Shamrock Rovers pioneers ready for ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ at India tournament

Vaccinations and visas all up to date, Shamrock Rovers will boldly go where no League of Ireland team has gone before when they fly out to India today to participate in an international football tournament.

Taking place in the southern coastal city of Kozhikode (also known as Calicut), the Sait Nagjee Amarsee tournament will see the Hoops pitted against teams representing the host nation and Argentina, as well as club sides from Hertha Berlin, 1860 Munich, Rapid Bucharest, Watford, Atletico Parananense from Brazil, and Dnipro Dniproppetrovsk from Ukraine.

The Rovers invitation came about when an agent with whom Hoops boss Pat Fenlon had worked at Hibs alerted him to an available place in the competition. Former Shels man Dave Rogers— who is now based in India with the Liverpool academy — had the facilities checked out and was able to give an encouraging report.