Sport

A league of their own – domestic football scores with 126% growth in attendances

More than 40,000 people are expected to attend today’s FAI Cup Final as fans flock to see Ireland’s rising stars in action

Pat’s captain Ian Bermingham celebrates after St Patrick’s Athletic beat Bohemians in the FAI Cup Final at the Aviva Stadium in 2021. Picture: INPHO

More than 40,000 people will be walking up Lansdowne Road for this afternoon’s FAI Cup Final between St Patrick’s Athletic and Bohemians which will be viewed as a sign that the League of Ireland is at a tipping point of popularity.

Crowds across the league have skyrocketed since the pandemic. Overall attendances across the league have risen by 126 per cent since 2016, going from 344,245 to 778,619.

The bulk of this growth has been ...