Sunday papers

[Guitd]

with just 5 days to ko what paper has given eircom league the best coverage today
just seen irish mail ,poor just gave coverage to St.Pats and a small bit on each club (2 pages) in total compaired to massave coverage of english game

[harry crumb]

2 pages in the Star on Sunday.
Nothing in the Indo as far as I could see.
Sunday Times ..small interview with Alan Matthews.
Sunday World... maybe 200 words.:rolleyes:

Overall shocking coverage.

Should be good previews in the next week in all the papers though. See ad for 48 page season preview in the Sun on Thursday.

[Aaron]

Anyone know when the Star and the Mirror bring out their EL guide?

[Buller]

Anyone know when the Star and the Mirror bring out their EL guide?

Going by previous years, I'd assume it would be some day mid-week.

[iceman]

Classic piece in the Mail.
Cork City - "title hopes may rise and fall depending on Georgie's mood-swings":D

[el punter]

Overall shocking coverage.



The shock would be if there WAS decent coverage

[rambler14]

Theres a special in THE SUN on thursday

[Anto McC]

The "News Of The World" today carried an article on hooliganism at league can pretty much made up loads of ****e. I'll type it up here in a few minute.`

[DRDoc]

The Sunday Tribune - NOTHING

Looks like we will all be reliant on extratime.ie

[iceman]

The "News Of The World" today carried an article on hooliganism at league can pretty much made up loads of ****e. I'll type it up here in a few minute.`
Saw that , what a load of sh!te.

[Anto McC]

Here is the artical in todays "News of the world". It goes under the headline Undercover Kops. I didn't add that K in, they actually spell cops with a K :rolleyes:

GARDAI INFILTRATE HOOLIGAN GANGS AT EIRCOM GAMES

Plain clothes cops will pose as fans at EL matches in a bid to stamp out football hooliganism.
Some of the major fixtures will be targeted in the new season - including the Dublin derbies between Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians.
Other fans who will be closely watched will be the following, Cork City, Derry City, St Pats and Drogheda United.
A garda source said "Last year was probably the worst on record as regards hooliganism at Irish soccer games. We're anxious to crack down on it once and for all"

Last October, 4 Bohemians fans were jailed for 3 months after a violent disturbance in Derry. All 4 pleaded guilty to a charge of riotous behaviour at a bar in the city.

Last August, thugs from Bohs and Shamrock Rovers clashed during disturbances outside Dalymount in Dublin and
Last July, Bohs fans were pelted with bottles and bricks by teenage thugs in Drogheda after a game the Dubliners lost 1-0.

Gardai believe thugs here are swapping tactics on the internet with no-brainers from British clubs including Cardiff City's Soul Firm, Burnley's Suicide Squad and Chelsea's Headhunters.
Officers want to avoid the sort of violence that took place recently between Chelsea and Fulham fans in London.
Bohemians FC has banned 30 trouble makers from Dalymount Park and installed CCTV cameras around the ground.
Some of those banned have even scrawled graffati on the walls outside the stadium threatening board members.
Bohs' events director Stuart Conroy said "We will act decisively to eliminate anti-social behaviour at matches"
Drogheda chairman vincent Hoey said "Clubs have to take certain steps to weed out trouble. Our priority is to make sure people are safe"
Government figures show the cost of policing games has more than trebled since 2005. Last year it cost €95,034 to provide officers at matches, a jump from €28585 in 2005.

The article is by Jimmy Cunnigham and is carried with a picture of Chelsea and Fulham fans fighting last year.

[Sam_Heggy]

Here is the artical in todays "News of the world". It goes under the headline Undercover Kops. I didn't add that K in, they actually spell cops with a K :rolleyes:

GARDAI INFILTRATE HOOLIGAN GANGS AT EIRCOM GAMES

Plain clothes cops will pose as fans at EL matches in a bid to stamp out football hooliganism.
Some of the major fixtures will be targeted in the new season - including the Dublin derbies between Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians.
Other fans who will be closely watched will be the following, Cork City, Derry City, St Pats and Drogheda United.
A garda source said "Last year was probably the worst on record as regards hooliganism at Irish soccer games. We're anxious to crack down on it once and for all"

Last October, 4 Bohemians fans were jailed for 3 months after a violent disturbance in Derry. All 4 pleaded guilty to a charge of riotous behaviour at a bar in the city.

Last August, thugs from Bohs and Shamrock Rovers clashed during disturbances outside Dalymount in Dublin and
Last July, Bohs fans were peltedwith bottles and bricks by teenage thugs in Drogheda after a game the Dubliners lost 1-0.

Gardai believe thugs here are swapping tactics on the internet with no-brainers from British clubs including Cardiff City's Soul Firm, Burnley's Suicide Squad and Chelsea's Headhunters.
Officers want to avoid the sort of violence that took place recently between Chelsea and Fulham fans in London.
Bohemians FC has banned 30 trouble makers from Dalymount Park and installed CCTV cameras around the ground.
Some of those banned have even scrawled graffati on the walls outside the stadium threatening board members.
Bohs' events director Stuart Conroy said "We will act decisively to eliminate anti-social behaviour at matches"
Drogheda chairman vincent Hoey said "Clubs have to take certain steps to weed out trouble. Our priority is to make sure people are safe"
Government figures show the cost of policing games has more than trebled since 2005. Last year it cost €95,034 to provide officers at matches, a jump from €28585 in 2005.

The article is by Jimmy Cunnigham and is carried with a picture of Chelsea and Fulham fans fighting last year.

Yeah saw that alright, gobsheens writing this crap as if its like the Italian league or something. They also have a still from the footage of a scrap thats on you-tube.
Clubs try their best to promoted the league and encourage families to come along and these numpties write this crap. :mad:
Deep breathe, inhale, exhale, and relax. I really could have gone on a rant there. :o

[half_full]

I really, really hope that this is just made up nonsense. At least we're not on the list (no reason of course), but if this is true, then this is a sad day for Irish football:(

[Anto McC]

Your a sad day for Irish football.

Any clown with half a brain knows that 95% of that article is made up rubbish.

[Mento]

The Star have a 64 page mag out this week

[micls]

The Star have a 64 page mag out this week

Any idea what day?

[half_full]

Your a sad day for Irish football.

Any clown with half a brain knows that 95% of that article is made up rubbish.

Eh? I well know that roughly 90% of whats in a tabloid is made up, but sure if you'd like gards pulling people out of stands for little or no reason your welcome to it:rolleyes:

[scottish_bohs]

Here is the artical in todays "News of the world". It goes under the headline Undercover Kops. I didn't add that K in, they actually spell cops with a K :rolleyes:

GARDAI INFILTRATE HOOLIGAN GANGS AT EIRCOM GAMES

Plain clothes cops will pose as fans at EL matches in a bid to stamp out football hooliganism.
Some of the major fixtures will be targeted in the new season - including the Dublin derbies between Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians.
Other fans who will be closely watched will be the following, Cork City, Derry City, St Pats and Drogheda United.
A garda source said "Last year was probably the worst on record as regards hooliganism at Irish soccer games. We're anxious to crack down on it once and for all"

Last October, 4 Bohemians fans were jailed for 3 months after a violent disturbance in Derry. All 4 pleaded guilty to a charge of riotous behaviour at a bar in the city.

Last August, thugs from Bohs and Shamrock Rovers clashed during disturbances outside Dalymount in Dublin and
Last July, Bohs fans were pelted with bottles and bricks by teenage thugs in Drogheda after a game the Dubliners lost 1-0.

Gardai believe thugs here are swapping tactics on the internet with no-brainers from British clubs including Cardiff City's Soul Firm, Burnley's Suicide Squad and Chelsea's Headhunters.
Officers want to avoid the sort of violence that took place recently between Chelsea and Fulham fans in London.
Bohemians FC has banned 30 trouble makers from Dalymount Park and installed CCTV cameras around the ground.
Some of those banned have even scrawled graffati on the walls outside the stadium threatening board members.
Bohs' events director Stuart Conroy said "We will act decisively to eliminate anti-social behaviour at matches"
Drogheda chairman vincent Hoey said "Clubs have to take certain steps to weed out trouble. Our priority is to make sure people are safe"
Government figures show the cost of policing games has more than trebled since 2005. Last year it cost €95,034 to provide officers at matches, a jump from €28585 in 2005.

The article is by Jimmy Cunnigham and is carried with a picture of Chelsea and Fulham fans fighting last year.

Maybe i picked it up wrong, but the article seemed to start of by saying that undercover cops will stand among the hooligans inside the grounds. However, every example it gave of previous violence happened outside the grounds either before or after games. Lazy piece of journalism.

[TonyD]

just seen irish mail ,poor just gave coverage to St.Pats

I'm struggling to see a problem there myself.


;)

[BohDiddley]

Interesting that they had to go to England to get a picture to illustrate their story.

The Irish tabloid press would love to be able to copy and paste their hooligan perennials from their mainland editions, but when they try their stories are laughably threadbare, and they keep having to drag up the old ones. How many times now have those four eejits in Derry been trotted out?

There probably are more hooligan incidents in Grafton Street on a Friday night than in all of the eL.

Internet :eek: We thought it was bad enough when these thugs use telephones :eek:And they've even resorted to graffiti :eek: It's the end of civilization! (Actually, it was more like a sad, lonely graffito.)

[LeixlipRed]

While I do wish that we could eradicate the odd bit of trouble at games this article is a complete joke. Hooliganism? I think not. And how exactly will Gardai pretend to be 13 year olds??

[Paddyfield]

with just 5 days to ko what paper has given eircom league the best coverage today
just seen irish mail ,poor just gave coverage to St.Pats and a small bit on each club (2 pages) in total compaired to massave coverage of english game

Ironically, the Sunday Business Post doesn't have a sports section but it regurally carries informative article about the League of Ireland from a business point of view. In recent times, it has looked at the foundation of Sporting Fingal, Bohemians' deal with property developers, the cash crisis at Cork City, a profile of Nick Leeson/Galway United and the rise and fall of Shelbourne.

[Paddyfield]

While I do wish that we could eradicate the odd bit of trouble at games this article is a complete joke. Hooliganism? I think not. And how exactly will Gardai pretend to be 13 year olds??

Have you seen some the new recruits? They will have to make them look older so that they can look 13.

[fergalr]

The Sunday Tribune - NOTHING


Unbelievable. Over a dozen pages of sport and not one paragraph about our own league. The FAI should ban them from press confs until they get their act together.

[pete]

The News of the World article was complete tripe. There might be a few problems in the league but using a picture of english thugs in an LOI article suggesting they are similar is pathetic. I would hope the LOI complained to the NOW & threaten withdraw acreditation for Internationals.

[gustavo]

The problem with the EL for the Irish sports editors is that they cant copy and paste the articles from English papers like they can with their English football coverage so it means they would actually have to do some work themselves for it to happen

[dublinred]

NOTW is owned by Sky , their policy seems to hype up the premiership and run down everytyhing else they don't have the TV rights too. Shocking article BTW expect the herald to have follow ups this week.

[half_full]

Indeed, I expect the Heralds headline to start with SRFC Ultras in link with...:rolleyes::D

[cheifo]

The Sindo had a half page written by Sean Ryan and a couple of snippets.

[KevB76]

There was a small piece in todays Star urging the people who head across the water see Arsenal/ManU etc. to go to their local LOI game on the Friday before they head off, "you might be pleasantly surprised" it finished.

[Candystripe]

Reading this reminds me of this song.

Words are very appropriate for the crap they print here.

GnaUL8OpBck

[Jaime]

I would hope the LOI complained to the NOW & threaten withdraw acreditation for Internationals.

You'd think, but it's unlikely. There's no money to be made by going after the NOTW, not like the league's own clubs. Unfortunately for the league, you can't fine a newspaper.

[fergalr]

The problem with the EL for the Irish sports editors is that they cant copy and paste the articles from English papers like they can with their English football coverage so it means they would actually have to do some work themselves for it to happen
No such excuse for the Sunday Turbine. They are able to produce pages and pages of copy on irrelevencies like GAA club competition and schools rugby yet cannot come up with a paragragh on the LOI.

Like I said, the FAI should ban em from press confs until they get their act together.

[Sniffer]

Every cloud and all that - surely this promised increase in attendances can only improve the league's standing. Live games will look better on TV with less empty spaces thanks to the preponderance of undercover Gardai in hoodies and baseball caps. This is excellent news.;)

[Krstic]

Maybe i picked it up wrong, but the article seemed to start of by saying that undercover cops will stand among the hooligans inside the grounds. However, every example it gave of previous violence happened outside the grounds either before or after games. Lazy piece of journalism.

And one of the incidents happend in Derry, so are the Gardai patrolling in the North now??

[gspain]

New revamped Sports section in the Sunday Times today.

Almost Zero mention of the Eircom League and football in general greatly reduced. You can see last night's results if you borrow a microscope. No league tables, nothing on the European draws or the Bohs match. However we are in good company as the premiership is getting Virtually ignored now too.

The only mention of Irish football is a dreadful error strewn article about the Shamrock Rovers XI v Brazil game in 1973. It must set some sort of record for the most mistakes ever in a newspaper article.

[BohDiddley]

New revamped Sports section in the Sunday Times today.

Almost Zero mention of the Eircom League and football in general greatly reduced. You can see last night's results if you borrow a microscope. No league tables, nothing on the European draws or the Bohs match. However we are in good company as the premiership is getting Virtually ignored now too.

The only mention of Irish football is a dreadful error strewn article about the Shamrock Rovers XI v Brazil game in 1973. It must set some sort of record for the most mistakes ever in a newspaper article.
Why don't you spell 'em out here? It'd be interesting to see them.

Too much tokenistic good 'ol days nonsense coverage in Irish football. Gives them the excuse not to cover the game properly now.

I don't know enough to spot the errors you speak of, but I know I'm blue in the face reading about a sham Ireland team and Brazil and having my kids marvel at the hairstyles.

[thischarmingman]

New revamped Sports section in the Sunday Times today.

Almost Zero mention of the Eircom League and football in general greatly reduced. You can see last night's results if you borrow a microscope. No league tables, nothing on the European draws or the Bohs match. However we are in good company as the premiership is getting Virtually ignored now too.



Agree about the lack of EL coverage, though no change there whatsoever. Premiership not being ignored, it's just it's the middle of the break, the European Championships are over and it was a big weekend in other sports; Wimbledon's singles finals, British GP, All-Ireland matches, and Olympics buildup.

[gspain]

Why don't you spell 'em out here? It'd be interesting to see them.

Too much tokenistic good 'ol days nonsense coverage in Irish football. Gives them the excuse not to cover the game properly now.

I don't know enough to spot the errors you speak of, but I know I'm blue in the face reading about a sham Ireland team and Brazil and having my kids marvel at the hairstyles.

don't have it to hand and didn't look them up but a few others looks wrong.

The ones I know from reading it

It wasn't the first All Ireland team in 60 years as the IFA kept picking southern players until 1950. Even allowing for that the FAI only split from the IFA 52 years earlier.

There were also 2 All Ireland v England games in Dublin in 1955 and 1956 as part of the An Tostal celebration.

Paddy Mulligan won 50 caps not 10 - huge difference. surely anybody that knows anything about Irish football would know he got a lot more than 10 caps.

Chelsea did not win the 1971 UEFA Cup. there wasn't one. they won the ECWC.

Chelsea did not win the 1972 League Cup. they lost to Stoke in the final.

Pat Jennings did not win the UEFA Cup with Arsenal - they never won it. I'm pretty sur ehe was retired before the 1987 League Cup too and certainly he didn't play in the final.

Louis Kilcoyne actually organised the Brazil game.

The Derek Dougan one is a common mistake too. He failed to play in any of Northern Ireland's 5 games before the Brazil game and was a few months shy of his 36th birthday when the game was played. If Harry Cavan was the real reason he stopped playing for Northern Ireland (he certainly believed that) it was more likely due to an alleged incident on the plane home from a 1-0 defeat in Cyprus (his last game) involving himself and Cavan. However it may just be that he was dropped.

[gspain]

I also forgot to mention that the article claimed Terry Conroy played for Limerick which is simply not true.

[EalingGreen]

Pat Jennings did not win the UEFA Cup with Arsenal - they never won it.

Arsenal have only ever won two European Trophies - the Fairs Cup in 1970 and the ECWC in 1994. And during his 8 years at Highbury, Arsenal's only honour was an FA Cup Final win, plus two Final defeats, in all three of which PJ played.


I'm pretty sur ehe was retired before the 1987 League Cup too and certainly he didn't play in the final.

Lukic was in goal for the Arse when they played L'pool in the 1987 Final:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_Football_League_Cup_Final

Jennings had effectively retired from football at the end of the 1984-85 season (his last at Highbury), with his last cap (110th) as a Gooner being a WC Qualifier in May 1985.
However, he reverted to his spiritual home of White Hart Lane for the following season - effectively to use their training facilities to keep fit, I would guess. Anyhow, he played all of NI's 3 remaining Qualifiers in Autumn 1985, keeping 3 clean sheets in three away games vs Turkey, Romania and England, to clinch qualification for Mexico 1986!
He was still on Tottenham's books the following Spring, when he played two home friendlies for NI and I am also proud to say I was there when he played a solitary final senior game for Spurs, at home to Liverpool in the Screen Sport Super Cup (a short-lived TV competition played to fill the gaps caused by English clubs ban from European competition after Heysel).
Quiz buffs will be interested to know that he also signed for Everton as cover for a short period towards the end of the 1985-86 Season (I imagine Southall was their keeper at the time), without playing for them, but during his spell at Goodison he won his 116th NI cap in our final WCF warm-up friendly against Morocco in April.
He then won his final three caps out in Mexico, with the last (119th) being against Brazil on his 41st Birthday. Fittingly, he had re-registered with Spurs again by the time these came round. :)

As it happens, though by now very firmly retired from the pro game, he continued to make occasional guest appearances for charity etc. For example, according to his Wikipedia entry: "He guested for Shamrock Rovers in a testimonial for Shay Brennan shortly after the World Cup in 1986".
And he also was granted a Testimonial of his own by NI on 3rd December 1986. In order to gain tax exempt status, such Benefit Matches may not be organised by an employer (in this case, IFA) or involve the official team. Consequently, this game was organised by Co-Operation North (an All-Ireland charity, iirc?), and involved a "Pat Jennings Select XI" playing an "International XI".
Does anyone have any details of this latter match - I daresay a few of Pat's ROI international friends may have played?

[gspain]

Thanks for that EG.

I only read recently that Jimmy Hill also turned Pat down for Coventry and left him off to Watford (a much smaller club at the time) when he was at Newry Town.

[monutdfc]

However, he reverted to his spiritual home of White Hart Lane for the following season - effectively to use their training facilities to keep fit, I would guess. Anyhow, he played all of NI's 3 remaining Qualifiers in Autumn 1985, keeping 3 clean sheets in three away games vs Turkey, Romania and England, to clinch qualification for Mexico 1986!
He made some spectacular saves in that game.
Thanks Ealing Green, great post about a great player

[EalingGreen]

He made some spectacular saves in that game.
Thanks Ealing Green, great post about a great player

Tbh, he was even better, outstanding in fact, in the previous game, where NI defeated a v.strong Romania team* 1-0 on their own patch. A draw would have been adequate for Romania to have qualified, but following our victory, it meant we "only" needed a draw in out last game at Wembley to overtake them.

From memory, we protected Big Pat reasonably well and having already qualified, the England players weren't exactly risking breaking a leg against us. That said, there was still local pride on their part in playing against their clubmates in front of a big crowd and with the exception of Kerry Dixon and Paul Bracewell, all of the England players were regulars the following Summer out in Mexico:
WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
13/11/1985, London, Wembley Stadium, 70.500
ENGLAND 0-0 NORTHERN IRELAND [HT 0-0]

ENGLAND:
Peter Shilton [Southampton] [75/0]
Gary Stevens [Everton] [5/0]
Kenny Sansom [Arsenal] [59/1]
Glenn Hoddle [Tottenham Hotspurs] [28/7]
Mark Wright [Southampton] [11/0]
Terry Fenwick [Queen's Park Rangers] [13/0]
Paul Bracewell [Everton] [3/0]
Ray Wilkins [c] [AC Milan-ITA] [74/3]
Kerry Dixon [Chelsea] [4/4]
Gary Lineker [Everton] [10/6]
Chris Waddle [Tottenham Hotspurs] [11/1]
[COACH: Bobby Robson]
NIR: Pat Jennings, Jimmy Nicholl, Mal Donaghy, John O'Neill, Alan McDonald, Sammy McIlroy, David McCreery, Steve Penney (Gerry Armstrong 59'), James Quinn, Ian Stewart (Nigel Worthington 72'), Norman Whiteside
Referee: Fredriksson (Sweden)

Afterwards, the Romanians somewhat predictably complained about a "fix", ignoring their own defeats home and away to NI previously, plus one glorious Jennings save in the Wembley game (from a "Hoddle Special") that should have been "Save of the Season". And their claim also prompted one of the great post-match interviews, with a young Alan McDonald, who had just won his second NI cap:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14NUbMiazh0&feature=related
(Big Pat also features towards the end of this clip, where Brazilian Captain Clodoaldo presents him with a cake and shirt on the eve of his 41st Birthday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r0yLzi3hfU&feature=related )



* - Romania went on to qualify for the next three World Cups, btw

[TonyD]

Pat Jennings is still the best goalkeeper I've ever seen. Incredible player. His performance in the 82 World Cup against Spain was just immense. The English can talk about Banks and Shilton, but Jennings was a class apart.

[Donegalcelt]

Paul Rowan actually done this not so long ago:

Caught In Time
All Ireland XI v Brazil, 1973

by Paul Rowan

It was the team that dared not speak its name. Thirty years ago, the first and only AlI-Ireland football team of modern times gathered at Lansdowne Road to take on world champions Brazil, who boasted the likes of Jairzinho, Rivelino, Clodoaldo and Dirceu in their ranks. The Irish played in the green-and-white hoops of the famous Dublin club Shamrock Rovers and called themselves The Shamrock Rovers All Ireland XI. In reality, they provided a vivid demonstration of the effectiveness of an all-Ireland team - an aspiration that many in Ireland hanker after to this day, though it provokes bitter opposition in other quarters.

Brazil were on a European tour, but the chances of them corning to Dublin seemed remote. However, a Dubliner, Louis Kilcoyne, was a Fifa-recognised agent and knew the Brazilian Joao Havelange, who was about to become Fifa president. Kilcoyne contacted his brother-inlaw, John Giles, the Leeds United player and Republic of Ireland captain. Giles in turn sounded out his Northern Ireland counterpart, Derek Dougan, who leapt at the idea. But Dougan quickly found that the old enmities between the two associations, the IF A in Belfast and the F AI in Dublin, began to assert themselves.

"I put the idea of north and south corning together to play Brazil at a meeting in London with the two senior officials of the IFA - Harry Cavan, the president, and Billy Drennan, the secretary ;' Dougan remembers. "My hands were wet with the sweat of nervous tension.
Here, I thought, we were talking about history in the making, talking about building bridges. Then came the moment I will remember for the rest of my life. Mr Cavan received the neWs as if a bomb had hit him. I was confronted by a stony silence.

"Cavan informed me tersely that he would put the matter to the IFA. Drennan was enthusiastic, but I never heard from either again. I had been captain of Northern Ireland for the previous four years, but after that meeting I never played again. Cavan told the manager not to pick me.
That didn't stop me, and we gave the world champions one hell of a game."

The team comprised five players from Northern Ireland and six from the Republic. They boasted some of the top names from the English First Division. In front of 35,000 spectators at Lansdowne Road, Brazil won 4-3, with goals from Paulo Cesar (2), Jairzinho and Valderniro. Mick Martin, Dougan and Terry Conroy , replied for the Ireland XI and both sides received a standing ovation.

No sport reflects the sectarian divide in Ireland more than football. It is one of a handful of sports on the island in which the political divide is replicated, and the cold war between the two associations has hardly thawed despite the steps towards reconciliation. The split goes back to the 1920s, when games between northern and southern sides were often marred by Sectarian battles between fans, and the club allegiances were formed on religious lines. The 1970s were another deeply troubled time, but the animosity between the associations had always been there.

"It was the time of the Troubles," recalled Conroy. "And we wanted to come together and make a statement that people at this level could get on. We knew our associations did not want to power-share. They made positive noises, but kicked the idea into touch." Subsequent success on both sides of the border has also kept most supporters sated. Northern Ireland qualified for the 1982 and 1986 World Cups; the Republic enjoyed moments of glory at Euro 88, Italia 90, USA 94 and last year's World Cup. But Northern Ireland are going through one of the worst runs in their history - they haven't scored in seven matches and are 107th in the world rankings - while the Republic have also struggled since the World Cup.

1 John Giles
An influential figure who was about to become player-manager of the Republic, combining that with club duties at Leeds United. Later managed Shamrock Rovers and West Brom, but fell out of love with direct involvement in the game and is now a media pundit and avid golfer at his Birmingham base.

2 Pat Jennings
The great Tottenham and Arsenal goalkeeper earned a record 119 caps with Northern Ireland. A man for whom the phrase "gentle giant" should have been invented, he has returned to Spurs as a part-time goalkeeping coach, though on Friday could be found on the golf course as part of his work for the peace-building charity, Cooperation Ireland.

3 David Craig
After leaving-Belfast Craig enjoyed a 14-year career at Newcastle, playing 351 League games before taking up a coaching post at Carlisle United. He moved back to Newcastle, where he became a milkman and then ran a newsagent's in North Shields. He is a care worker in the northeast.

4 Paddy Mulligan
Represented the Republic 50 times during spells at Chelsea, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion. He fell on hard times after a messy divorce and some poor investment decisions. At one point he was living in a hostel in Dublin, but with the help of the former Republic of Ireland players' trust fund he is back on his feet and works I in the construction industry .

5 Tommy Carroll
Another Dublin full-back to have fallen on hard times, Carroll earned 17 caps during spells at Birmingham and Ipswich Town. Fell out with his manager, Bobby Robson, at Ipswich to such an extent that they had to be separated by coaching staff as the fists started flying. Ran his own business on retirement, but recently suffered a stroke that has confined him to a wheelchair.

6 Allan Hunter
A solid centre-back who won 53 caps ,with Northern Ireland, mostly during his time at Ipswich Town. Stayed in the area on retirement and works as a teacher with special-needs children.

7 Mick Martin
Martin made more than 500 League appearances for Manchester United, Newcastle and others, and played 52 times for the Republic. After spells coaching at Newcastle and Celtic, he is a pundit for Metro Radio on Tyneside.

8 Terry Conroy
The red-haired forward is another Dubliner who became a Stoke City stalwart in the 1970s. Still works at the Potteries club, selling corporate boxes.

9 Martin O'Neill
Charismatic figure who, as a Catholic captaining Northern Ireland during their 1982 World Cup campaign, did much to foster relations between the two communities. His knowledge of sectarian hatred will have been heightened by his three-year tenure as Celtic manager.

10 Derek Dougan
Fine centre-forward who became a Wolves legend, scoring 219 goals in 532 League appearances. A chairman of the Professionals Footballers' Association, he passionately espoused an All Ireland team an unusual stance for a Protestant from east Belfast. Also a prolific author - he lives in Wolverhampton.

11 Don Givens
Similar in playing style to Dougan, Givens won 56 caps for the Republic and was for a long time their leading scorer. Now coaching his country's Under-21 team.

From The Sunday Times 13 April 2003. Sports Section p.28

[dcfc_1928]

And they said Martin O'Neill was an ex-Derry City player


I also forgot to mention that the article claimed Terry Conroy played for Limerick which is simply not true.