Lauren Guilfoyle was in Hampden Park last night for Balls.ie covering one of the memorable nights in recent Irish football history. Here's her thoughts on witnessing the occasion, and what it means for Irish sport.
Last night in Glasgow, I had the privilege to witness the Ireland women's football team qualify for their first-ever World Cup. It was a hugely emotional night and as someone who works in sport, it was a glimpse into what equality could look like.
Outside Hampden Park before kickoff, there was a Scottish folk/warrior group playing bagpipes. A huge crowd had gathered around them. There were a lot of young girls who'd come as a collective from their soccer clubs, which was amazing to see.
Seeing the FAI crest front and centre of the entrance to Hampden Park was incredible. From about 6pm onwards the media centre was just engrossed in calculations and permutations. That didn’t stop really until half time of the Ireland game itself because of course we needed different results to go our way. And they did.
Walking around the stadium before kick off, there were a number of Irish flags that were personalised with messages for players. 'Caldwell 7. Livin her dream. See you in Australia. You'll never beat the Irish. A lonely Cork flag flew, presumably for Denise O’Sullivan.
There was strong Irish support. A lot had travelled from Ireland but many had travelled up from various parts of the UK as well.
Irish fans were however outnumbered. Scottish fans made their presence known, especially in the last maybe quarter of the game. You could hear them when there was so many stoppages in play for Irish injuries. Boos rang out as Ireland tried to kill the game.
At the final whistle, Ireland players pretty much went mental on the pitch.
Literally the sound of Ireland qualifying for the World Cup ☘️ pic.twitter.com/GZ3PheHf4R
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) October 11, 2022
The players' sheer joy was obvious, as well as the relief. There were two pockets of Irish fans and they made their way to each one. In front of me, Katie McCabe led the Irish group over, applauding the Irish crowd that were congregating in front of them. Every Irish fan in the stadium held on at the final whistle.
Katie spotted her family just in front of me. I was really really lucky to see that embrace. The first thing she said was 'we’re going to Australia'. Her family told her how proud they were of her. That was a lovely moment to witness. I actually got in the back of her Tiktok!
Wonderful moment here with @Katie_McCabe11 and her family.
Katie is an icon. pic.twitter.com/9JN2082YDT— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) October 11, 2022
I made my way to the press conference and heard two of the Scottish players speaking and the Scottish manager. They were absolutely devastated. They felt like they deserved to be heading to that World Cup. They didn’t qualify for the Euros either. They felt like it was two major competitions that passed them by. They paid respects to Ireland, but they felt like it was there for the taking and they didn’t take it.
'It felt like equality'
I suppose as an Irish person watching, it didn’t feel like an Irish women’s victory, if that makes sense. It felt like an Irish victory. The celebrations online and from fans were as if it been the Irish men’s team. The level of interest from the general Irish public felt at equal standing. It felt like equality and I kind of wondered 'are we nearly there?'
12 October 2022; Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe with members of Dublin Airport Fire and Rescue Service Mick Power, left, and David Brennan on the team's return to Dublin Airport after securing their qualification for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand following their play-off victory over Scotland at Hampden Park on Tuesday. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
I was there in Dunedin and Wellington to see Ireland beat the All Blacks this year and it gave me the same sort of feeling. It just felt like Ireland have won a major sporting event. In gaining qualification to the World Cup, it didn’t need to be clarified as it being the Women’s World Cup. When we watched the Euros unfold, and saw England win, it made me think to myself that I never saw that on telly as a child. The idea of playing in a national stadium on qualifying for a World Cup was never an option for me. It was never something that I saw.
And I suppose that’s the most exciting part. There’s going to be a whole generation of girls that would have watched that last night, seeing the reaction of the general Irish public and they’ll know no different. They’ll say, jesus, the Irish team are class.
I’m actually kind of jealous as well. When I was growing up and exploring the opportunities of sport as a fulltime career, playing wasn’t a really viable option. That's why I tried to pursue sports physio or sports media.
But now the pathway is becoming clearer and clearer for Irish women to pursue sport, to play sport at an elite level as their fulltime career.
And next year's World Cup can only get us to closer to equality.
SEE ALSO: History Made As Milford's Amber Barrett Sends Ireland To First-Ever Women's World Cup
