Arsenal trip a dream come true for Dundalk’s £800-a-week stars in football’s ultimate David vs Goliath clash
DUNDALK banked just £100,000 for securing their latest League of Ireland title — and pay their players an average of £800-a-week.
Yet tonight, a club who only turned full-time two years ago visit Arsenal in Group B of the Europa League.
Midtjylland’s Champions League trip to Liverpool on Tuesday was a tale of David visiting Goliath.
But the differences between Dundalk, a town of 39,000 inhabitants, and the big-spending giants from North London are more extreme.
While Dundalk’s players are relishing the prospect of playing at the Emirates, their home game will not even be staged at their 4,500-capacity Oriel Park ground as it is barred from staging European football.
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Club captain Brian Gartland, 33, who has previously been a basketball coach, said: “Our League competes with the Premier League and it is tough to prosper when you have that as competition.
“But we want to make our League proud and also our country. A lot of eyes will be on us.
“In 2016, we got to the Europa League group stage. There was a bit of support from over there in England, everyone loves an underdog. Particularly when it is closer to home. I think a few people in England will be looking at our results again this year.
“It was a great achievement to get to the group stage. The one-off ties might have helped us. Without fans it is half the occasion but we cannot wait.
“This is what you dream about, to play Arsenal away. It is a massive occasion and we are not just going to make up the numbers.
“I am a Liverpool supporter but there are a lot of Arsenal fans in Ireland. They enjoyed watching them and appreciated them for what they stood for, particularly with Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry in the team.
“There are some big names in the Arsenal squad and obviously everything depends on what team they play. It will be difficult. But you have to remember if football always ended up the way you expected, then no one would watch.”
Shamrock Rovers became Ireland’s first team to reach the Europa League groups stage in 2011 — they suffered two losses against Spurs — while Dundalk recorded four points including a 1-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv four years ago.
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Dundalk sacked boss Vinny Perth after losing a Champions League qualifier in August.
But under Italian coach Filippo Giovagnoli, they secured a payday of at least £2.7million by beating KI Klaksvikar of the Faroe Islands in a play-off.
They lost 2-1 at home to Molde a week ago in the first group fixture but Arsenal away is THE game the club has been looking forward to.
Dundalk have won five of the last six titles although with the current League of Ireland campaign drawing to a conclusion, the team is third.
Because Oriel Park fails to meet the required Uefa standards, the Molde game was staged at Shamrock Rovers’ ground in Dublin.
The Rapid Vienna and Arsenal home clashes are to be at the Aviva Stadium in the capital.
Yet because Dundalk’s players earn such modest wages, in complete contrast to Arsenal’s stars, the club’s players already have one eye on the future.
Gartland has just opened a Dublin-based business called Recovery Room, a facility offering compression booths, infrared saunas and cryotherapy chambers for sportsmen.
He said: “In England, elite pro clubs have these because of their finances. In Ireland, probably only the rugby team Leinster have them.
“I opened my doors the week before we went into lockdown in March.
“We reopened in July and have just gone into lockdown again. We are told restrictions could ease in December but people are just making it up as they go along.”
