Come Here To Me!

El Classico. The Eternal Derby. The Old Firm. El Superclassico. In cities across the world, there is always one game that captures the imagination, the wits and emotions of the masses. From Rome to Liverpool, Glasgow to Buenos Aires, football fans wait tentatively for those days of the season where you meet your fiercest rivals; shaking in anticipation, that constantly nervous feeling grips at your every bone. Sometimes its pure fear, that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach- a dull ache that spreads into your chest the closer the time comes, culminating in chest pains and a dry throat on the day itself. Hoarse before the game even starts having spent the last couple of days yammering onto anyone who’ll listen, whether they have an interest or not, about the game in question. Drunk on the occasion, not on the pints you swallow before it, you know you’ve got just a couple of hours before you’re walking home with either your head in the clouds or the gutter.

Clash of the Titans

That feeling is with me now. For tomorrow night, in Dalymount Park, arguably the most important derby in recent memory is taking place. Shamrock Rovers sit at the top of the table, five points clear of Bohemians with four games to go. A win for Bohs tomorrow pegs that back to two points with three games to go. All to play for you might say. And to be honest, its mere luck that has Bohs in this position-where they have bottled it this season, Rovers have also. So for the last four games, it really is a case of who bottles it less, starting with tomorrow night. What used to be a stroll in the park, three points in the bag for Bohs game is now turning into a nightmare, if memory serves, Bohs haven’t beaten Rovers since the 2-0 victory at Dalymount in March last year- and that seems like an awful long time ago now. It should be a tight affair, Rovers losing Bayly and Murphy to red cards in Friday nights shock loss to UCD and Bohs losing Quigley for a stupid headbutt and O’Connor for a silly challenge outside the box during the dour draw with Bray.

We are Bohs!

To be honest, the nerves are at me already, and have been since Saturday morning. This game always sets the pulse racing for me, the amicable respect generally shown between League of Ireland fans goes out the window and it’s all out war for the evening. The Northside versus The Southside; The Clash of the Titans. Its an all ticket affair so if you’re on for it, get yourself to the bar in Dalyer tonight and pick one up; I can’t bloody wait. Never mind your Anfield or Stadio Olympico; theres nowhere I would rather be tomorrow night than Dalymount Park.

Come on Bohs.

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