Sport

Jarlath Burns has an interesting piece in today’s Daily Ireland, in which he considers whether both traditions most precious institutions should preserve their cultural and historical integrity or embrace change as part of an attempt to include ‘old enemies’? Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

The Guardian’s Daniel Taylor details the last moments of the 12 year relationship between manager Alex Ferguson and player Roy Keane, and it’s a different tale than the one told in the subsequent, agreed, press release, as the Irish Examiner also notes. Meanwhile some of the media reports have latched onto the quote from Alan Hunter of the Irish Football Supporters Association, “Keane has the experience, the determination and the vision to bring Irish soccer to the pinnacle of success”, …

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Warren Feeney gave Northern Ireland decent draw in a friendly against a very handy Portuguese team. In rugby Ulsterman Andrew Trimble has been picked for Ireland’s face off against the Australians. Otherwise the team remains the same as the one trounced by New Zealand last Saturday. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the …

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RTÉ have Terry Venables’ latest comment on the prospect of managing the Ireland football team.. a job that hasn’t officially been offered to him.. yet – “..if something came up that was special, and something like Ireland which is international, it might be interesting.” The report also notes that Venables last manager’s post was with Leeds in 2003. While you’re waiting for further news, this profile of Venables in the Sunday Times is worth reading.. as is their weighing up …

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As the BBC are reporting, the IRFU have requested ticket holders for the North Terrace of Lansdowne Road not to turn up for the Ireland v NZ match – a fire has forced the closure of the terrace for safety reasons and they will not be admitted. That will mean either 7000, or as the Irish Examiner reports, 7,500 ticket holders will not get entry to the ground.The statement from the Irish Rugby Football Union in full – Owing to …

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Tom Humphries on his recent trip to Belfast outs himself as an aspirational Republican: “I still have a secret hankering (which I don’t mention around the office) for a united Ireland but I accept that, like my hankering for an etiolated heroin-chic body shape, it’s all aspirational”. Then goes on to deliver an assay of Northern Irish sports facilities (subs needed)! On ice skating: In Dundonald what seemed like thousands of teenage kids were slipping and sliding about the place, …

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That’s the Ireland Cricket team, who qualified for the ICC Intercontinental Cup tournament, held in Namibia, for the first time this year. The ICC Intercontinental Cup is contested by the top non-Test status countries and the Ireland team secured victory on Saturday, beating Kenya by 6 wickets in the three-day final. However, as this BBC report indicates, the success, and potential elevation to Test status, presents a dilemma for some of the players involved. Pete Baker

FOOTBALL legend George Best is on a life support machine, bleeding internally and is deteriorating rapidly, according to his former wife Alex. His doctor said: “It may be an exaggeration to say that Mr Best is gravely ill. But he is certainly severely ill and is fighting for his life.” Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

AFTER getting the red card from a mystery emailer for justifying the booing of Celtic’s John Hartson by a section of the Norn Iron supporters at the recent Wales match, John Laverty wonders who fans can boo without accusations of sectarianism in a politically correct world. Were many eyebrows raised when other booing went on during the qualifiers?Oh dammit, the comments are still off aren’t they. Pay up and get them on again! Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Kevin Myers last week, just before the Republic’s decider against Switzerland made some suggestions as to how the national question might be fixed in football. Have two teams, one for the UK, the other Irish, and let players and supporters follow their own passions.Though he first questions just how Irish the Irish are these days: …it seems as if the English Premiership has corrupted very many players from what we might call the British working classes, for the truth is …

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The designs for the new Lansdowne Road stadium have been revealed today (the real designs, not the fake ones that came from a ‘feasibility study’ last year). The design brief has the stadium on multiple levels on three sides, then swoops down on one end, so the D4 residents don’t have to live in permanent shadow. Take a look for yourself here, here, here and here, and tell us what you think. Aaron Scullion

Interesting reflection from Andersonstown News editor Robin Livingstone on last weekend’s Northern Ireland Wales match. He notes that all sports codes are in competition for new players and that, as things stand, few Catholics are making their way to Windsor Park.He argues that making Windsor Park a warm place for Catholics should be an important objective for Northern Ireland matches, for the most pragmatic of reasons: With the largest percentage of young people in Europe and a population that’s 98% …

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Richard Dunne was visibly ‘gutted’ after the Republic’s exit from the World Cup. Although manager Brian Kerr is reportedly upbeat about the team’s future, it seems as though in soccer Ireland (north and south) may have come to the end of an era which has lasted more than twenty years dating from about 1982 when Northern Ireland topped their group by beating Spain in Seville.The atmosphere around Landsdowne Road before the game was subdued. No one I spoke too seemed …

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IFA president Jim Boyce has said it’s time for a new anthem at Northern Ireland matches. He was voicing his disapproval of the booing of national anthems after the Welsh anthem was booed at Windsor Park on Saturday, an apparent response to the Welsh fans disrespecting the British national anthem when NI played in Cardiff.Boyce believes it might be better to have a general football anthem. “I am considering taking this matter up with FIFA,” he told PA Sport. “Perhaps …

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October is compromise season in the GAA, as you probably know. The annual double-header against the Aussie footballers gets the most publicity, but the games against Scotland’s shinty players are interesting too. Ireland lost the first game 20-17, but this Scottish report on the game is worth reading if you’re a hurling fan. Aaron Scullion

Brian Kerr’s team need to win to keep the ball in play for next Wednesday. Half time they are up by one goal against Cyprus. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

OVER at Our Wee Country, thoughts are turning to the national anthems that will be played tomorrow at Windsor Park. Could the Welsh booing of ‘God Save the Queen’ when NI played them in Cardiff lead to an especially loud ‘No Surrender’ from fans? Or will anyone take up this NI fan’s suggestion that the unofficial addendum to ‘the Queen’ be replaced simply with ‘Northern Ireland’? One Welsh fan on the board suggested the booing at the Millennium stadium was …

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As requested by Gonzo, another contribution from Flickr. This is a series of two ‘wallpaper’ pics that you can download and save to you desktop, just in case there’s any chance you’ll forget Northern Ireland’s big night in Windsor Park. BTW, Gonzo’s on the blag for a ticket for the Welsh game. Can anyone help him? Poor boy doesn’t get out much these days! 😉 Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of …

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I’m going to bed after this. Check this sequence of digital photos out. Peter Canavan’s swansong goal is captured perfectly imperfectly by one Michael McGonagle. Just keep moving on for the next four photos in the sequence. Don’t you just love Flickr! Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: …

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A new ESRI survey has found that sport contributes 1.4 billion euros to the Irish economy as well as contributing to social bonding, community involvement and the overall effective functioning of society. The ESRI singled out the GAA for particular praise, saying its culture of volunteering made it one of “great generators of social capital in Ireland”.According to the report, 400,000 people in the Irish Republic (15% of population) volunteer for sport while 20% play sport on a regular basis. …

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