Rovers to continue Direct Provision initiative for 2020 season

Great to see.

Reigning FAI Cup champions Shamrock Rovers have announced that they will be continuing their initiative to bring up to thirty residents of the Towers Direct Provision Centre in Clondalkin to all home league games for the 2020 League of Ireland Season. The initiative began in 2019, and allowed local DP residents enjoy a season where Rovers finished second to Dundalk in the league and a standout trip to the FAI Cup final, where they saw off the Lilywhites on penalties. The scheme is supported by a number of members of the legal profession in Dublin, led by life-long Rovers fans Matthew Kenny and Diego Gallagher. https://twitter.com/ShamrockRovers/status/1230090181648289793 Speaking about the plans for the new season, Shamrock Rovers Community Officer Tony O’Neill expressed the importance of the scheme;

“We are delighted to be able to extend this fantastic initiative which we know from feedback received at the end of last season that the opportunity has been really appreciated by the residents from the Towers Direct Provision Centre in Clondalkin. We now have a whole new group of Rovers fans who have made friendships with other Hoops supporters and they really look forward to meeting up and enjoying the matchnight at Tallaght Stadium”.

Hicham Lamchaali, a member of the Towers Direct Provision Residents Committee, echoed the sentiments;

“Firstly I would to thank all the staff, members, players and friends of Shamrock Rovers for giving us the opportunity to watch all the home games in Tallaght Stadium in 2019 and the big day out at the FAI Cup Final. It was privilege and honour for all the residents of Clondalkin Towers seeing Rovers winning the cup. On behalf of the residents in Clondalkin Towers, we are really excited and looking forward to having this opportunity to watch all the Shamrock Rovers games in the season ahead.”

The Hoops began their season last Saturday with a last-gasp 1-0 win over bitter rivals Bohemians, and will welcome the residents to their first home game of the season against Cork City this Friday night. https://twitter.com/dan_moynihan95/status/1055749941098958849