Croker finds its voice at last

COMMITTED, exuberant and, by the end, they threatened to blow the roof off the stadium.

And Trap’s boys didn’t do too badly either.

Having started life as an arranged marriage, it should have been no surprise that relations between Croke Park and the footballing fraternity were no more than cordial for so long, but there were signs two days ago of what could become a beautiful, if fleeting, romance.

Ireland had rented the GAA’s pad 10 times prior to the visit of the world champions and each and every game was notable for a marked lack of atmosphere no matter who the visitors were, what day of the week it was or what time it all kicked off.

The question is, does the onus rest on a team to give the crowd something to shout about or should it be a prerequisite that supporters go to games prepared to sing themselves hoarse and clap their hands raw, regardless of what happens on the pitch?

Whatever the answer, both players and fans raised their game on Saturday. “We knew we had to lift our performance level playing a team like Italy,” said John O’Shea. “The crowd played a part as well. We just let them off the hook.”

The charge of electricity was as welcome as it was overdue.

Not even the arrivals of Germany late in 2007 and Brazil in February of 2008 kick-started anything like an atmosphere. The one time the place had generated a buzz was 11 months ago and we had thousands of Polish supporters to thank for that.

In truth, the crowd hasn’t had much to shout about. The rugger lads got to begin their tenancy with crucial Six Nations games against France and, unforgettably, England. The FAI’s opening card was a meaningless qualifier against Wales.

Giant flags and free green t-shirts could only do so much but the FAI went a step further last January by introducing a 1,500-strong singing section in the Davin Stand. Orchestrated passion. Dire times, indeed.

It was that background which made us cringe slightly last week when Italian midfielder Daniele De Rossi talked about the prospect of an atmosphere to compare with that at Hampden Park back in 2007 when the Azzurri beat Scotland 2-1.

“The atmosphere in Dublin will be similar to the one we experienced in Scotland,” said De Rossi who went on to say that he was embarrassed by just how good an anthem ‘Flower of Scotland’ was. “We know that the stadium will be packed.”

Hmm, we thought. We’ll see.

While we’re at it, let’s call a spade a spade.

Croke Park’s sheer size and unfamiliarity have shouldered much of the blame for the lack of oomph but the malaise stretches much further back, to Lansdowne Road where the famous ‘roar’ had become a whimper long before its closure for refurbishment.

The Dutch game in 2001 was probably the last time the Ballsbridge venue had presented itself as a seething cauldron to a visiting team. Certainly, by the time Thierry Henry struck to give France a 1-0 win in 2005, the old girl had already lost her teeth.

From a distance, it appeared as if this particular occasion would follow a similar script thanks to Italy’s win against Bulgaria early last month, one which all but guaranteed Marcello Lippi’s men top spot in the group with two games still to play.

How wrong can you be?

“It was unbelievable,” said Leon Best who came on for Kevin Doyle in the second-half. “When I went out there first (before the match), I was looking around me and asking the lads if it would be full.

“I can only imagine what the World Cup is going to be like, fingers crossed that we’ll get there. But yeah, it was unbelievable, that’s the biggest crowd I’ve ever played in front of and I hope to continue playing in front of crowds like that for Ireland.”

Sean St Ledger had made what turned out to be a prescient point earlier in the week when he talked about it being a Saturday night game, which gave supporters plenty of time to relax in the boozers dotted around the stadium beforehand.

Even before the first whistle there was a perceptible sense that this could be one of Irish football’s more memorable nights and the opening choruses of ‘Stand Up for the Boys In Green’ and ‘Fields of Athenry’ carried more weight than they for some time.

Glen Whelan’s cracker didn’t hurt either and the eruption that followed Sean St Ledger’s late goal was comparable to anything the stadium has seen in its new guise apart, the Ireland/England Six Nations tie aside.

Talk about good timing. With Ireland likely to draw one of Europe’s heavyweights in next month’s play-offs, Ireland will need every last thing – Trap’s beloved “leetle details” – to go their way if they are to see South Africa in 2010.

“It was unbelievable,” said St Ledger who was making his bow at Croke Park. “It’s what dreams are made of. Walking in the tunnel and standing next to the likes of Iaquinta and Pirlo, and to watch them on the field, I can’t put into words what it was like.

“It’s something I want more of, playing in front of 70,000. It sent chills through my spine. I was nervous before the game just standing there and it seemed to take forever for the game to kick off. I’m just majorly disappointed that we didn’t get the three points.

“We’ve given a great account of ourselves in front of a tremendous crowd. Obviously, it’s my first game here and the noise they make is brilliant. We want to taste more of that and we’re looking forward to the play-off game now.”