Fans will fly to Russia with love for the boys in green

HIGH flying soccer supporters have chartered a plane to Russia for Ireland's first European Championship qualifying game.

Keano’s absence and the sale of the TV rights for home games hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of the team’s loyal fans.

The FAI might have been accused of failing to book the most direct flights to games, but no one can say that about supporters flying to Moscow next month.

Some 400 fan have chartered a plane to bring them to the country’s first qualifying game against Russia on September 7.

This one-off day trip to the Russian capital costs 440.

The plane, hired through Concorde Travel, will fly from Dublin Airport on the day of the match.

The 747 Russian aircraft will leave Dublin at 8am and return home before 9pm that night.

If this journey is successful the Irish Football Supporters’ Association hope to organise another one-day trip to Georgia next March.

“People are feeling a bit down at the moment and this will show that we’re still 100% behind the team. The more we can get on the plane the better,” Association general secretary Alan Hunter said.

The Association is hoping the trip will boost the mood of supporters who are still angry over the FAI’s sale of TV rights to SKY.

“The television row could mean that no one will be able to watch this game, except the people in the stadium. We will be part of history,” Mr Hunter said.

The fact that supporters will only have to take one day off work to travel is one of the main reasons for hiring the plane, Mr Hunter said.

“We will be able to have our breakfast in the morning and then head off to Russia for the game.

We’ll be back home in our beds that night.”

The cost of the trip won’t put off the die-hard travelling fans who had to fork out thousands during the World Cup.

“You’d have some people who didn’t go to the World Cup and this is their big game. Others have been saving since returning from Japan,” Mr Hunter said.

Ireland and Russia are the big challengers in the group with Switzerland and Georgia also hoping to get to the 2004 championship in Portugal.

“It’s vital that we can get off to a good start over there just like we did in Amsterdam two years ago,” Mr Hunter said.

Contact 01-8727066 to book your seat on the flight.