C’est fantastique!
In a tournament which has been packed full of special fan moments, the Place de la Bource in Bordeaux was home to yet another highlight, as a group of Irish and Welsh fans held an impromptu five-a-side match in the last light of the French evening sun.
You may forget about the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux and the Stade de France, the ‘pitch’ at the Place de la Bource is where it’s at…
Magic! #Ireland & #Wales fans turn #Bordeaux main square into brilliant 5-a-side game in the sun #EURO2016 #IRL #WAL pic.twitter.com/NsEcrCKga5
— Eoghan Doherty (@dohertyeoghan) June 16, 2016
The teams, in part, were made up of Irishmen Kevin Gaffney, Colm Henry, David Ferris, Jason Prior, Barry Conlan, Brian Connolly, Sean Maguire and John Foy, Scotland native Paul Alcroft, and Welshmen Sam Lucitt-Rees and Adam Collins.
After simply kicking a ball back and forth for a while, things became increasingly competitive as more and more onlookers joined in, with a full-blown footy match breaking out as nearby crowd-control railings doubled up as makeshift goalposts, patriotically draped in the flags of the two countries.
Some dithering in the Welsh box allowed Ireland to nip in and take the lead…
People missed sitters…
People fell over…
People even channelled their inner-Packie Bonner…
People also took a well-deserved rest after channelling their inner-Packie Bonner…
Unfortunately though, the friendly fun came to an abrupt end when the poor match ball was burst by the wheels of a passing French car following one Irish ‘striker’s’ wayward shot.
As Groundskeeper Willie would say; the cheese-eating surrender monkey.
Don’t worry though, all’s well that ends well as Ireland emerged victorious in a 4-1 sun-soaked sweat-fest.
And it all finished up with a sing-off as all the players posed for a terrific team photo…
Come on you Boys in Green… and Red.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
