Fanatical Support

Is fanatical support a thing of the past, in the last few days Ireland captain Paul O Connell has called on supporters to get to their seats before the game starts and not 5 minutes into the game. With a week to go before the 2014 6 Nations begins I think Paul O Connell has sent a clear message to all supporters to come and support Ireland and turn The Aviva into the fortress that it once was.

People will ask how do you do this, well here are a few solutions, Close the bars 10 minutes before kick off , Ask people via the PA system to get into their seats at least 5 minutes before kick off , Turn off the PA system after the team announcements and leave it up to supporters to set the atmosphere. They are just 3 ways of changing the atmosphere at big games. This year marks the start of the build up to the 2015 World Cup. Joe Schmidt will now have a real chance to stamp his authority of the Irish squad.

What is the true mark of an Irish supporter, a real knowledge of the game they are at, and a real sense of timing as to when they are needed by the team during the game. So in 2014 and beyond take Paul O Connell’s advice and get to your seat on time and get behind the team from minute one and turn the Aviva into a place where visiting teams won’t want to visit.

Cian Mc Gibney 24-01-2014.