Church & General National Football League
THE rise and rise of Offaly football in 1997, bar an All-Ireland semifinal bout of jitters, is one of the more remarkable twists to Gaelic football's tales of mixed fortunes in the past 12 months.
Tommy Lyons' side were bowling the opposition over like skittles this time last year, in Division Four. A stunning Leinster Championship win and All-Ireland play-off loss to Mayo later, and they are still hurtling along the fast lane towards the NFL playoffs...and Division One.
This weekend the Offaly bandwagon rolls into Dungannon, to a venue dubbed‘ The Fortress', for an attractive clash with unbeaten Tyrone. With them they are reportedly bringing a caravan of supporter coaches, 15 at the last count, for what could be a sell-out at tomorrow's turnstiles.
A match with a sharp edge as both have maximum points from three ventures, atmosphere, the dividend on offer of two points can enhance prospects for the playoffs and regrading to Division One next year.
Unbeaten mirror results, joint top of their section, the fixtures look to want for nothing in terms of appeal.
Offaly, having beaten All-Ireland champions Kerry last time out, and Dublin in the past month, will be expected to put Tyrone through a searching examination.
ERIC MILLER became the third British Lion to pull out of Ireland’s clash with Canada at Lansdowne Road tomorrow.
Leicester No 8 Miller has been struggling with ankle ligament damage and finally had to admit defeat yesterday afternoon, joining fellow Lions Keith Wood and Jeremy Davidson on the sidelines.
Miller’s withdrawal further decreases the likelihood of an Irish walkover. Ireland’s hapless performances in the Five Nations championship for over a decade have featured struggling teams more concerned with trying to scrape out a result than win with style.
At this time of year when friendlies are the only way of determining the make-up of the side post-Christmas, the style and class of the performance is arguably more important.
Ireland take on Canada tomorrow (1.45) at Lansdowne Road with the home side needing to win by at least 20 points if they hope to enter the Five Nations with any credibility.
CUP fever took second place to Brattbakk fever yesterday at Celtic Park with the burning question for those of a green and white disposition not “will we, or won’t we” but “has he, or hasn’t he”.
Though there were no plumes of white smoke billowing from the East End of Glasgow stadium and nothing in the form of any official communique from the club, it seems Harald Brattbakk will be a Celt post-haste – if he isn’t already.
The Rosenborg striker flew in to Scotland yesterday for talks over a move to Celtic, having declared his 150th goal for the Norwegian club in the shock 2-0 win over Real Madrid on Thursday as coming in his last home match for the parttimers.
Despite this victory very much keeping alive Rosenborg’s dreams of reaching the quarter-final stages of the lucrative Champions League, everything points to the 26-yearold goal machine making the permanent switch to Glasgow on December 11.
The significance of this date is that the previous evening Rosenborg take on Olympiakos in their final group match, with the outcome all but certain to determine if their interest in European competition extends to next March.
By comparison to wheeling and dealing with what, on current form, is one of Europe’s top teams, Celts meeting with Dundee United in the Coca-Cola Cup final at lbrox on Sunday seems almost mundane.
