Open training session cements Irish-Polish relations

It was a 22-hour round trip for one dedicated fan, sheer luck for others but a case of cementing Irish-Polish relations for most of the crowd.

Close to 12,000 football supporters packed the Municipal Stadium in Gdynia as the Republic of Ireland were put through their paces in open training.

Cathal Gantley spent 11 hours of the day on a train to the city on the Baltic and faced the return leg straight after the 45-minute exhibition.

"I just came up to support the team - I couldn't pass up the opportunity, living in Poland, it's a once in a lifetime," the 30-year-old said.

The English teacher from Trim, Co Meath emigrated to the Polish city of Krakow two and a half years ago for work.

Proudly sporting his county colours of green and gold, Gantley stood out a mile among the huge number of locals at the stadium.

Sitting under the directors' box just yards from the players' warm up area, seven-year-old Oscar Smelter is the embodiment of close Irish-Polish relations.

With his grandfather Jan Mosielski by his side, the lad from Ennis, Co Clare was mixing summer holiday, a family visit and the rare glimpse inside professional football.

Unusual for a fan of any age, he doesn't have a favourite - "I just like the whole team."

And the huge support was not lost on manager Giovanni Trapattoni who admitted he was taken aback by the crowds and atmosphere in and around the stadium.

"It was a great surprise for me, fantastic for me because I think we have to somehow pay our respects back for this kindness we have received today," he said afterwards.

Among them were students from Leopardstown, south Dublin, Marcus Brien, Dan Hogan, Ciaran Ryan, with their friend James Palmer also from the southside.

Laden with bags and suitcases they happened upon the open session by sheer chance.

"We took a flight into Gdansk and we met these two random girls in the airport who told us Ireland were training," Ryan said.

Not to be outdone on the marathon journey front, the four found a bus going into Gdansk, a train to Gdynia and another train to get them near the stadium - with no tickets.

The first-time away fans continued their lucky theme on arrival at the ground by blagging tickets from sympathetic Polish girls busy painting faces outside the ground.

"They told us not to say anything to anyone and we said 'we love you'," Hogan said, doing his own bit for relations.

Elsewhere in the ground there was the as-expected feverish scramble for match day tickets.

Gantley said: "I'm trying for tickets for the Italy match.

"I'm always optimistic about the results - you have to be that way. Once we get the result against Croatia that will set us up."

The emigrant teacher left for the train still optimistically waiting for a result on the tickets.

The other four weary travellers - with only one ticket between them for the entire competition -pitched themselves at the main entrance hoping to make a personal plea to FAI chief John Delaney. The way their luck went in the first 24 hours of the trip they haven't ruled out getting into the Croatia match.