Back in Switzerland for a week or two, I decided to take the opportunity to do another Swiss football groundhop for my blog. I managed to get a game in the city of Winterthur to see the local team play against FC Vaduz. I also planned to get a hike in the morning, climbing the Canton of Zurich’s highest peak Schnebelhorn, to continue with my Swiss Canton Peak challenge. Football and a hike, two birds with one stone!
Winterthur is a German speaking city in the Canton of Zürich in northern Switzerland. With over 110,000 residents it is the country’s sixth-largest city by population.
Getting to Winterthur is no problem, as it is one of the busiest stations on the Swiss Railway Network with 105,000 passengers a day. As the town is close to Zürich, it is served by many trains on the local Zürich S-Bahn network.
To be honest the city is not really the most happening place in the world, not much to see as a tourist, and no real attractions that draw people in.
Switzerland Canton High Points
Zurich: Schnebelhorn, 1,292 metres, 4,239 feet
Number 9 on my Swiss canton peaks list, the canton of Zurich.
Started at 9.am in the small village of Steg, then straight upto Schnebelhorn, not a hard hike to the top, but was very misty and cold, and when at peak didn’t hang around too long as it was very windy and could see nothing.
Coming down the weather got better, and by the time I arrived in Winterthur for the football it was a lovely day.
The Schnebelhorn is a mountain located near Fischenthal in the Töss Valley, between the cantons of Zurich (west) and St. Gallen (east). It is the highest summit of the canton of Zurich.
Various trails lead to the summit from all sides. Most of the massif is covered by forests.
Pub watch
The Scotsman
Address: General-Guisan-Strasse 19, 8400 Winterthur
Dropped in by accident…..was actually on my way to an Irish bar, and my eyes were distracted by the harp of Guinness on display on the outside of this establishment………
A Scottish bar, interesting, has Guinness, but more importantly it had Smithwicks on tap………respect right there.
Once I got settled in, and after my pint of Smithwicks (was just ok!), ordered some food………..cheesy chips (the healthy option) , and a pint of Brew Dog Punk IPA, one of my favorites, poured lovely and cold………….with my dinner, it went down very well.
Since I was in a Scottish bar, I decided I might as well finally try their infamous Irn-Bru, “Scotland’s other national drink”, some sort of fizzy pop. It was , well interesting, full of sugar for sure……..not one I’d drink regularly I’d have to say.
Since I was in a hurry I had to go, but enjoyed my short time here…….food was good, drinks fine, bar man, with the obligatory kilt, was very friendly….
Good bar……..respect to my Celtic cousins….
Molly Malone Irish Pub Winterthur
Address: Oberer Deutweg 4, 8400 Winterthur
Bit out of the town, and the outside doesn’t look much but inside its not too bad, decent decor and plenty of space to sit down.
Was quiet for the time I was there, mid day Saturday, a few knocking around. Sat at bar, and the first positive was the beer menu…..it was massive and had a very, very good selection of beers on tap and in bottle. Top beers from Ireland, the UK, Belgium, Germany and local beers from Switzerland, and good ciders too…..excellent selection of beers.
Ordered a Guinness, as you do, and a cheese burger for something to eat. Served with a smile, and the food came quick enough. Food served quick is always a bad sign, and to be honest the burger wasn’t the best, looked good but was a bit soggy and wasn’t as filling as it should have been. The Guinness was not the best too, but I’m not going to take marks off for that…..outside of Dublin its generally hit and miss….. I also ordered a Spitfire ale and it was fine.
The bar man was friendly, and I liked the effort made to turn this into a real bar…..I hope it works out for them……as that beer menu is top quality. Would love to return and sample more of their beers, especially the Gose beers, ha.
Paddy O’Brien’s Old Irish Pub
Address: Merkurstrasse 25, 8400 Winterthur
Only here for a quick pit stop, great to see they had Newcastle Brown Ale on tap, lovely….
Staff working hard, especially one Irish man who I assumed was the bar owner, but later found out he was just part of the staff, but boy was it impressive to see him work the tables, pull the pints, and generally work his ass off…..all with a smile and some good Swiss German to boot. Workers like that are diamonds…….
Loved the Dubliners album on the wall, what a great touch……..
Must return next time I am in town………
FC Winterthur
Arena/Stadium: Stadion Schützenwiese
Location: Winterthur, Switzerland
Capacity: 8,550
Manager: Bruno Berner
Founded: 1896
League: Swiss Super League
Honours:
Swiss Super League: Winners (3): 1905-06, 1907-08, 1916-17
Challenge League (2nd div title): Winners (4): 1965-66, 1967-68, 1981-82, 2021-22
info@fcwinterthur.ch
FC Winterthur is the main local football team. They play in the Swiss Super League, the first tier of Swiss football, and appeared regularly in the Nationalliga A during the 20th century. Their home is the Stadion Schützenwiese.
The club was founded in 1896 by students of the local school of engineering and following a fusion with two local teams, it was called Vereinigte Fussballclubs Winterthur between 1929 and 1946. They enjoyed their best success in the early part of the 20th century winning the Swiss Championship three times (in 1906, 1908 and 1917), before consecutive relegations in 1931 and 1934. They played in the lower leagues until regaining promotion to the Nationalliga B in 1950. They have since stayed in the second division for most of their history.
They famously lost to West Auckland F.C., an English amateur team in what is thought to be the first international football club competition, the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy. The club have also reached the final of the Swiss Cup in 1968 and 1975, losing both games.
In the 2021-22 season, Winterthur were able to achieve a last round championship victory in the Swiss Challenge League, to gain their first promotion to the Swiss Super League, their first time at the top table of Swiss football since 1982. Following their promotion, coach Alex Frei, who led the team during this successful season, departed the team to join FC Basel. He was replaced by Bruno Berner.
The club play at Stadion Schützenwiese, a short walk from the centre of Winterthur, since 1896. In the 1980s the ownership was transferred to Winterthur council as the club faced financial problems. The council are responsible for any maintenance and upkeep of the ground. While once boasting a capacity of 14,987 before 2009, the stadium now holds 8,550 seats, 1,900 of which are seated. The more hardcore supporters of the club stand at one end, which is known as the Bierkurve. Away supporters are housed at the opposite end of the stadium to the Bierkurve.
To the game
FC Winterthur 4 – 2 FC Vaduz
16.04.2022 • Stadion Schützenwiese, Winterthur
• M. Di Giusto (16′) FC Vaduz
• S. Ltaief Rrudhani (29′) FC Win
• M. Sutter (54′) FC Vaduz
• G. Lekaj (57′) FC Win
• R. Buess (66′) FC Win
• S. Ballet (92′) FC Win
Attendance: 8,200
The atmosphere was electric with the home support sensing that another victory today would edge the team closer to promotion and back in the big league for the first time in years
Pre-match and in the sun, the crowd were buzzing, it was a great feeling. Ground was packed, and everyone in a good mood.
Long queues for beer and food so ventured in the art gallery, yes what modern football ground doesn’t have an art gallery, had some wine and gawked at some art! Bit silly to be honest.
Finally managed to get some beers and took my place in the main stand, at the back……………..good views of ground, but I have to be honest, with all the supporters packed in, it was way overfull, and with supporters spilling onto the walk ways and exits it was potentially very dangerous as everyone was on top of each other on a steep stand…….
To be honest I hope they have this sorted for next season when they play teams with bigger travelling support. Very dangerous IMHO. Never-mind the pretentious art bollix, get your safety checked first! tsk.
At half time, made my way to the area behind the goals where all the ultra fans hung out……….again packed, but not as steep or hazardous, and more fun as the songs were going and atmosphere a plenty.
Home team won 4-2, in a very entertaining game. Good game, good atmosphere, but too many queues and issues with crowd safety………………
Overall
Enjoyed the day, nice hike in the morning and lovely few hours spent in the pubs of Winterthur. Oh yeah, the football game was fun too!
Here is the video of my hike and visit to FC Winterhur
Drumcondra is one of Dublin’s oldest inner residential suburbs, and you can still get to see some of the old terraced style houses on show. Also the Royal Canal hugs this side of the city, and it can be nice on a hot day to walk along the towpaths and get a feel for the Northside. Griffith Park, near the well to do Griffith Avenue, is a lovely escape, and the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin is only a short walk away.
Getting to the area is very easy, with the area even having its own national rail and DART (Light rail) stop at Drumcondra railway station, on the main Drumcondra road, only one stop from Connolly station (Ireland’s main train station). Also a host of Dublin Bus routes serve the Drumcondra area, such as the 1, 11, 16, 33, or 41 amongst others (usually can be taken in and around O’Connell Street). You could also walk it from the city centre, taking about 30 minutes or so brisk walk.
Straight off the Drumcondra train stop and with lightning speed we went right into the nearest and handiest pub for thirsty souls, and that was to be Quinns. I have reviewed this pub before when I did my 
Second pint of the day was a short walk away in Mcgraths, an ordinary decent boozer as they would say. Pretty dull frontage, all brown, but inside it was nice and comfy, wooden interior and had some decent beers on tap. I sat down at the busy enough bar for that time of the day, and went for a pint of Galway Hooker Pale Ale, something I have heard raved about online, it has won awards dont you know! Served fast enough by the friendly bar man, pint was great, lovely and cool, and enjoyed my short time here having a nice quiet chat with the brother. The bar has a bit of a local feel to the place which adds to its cozy atmosphere. 
Next pub of the day was to be the Red Parrot, a smallish pub that was very empty when we arrived, just one other customer! Ordered a pint of stout from the friendly barman. 
As we were walking along we noticed a sign for The Hideout Pub, we followed, intrigued, down an alley into a square with a block of flats and at the corner there was a bar. No need to guess too hard why the bar then is called the Hideout!
Next up was a pint of Guinness in The Hogan Stand, a popular pub this side of Dublin. The Hogan Stand is a well known stand in Croke Park Stadium, the GAA ground nearby. 
Next pub certainly stood out from the crowd, what with a big fuck off murial of Dublin GAA on the frontage, eye catching and definitely worth a closer look!
We headed into Lowrys on the corner. Place had a very good crowd inside, interior was nothing special, old style decor that looked like it hasn’t changed since the 80s. Ordered a Smithwicks, pulled fast from the friendly bar man.
Luke Kelly, with his very distinctive singing style, was a quintessential Dublin singer, folk musician, and social activist, and a hero and all round Irish legend to many. Luke, of course, was a prominent member of The Dubliners, the Irish trad specialists, whose versions of Irish classics like “The Rocky Road to Dublin”, “Seven Drunken Nights”, “The Town I Loved So Well”, “On Raglan Road” enthralled millions of people not just in Ireland but all across the world, a folk singer that will forever be remembered. 
But wait a minute, the statue was apparently vandalized with graffiti just a few weeks after its unveiling! No one knows why but I was thinking perhaps it might be that the statue is really not in the heart of Sheriff Street but just across the bridge on the edge of the area he was from, and nearer to the nicer part of the town? Walking straight across the bridge to the statue one can be in no doubt that you are walking across a social divide, at least that was the impression I got, and not so much a gift to the local people but something for the tourists to gawk at and then promptly turn right around least they venture too close to the centre of Sheriff Street. Or maybe I am putting too much into that…………. Anyway, thankfully the graffiti was removed and the statue was restored in all its glory by the time we had a look. 
The club have played out of Tolka Park, in the heart of Drumcondra, since the 1950’s but only as official tenants since 1989. Tolka Park is a famous ground steeped in Irish sporting folklore but it has seen better days. Now the ground is pretty derelict looking and not all the stands are open to the public owing to safety concerns, and unkept terraces. Of course it must be said that Shels were not the first team to play here, that honour goes to Drumcondra F.C. who played here from 1928-1972 along the way winning 5 championships, but now sadly are not involved in LOI top tier football.
Under the direction of the club’s majority shareholder and Chief Executive, the fairly flamboyant Oliver Byrne, the club ran up a huge debt pile chasing European glory, attempting to reach the Champions League but not quite getting there, all leading to a near break up of the club, resulting in the derelict ground and loss of a decent team. In the 2004/5 season they were one game off the Champions League proper, after knocking out KR Reykjavík of Iceland and then Croatian League Champions HNK Hajduk Split in a very memorable 2-0 home victory, they then proceeded to play a very good Deportivo La Coruna team from Spain, going out a very respectable 3-0 on aggregate. In 2006 the club got into serious debt, so Ollie Byrne sold the ground to property developer Ossie Kilkenny to help repay the club’s debts. Pat Fenlon resigned as their manager, and most of the team left. All this leaving them with demotion to the second division by the FAI where they have languished for the last few seasons, with the one exception of a brief appearance back in the top division in 2011 after promotion, but relegation two years after! (They also made the Cup final in 2011, losing to Sligo on penos!).
Right from the off Shelbourne were all guns ablazing, nearly scoring with a header from one of their defenders. But Cabinteely were also livewires, getting a shot off the crossbar, unlucky not to score first. 
McGuinness, the Cabinteely netminder, was alert to everything, saving well from a Shels break, a one on one, he did well to keep out.
Conan Byrne, ex Pats legend, was introduced just after the hour mark and made a huge difference to the team, bringing more impetus to the attack, nearly scoring as well making McGuinness pull off another one of his saves. 
The result meant that Shels are still out front at the top of the First Division while Cabinteely further strengthened their chances of getting a play off position. Both teams played some good football at times and it was refreshing to see the ball played around the park a sight not too often seen in this division!
The cities foundations are owed to the Benedictine Monastery of St. Leodegar founded in 750, later acquired by Murbach Abbey in Alsace in the middle of the 9th century, and by this time the area was called Luciaria, later to be known in Latin as Lucerna “lantern”, but why so no one exactly knows. In 1178 the city was independent and doing quite well, with a good economy and a rising population (3000). The Habsburgs, one of the most influential and distinguished royal houses of Europe, looked on and decided they would like a piece of the action. In response the residents of Lucerne along with the cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden formed the Swiss Confederacy, on November 7, 1332 as a bulwark to an attack. Later the cities of Zürich, Zug and Bern joined the alliance, and thus ending the Austrian rulers influence in Switzerland. This resulted in Lucerne expanding even more free from the fear of an attack from outside forces. The city developed its infrastructure, raised taxes, and appointed its own local officials.
Owing to its location on the shores of Lake Lucerne and within sight of the famous mountains of Rigi, Pilatus and Stanserhorn in the Swiss Alps, Lucerne is truly a city with one heck of an amazing setting. Add to this its well-preserved medieval Altstadt (Old Town), its souvenir and watch shops, which are always full of Chinese visitors, the many high quality restaurants and top of the range bars, and beautiful waterfront promenades. the town is for sure a top destination for many travel groups and individuals on their journey through central Switzerland.
One of the city’s famous landmarks is the Chapel Bridge, a wooden bridge first erected in the 14th century, and hard to miss once you exit the train station, but be forewarned it is always bustling with tourists eager to take the best photo of the bridge. Not like anything I would do at all!! Other things to see and visit is the Lion Monument, or Löwendenkmal, found in a small park just off the Löwenplatz. The carving commemorates the hundreds of Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution. The Swiss Museum of Transport is also well worth a visit, a large and comprehensive museum exhibiting all forms of transport, including locomotives, automobiles, ships, and aircraft. It is to be found beside the lake in the northern-eastern section of the city. but generally the best thing to do in Lucerne is just to walk around the lake shore and take in all the breathtaking views. Or you could also take a boat trip on the lake itself. I have done both options numerous times, and it is great for rebalancing the mind and spirit when the fresh mountain air runs through your nostrils and into your body energising you at the same time. Nothing like it. Love it. Love Lucerne. 
Getting to the city is very easy, its central location means it is never too far from Switzerland’s other main cities, either on the motorway or by the extensive rail network in the country. Roughly 40 minutes by car from Basel, Zurich and Bern, and by rail about an hour from these same three cities, showing just how central Lucerne really is. 
First pub of the day for me was to be the Anfield Pub, not that far from the main bridge of the city,crossing the street and down an alley. The exterior of the pub is pretty bland. I actually walked past it looking for it, I figured owing to its name it might have some red colouring, but no a boring black and grey and easy to pass by. 
The bar is fine but something must be up if you can’t entice customers in on a Saturday midday, considering all the people just off the main drag around the corner. It is also a bit cheesy as well, calling a bar after the home ground of an English team considering you are in one of the most scenic cities in Switzerland. Use your local history? No connection, just looks silly, in my opinion. 
Could have went for the usual suspects you can get in an Irish bar, Guinness, Smithwicks, or even a Kilkenny, but wanted to try something different so I went for an ale called a Braufrisch from the Feldschlösschen brewery in Rheinfelden. It looked lovely in the glass, and went down better. Very good beer. 
Sat at bar, got a good seat in the front and ordered a “Fursty Ferret“, an interesting amber ale they had on show. Well poured and looked very appetising, dived in and sure enough it was lovely. Well worth the try, so, so tasty and one to look out for again in the future.
Next pub wasn’t too far to find as it was right next to Mr. Pickwicks, Rathaus Brauerei also on the promenade near the Chapel Bridge. 
The place was quite busy, and people were not only drinking but eating from the extensive menu on show. Food served looked good coming hot from the kitchen, but I was happy enough with the nourishment I was getting from the beer, going down well. Had a nice chat with a lovely gentleman who was telling me that there is actually a 70-meter long underground line through the Rathaus to the fermentation and storage cellar in nearby Eisengasse, piping the wort through. Cool. The copper brew pans are also on show behind the bar and restaurant and there are lots of cellars to be seen on your travels to the toilets!!
Took his advice and ventured in. Small enough place, really just a tiny circular bar with a few tables and chairs and not much else. Sat at the bar and ordered a Eichhof from the very friendly bar man.
Got chatting to two Lucerne FC supporters, and enjoyed the casual atmosphere in the place, a good friendly vibe to the place, very chilled. Seemed it was made up of mostly locals, which is cool. 
Got a bit lost and tired so popped in here to charge the phone and recharge my own batteries. Nice enough place, kind of a cafe type bar, easy going relaxed atmosphere building, with a nice modern interior. Sat at bar and ordered a Feldschlossen beer, just a regular lager on the tap, served fast and with a nice smile by the friendly bar lady. 
Followed the music that was coming from afar, it was pumping from the entrance to this bar and restaurant. A DJ was playing some great dance tunes from the 90s and early 2000’s, banging them tunes out. Brilliant.
The place is pretty big inside, they do a lot of food and have enough room to pack out a big crowd. I decided to stay outside and have my hot food and beer and enjoy the music from the DJ. Later I read they do good pizza’s, perhaps next time I am this side of the world.
A club was to be born, called “FC Luzern” and was mentioned in an add in the local paper, the “Luzerner Tagblatt“ in 1897, in which a meeting was called in the Café Alpenclub for ideas on how to get the ball rolling and start up this team in the city. Owing to a slow initial response it was 4 years before that team came into existence in 1901, initiated by friends Adolf Coulin, Ernst Haag and Hans Walter, with its official launch in the Restaurant Seidenhof, near the train station. Two years later they joined the Swiss FA, starting off in the third highest division. 
The club got a professional manager in 1921, Dionys Schönecker from Rapid Vienna of Austria, and his appointment was an instant success as Luzern faced Servette from Geneva in a title decider on 25 June 1922 in Basel. They were unlucky and bowed out 2-0. 
Afterwards the club did nothing of substance for many years and even skirted with the idea of going out of business as the debts racked up. In 2001, their centenary year, they entered administration and had to be rebranded and repackaged in order to continue, with much thanks to the effort of their supporters who helped financially when the call was put out for help. 
The club play at home in the Swissporarena which was newly built in 2011, at the cost of EUR €60 million, on the site of the old stadium, Stadion Allmend. The stadium is used mostly for football matches of FC Lucerne, but the Swiss national team use it at least once in every qualifying campaign for the World Cup or Euros. Its capacity is of 16,800 spectators. 
Tickets for FC Luzern matches can be bought online, at the Fanshop at the stadium, or at the Neue Luzerner Zeitung at the Pilatusstrasse 12 (about 200 metres from the main railway station). Don’t worry about not getting a ticket, as so often with Swiss football, Luzern will only sell out at the very odd high-profile match.
The ground itself is all modern and kind of funny looking, with golden looking stands formed all round, it’s kind of shit looking to be honest. Not the most attractive stadium I have ever seen for sure. Inside it looks a little better, all seats decked out in the club colours of blue. 
Not long after the second half got underway Thun were right back in it with a well taken goal by Marvin Spielmann, rifling it into the net. Nice one, game on. Now at this stage a lot of the fans were further retreating back into the stands due to how bad the weather was. It was near torrential at this stage, making it hard to stay focused on the game, for us the supporters never mind what it was like for the players to kick the ball around the soggy pitch!!
St Patrick’s Athletic Football Club are based in the Dublin suburb of Inchicore (Irish: Inse Chór, meaning “Island of Sheep”), located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) west of the city centre, easily accessible by the Luas from O’Connell street. 
While I was thinking of what I could do for the day out in Dublin I came across a new walking tour that was been introduced in the city, called My Streets, Ireland. What was different about this tour was that it was done by people who have lived on the streets of the capital, homeless people giving tours and telling their unique stories. So I signed up and on the day I was lucky to get a tour off Eddie who was showing a few of us around the streets of Phibsboro, North Dublin. I also got chatting to Austin Campbell, one of the people behind the exciting new venture.
Phibsboro, is a mixed commercial and residential neighbourhood in North Dublin hugging the The Royal Canal. A typical red-brick terrace area, with the odd Victorian style looking pub and the always busy Doyle’s Corner thoroughfare. Easily reachable by the new Luas Cross City Line network, or if you are mad, one could, of course, walk from O’Connell Street which can take you about 30 minutes or less.
I was well impressed with Eddie, a nice young man who has turned his life around and the tour was very informative. This was a tour that didn’t so much concentrate on the sights of the city but more on the personal stories of its people. Eddie talked about his rough upbringing, why he was on the streets, and the ins and outs of life as a homeless person. It was really a great way to spend an hour and I strongly recommend it to anyone who is looking for something a little different in a tour. It certainly brought me into a world I don’t often think about, which was good.
Darndale (Irish: Darndál meaning ”daffodil”) is an area on the Northside of Dublin, featuring a high concentration of social housing. It is located in the north of the sprawling suburb of Coolock. Got the bus from Busaras, takes about 40 minutes. 
Well to say we were amazed is an understatement. We actually had to check if we were in the right bar, I say this as the whole place got a total revamp inside, and looks totally different. It has got a very stylish and fancy new makeover. It really is a great design, and who ever is the interior decorator deserves a big cheer. There is a bit of everything in it really, some art deco, has nice wooden snugs, cool peasants on displays, dead and stuffed of course, the visit to the bogs bring you on an old disco style journey with big pop art in the toilets. Now I know this all sounds like a bit of a mess but somehow it all works perfectly together. Of course for me the best bit is behind the bar, looking at all the various whiskeys and liquor on display, 
We were the only two at the bar early morning, so still quiet. They have a good selection of beers on tap but went for Franciscan Well’s Rebel Red Ale, from Cork. Bar lady was friendly and served the beer perfectly in no time. Also got some Keoghs mature Irish crisps, very nice too, so good went back for another bag! As we were looking at all the beers, booze and alcohol on display Pogues Irish Whiskey caught our eye, and sure we just had to have a taste of this! Got a shot of it, was smooth enough, and gave us that little kick we need to continue on our journey across Dublin.
Place was busy, as to be expected with a pre match crowd, ordered a Heineken, and a packet of Tayto Salt and Vinegar, that’s the lunch sorted. Pint served fast and efficiently from the friendly bar man. 
The Beresford is a 3 star hotel, with a top restaurant with an Italian menu but also offering Irish style breakfasts, anad a cafe bar with a top notch bar and lounge offering a wide array of drinks.
St Patrick’s Athletic F.C. is a football club based in Inchicore, Dublin, that plays in the Irish Premier Division. Founded in May 1929, they originally played in the Phoenix Park but now play in Richmond Park since 1930. 
The next few decades, from the swinging ’60s right upto the drab 80’s, were pretty forgetful years for Pats fans. No trophies in a long barren spell for the club. Paul McGrath did appear though, earning the PFAI Players player of the year in 1982, for his very brief time at the club, before been whisked off to Manchester United. Even shorter, much shorter in fact, was the one appearance for St Pats, by World Cup legend Gordon Banks! At the time British stars used to come over to Ireland for play for pay games. Invaraibly they were always shite as they were well at the end of their careers. Terry Venables was another who came over, in the 80’s.
Brian Kerr, wearing the club badge on his sleeve, as always, stepped up to help his club out when they needed him most for the gigantic task of rebuilding a winning team that was shot to pieces in months, with so many players leaving in the havoc surrounding the survival of the club. But as so often with Keer, he worked the oracle and once again created a winning championship team at St Pats with the league trophy returning to Richmond Park in 1996. The winning squad made up of such Pats legends as Eddie Gormley, Paul Osam and Ricky O’Flaherty together with exciting young stars such as Colin Hawkins and Trevor Molloy.
Fast forward to 2012 and the return of Liam Buckley, former player and manager, for another stint in the hot seat. A clearout of the old team and bringing in 14 new players, Buckley was showing his serious ambitions on rebuilding a team to compete for the championship again. he did bring in some real star quality to the club, Chris Forrester, Christy Fagan, and Ger O’Brien, all becoming fans favourites in no time at all. Buckley’s side finished 3rd in the league, 6 points off champions Sligo Rovers. and he also guided his side to the 2012 FAI Cup Final, but they lost out 3–2 in extra-time to Derry City further extending the Saints’ FAI Cup winning drought to 52 years. Improvements were seen and the fans were happy, safe in the knowledge that good days were just around the corner. Killian Brennan and Conan Byrne arrived, further strengthening an already very decent side, and sure enough in 2013 they clinched the League of Ireland title on after a 2–0 win against holders Sligo Rovers with two games to spare. Brennan getting PFAI player of the year for his efforts. 
In 2013 they finally got the monkey off their back and won the cup for the first time in 53 long years. beating Derry City 2–0 with Christy Fagan immortalising himself with the club’s fans by scoring twice. He was also the clubs top scorer that season in the league and also voted PFAI player of the year. Not a bad season by all accounts!
Notable ex-players who have donned the Pats shirt in the past include Ireland internationals Keith Fahey, Curtis Fleming, and “The Black Pearl of Inchicore”, the legend that is Paul Mcgrath, one of the best defenders I have ever seen, no doubt about it. Other top players include Joseph N’Do, Ryan Guy, Charles Mbabazi Livingstone, Gordon Banks, Eddie Gormley, and Paul Osam who hold the all time appearances record for the club (308).
St Patrick’s Athletic 1 – Dundalk 0 
Despite it piddling down for most, if not all, of the game, I barely noticed that I was totally drenched, such was the excitement on offer at Richmond Park. Ok parts of the game were a little pedestrian, but for what St Pats lacked in skill they more than made up for it with steely determination and heart. 
In the second half both teams had chances to score, but it seemed that the Pats midfield were bossing it, with the team home totally neutralising the Dundalk threat. That was until the last 10 minutes or so, with about 5 minutes of added time, when the Pats players naturally whilted with all the effort they put in, Dundalk put the foot on the gas and there was a lot of last man defending as Dundalk kept plugging away for the equaliser.
Loved meeting the guys, Eddie, Immanuel and Tommy, was really special to chat to three very talented individuals, and I wish them great success in the future. Just goes to show you the talent that one can find in this little wee country of ours. 
So off on another League of Ireland ground-hop, into the Midlands this time to see Athlone Town, from the county of Westmeath and into the heart of Ireland. 
Athlone has two things that make it stand out from other midlands towns, the Shannon and the regional third level college, The Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT). The Shannon brings tourism while the college brings students. These amenities are a huge boost to the area, bringing technical and pharma jobs to the town, and with it the development of the area. The town has two big shopping centres, the usual top quality hotels to cater for all the tourists (Prince of Wales, Hodson Bay, Sheraton and Radisson ), has a few state-run and semi-state-run organisations (The Department of Education, Revenue Commissioners, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland all have bases in the town), and money is flowing into this up and coming hub beside the Shannon. Sports wise too, the Athlone IT International Arena is Ireland’s first world class indoor athletics arena, while the town hosted the prestigious European Triathlon Championships in 2010, when approximately 5,000 athletes participated in the event.
On the River Shannon, one can take a cruise, or even go on a Viking adventure trip up the River on a replica Viking boat. Lough Ree is just up the road and a great place for boating. The promenade on the River Shannon is popular among anglers, birdwatchers and swimmers. 
When I was there early in the day there were a good few tourists in the bar, but also a nice mix of locals too, a good atmosphere was building, and the pints were a flowing. They do have a good selection of beers on tap and I tried their own stout and the red ale, both very good particularly the stout, excellent. Also had a wee drop of their whiskey. Now not a whiskey drinker, yeah I know as an Irishman that’s a mortal sin, but it tasted ok to me, least it was smooth enough! Sat at the bar and took in all the atmosphere and the mystique of the place. Loved it and would have been quite happy to have stayed here all day, but alas I had to continue on my trip around the town. Ancient Irish history, in the settings of a cozy relaxed bar, drinking great pints. If only history class in school was as interesting as this!!!
After Seans I went for a stroll, to have a look at John McCormick’s old house, walk past the Castle and take in the cool breeze of the Shannon air as I ventured across the bridge to the other side of the town. Went into Nuts Corner, in the centre of the town, as it had a nice exterior, old fashioned and inviting.
This place was a little busier than the last bar, busy enough for the time of the day that was in it, bar was pretty full, still managed to get a place at the top table! Ordered a pint of Smithwicks from a friendly bar lady, who looked like she was worked off her feet, all alone in a busy bar, in a bar with some rather interesting characters! 
After a quick detour via SuperMacs (love the old SuperMacs!), dropped into this small bar for another quick pint. Small bar divided into two sections, went past all the regulars giving me the eye to the quieter section at the back. Ordered a pint of Smithwicks, my usual. Got chatting to the bar man who was great craic, very good sense of humour, good bit of ribbing. 
But by 2007, with the new move to the Stadium, 
Athlone AFC 0-1 Longford Town 
Getting to the ground itself by foot is a little tricky as it is a bit of a trek from the town centre, but luckily enough I managed to hitch a lift with a Longford Town fan. 
At half time had a wander around, and grabbed some refreshments from a catering van with some friendly staff, got a nice burger and some hot tea for myself and some coffee for two stewards/ball boys (Ball men?) I had noticed standing in the cold on their own behind the goals and across from the main stand. I wandered over to them for a chat, and a great chat it was, and was well surprised that they do this for the pure love of the game but it seems to me they dont get much thanks for their hard work, not even a cup of hot tea, ffs. Shameful from Athlone Town FC, you should always look after your volunteers. 
It proved popular, having two thirsty markets on its doorstep, Dublin and the rest of Ireland one side, and Britain the other, lucky for Arthur both nations like a tipple or two. So it comes as no surprise that by the 1930’s, Guinness was to become the seventh largest company in the world. (according to Wiki!). The Germans have their BMW’s, the French their wines, the Dutch their Cheeses, we will leave the banks to the Swiss, but us Irish we have the Guinness!
It is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available mostly everywhere that you can find bars, especially Irish bars! In Ireland it is still the most drank beer, making about 
But generally Guinness are the masters of advertisements. When they bring out an ad on the box people generally take note such is the effect of a Guinness promotion. The harp itself is such an iconic symbol must people know that it represents Guinness when they see it in a bar or pub. In terms of early advertising and imagery, the artist John Gilroy‘s work, from the 1930s and 1940s, still stands the test of time. He created posters that included phrases such as “Guinness for Strength”, “Lovely Day for a Guinness”, “Guinness Makes You Strong”, “My Goodness My Guinness”, and most famously, “Guinness is Good For You“. The posters featured Gilroy’s distinctive artwork and more often than not featured animals such as a kangaroo, ostrich, seal, lion and notably a toucan, which has become as much a symbol of Guinness as the harp. These posters and drawings can still be regularly seen in Irish pubs all around the world, and the originals fetch a high price when they come up at auctions. 
The Guinness Storehouse at St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin is the most popular tourist attraction in Ireland (attracting over 1,700,000 visitors in 2017) where a self-guided tour includes an account of the ingredients used to make the stout and a description of how it is made. Visitors can sample the smells of each Guinness ingredient in the Tasting Rooms, where one can stay the whole day and enjoy the sights of Dublin pint, or pints, in hand, since it gives a great view of the city. I have visited the Storhouse, who hasn’t at this stage, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Guinness, fresh, from St James Gate, is unFUCKINGbelievable!!! 
Established way back in 1759, Guinness with its iconic Classic harp logo and black coloured can, complete with Arthur Guinness’ scribble. Has the widget inside it too, a small plastic ball containing the nitrogen, needed for the rise of the bubbles to form that fine creamy head we all know and love so well.
For the taste I got lovely creamy mouthfuls at the start, nice and soft going down smoothly at the back of my throat.
The city also has a rich cultural tradition with many high-quality museums and art galleries, but for someone who is into more modern pursuits, the city holds one of the largest and most popular dance music festivals in the world, a techno “street parade” around August every year that attracts about a million ravers and the like dancing alongside the lake Zurich. 
A large Irish pub not too far off from the train station. Was my first stop of the day, and ventured in to the quiet bar with a small midday crowd. 
Was in this bar before, so it can get very busy and lively on a weekend night. It is a fun place to be for sure, but the prices of the beers are something to behold. Not going to be doing a large drinking session in a bar like this unless you are very flush with the cash! But this is Zurich one of the most expensive cities in Europe so its par for the course here. 
The Strauss bar is a small dive bar located on the crossing of the Langstrasse. Looked like an interesting place so I ventured in. 
I ordered a pint of Hürlimann. I actually thought the bar was called Hürlimann since they had it in big lettering over the front of the bar’s entrance, but no it is in fact a local lager. The first thing I noticed was the huge price differential compared to the Smithwicks I had just up at Kennedy’s Irish Pub. The beer I ordered was virtually half the price!
Final pub before I got the train home. Decided to head to this bar as I was told it is infact the oldest bar in the city. Located in the Old Town with its nice cobbled streets. 
Has the usual look of the chain, wooden interior, nice and comfy setting, English beer on tap, British food on the menu, darts to play, the Premiership on the box, and an English style setting. 
Playing in green, white and red, Red Star are a small club based in Zurich, playing in the 1. Liga Classic, the fourth tier of the Swiss football league system. Founded in 1905 by Charles Seiler and Alfred Merk. The idea for the name they found in a newspaper article of that time, which reported on the steamship line “Red Star Line”, and nothing to do with communist ideology or socialist principles, they were in fact originally attached to the local Catholic youth club, later becoming an independent club. 
Even though the game was nil all, it was pretty entertaining. Both teams had chances to score, and the level of quality on show wasn’t too bad. 
Grasshoppers were founded on the 1st of September 1886 by Tom E. Griffith, an English student, who set up a team made up mostly of a group of students who were originally from Manchester and were studying in Zurich at the time.
In the 1950’s they won two more league titles and two more cups, but the 1956 win in the Swiss Championship was to be their last silverware for quite a while, 15 years in fact, winning nothing in the ’60s. The long wait was over in 1971 when they beat FC Basel in the last game of the championship, in extra time, to clinch their 16th title. The 17th came in 1978. 
The 90’s were good times too, winning the league five times in the decade which wasn’t a bad achievement, and the cup twice. But just the two titles the decade after, in the 2000/01 and 2002/03 season, 2003 proving to be their last Championship. Apart from a Cup win in 2013 , which ended a ten year trophy drought, the club has gone through a mostly barren period with little to show in many recent years of football.
The Letzigrund stadium is some stadium though, wide and expansive, at night with the floodlights on it is a sight to see. An athletics stadium first and foremost but owned by the city of Zurich (buying it off FC Zurich who were in debt at the time), with the popular IAAF Diamond League taking place here every year, it also has held some pretty big music concerts down through the years (both the old and updated version of the stadium) from U2, Bon Jovi, Madonna, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Rihanna, Beyoncé, the Rolling Stones right up to today with Ed Sheeran playing booked to play this summer 2018. The current capacity is 25,000, for football events, 30,000, for athletics and 50,000, for concerts
That goal did eventually come, in the 68th minute when J. Suárez scored a nice goal, scoring from a loose ball just outside the box slotting it home with the goalkeeper no chance. A very well taken goal. By this stage Grasshoppers were piling on the pressure, and they got a second when M. Basic scored from a penalty after Pusic was taken down in the box. 
A good key land mark is St Peter’s Church, a nice church that dates back to 1862, the National Botanic Gardens are situated in nearby Glasnevin, and the vast Phoenix park with Dublin zoo not far off too. And if you fancy some Gaelic sports, then Croke Park is also within walking distance.
First bar of the day, just off the train and thirsty, hopped in to Seventy Four Talbot Bar, on ……surprise surprise….Talbot Street. Up until very recently this used to be Mother Kellys bar, a decent bar that was always quite popular and always busy, so I was interested to see what the new guys had done. They have done a good refurbishment, and it looks the part alright, but I wonder does it have any character as now it looks like an identikit Dublin bar with all the wooden floors and polished furniture. As it was still early there weren’t many customers, ordered a Smithwicks, which went down well, then quickly left as I went off to get my hair cut, as I so often do when I’m home (its really expensive to do in Switzerland!) 
Next up was the Confession Box, a pub that the brother recommended, and is considered one of the best pubs in the Northside. A lovely looking frontage, while inside it had a pretty decent early afternoon crowd in, a bit packed in a smallish intimate bar, I guess that’s why they call it the confession box, that and also cause its not too far from St. Mary’s Pro- Cathedral! Horse racing on, boisterous enough crowd, pints a flowing, doing some good trade. 
Apparently it was Irish revolutionary, Micheal Collins, favourite watering hole. And this also ties in with the name, as many of Collins men during the War of Independence would receive confession here from the priests of “The Pro”, after some of their heroic deeds in the fight for independence, but I do wonder was Collins much of a drinker. I am a drinker and so ordered a Smithwicks, but I probably should have ordered a Guinness as I read later they do one of the best pints in Dublin, but truth be told I wasn’t in the mood for the black stuff on the day. 
There is a great deal of memorabilia and old photos adorning the walls of the pub featuring a lot from the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence, and Dublin in the rare old times, amongst other stuff. They do sell T Shirts and key rings, which to be honest is a little naff and don’t look worth getting, I mean its an ordinary pub at the end of the day, not Disneyland!
Was pretty hungry at this stage as we had skipped breakfast so we decided to have some fish n chips in Fusciardi’s Cafe just up the road from the Confession Box. 
Popped in to the Metro for a pint, and it was a very fast pint, as I had to start making a move on to Dalymount. Nice interior, ordered a Tennent’s Lager which was fine. 
I was due to meet Daniel who is a Strategic Planner for Bohemians, and meet him at his place of work which was his Bang Bang Cafe and Delicatessen not too far off from Dalymount itself. 
Bang Bang Cafe takes its name from a well known Dublin character. During the 1950’s and 60’s, Thomas Dudley, acted out the life of a cowboy on the streets of Dublin. “Bang Bang” he went at bus and tram passengers, playing with his gun, ie a big church key that he used to carry round with him. It was all fun and games as many used to actively participate in the high jinks and return fire and play dead on the city streets. What great craic it must have been to see a whole street turned into the Wild West all due to the imagination and humour of one eccentric, Bang Bang.
(on a side note: wonder do people remember the 
Ventured up to Dorset street to check out two pubs, Glynns and the Long Island Bar.
At the corner we went into Glynns and this time I went back to the old reliable, a pint of Smithwicks. This bar had a good friendly and relaxed atmosphere going on, also interesting to watch some Polish fellas play pool very badly, and the pints were great and served well. 
We decided to have one last pint in a new pub for us, just before we headed into the ground. Having already been in Doyles before, on the corner, which is a great pre match boozer, we decided to try somewhere new, so to The Hut with its inviting exterior. The Hut is a family owned traditional Victorian bar on Dublin’s North side.
The beauty of Dalymount is that it has not one, not two, but three bars for supporters to wet their whistle, the Members’ Bar, the Phoenix Bar and the Jackie Jameson Bar. Not a lot of LOI clubs can even manage the one so thats a great venture for the club to offer fans on matchdays, top notch stuff there! 
The main bar – the Members’ Bar – is open every Friday and Saturday evening, as well as every Sunday from 12pm. It also open early on Bohs match-nights and for other televised sporting events.
Didn’t get into the Jackie Jameson bar but then I am not that important as it is mainly for VIP’s and Guests of Honour. 
Bohemians played their first games in the Phoenix Park’s Polo Grounds, after that they played in numerous different locations, in Jones Road, Old Belvedere, Glasnevin, but it wasnt until 1901 that they decided on Dalymount Park, in the neighbourhood of Phibsborough, where they have stayed ever since. It has been said that this is how they got their name….Bohemians and the nickname of the “Gypsies”….with all the wandering around looking for a ground to call home. 
Dodgy land deals done during the era of the Celtic Tiger put the club in debt and on the brink of collapse, with its members selling the ground not once but twice to developers but with nothing to show for it. But in March 2015 Dublin City Council announced that it would purchase Dalymount park for €3.8 million, thus wiping out the clubs debt.The Council plans to demolish and rebuild the old ground on a phased basis at a cost of €20 million, into a new modern ground with a total capacity of about 8000, and to groundshare it with local rivals Shelbourne. This all comes at a good time as the stadium, loved by the Irish footballing community and all, is in terrible disrepair at the moment, as on big match days only two of the stands are used, making a lot of the ground look bare. The Jodi Stand is the main stand in Dalymount, and this is where the Bohs singing section are located at the far left of the stand.
Bohemians 3-2 St Pats 
But if you thought that was quick, then the equaliser was even quicker, Pats were right back in the contest, just one minute later when a long ball from Barker on the right was latched onto by Christy Fagan who with great effort slid the ball under the Bohs keeper to equalise. 
The game turned on its head when in the 15 minute Gavin Peers got tangled up with Akinade’s big legs and gave away a penalty. Was it a penalty? I am not so sure but Dinny Corcoran converted to give the home side a deserving 2-1 lead. And to makes matters worse for Pats, Peers was also sent off with a straight red card. A huge amount of excitement in a jam packed first twenty minutes, scintillating stuff.
Pats had one more chance when Conan Byrne, that man again, had a great chance to get an equaliser when his stretching shot came off the crossbar, unlucky, but I don’t think Bohs deserved to lose this game.
questions, questions
The town is surrounded by numerous mountains, with the well known picturesque Benbulben looking mighty from afar, with the Atlantic also in view. 
It was the Normans who really progressed the town of Sligo with their Castle and developed the port, a port that brought so much trade and wealth to the town down through the years. But strangely enough the Normans never really controlled the town as that was left to the Irish chieftains the O Conors. 
But its not only the two brothers, Sligo also have a bit of a long history for Irish music, and the famous Irish music competition that attracts thousands every year, the Fleadh Cheoil, was held in the town on five separate occasions, the last been 2015. This festival has to be seen to be believed as its virtually a must for anyone even remotely interested in Irish music, regularly attracting crowds in the six figures, easily becoming one of Ireland’s biggest cultural events every year. Sligo having it just goes to show how important Irish music is to the area. 
First pub of the day was The Swagman, a little bit of a walk from the train station, but eventually found it. Had a massive crowd in it which was impressive for the middle of the day but I guess the rain has people in with nothing else to do on a Saturday! Was hard enough to get a seat but did in the end. Bar man charged my phone which was gracious of him. 
Bar was doing well with food, and had the rugby on the box. Not really my type of place, I am not a huge fan of bar/restaurant combos or at least places that dont separate the two crowds, the beer drinkers and the foodies. 
Bar had a very interesting decor, traditional feel but also with a lot of Australian references, which was very interesting to look at, and overall it is a nice bar, just a bit too crowded and cramped for my liking, albeit service was efficient and quick enough which is always important!
Next up was McGarrigles Pub, a smallish pub with some pretty cool relaxed decor. I think they call this style Berlin retro or something, where the bar looks like your old living room with wall paper, lamps, old chairs, and framed pictures all around. Have certainly seen this style before, and I like it a lot, as it creates an inviting atmosphere and gets you relaxed in no time.
Seems to be a second floor as a few came in and vanished upstairs. I should have checked it out, but I was too lazy.
Next port of call was Thomas Connolly in the centre of the town. Pub has a beautiful and traditional exterior, old style and inviting. As the rugby was on, and more specifically Ireland against England, the place was packed to the rafters.
As I was wandering around I decided to pop into this bar which was off the main drag. Place was heaving and what was unusual (or normal) was that the clientele were more interested in the horse racing than the rugby, which might tell you a bit about the type of bar it was. Got a pint and sat down and rested my legs, recoup the old batteries. 
Was getting a bit hungry, so with luck I ventured into Hargadon’s bar, a lovely inviting pub from the outside, in the centre of town, which serves delicious food all day long. Lovely look decor, very old style and a traditional bar which was small but had regulars relaxing while the rest of the bar was quite narrow where there are many snugs, at the back, where people can have quiet chats and good pints, or in my case sit down rest the legs and order some food and a beer. 
The bar has been here a long time, since 1868, and as usual for a lot of these old bars it used to double up as a grocers and a place of liquor!
The place had a laid back Saturday late afternoon crowd in, wasn’t too busy as I found it easy enough to get seated. Atmosphere was good, and not loud or with music or TV blaring out. Has a real charm to it and the booths at the back are really cool.
The best thing about Mooney’s is its right beside the Showgrounds, so you will get a good dose of pre match banter with all sorts of fans congregating in and around the pub. Was here before, so know its a great place for a chat and some high jinks from the football mad Sligo fans who are always up for a laugh. It was here I met some of the Forza Rovers lads, but also got into conversation with a few other fans.
Sligo Rovers Football Club, founded in 1928, have been in the League of Ireland since 1934. The club is supporter owned and have played in the Showgrounds since their inception. Sligo is a real football town and the supporters are a loyal bunch with the Showgrounds regularly getting decent crowds for games, averaging around 2000 per home game, which is pretty decent for the LOI.
The History of the club (skip if not interested!)
After the war, Rovers went through a long period of ups and downs, mostly downs. They did come second in the league in 1951, and got to an Fai Cup final in 1970 where they lost to Bohemians, but it was a period with no titles and the odd re-election to the league, having to reapply to play in the league on four separate occasions. 
The arrival of Scouser Paul Cook in 2006 really changed fortunes for Sligo. By playing an attractive brand of football, getting them into Europe for the first time in 12 years and also into an FAI cup final, the first in 15 years, against Sporting Fingal which they lost 2-1. A game I actually attended and played out in gale force winds and torrential rain. Summer football Irish style. Building on this Cook managed to get Rovers into another FAI Cup final in 2010, this time against their hated foes, Shamrock Rovers. After a pretty dour 0-0 the victory was achieved, and their third FAI Cup, when Ciarian Kelly saved all four penalties in the shootout. A pretty amazing thing for their second choice goalkeeper to pull off!! There was also a huge crowd of 36,101 at the game, the highest attendance for 32 years, to see the FAI Cup final in the newly revamped Aviva Stadium (ex Landsdowne Road) 
If Sligo fans thought that was good then they had another reason to celebrate, as the next year they just went and done it all again, winning the FAI Cup two years in succession, another win in 2011. This time beating Shelbourne, but again winning on penalties. after the game finished 1 a piece at full time. Cook did something that was quite extraordinary to watch. Just before full time he took off his regular goalkeeper Clarke to replace him with Kelly the spot kick hero from the last final. It worked a treat as Kelly saved two penalties, with Sligo native Raffaele Cretaro taking the decisive penalty to keep the cup in the town for another year.
Winning their first league title wasn’t enough for Sligo as they shortly after got rid of Ian Barraclough in the summer of 2014, and sure enough they haven’t won or even come close to winning anything since. That’s Ireland for ya!!! 
Stadium capacity is around 5,500 with 4,000 seats, and it must be said one of the better stadiums in the League. Sligo Rovers are one of the few clubs that have made a concerted effort to improve their ground and spectator facilities with a lot of that hard work, it has to be said, down to the huge voluntary effort of their supporters. There are three stands, a club shop, plenty of parking space and the most important thing of all, a decent playing surface for good football. This is one reason why the club has such a strong bound to the town, it really is a supporters club, they virtually built it and maintained it through the bad old days, and now they have pride in what is easily one of the top grounds in the LOI. Hats off to Sligo and their fans here. 
Sligo Rovers 3 – 2 Bray Wanderers 
Barely a minute later, Sadlier once again cut back to cross in another dangerous ball which was cleared, but only to fall to Chris Kenny to thunder it home, for Sligo to take the lead. 
Sligo sat back a little after that, or Bray increased the tempo, I am not sure but either way Bray had a handful of scoring chances that they really should have scored from, some simple misses, that had the Bray supporters aghast. I know as I was sitting with them in the second half! But 3-2 to Sligo it stayed and Bray had the long journey back to Wicklow pointless, they deserved a draw but alas that’s football. 
Would like to say one thing that was a slight dent in all the positively. Seen this pig of a man throw a big pile of rubbish on the floor without a care in the world. Now I know in itself this happens at grounds, but what was shocking was there was a bin right beside him and I happened to catch the reaction of three young kids who were left gobsmacked at the sight of this. Normally i would confront someone like this, but I really wasn’t in the mood for some agro as i really had a great day so i did the next best thing i guess, took his pic and a little of his soul……I guess!! repent he should!