A cross-post from Back Page Football where I cranked out this opinion piece last night. Actual blogging resumes shortly… As a Manchester United fan it’s been difficult of late to read any kind of club news without encountering inevitable bumf about the Glazers, the Red Knights, green and gold scarves, potential boycotts, Wayne Rooney’s forehead, blah blah blah… the list goes on. (OK, I realise that last one isn’t that terrible, but it’s been the saving grace of late.) When the Glazer family launched their formal takeover bid of Manchester United in the summer of 2005, I was probably in the small minority (or, if in the majority, the silent one – but then again, it’s always been difficult to publicly express one’s support for a status quo) who thought the takeover... Similar posts

The game Liverpool just played against Wigan was dismal to say the least. Liverpools season now looks to be over after loosing more games this season than the previous 2 seasons combined. It was painful to watch tonights game and Wigan seemed to want to win it more. It could be a renewed call for Rafa to go after Liverpool lost 1-0 to Wigan ; Wigans first win in 8 games. Liverpool are a long way from the classic Liverpool of the mid 80’s. I don’t think there is much chance of them getting to the coveted 4th spot. I think it is now Villa who might get that spot, as they are playing well – the only distraction might be the FA Cup for them. It is just embarrassing for them... Similar posts

During the week, I was talking to a friend who went off on a rant about how all-pervasive is the bitterness in County Kilkenny towards Waterford City and County. The details are irrelevant for the purposes of this post, it is enough to observe that this hatred is bound up with the tribal loyalties generated by... Similar posts

The YouTube video below has 5 goals from various soccer games, but the goals themselves are really unusual. The goals were not scored in the usual way and are infact quite funny to watch. My favourite weird goals are the goals by Paolo Rossi, Italy (1978) and Roberto, Brazil (also 1978). Darren Andertons goal is also worth watching again due to the way the ball hits both posts before going in. Enjoy!... Similar posts

The IFAB and FIFA, Football’s rule-makers, have voted against goal line technology being used in soccer and effectively ended any chances of goal-line video replays coming into the game of soccer. This comes only hours before the Portsmouth v Birmingham FA Cup game, where Birmingham scored a perfectly valid headed goal from a corner. The ball was over the line but David James’s hand scooped it out of the net before the linesman saw it. Goal Line Technology would have proved that this was a goal but the decision from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting in Zurich voted against continuing any further experiments with goal-line technology although the English FA and Scottish FA both voted in favour of the technology being used. FIFA general secretary Jerome... Similar posts

A new League of Ireland season starts tonight in the RSC with Waterford United playing host to Wexford Youths. Just about every stratagem deployed by those involved in the domestic game is designed to boost attendance figures, and playing matches on a Friday night is surely no exception. It certainly suits me as I’ll be... Similar posts

It’s not often that I get to write about my great passion of sport on this blog but I have noticed something brewing around Manchester United and seen a few early signs that merit looking at it further. Without going in to too much detail Manchester United are now owned by some fairly dodgy Americans who seem intent on ruining the club as they plunge it in to over $1 Billion in debt to help line their own pockets. A fans revolt has been brewing for the last couple of years but things seem to have stepped up a little recently and it is not just because fans are getting angrier but just that the protests are getting noticed by more people mainly because the fans have recruited a very powerful force…The team behind Barack Obama’s online election campaign…Blue State... Similar posts

Jamie O’Keeffe, scribe for The Munster Express, near neighbour and not-so-near-relative by marriage (sez he, to freak the bould Jamie out), has taken the plunge into the blogosphere with Hungforalamb.com. Best of luck with the new venture, Jamie, and it’s great to see new Waterford blood on the scene what with Up the Déise in... Similar posts

Who wants to hear a ridiculously pointless story?! Ah well, it’s not ridiculously pointless. Ah well, it actually is. Maybe not completely pointless. To one person. Probably just the one. Probably. Although if you are one of the many people who have ever felt the need to insist I should comb my hair, maybe you... Similar posts

Visually-challenged ref, Martin Hansson, provokes Wenger's rage... Similar posts

Everybody gets knocked down, how quick are you going to get up? Just Do It. Rather cool new Nike Sporstwear viral featuring Lance Armstrong, Maria Sharapova,Kun Aguero, Deron Williams and Ladanian Tomlinson. Watch it below... Similar posts

Empty celebrity fails to damage Manchester United in Milan clash.... Similar posts

It’s Sunday afternoon and that generally means one thing to me.  Watching whatever football is on while sipping a cup of tea and relaxing.  This weekend is FA Cup weekend and since my beloved Arsenal were dumped out of the cup in the last round I am actually able to relax, which is an odd sensation for any football fan.  As I type this I am watching Bolton host Spurs, a curious situation as I am not usually up for Bolton but then what can I do, it’s not like I can be up for Spurs is it? As a football fan I have to admit that the game does take over a lot of my life.  If you look at the calendar on my phone you will see I have all of Arsenal’s televised games in there, just to make sure I don’t tell someone I can see them on those days, football comes first... Similar posts

We are now around two-thirds of the way into the current Premier League campaign and true to their usual form Arsenal’s title challenge is all but over. Their defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday was the last straw in their title bid and it is the fault of their manager Arsene Wenger. Yes the players are also partly to blame but the bulk of the criticism should rest with Wenger. Wenger has always had a philosophy that football is a beautiful game and it should be played in accordance with that title. unfortunately for the Arsenal manager, football can sometimes be an ugly beast of a game which will test your character, resilience, grit and determination to win no matter how technically gifted your side might be. Arsenal have a wonderfully talented group of young starlets,... Similar posts

The beautiful game... Similar posts

As fitting an epilogue to the Celtic Tiger as any, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who ran the economy and the Northern Ireland peace process into the ground and collected all the plaudits in the world while doing it, being a good Irishman at his local Fagan's, one of just 9 pubs in Britain and Ireland to get the exclusive Sky 3D view of Arsenal vs Man Utd. Maybe Bertie could use the cool specs as a disguise when he moves out of the safe company of his Murdoch Inc. friends. Photograph: Cyril Byrne, Irish Times.... Similar posts

Where soccer is even more corrupt than in Europe... Similar posts

The family feud that keeps on giving... Similar posts

The latest in a long long line of Facebook groups about the much cursed “Thierry (The Cheat) Henry” has hit the news. This one is called – 100,000 want ‘Sorry’ from Thiery Henry at World Cup to Ireland at Opening The Link is ; http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=257875898092 I think its time to put this one to bed no matter how much the Irish hate... Similar posts