Red Army passion makes champion fans

MUNSTER fans’ reputation as the most passionate supporters in European rugby has officially been recognised.

A survey run by European Cup sponsors Heineken and the Munster Supporters Club has unearthed some astounding reports of the Red Army’s devotion.

Asked about the lengths to which fans have gone to follow their heroes, Una Downey said she had pulled out a fireplace when tickets fell down behind the mantelpiece.

Supporter Jane Leonard seemed to top that, saying she got to the first final against Northampton on a double-booked flight from Shannon, having ended up flying in the cockpit with the pilots.

The sheer cunning deployed to gain those invaluable tickets also beggars belief - Sean Meade joined Leicester Tigers to make sure of a ticket for the 2003 quarter-final tie.

Others, such as Patricia Giltinane, covered all eventualities by simply purchasing flights to all possible destinations before Munster had qualified.

Those who slept in airports, took trains, ferries, buses, taxis, rented cars and climbed walls are all in the survey, as are those responsible for clogging up phone lines.

Few, however, could match Suzanne Hayes in that regard. She once rang a phone number constantly from 6pm to 9.55pm before she succeeded in securing a ticket.

The thrill of the chase, of tracking down that elusive passport to paradise, generates its own mythology.

“The overnight queue in Musgrave Park for the Cardiff final was the most memorable one,” said Bob Evans, while Mark Twohig cautioned that “if someone has an extra ticket then I try to make sure it goes to the most deserved person I can find”.

At times, obsession edges into ritual. John Foley dons a green shirt first, followed by a black jersey, then a Munster jersey and, finally, his red clogs.

Bob Evans always wears the 2000 jersey while Patricia Giltinane, who also wears the same clothes to a match, always stands in the same place in Thomond Park. “I’ve been doing this for nearly ten years, so the clothes are getting a little shabby,” she confessed.

Mark Twohig has to shout “C’mon Munster” as against “Go on Munster” depending on which way Munster plays.

Where does the passion come from?

“The Munster team relate to their supporters and speak to us like we’ve known each other all our lives,” says Jane Leonard. “This makes the supporters more passionate, you feel like it’s a member of your family out there on the pitch and, in a way, it is. Munster supporters feel the passion and understand the passion a gazillion times more.”

Mark Twohig adds: “If I had a euro for every fan who secretly told me he wished he was from Munster, I would be a rich man.

“Every fan is different - the team’s culture is reflected in the majority of its supporters.”