12 March 1998 Edition
Sportsview: Heartache in Paris
I'm not the greatest fan of the oval ball game, but admit to being enthralled by the Irish Rugby team's performance against the French in Paris. A cracking performance by the usually disastrous Irish side had them singing in Dublin 4 and the unionist middle-class areas of the Six Counties (and Limerick).
They even scored their first try in Paris for 18 years, then nearly clinching victory against all the odds. What was responsible for the turnaround in fortunes? A new manager and sense of sure-we've-nothing-to-lose may have something to do with it.
Call me slow, but where did they get their new pre-match song? I'm informed it was written by Phil Coulter. What was wrong with the Soldier's Song? Now there's inspiration. The new one is dire, vague and soppy. Another sop to unionism maybe. Anyway, for all my sniping and sneering, at least they're a 32-County team.
National Hurling League resumes
The 1998 National Hurling League pucked off last Sunday. Dublin provd they are more than capable of taking on the best in Division 1A - they scored a four-point victory over Galway at Parnell Park. All-Ireland champions Clare trounced a poor Antrim side at Ennis, with Jamsie O'Connor contributing 10 points of Clare's 3-21. In Section B Kilkenny went down to Cork in Pairc uí Chaoimh. Their less than effective attack missed DJ Carey; five points the winning margin here. Surprise at Thurles where Tipperary were beaten by Waterford, their Munster semi-final opponents in the championship. Wins too for Wexford and Limerick over Offaly.
McCann - four years in charge
Last 4 March saw the fourth anniversary of the departure of the old board at Celtic Park and the arrival of one Fergus McCann. While a lot of Celtic fans have problems with some of what McCann has done (the so-called Bhoys Against Bigotry, ground ejections, his Tory leanings, his dictatorial style of running things etc) we'll concentrate on the positive side of things. Let's face it, without his financial support and assistance at that crucial time there was a possibilty there would not have been a Celtic Football Club.
From a turnover of £8m four years ago to over £22m in the last financial year and an average crowd of 48,000 a game. No one can accuse us of not giving credit where credit is due; he has turned Celtic into one of the biggest clubs in Europe again, with more season ticket holders than Merchandise Utd, a near completed 60,000 seater stadium and a team on the verge of their first domestic treble since 1969.
A week of soccer violence on and off the pitch in the occupied counties and Free State. Trouble flared at the Cliftonville-Crusaders game and the Belfast derby between Linfield and Glentoran. Loyalist-tattooed Kirk Hunter was the main instigator of the trouble on the pitch at Solitude. This is not the first time Kirk has attracted attention; his reputation goes before him. It is reported he is to ponder his future in the game after his antics on Saturday. Maybe he should take up kick boxing.
The overpaid £10-20,000 a week footballers of Newcastle FC were in Dublin last week. It's reported that punch-ups and the throwing of traffic cones through car windows, visits to casualty etc occupied their time. And they wonder why we don't want Wimbledon.
Quote of the week is from the Title and goes to the Englishman who tried to be Irish and settled for being Welsh instead, Vinny Jones, in regards to the Wimbledon move: ``Selhurst Park is at the wrong end of London for us so it would have been great to come to Dublin.''
BY CIARAN HEAPHEY
They even scored their first try in Paris for 18 years, then nearly clinching victory against all the odds. What was responsible for the turnaround in fortunes? A new manager and sense of sure-we've-nothing-to-lose may have something to do with it.
Call me slow, but where did they get their new pre-match song? I'm informed it was written by Phil Coulter. What was wrong with the Soldier's Song? Now there's inspiration. The new one is dire, vague and soppy. Another sop to unionism maybe. Anyway, for all my sniping and sneering, at least they're a 32-County team.
National Hurling League resumes
The 1998 National Hurling League pucked off last Sunday. Dublin provd they are more than capable of taking on the best in Division 1A - they scored a four-point victory over Galway at Parnell Park. All-Ireland champions Clare trounced a poor Antrim side at Ennis, with Jamsie O'Connor contributing 10 points of Clare's 3-21. In Section B Kilkenny went down to Cork in Pairc uí Chaoimh. Their less than effective attack missed DJ Carey; five points the winning margin here. Surprise at Thurles where Tipperary were beaten by Waterford, their Munster semi-final opponents in the championship. Wins too for Wexford and Limerick over Offaly.
McCann - four years in charge
Last 4 March saw the fourth anniversary of the departure of the old board at Celtic Park and the arrival of one Fergus McCann. While a lot of Celtic fans have problems with some of what McCann has done (the so-called Bhoys Against Bigotry, ground ejections, his Tory leanings, his dictatorial style of running things etc) we'll concentrate on the positive side of things. Let's face it, without his financial support and assistance at that crucial time there was a possibilty there would not have been a Celtic Football Club.
From a turnover of £8m four years ago to over £22m in the last financial year and an average crowd of 48,000 a game. No one can accuse us of not giving credit where credit is due; he has turned Celtic into one of the biggest clubs in Europe again, with more season ticket holders than Merchandise Utd, a near completed 60,000 seater stadium and a team on the verge of their first domestic treble since 1969.
A week of soccer violence on and off the pitch in the occupied counties and Free State. Trouble flared at the Cliftonville-Crusaders game and the Belfast derby between Linfield and Glentoran. Loyalist-tattooed Kirk Hunter was the main instigator of the trouble on the pitch at Solitude. This is not the first time Kirk has attracted attention; his reputation goes before him. It is reported he is to ponder his future in the game after his antics on Saturday. Maybe he should take up kick boxing.
The overpaid £10-20,000 a week footballers of Newcastle FC were in Dublin last week. It's reported that punch-ups and the throwing of traffic cones through car windows, visits to casualty etc occupied their time. And they wonder why we don't want Wimbledon.
Quote of the week is from the Title and goes to the Englishman who tried to be Irish and settled for being Welsh instead, Vinny Jones, in regards to the Wimbledon move: ``Selhurst Park is at the wrong end of London for us so it would have been great to come to Dublin.''
BY CIARAN HEAPHEY