FACEBOOK is not a very nice place to be this week.
Not that I would be engaging in such activity in the workplace, but it’s been tricky to avoid videos of the legions of Irish supporters in France for Euro2016.
While a few Russians have been busy ensuring that the glass bottles their beer came in is of premium strength, and some English have been testing the craftsmanship of Marseille’s chairs, the Irish have just been doing what they do.
Rock the boat along the street is an old favourite from the Holylands circa St. Patrick’s Day (of any year). That, in particular, gave me pangs of jealousy.
Countless stories have surfaced online, from a group of young lads abandoning their revelry to change a tyre for a stranded old lady, to a young man losing his ticket for the Sweden game because he was administering CPR, and fellow fans clubbing together to buy him a replacement.
The supporters, north and south, have been painting themselves in a great light and by doing so, they’ve enhanced the country’s good name abroad.
‘Tyrone fan’, though, believes that the bother in France is caused by some sort of in-build default function that exists within all soccer fans.
“I've often left Croke Park, with thousands of other bitterly disappointed fans. And, especially in the centre of Clones or outside Quinn's pub, plenty of those fans are far from sober. And yet never a hint of crowd trouble. There was a cracking rugby match between Ireland and South Africa [on Saturday]. Again, obviously, no riots and no tear gas.
“Soccer hooliganism isn't just an 'English disease' (though they're world leaders in the 'thuggery for fun' culture) - it's a soccer disease. Not difficult to imagine the moralising and sniggering if GAA fans behaved as pathetically as those Neanderthals.”
21 of the 24 countries at the Euros have had no hint of bother, with only the Russians and English, and some ultras from the host nation causing any bother. Not very contagious that soccer disease. And in fairness to the English, all known troublemakers must surrender their passport before events such as the Euros, and cannot travel anywhere.
On the GAA fields, with Donegal joining the party at last, we’ve now seen a bit of what everyone in Ulster has to offer this year.
The performance of Rory Gallagher’s men on Sunday probably nudges them ahead of Monaghan on the Scale of Impressiveness, though Cavan were hardly poor against Armagh either.
But like myself, ‘Frank from Coalisland’ thinks that Tyrone have been the best team on show so far in 2016.
“Without a doubt, Tyrone will be the team this year. We have a great young team and they play a great quality of football, with a great manager in Mickey Harte. I don’t see a team in Ulster fit to cope with them, or even play a game against them.”
I wouldn’t go as far as to say no-one will give them a game. I think Cavan will do well to get any closer than they did in the Division Two final, but Donegal or Monaghan would give them a serious game.
‘Follower of the game’ wasn’t impressed by Fermanagh’s attacking strategy against Donegal, with the lack of ball given to the full-forward a particular source of angst.
“I was very surprised with the way Pete McGrath’s team played last week. He had an ideal target man in Maguire (I assume you mean Big Sean Quigley?) and he never kicked one ball in to him. They did far too much passing. That’s not the football he played when he won All-Irelands with Down.”
CO’K: The reason Pete McGrath has survived several decades of management is because he knows his teams now couldn’t play like his teams of the ‘90s and win.
‘Anonymous’ was unimpressed with Donegal’s tactics, though not of the footballing variety.
“Rory Gallagher and Neil McGee both interfered with the referee after the sending-off situation. Let’s see what the powers-that-be do. After all, they banned Damian Barton for a lot less. See if they take on the might of Donegal.
“Donegal’s second goal was an obvious square ball, plain to be seen from two or three different TV angles. How can the pundits not call it as it is – an illegal score?
“Also, Sean Quigley was pulled down in the square before the penalty call. Only Neil McGee gave Ruairi Corrigan a vicious forearm smash, the referee was going to do nothing about it and give Fermanagh nothing, as he did all day.
“He gave Donegal handy frees all day and that’s why they won the game. This referee has a history of aiding Donegal since Derry played them five years ago, when Emmett McGuckin had to go to the hospital after a battle with Neil McGee. The same referee, as far as I can remember, did nothing about it.”
Free Derry Corner of the press box in Clones squealed for a penalty that afternoon. It was a particularly bad call by Maurice Deegan in light of the penalty he had given Donegal, when Michael Murphy fell over Danny Devlin.
And lastly, with #ScoreboardGate rumbling on still, one Antrim fan suggested that the furore is a convenient smokescreen for the Saffrons.
“Is the replay hiding the real issues in Antrim hurling? We struggled to beat Roscommon, we struggled to beat Down, we struggled to beat Meath. Time people in Antrim got real – the Christy Ring is our level, not Leinster!”
