IFA president Jim Boyce laughed off suggestions he’d spoken to Dutch legend Johann Cruyff in Amsterdam yesterday, regarding the vacant Northern Ireland manager’s post.
A report on BBC Newsline last night suggested Boyce and IFA secretary David Bowen had held talks with Cruyff.
Boyce said: “It gave us such a laugh to hear that it was reported we’d been speaking to Johann Cruyff. All I can say is that we have two top European coaches and two British based coaches still to speak to.
“David Bowen and I were in Holland to buy chocolates and pick tulips for our wives.”
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TYRONE officials are expecting the Ulster Council’s safety committee to inspect Healy Park within the next month in order to confirm whether the Tyrone v Down preliminary Ulster Championship game can be held there on May 17.
County chairman Paul Doris said it was hoped the ground would have been examined before Christmas, but that Tyrone were now anticipating a visit from the officials very soon.
“We have spent around £280,000 developing Healy Park to add to the facilities that were already there and it is a fine ground now,” he said.
Last year Down’s ‘home’ game was switched from Newry to Clones for safety reasons and the resulting replay was also played at Ulster’s headquarters.
“I suppose Clones is something of a home from home for Tyrone and we wouldn’t mind too much playing there,” said Doris.
“But it’s strictly speaking a home game for us and we would feel that Omagh is more than capable of hosting a first round Ulster Championship match.”
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A BETTER balanced Down had a hard earned 2-16 to 4-8 win over UUJ in a football challenge game under the Burren floodlights.
The students made the better start with a goal and a point from Derry star Joe Cassidy but Down settled with Conor Deegan and Alan Molloy getting on top at midfield and Aidan Quinn, Paddy Sloan and Mickey Linden prominent in attack.
A goal from a penalty by Aidan Quinn gave Down a lead they never lost. They led 1-8 to 1-3 at half-time. Jimmy McAlinden, who had replaced Shane Mulholland after he retired with hamstring trouble, impressed in the Down attack with four points early in the second half.
Glen McMahon added a second Down goal before UUJ finished on a high note with two goals from their best forward Shane King and one from Sean McGuckin to leave an exciting finish.
Down: M McVeigh; M McMurray; B Burns; R McGovern; F Caulfield; M Magill; S Poland (0-1); A Molloy (0-1); C Deegan (0-1); G Deegan, P Sloan (0-2); A Quinn (1-5); G McMahon (1-0); M Linden (0-2); S Mulholland. Subs: J McAlinden (0-4); M McEvoy; E O’Hagan; S McMahon; S Ward; B Loughran.
UUJ: M Conlon; B Dillon; N Farren; P McGurk; K Kelly; S M Lockhart; M Coll; B Duffy; D McElroy; K Byrne (0-1); D McErlean; K Madden; J Cassidy (1-2); S McGuckin (1-2); S King (2-3).
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RIVAL television companies and political parties last night condemned the decision to award Channel 5 major rights for the Euro 2000 qualifying games.
The fledgling station have secured deals for Northern Ireland’s visit to Moldova and exclusive coverage of three of England’s four away matches and all five of Scotland’s games outside the nation.
