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Tickets for Euro 2012 have been in short supply. Czarek Sokolowski/AP/Press Association Images

Happy ending: Irish fan’s forgotten tickets will make it to Poland after all

Damian Coughlan left his tickets behind in Dublin Airport earlier – but a friend heading for Poland tonight has saved the day.

Updated, 14:19

ONE UNLUCKY IRISH fan who endured the classic pre-tournament nightmare – leaving his tickets behind him in the airport – will be reunited with his precious tickets in Poland later this evening.

Damian Coughlan, 23, from Knocklyon in Dublin left his tickets for all three of the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2012 matches behind him while browsing in the Champion Sports outlet in the airport earlier today.

The tickets – which were issued in the name of his father, Oliver – were spotted by a staff member at the branch, Chris Brannigan, who immediately sought to find their owner.

“We contacted airport police straight away,” Brannigan said, “and though they called Mr Coughlan’s name three times over the intercom, he never contacted the store.”

It’s thought that Coughlan did not hear the announcements either because his flight had already taken off, or because he was not listening out for his father’s name.

This afternoon, however, a spokesman for Dublin Airport said the crisis was being solved – because word of the forgotten tickets had reached a friend of Damian’s, who will be able to bring them to Poland within a few hours.

“A friend of Damian’s is travelling out [to Poland] this evening, and he’s en route to pick up the tickets now,” the spokesman said.

“We’re thrilled to have been able to reunite Damian with his tickets,” he added. ”Particular thanks to the guys at Champion Sports for handing them in the first place!”

Brannigan had joked that the Champion Sports outlet had seen “a few people come in saying they’ll take the tickets to Poland with them and find Mr Coughlan,” but that airport police had advised them to keep the tickets for the time being.

Earlier, Dublin Airport had taken to Twitter to ask people interested in buying the tickets to stop calling them, as they were keen only to have the tickets handed over to their rightful owner.

Additional reporting by Gavan Reilly

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23 Comments
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    Mute Declan Snow
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    Nov 13th 2018, 7:48 PM

    Kick out one makes no sense. Anyone Who’s ever played the game has played when the wind is blowing a gail and you’re lucky to pass it forward 10 metres, let alone 25 metres. Can’t see it working across all year round. Also one thing that is drilled into every player from day 1 is to hand pass in a short space, what if on pass 4 you want to hand pass to someone running of your shoulder or a pop inside and you can’t as you have to kick it? Just won’t work.

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    Mute Emmet Ryan
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    Nov 13th 2018, 10:24 PM

    @Declan Snow: after 3 passes if there is no good forward pass on you will have to turn back and kick pass backwards to keep possession is hardly going to encourage attacking play

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    Mute Desmond Cassidy
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    Nov 13th 2018, 7:36 PM

    Over complicating an essentially simple game…pointless…

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    Mute BMJF
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    Nov 13th 2018, 9:31 PM

    All too complicated – just bring rules into to subvert mass defences and problems will be solved – minimum of 4 players in opposing half at all times

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    Mute Alan Boyle
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    Nov 13th 2018, 10:26 PM

    Sideline kick:

    If I am an opposing team and I know the opposition can’t kick the ball backwards from a sideline kick then I am going to get all my players back behind the point of the sideline kick in a defensive position. Therefore this rule will have a negative impact on the game.

    If the GAA want to sort out football, their main issue and one that nobody talks about is the tackle. A defending player one on one tackling a forward will 9 times out of 10 be judged to foul that forward with the current interpretation of the tackle. Teams are then forced to pull back extra players to shepherd the attacking player with the ball away from the goal as their is less chance of giving away a free by doing this.

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    Mute Patrick O' Donoghue
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    Nov 13th 2018, 8:19 PM

    Take should keep the handpass as long it is used going forward ,if used backwards have a hop ball

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    Mute Macca
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    Nov 13th 2018, 8:33 PM

    These rule changes aren’t ideal but it needs something. Its stink at present. Give them a try it can’t get much worse.

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    Mute Sheila Teehan
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    Nov 13th 2018, 9:53 PM

    Best to have well painted 20m and 40m lines. In most pitches neither the referee nor the players will know where any lines are.

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    Mute Don Dealgan
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    Nov 13th 2018, 10:17 PM

    GAA handball…can they stop the decay of the game?

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