NORTHERN Ireland have just won their first home game at Windsor Park in four years – with TWO set piece goals! It was only Azerbaijan (who are, I believe joint 116th in the world with ourselves), but hopefully it will give the team a lift before the England match on Wednesday. No Sproule and a small victory, but – at last – a reason to be cheerful. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com
It’s another big day for Northern Irish GAA on Sunday. Sadly, it’s only the semis this time, but Tyrone and Armagh meet to decide who’s going to have it out with Kerry, arguably the Republic’s one county capable of living with the pressure of playing these two dominant forces in the modern game of Gaelic football. Check out Balrog, if you’re from the Orange side, and you want some good ole biased sports reporting on the game! Mick FealtyMick is …
Article from Reuters yesterday on cricket in Ireland Philip Weir
Right, hands up. Who knew that Rounders was one of the four original sports included in the GAA of 1884? Well I didn’t. It was only the sport’s inclusion as a warm up for one of the recent big games at Croke Park that alerted me to it. It even has its own rules (PDF). It’s a popular but mostly informal game in England, although there are over thirty adults teams playing on a regular basis. But is it the …
Irish Times profile on Irishman starring across water and seeking to play for England Philip Weir
THE final of the Northern Ireland Trophy – the first major (if non-ranking) tournament here for 18 years is just starting on Eurosport. It was certainly a memorable tournament for world amateur champion, 19-year-old Mark Allen from Antrim, who IIRC won his first seven frames as a professional last week, defeating two former world champions, John Higgins and Steve Davis, who he whitewashed. Pity BBC NI or UTV didn’t see the potential in televising a local rising star in his …
England’s performances during the Ashes series have seen interest in cricket as well as Channel 4 viewing figures soaring Philip Weir
Congrats to Linfield on a major achivement last night. Manager David Jeffrey’s reaction was a treat – listening on Radio Ulster, it was joyous to hear real passion and pride in local football. Contrasts nicely with the sour-faced moaning of Everton – having benefited from the stacking of the games resources that have hit Irish clubs badly in the past decade, they’re now concerned that UEFA might screw them by allowing them to play Liverpool… life’s tough. Aaron Scullion
Interesting story about 15 year old Richard Wilkinson who despite winning the British schoolboy’s international slalom in Mirabelle in France cannot get one of the six to eight British licences to compete in international races. Although he’s been invited to train with the England international team, it seems his best hope of competing internaionally will be under an Irish licence, where there is considerably less competition for places. Thanks to Harboy for the heads up! Mick FealtyMick is founding editor …
A RESIDENT Magistrate who wanted to send five football hooligan rioters to jail yesterday felt he couldn’t – as a previous rioter had successfully appealed against the two-month term the same magistrate had handed down. You’d almost wonder why the Government bothered introducing stiffer sentences. Magistrate Desmond Perry said he imagined the lack of an immediate sentence wouldn’t please the two football clubs involved. Really? We’ll see if Linfield or Glentoran ban any convicted rioters from their grounds – but …
The Ireland cricket side has qualified for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies after victory over Denmark in Bangor yesterday. Philip Weir
A few years back in Belfast taxi, myself and the driver got talking about sport. He’d returned to Belfast seven years earlier after years living in southern England, where he’d picked up a passion for playing cricket. I asked him whether he’d continued playing when he returned. “No” he said, “I live in a nationalist area. I wouldn’t dream of mentioning my love of the game to a soul, never mind playing it”. This piece looks at how the now …
Well, even Irish reps on the IOC are buzzing with anticipation that the Republic can pick up some business off the British Olympics in 2012, providing the government provides much needed capital investment in world class training facilities, but Northern Ireland could be given an opportunity to christen the planned stadium at the Maze with a genuine world wide event – Olympic soccer! Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet …
It appears the Maze stadium could indeed be in the running for a piece of the London 2012 Olympic pie, which would mean lottery funding would be made available for its construction. If you’ll excuse me, I’m off to eat some humble cake of my own. George
To the dismay of some ;p … and welcomed, no doubt, by others. The Olympics are heading for London in 2012. Slight Update The BBC has the round by round voting. Pete Baker
Once again the All Blacks have moved the bar upwards, with apparently few people in Northern Hemisphere rugby noticing. Certainly not Sir Clive Woodward. But one of the dismaying aspects of this trip has been the Kiwi silence on the two man tackle (car crash) on Brian O’Driscoll in the opening match. Tom McGurk believes that professional Rugby is moving well beyond the bounds of safe play. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the …
the 2005 icc trophy which is being hosted locally starts tomorrow. opening ceremony today- thursday. 12 teams including ireland are involved with the top five qualifying for the cricket world cup in west indies in 2007.the opening phase games are being hosted in northern ireland with the latter stages in dublin. Philip Weir
the draw for the champions league first qualifying round has thrown up a couple of interesting ties. as well as liverpool facing welsh opposition, glentoran will play shelbourne from the league of ireland on 12th or 13th july Philip Weir
The Sunday Tribune yesterday got indignant yesterday on behalf of Ed Joyce, when an English sports journo expressed surprise that as an Irishman he had to qualify on a residential basis to play for the England cricket team. If he does make it into the squad, the selectors won’t be choosing a token Mick. This season, it’s England who are doling out the text book lessons in how its done. England’s gain will be Ireland’s loss! Mick FealtyMick is founding …
This may not be big news to most of our readers, but those of us with a lifelong passion for Donegal/the underdog will have been heartened by yesterday’s close run thing at Clones, when Armagh only just pulled the cat out of the fire. Despite a poor league season, Donegal manager Brian McEniff was confident going into the match that his side would give the highly favoured Armagh team more than a run for their money! And they did it …
