Manchester United's troubled away form in Europe continued last night when, still smarting from defeat in Brussels, they pulled a crowd of only 3,000 for the opening of their Dublin superstore.
It was well short of the 10,000 the organisers predicted, and for which D'Olier Street was closed from 7 p.m. But with fair-weather supporters deterred by rain, there was the consolation that the centre of Dublin was still a lot harder to get through than the centre of United's defence last Tuesday.
Nevertheless, on a night when even the wine served was available only in red and white, Sir Alex Ferguson couldn't have looked happier. Neither could his star midfielder, Roy Keane; although for a player who, even smiling, looks meaner than an alley cat with ulcers, this is relative.
When his younger fans screamed at him last night, it was hard to know whether it was excitement or squeamishness. But the shouts of "Keane-O, Keane-O" made it clear that, whatever the Corkman's feelings, Dublin was very much a home venue.
When it came to choosing a venue for the new store, United and their project partners, Roches Stores, certainly got a result.
Gerry Murphy, whose Rua Restaurants will run the Red Cafe in the venue, described the location as "No 1, Dublin". And fronting as it does both Westmoreland and D'Olier Streets as well as facing O'Connell Bridge, the shop will be harder to avoid than one of Roy's tackles.
Inside, it offers everything that a United fanatic needs, except perhaps counselling. Replica team kits are expected to be a big seller (£47 for a short-sleeve shirt, £25 for the shorts), but the range goes far beyond that. Suffice to say that there's a bedroom department in which products include duvets, curtains, lampshades and some of the ugliest wallpaper ever made.
Accompanying Roy Keane at the opening were defender Gary Neville and out-of-favour goalkeeper, Mark Bosnich. Bosnich could by no stretch be described as "No 1,Manchester United" these days. But he looked every bit as happy as Roy and, rain or no rain, he thought Ireland was "a beautiful country".
