Kerrific victory in Cyprus
Following on from the under-16 success 12 weeks ago Brian Kerr's
Midas touch blossomed again in Larnaca, Cyprus, as the Irish lads
took the European U-18 championships by beating the Germans.
Ireland had a nightmare start to the game when Germany were
rampant in the first half, missing a bagful of channces. But the
Irish lads were much improved in the second half and Alan Quinn's
goal sent them in front. But germany are germany, whatever the
level and their last gasp equaliser sent many an Irish fan into
cardiac arrest.
There was no golden goal and a nerve wracking penalty shoot-out
ensued. As winning penalty scorer Liam George commented: ``I was
just thinking that the whole Irish nation is watching me, they're
depending on me to score this and I have to put this away. Nah,
seriously, I wasn't thinking that at all, I just put the ball
down on the spot and stroked the ball home.''
A sign of the shape of Irish teams to come was evident in the
inclusion of Ger Crossley from Belfast. Crossley played underage
football for the Six Counties team, before switching to the South
for the under-18 championship. A sign that the Six Counties
entity has no longer a future.
Championship
In Croke Park the All-Ireland hurling `Quarter finals' do not
quite have the same feel or championship fervour about them as
the Munster or Leinster finals.
A lack-lustre one-sided affair between Offaly and Antrim was the
first up. Antrim were absolutely crap! There is no other way of
saying it. Until they can find a professional approach to their
training and preparation they are going nowhere. And excuses
about Drumcree disturbances just don't wash.
Waterford continued on their way by despatching Galway, who
failed to live up to expectations. Waterford's spirit proved
unbroken by their defeat by clare in the Munster Final. A new
format has to devised by the GAA to do away with these `quarter
finals'. One solution would be to play the Leinster and Munster
championships on a league basis, the top two finishers contesting
the provincial final. The Connacht and Ulster `championship could
be combined, played in the same way. The losers in the Munster
and Leinster finals would then play each other for the right to
the fourth place in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Rangers Riot
Football's European qualifying tie between Glasgow Rangers and
Dublin side Shelbourne in Liverpool last Wednesday night 22 July
was the scene for a savage outburst of sectarian hatred. The
match had been moved from Dublin to the Tranmere venue
specifically to avoid such a situation.
The few hundred Shelbourne fans who had travelled from Ireland
for the match were met by a 5,000 strong Rangers mob. The mob,
many of whom had been drinking since that morning, gathered in
large numbers outside the ground before the kick-off singing: ``We
are the Billy boys, up to our necks in fenian blood.'' A number of
bricks and bottles were thrown at coaches carrying Shelbourne
fans to the ground.
Over 100 police officers in riot gear, and a mounted division,
were hastily brought in to deal with the trouble. Many Shelbourne
supporters were terrified by the a sight of this baying mob with
UVF tattoos and wearing Orange scarves hurling abuse at them. Two
women fans were in tears as they tried to get into the ground via
the executive entrance.
Minutes before the match began the Rangers hordes were singing
`Rule Britannia' and `No Surrender To The IRA' across the
terraces at the Irish supporters and a large UVF flag was
unfurled.
At half time the Dublin band B*witched's song `C'Est la Vie' was
played across the tannoy to be met with a chorus of ``Fenian
bitches'' from the Rangers terraces.
After the match police superintendent, Paul Forrester, who had
been present throughout the evening, denied that there was
``anything sectarian'' in the trouble. However he confirmed that an
ambush of Shelbourne fans had been avoided when his officers
uncovered a stash of bricks and bottles outside the ground
earlier in the day.
In the game itself Shelbourne distinguished themselves by going
3-0 up, only to be blitzed in a 13-minute spell in the second
half and losing 5-3. St Pat's also did Irish soccer proud by
holding Celtic to a 0-0 draw at Parkhead.
The second legs are about to start as we go to press.
BY CIARAN HEAPHEY AND SEAN O TUAMA
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