Beachcomber I am not going to ask you your age, nor anything about your inability to remember as far back as the mid 1940s, in 1946 England played Ireland at Dalymount Park the attendance was an estimated
50,000, large crowds of supporters were not uncommon at Soccer matches    throughout the foundation of the FAI, a Shamrock Rovers v Drumcondra cup final in the 1940s or 50s would have had an attendance of well over 30,000, check it out.
As for being a Fior Gael I am far from that I am broad-minded enough about sport to give credit were it is due, unlike yourself who blasts the Dublin county GAA team for including players from outside the county, name me all of the outsiders on the present Dublin team? if a boy`s parents comes from another county and takes up residence in Dublin there is no big deal that he plays for the county he is longer resident in,the Dubs v Tyrone game attracted 80,000 plus, so much for the Dubs support watching mercenaries, this is a petty argument.
As for being a Fior Gael I am in constant touch with an old friend who played against France in the quarter final of the World Cup in 1958, Norman Uprichard is the man, now a hale and hearty 78, Norman is now living in Hastings Sussex, there are other
ex-players I could name but I won`t bore you with an name dropping exercise,
Have a look through your notes in this Thread and your unfounded allegations against nameless GAA officials certainly gives me the belief that your sweeping statements are very weak, and when the young boys turn up at my door seeking funds for their local youth Soccer team they are never turned away, I don`t know where you live, but to my knowledge no one has been insulted in my area for collecting for any Soccer team.