Dublin derby’s 10k full house can’t bea one-off– Bradley

Stephen Bradley has warned that tonight’s Dublin derby between Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians, likely to be a historic 10,000 sell-out, cannot be a one-off occasion.

Acrowdofjust 3,000was onhandfor the first Rovers-Bohs game in the new Tallaght Stadium in 2009 but with the addition this season of a fourth stand andintense public interest in the game, anattendance above 10,000 is expected, as former Rovers man Alan Reynolds takes charge of Bohs for the first time.

“It’s going to be really nice walking out and seeing Tallaght Stadium with all four sides sold out. It’s the best pitch in the country, bar none, and the best domestic stadium andnowwe’regoing to showcase it. I’m really looking forward to it,” said Bradley (above).

“It’s something we have worked towards for quite some time, when we came in the average attendance was 1,200 or1,300, maybeless. Wehavebuilt it as a club up to a place where the average is really good, now we have the stadium, it will be brilliant to see it sold out, foreveryone involved in the league.

“It shows where we can go, if you have the right facilities but it’s up to us now as a club and the league as a whole, when the facilities are provided, to build on that and make sure it’s not a one-off, make sure we have this regularly, and that’s our aim.

“It will be nice to see it but it can’t be once or twice a season, it has to be on a regular basis and I firmly believe we can do that,” said Bradley.

The Rovers boss, who was on the FAI’s longlist of candidates for the senior international team manager’s position, believes the FAI should take note of comments made by Ireland captain Séamus Coleman in support of John O’Shea’s time as caretaker being extended into a long-term arrangement.

“When someone like Séamus Coleman is speaking, who has been an incredible leader and captain for this countryand one of the best right-backs in England for the last 10 years. When he speaks I think you listen,” Bradley said of the Everton man’s support for O’Shea being a candidate at least.