Republic of Ireland fans paint Copenhagen green ahead of World Cup clash – as one Irish exchange firm sold more Danish currency in the last two weeks than in all of 2016
Foreign Currency Exchange International, on O’Connell Street, Dublin, has forked out chunks of Viking cash
IRISH fans are painting Copenhagen green — and they’re certain we’re KRONE win tonight’s World Cup play-off game.
Supporters bought up more Danish currency from one Irish exchange firm than it had sold in all of 2016.
Foreign Currency Exchange International, on O’Connell Street, Dublin, has forked out chunks of Viking cash.
A spokesman told the Irish Sun: “The total Danish krone sales would be around €20,000 in the last week and a half to two weeks. We’ve sold more Danish in the last two weeks than we have in the last year, the majority of that being in the last three days.
“The folks in Carlsberg will be working serious overtime this weekend thanks to the Irish.
“On an average week, the Danish krone varies a lot . . .
“Month on month, it would average anywhere between €1,000 and €3,000, it would be a rarity we’d sell any more than that.”
Among the groups following the team to Denmark is the 200-strong Ballybrack Seagulls Supporters Club, who chartered their own flight for the game. One of the organisers, Georgie Downer, told how he struggled to get his hands on Danish loot.
He told us: “I actually had to travel to Dublin Airport to exchange my money. I couldn’t get any in the city so it’s gonna be very tight for some. It’s clearly getting whipped up fast.
“It is going to be a great game. The chartered flight is a great help, because it means lads only need to ring in sick for one day and they don’t need to worry about trying to get a doctor’s note.
“A good few of us own our own businesses so we just need to ring in sick to the wives.”
Tickets to the game were even harder to come by than the local readies. Georgie explained: “The ticket situation was the worst I have ever seen — in a good way.
“It is great to see that there is such great support for the team but my phone has not stopped ringing since tickets were released.
“Even for the home game, the tickets have been impossible to get your hands on.
“We normally have a few extra, but not this time around.”
BIG TIME Robbie Brady believes big match experience can count for Ireland against Denmark
Thousands of Ireland fans took over the Danish capital early yesterday, arriving in their droves throughout the morning and making their presence felt.
Green Army commander Davy ‘Says Hello’ Keogh, from Dublin, led the charge, as always. After arriving in Denmark at lunchtime, he told the Irish Sun: “The atmosphere in Dublin Airport this morning was ridiculous.
“The bar was five people deep first thing — I’ve never seen that!
“The place is absolutely hopping already, I think a load of fans must have gotten in a few days ago because they’ve taken over.
“Everyone is talking about the ticket situation and some people are a bit worried but I’m sure it’ll be grand on the night.
“The Danes are sound and there’s never been a problem with Ireland fans before. There’s never any trouble.”
Waterford lads Francis Carroll, Gavin and Emmet Cummins and Eamonn Clancy flew their ‘Stradbally lads on tour’ flag in Copenhagen, where pub owners were licking their lips at the prospect of a weekend bonanza.
We revealed earlier this week that Billy Booze off-licence, in the Kattesundet part of the city, is the cheapest spot for a gargle.
It offers a bottle of Budweiser or Corona for ten krone, or €1.34. And local brews like Tuborg and Carlsberg go for around €2.50.
But the Globe Irish Pub hopes to lure supporters in by cutting the price of pints to around €6.
Among those we pictured at Dublin Airport yesterday getting ready to take off were Michael Daly and Philip Shanahan, from Nenagh, Co Tipperary.
Wexford footie nuts Leigh, Aileen and Adrian Whelan were also jetting out, while Liam Mathers, Moya Feehan and little Shay Mathers, seven, flew the flag for Bessbrook, Co Armagh.
And Ireland stalwart John O’Shea has called on travelling fans to be the 12th man when the two teams meet tonight.
The Sunderland defender — capped 117 times — insists the players will draw inspiration from the thousands of Irish die-hards.
O’Shea said: “Players and the fans have always had that connection because they realise they support the team no matter what.
“Against Denmark the inspiration we need we’ll be able to get and draw upon it from the fans.”
Before the infamous ‘Hand Of Frog’ play-off game against Thierry Henry’s France in 2009, veteran O’Shea recalls Giovanni Trapattoni’s words of warning to his players approaching kick-off.
The Italian gaffer cautioned his team that they were not playing against “just the French team, but the French fans, match officials, the whole place, you name it”.
Speaking to Three Ireland, the 36-year-old said the players were heartened by “the pockets of green that we saw around the Stade de France that night”.
He added: “Everything had been given, we’d laid everything out for them and we appreciated the numbers they travelled in. They could see that emotion in us.”
