Irish Sports Desk Tipp idle, Offaly to take on Galway as hurling returns

By Sean Creedon

Reigning champions Tipperary will be idle when the Church & General National Hurling League gets under way on Sunday, Feb. 20.

Tipp, who will play in Div. 1B, have a bye, so the top game will be a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland hurling final when Kilkenny meet Cork at Nowlan Park. Offaly, who meet neighbors Galway, have appointed 27-year-old Johnny Dooley captain for the coming year. That could mean that all three Dooley brothers will continue to line out for the Faithful County this year. There had been speculation that Joe, 35, and Billy, 30, were about to retire, but Dooley’s appointment might convince his older brothers to give it one more season.

Stadium snafu

The FAI are running into big problems with their plans to build Eircom Park and it’s looking increasingly likely that they will have to eventually row in with the government and Stadium Ireland.

The South Dublin County Council already have 42 queries on the FAI’s plans. Included in those is a request to confer with Dochas (Irish Heritage Service) on how they intend to encourage the badgers, presently living on the site, to be relocated to a suitable alternative venture.

And some people within the FAI are also badgering away at Chief Executive Bernard O’Byrne with a series of leaks. Reports of a confidential meeting held two weeks ago were leaked to the media and last weekend it was revealed that O’Byrne will get a bonus of £250,000 if he sees the project to build Eircom Park to fruition.

Boon for United fans

Manchester United’s new sponsorship deal with the British mobile phone company Vodafone, could be good news for United fans around the world.

From the beginning of the 2003-4 season, fans will be able to look at highlights of matches and of goals that been scored wherever they are in the world. People will also be able to receive broadcast messages from the club and will also be able to use their phones to buy replica shirts and match tickets.

Vodaphone are taking over this summer as sponsors from Sharp in a deal worth £30 million to the English club.

Vodaphone beat off competition from internet firms Yahoo! and amazon.com and two airline companies to win the lucrative contract.

McPhail, Butler join team

Leeds United midfielder Stephen McPhail and Sunderland defender Paul Butler are the only newcomers in the Irish squad for the friendly against the Czech Republic on Feb. 23. It was also confirmed last week that The Republic will play Greece on April 26 and Scotland on May 30, both at Lansdowne Road. These will be followed by a trip to the United States for the Nike Cup in June.

The Nike Cup dates and venues are as follows: June 4 vs. Mexico, Chicago; June 7 vs. United States, Boston; June 11 vs. South Africa, Giant’s Stadium.

UCC eye club final

In Cork, they are known as UCK because of the huge Kerry contingent, but on Sunday UCC will be representing Cork and Munster when they meet reigning champions Crossmaglen Rangers in the semifinal of the AIB Club championship at Parnell Park, Dublin.

It’s been 28 years since UCC qualified for the final; they lost in 1972 to Bellaghy when they also had a strong Kerry connections, including one Moss Keane at fullback.

Danoli may go

There’s still a chance that Danoli will run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup next month. The so-called "People’s Favorite" fell at the third last fence in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Feb. 6 but suffered no ill-effects and will race again at Gowran Park on Saturday, Feb.

19.

"If everything goes according to plan in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran on Saturday, we will think again about Cheltenham," trainer Tom Foley said.

Top golfers for Limerick

J.P. McManus, the racehorse owner, who is willing to give £50 million of his own money to help the Irish government build a new stadium on the Northside of Dublin, is bringing some of the top golfers in the world to Limerick in July. Tom Lehman is the latest to join the list of top names who will compete in the J.P. McManus Invitation Pro-Am in Limerick on July 10-11. Other friends of McManus, who will play for charity include David Duval, Lee Janzen and Mark O’Meara.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods hinted in San Diego last week that he may well be taking part in the Murphy’s Irish Open in Ballybunion this year.

McKiernan gets Olympic nod

The Olympic Council of Ireland have cleared the way for Catherina McKiernan to compete in the Women’s Marathon at the Sydney Olympics by selecting her in advance of the main party.

"By selecting Catherina we are giving her the necessary comfort to come back to training slowly after her injury. We want to give her time to prepare for Sydney without having to concern herself about any times or performances,” said Pat Hickey, president of the Irish Olympic Council.

New-style GAA championship?

One of the hottest topics in GAA circles in Ireland right now is the Football Development Committee proposals to abandon the National League and play a new-style championship are not certain to be passed at Congress in Galway in April.

The Irish Independent recently surveyed all the football managers in the country the majority were in favor of giving the FDC’s proposals a trial run. Twenty managers were in favor, seven were undecided and three were against. The Armagh manager was on holiday and Kilkenny no longer play in the League or Championship. However, nobody has surveyed the people who really matter: the players.

Phelan for Fulham

Mixed news of former Irish soccer internationals last week. Terry Phelan, who has been out of favor in recent seasons, has moved to Fulham in a bid to resurrect his career. Meanwhile, the career of Jon Goodman is over. Goodman, who declared for Ireland under the FIFA parentage rule, and won four caps under Mick McCarthy, ripped his anterior cruciate ligament in preseason training in 1997 and has struggled since. He is now forced to quit at the age of 28.

Evans out at U21

The FAI are insisting that Ian Evans was not sacked as under 21 manager. But if somebody loses their job, then there is only one word it: sacked. Evans was doubling as Mick McCarthy’s No. 2 and under 21 manager for the past four years. Now Don Givens is under 21 manager, while Evans will continue as McCarthy’s No. 2. Significantly Givens has got a four-year deal, while McCarthy and Evans are on a two-year contract. Evans had a poor record as under 21 manager, but to be fair it was slightly better than that of his predecessor Maurice Setters.

But I don’t think the FAI would have got away with sacking Setters and bringing in a new man while Jack Charlton was in charge.

O’Leary speaks of snub

David O’Leary said last week that he would probably be Ireland’s most capped player if Jack hadn’t ignored him for over two years.

"Jack’s decision to keep me out of international soccer for more than two years was a footballing outrage,” he said.

O’Leary refused to change his holiday plans shortly after Jack was appointed in 1986 and he was ignored for Charlton for 33 months.

"I missed out on 22 games and when I was recalled I also sat out 13 matches. I should be Ireland’s most capped player and I might ever have broken the magical 100 mark,” O’Leary, who won 68 caps, said.

However, O’Leary now manager of Leeds United meets up regularly with Charlton at Elland Road, but he does not expect an apology.

"I don’t believe Jack will ever apologize; it’s not in his nature," he said. "But he has offered me the use of his holiday home in the Yorkshire Dales and I hope to take him up on the offer sometime.”

Carruth bout on TG4

Michael Carruth’s title fight against Spain’s Javier Castillejo in Madrid on March 3 will be televised live by TG4, the Irish language station. But no doubt some enterprising emigrant will be able to pick up the signal and show it in the United States. Carruth, who won his Olympic medal in Barcelona eight years ago, faces a tough task. Castillejo has lost only four of his 51 professional bouts.

Croker switch for clubs

This year’s All-Ireland club football and hurling finals may have to be switched from Croke Park on St. Patrick’s Day. High winds in January has meant a delay in the erection of the roofing on the new stand at the Canal End of the ground. If the Canal End is not completed and with the Hogan Stand demolished it would mean that only the new stand (Cusack) and Hill 16 would be available for the traditional St. Patrick’s Day finals. However, the GAA will defer a decision and wait and see which teams qualify for the finals before making a final decision.