, it could have fallen into the midseason break, anything might have happened. It's a storm in a teacup. The players knew about it, they had no issue with it. I'm sure the media will have fun commenting on it but it's not a huge issue for us.

'If you want to write about it because you're upset about it then I apologise but at the end of the day managers and players say loads of things that aren't true.

'You journalists write a lot of things that aren't true as well.' Asked was it not a bit strange for Twigg to talk about the game as if he was playing, O'Neill replied: 'That was up to him at the end of the day.' Pressed about Twigg's availability for further games, O'Neill exploded: 'He's off for four weeks to the Caribbean and then a cruise after that. He'll be playing on Tuesday for f***'s sake.

'We've played out there, it's been an end-to-end game and you're asking me about a player who isn't here. If you want to ask me about the game then ask me about the game.' O'Neill's stubborn remarks and his explanation for Rovers' scheming left a sour taste, more so than the post-match scuffles, which erupted at the final whistle when Glenn Cronin approached Sean O'Connor to apologise, and again during the warm-down.

'At the end, Glenn [Cronin] went over to shake hands and obviously their player didn't like it, and one or two others got involved who are normally involved,' said Fenlon.

Fenlon didn't see Act II. 'I was up with our lads so I didn't see what happened but I gather there were no digs thrown.

'If there's going to be a scrap you'd like to see a good one but I think it was just heat of the moment stuff, not anything else.' Defeats to Dundalk and St Pat's on Saturday night meant this was a point gained for both sides with Rovers unlucky not to have gotten something from a late onslaught.

Dessie Baker, who made a terrific impact as substitute, saw a shot turned on to the crossbar by Ken Oman and had a penalty appeal turned down by referee Dave McKeon.

Then in stoppage time, Chris Turner was denied brilliantly by Barry Murphy, the former Hoops keeper.

Another fan of a club who hasn`t got it`s own ground,throwing mud! Where do you propose we find the cash to make it into an acceptable stadium?

Does it matter that we own it or not. Turners Cross is probably the best stadium in Ireland or its size. Built bit by bit. Bohs build the Jodi stand 10-12 years ago and since then there has been zero development as far as I can see. Same with Shels, they built that stand behing the goal but nothing happened after that.

Was there any plan to improve the rest of the ground? Or were they abandoned when Liam Carroll flashed some cash?

You haven't argued with me about the state of the stadium, just wondering was there a long term rejuvination plan in place at any stage. Lotto money and sports grants are there for stuff like this.

I don't think it does Tubby when scum flood in from all parts of de city and wreak havoc on the Luas line, attacking opposition fans.

Well Tubby a Donegal was killed in Dublin on the night of the All-Ireland, not by Dublin fans as such. It was an isolated incident. The scum who did it were put away thankfully. Let's hope no fans are killed in routine violence that happens when Rovers are involved. I have to use that Luas, the state of some of the people on it on matchdays. Where do they find them.

That's news to me. Link?

Any comment on the scum who travel to Rovers games or is it just one team you're focusing on?

giant strides - dont go boasting about others getting a free stadium when you got one yourself

id rather rent a modern stadium than own a decrepit one

dont it just go to show who the real irish champions are ,no pots in 16 year and still the best supported team in ireland .

ricky, even though we've not won anything in 16yrs we've still won more pots than the lot of them put together .now thats some satistic .remember we were homeless for 20 yrs .