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Delay, delay, delay, delay for fans 
The Boot Room 20/11/09THE smell of stale beer and cigarettes scented the air yesterday morning. Sleepy Irish fans lay strewn across the cold, colourless floor of the departure lounge in Charles De Gaulle Airport. It’s a particularly awful airport. A smelly bear-pit of a place. There was nothing happy-go-lucky about these Irish fans.
Bad night for Irish – and for football
The Boot Room 20/11/09FOR the Republic of Ireland, the horse has already bolted from the stable doors, but sooner or later FIFA will be forced to introduce video replays of controversial moments in games following France’s illegal goal that saw them through to next summer’s World Cup finals. Despite the hysteria drummed up on radio, television...
Goal was cruel blow for ‘Killer’
The Boot Room 20/11/09AFTER 102 international appearances, it would seem Kevin Kilbane has reached the end of the road with the Republic of Ireland. While the Hull City defender mightn’t announce his intentions, it’s highly unlikely the 32-year-old will be around for the European Championship qualifiers.
Fans scream Bleu murder over goal
Off The Fence 20/11/09FIFA’s decision to seed the World Cup play-offs drew much criticism from fans and pundits alike. Now, with three of the four seeded teams safely through, it seems football’s governing body have got their wish. ‘Furious fan’ wrote: “That was a disgrace. FIFA just wanted France in the World Cup from the start. They changed the play-off rule as...
Thierry... NON
Off The Fence 20/11/09Readers show Frenchman straight red after handball
WHILE Brazil may be the pioneers of one-touch football, Thierry Henry’s two-touch handball against the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday night ensured ‘Les Bleus’ will be in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. Henry’s actions have...
Need for different view on injustices
Mickey Harte 20/11/09Ireland’s exit from the World Cup at the hands of France (and Thierry Henry) will dominate sporting discussions for many years to come. Perhaps for the first time since Maradonna’s ‘Hand of God’ goal in the 1986 World Cup, we can have some empathy...
Unite to beat racism
Mickey Harte 20/11/09Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI) is a not-for-profit organisation with charitable status, which was set up in 1997 as a direct response to the growth of racist attacks from a small, but vocal, section of people in Ireland.
Over the last number of months, the organisation have been compiling reflections from a variety of...
Railing against a defence of the provincial ‘status quo’
Off The Fence 19/11/09Now that the blood is up we shall maintain our combative theme for the next installment which comes from our occasional guest columnist Peter Makem. Peter wrote an article recently outlining the reasons why the GAA must scrap the provincial Championship.
Stirring up another ‘local row’ among the bushes
Off The Fence 19/11/09Homer, Patrick Kavanagh, and Off the Fence share one thing in common – we all appreciate that nothing in this life is more overwhelmingly important than “the local row”. Last week, an indignant Errigal Ciaran supporter wrote to Off the Fence to complain about our coverage...
Festival favourites struggle to justify their top billing
Odds and Ends 18/11/09WITH the ante-post favourites for two of the three Cheltenham Festival showpiece races turned over on seasonal debut last weekend, the layers won’t know which way to turn if Kauto Star makes it a hat-trick in Saturday’s Betfair Chase at Haydock. Sporting Bet are already out on a limb with their...
Portuguese there for the taking
Odds and Ends 18/11/09ACCORDING to the betting France, Russia and Portugal are as good as on the plane to South Africa for next year’s World Cup. The French? Yes. The Russians? Probably. The Portuguese? Definitely not. Judging by their shaky first leg performance against Bosnia in Lisbon on Saturday night, Cristiano Ronaldo...
Would a GAA ground by any other name look as sweet?
Hitting the Target 18/11/09Competition sponsors can come and go without too much fuss. Yesterday it was announced that the Dr McKenna Cup will become the Barrett Sports Lighting Dr McKenna Cup 2010. Can’t remember what it was before... In soccer, England’s League Cup was the Milk Cup, then...
No plus points in changing a system that works
The Last Line 18/11/09For decades now in our education system the theory has rightly been put forward that academic selection at 10 years of age through the 11-plus has been an unfair and, at times, damaging procedure for our children. For many years people have been campaigning for the removal of this inequitable method...
Gall’s must be favourites for Ulster title
The Last Line 18/11/09St Gall’s finally showed all their experience and undoubted class in a 10-point victory over Clontibret which will automatically install them as hot favourites to once again secure a coveted Ulster club title.
Time to plant the seeds for GAA Qualifiers
Against the Breeze 17/11/09I’m not sure when I stopped watching the Republic of Ireland soccer team, but I know why it happened. They bore me rigid. The same applies to Northern Ireland. They’re not Brazil. They’re rubbish.
From gravy ring to king of the ring for Manny
Armchair Reporter 16/11/09At around half-past-five in the stale dregs of yesterday morning, I staggered to my chariot like a drunken man, dazed and confused. Truth be told, I was a drunken man who felt like he’d just been battered for over half-an-hour by a wee Filipino with concrete bollards for fists.
French lack polish
The Boot Room 13/11/09MY first memories of France are from the 1982 World Cup finals in Spain. Next to Brazil, France were my second favourite team. Inspired by a floppy haired midfielder called Michel Platini, France played some of the most entertaining football ever seen.
Case for a Championship revamp doesn't stand up
Mickey Harte 13/11/09SWEEPING generalisations often make for dramatic headlines but, invariably, the content that follows frequently lacks the substance suggested by such attention seeking banners.
Brawl coverage in the firing line from unsatisfied Red Hand gael
Off The Fence 12/11/09THERE’S nothing like a good old scrap to highlight the double standards that GAA clubmen expect of newspapers.
When their senior team is involved in a 40-man brawl, these loyal gaels are infuriated and at a total loss to comprehend why the bloodbath merits any coverage in our newspaper.
Disgruntled punter is beaten by the bell
Columnists 12/11/09Most Belfast fight fans people would have been rooting for big Martin Rogan at the weekend but when it comes to betting punters, it’s a case of ‘may the best man win’.
French blank a must for Trap’s boys
Odds and Ends 11/11/09AFTER much deliberation in the days following the World Cup play-off draw, I decided that I simply couldn’t run the risk of not being in Paris next Wednesday evening. Having spent a fair proportion of my hard-earned holidays over the past few years following the Republic of...
Rory’s race win must wait
Odds and Ends 11/11/09WITH the season-ending Dubai World Championship just a week away, it is no surprise to see Europe’s top two heading to Hong Kong this week for the penultimate event in the Race to Dubai. Lee Westwood leads Rory McIlroy by less than £50,000 in the standings, and both tee it up in the UBS Hong...
No reason to dive in feet first in simulation debate
Hitting the Target 11/11/09CAN we agree on a couple of points? That was a dive – but it was also arguably a penalty. Yes, the attacker threw himself forward and onto the ground. But if he hadn’t done so, the defending player was going to collide with him and foul him.
Former Tyrone star Lawn boxes clever on all fronts
The Last Line 11/11/09SATURDAY night give me the opportunity to tick another box in my all-time wishlist of things to do. I finally availed of the chance to box in an equestrian centre in the suburbs of Fintona in a batman outfit against a former Tyrone great in front of my ever-increasing Red Hand support.
Players must not become cash Cow(ell)s
Against the Breeze 10/11/09While standing on my seat to cheer Derry’s latest European champion, I stared across the icy darkness of the ‘Meadowbank Refrigeration Warehouse’ and spotted ‘the Quiglet.’ The bouffant is still instantly recognisable to all us regular viewers of the X-Factor. Eoghan Quigg was also up on his seat...
It’s smooth sailing at the Ulster AGM
FreeStyle 09/11/09THOSE of us who appreciate sardonic wit are delighted to know that Frank Stevens of Belfast’s Leander club is staying at the helm of Swim Ulster for another year. He offered his apologies to the rest of the delegates at the northern swimming governing body’s AGM in Lisburn on Saturday.
Big mouth boasts pay off as Bruno turns up
Armchair Reporter 09/11/09FOR three solid months, David Haye has talked. And talked. And talked some more. He has called press conference after press conference, telling anybody who would listen what he was going to do to giant Russian Nikolay Valuev when they met in the ring.
