Celtic and Wolves played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday and, given the circumstances surrounding the fixture, attracted a pretty good crowd in the process.
The match was hastily arranged this month after both the Premier League side and the Scottish champions pulled out of a scheduled fixture in Seoul, South Korea following problems with the organisers.
Despite the fact it was just a friendly, short notice, high ticket prices and expensive hotel availability in the city due to other events across the weekend, a crowd of 28,241 turned out for the 2pm kick-off.
The vast majority of the stadium were there to support Celtic with Wolves fans restricted to the small stand behind the goal. It felt very much like a home fixture across the afternoon with many Celtic songs heard and even a huddle kicking off in the stands.
Manager Rodgers told Viaplay after the match: “There are very few clubs that can get this amount of fans in, in such a short period of time. A big thank you to everyone who turned up. I know there are people who come over from all different areas of Ireland to be here. It is great that they came and made a great atmosphere.”
Sure, the stadium wasn’t full but I don’t think it was ever going to be in the context of everything else. Even James Forrest’s Testimonial won’t be a sell-out on Tuesday night in Glasgow, with around 30,000-35,000 expected for that one as it stands.
It’s heartening to see the Bhoys so well supported in Ireland in an increasingly competitive football world and the English Premier League bigger than ever right across the Irish Sea.
The match was also a fine reward for those who travel from Ireland to watch Celtic in Scotland regularly. Those are long journeys with lots of variable conditions and expenses. It must have been fantastic to make an easier trip to Dublin to take in the Bhoys!
In other news, Brendan Rodgers reacts after Celtic draw with Wolves; how Bhoys can improve further.
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