Sports Desk: Wigan’s rise is stuff of fairytales

I suppose we all love fairytales and Wigan’s success story certainly fits into that category. Eight seasons ago the club they were in the old fourth division, but on Saturday Wigan play their first ever game in the Premiership when champions Chelsea and their wealthy chairman Roman Abramovich visit the JJB Stadium. Chelsea are 4/5 on to retain their Premiership title, while you can get odds of 3,500/1 on Wigan winning the title this season. A real David and Goliath clash with Irish interest in both camps. Damien Duff is one of the Chelsea stars, while Graham Kavanagh, who joined Wigan last season, now gets an opportunity to play in the top flight.
But most Irish attention always focuses on Manchester United and everybody will be watching for the body language between Roy Keane and his manager Alex Ferguson following their recent bust-up during pre-season training in Portugal. United travel to Goodison Park to play Everton, where no doubt the home fans are looking forward to “welcoming” their former hero Wayne Rooney.
Former Irish manager Mick McCarthy will be a proud man as he leads Sunderland back to the Premiership. Sunderland are at home to Charlton on Saturday, but the fixture every Irish fan is looking forward comes on Oct. 15 when Roy Keane and Manchester United visit Sunderland’s Stadium of Light.

IRISH STARS STAY PUT
There has been very little movement of Irish players in the top flight during the summer. For a while it looked like Robbie Keane would leave Spurs, but following some good performances in pre-season tournaments it looks like Keane will start the season at White Hart Lane. But Richard Dunne will miss the start of Manchester City’s campaign. The Irish central defender injured his foot when he tried to break up an argument between his colleague Joe Barton and an Everton fan while City were on a pre-season tour of the Far East. Dunne apparently was so annoyed with
Barton that his injured his foot while kicking a wall in frustration!

ALL-IRELAND NEEDS
UPSETS — EX-BOSS
Former Wexford manager Liam Griffin, now a member of the Hurling Development Committee, said last week that we badly need a few shocks in the final stages of the All-Ireland hurling championship. At present most pundits are predicting a Cork-Kilkenny final on Sept. 11. But could Clare upset the form-book on Sunday when they play Cork in the first of the semifinals on Sunday next?
The Bannermen brushed aside the Wexford challenge in the quarterfinal last month, but a number of encroachments on to the field of play by Clare manager Anthony Daly picked a sideline, which he now has lifted on appeal. So Daly can walk the line, but will it be enough to motivate Clare?
Wexford couldn’t handle Clare’s height and strength, but Cork will be different. However, Cork also struggled for periods against Waterford and don’t appear to be a strong as last year. Cork goalkeeper Donal Og Cusack uses a very clever system to puck out the ball, picking out his half backs with low puck outs. Naturally by now most opposing managers are wise to Cusack’s ploy and if he forced to puck long balls the Cork half forward line are not great at winning possession. Still I think Cork have too much raw talent for Clare, but it will be close.
Sunday also sees a bit of history at Croke Park when Down and Westmeath meet in the first-ever playing of the Christy Ring Cup Final. The winners will replace Antrim in the top flight of the championship in 2006.

TIGHE, ’47 VETERAN, DIES
The death occurred recently of former Cavan great Tony Tighe at age 78. Tony was one of the Cavan stars who beat Kerry in the All-Ireland Football final of 1947, which was played in the Polo Grounds, New York. He was returning to his car after watching Cavan play Mayo at Dr. Hyde Park, Roscommon, on July 30 when he collapsed and died. Coincidentally the last time Mayo and Cavan met in the championship was in the 1948 All-Ireland final when Tony lined out at right half forward for the Breffnimen.

RDS IS JUST RIGHT
As predicted in these pages some time back the Leinster Rugby Branch have confirmed that are close to agreeing a deal whereby this season’s Heineken Cup games will be played at the RDS in Ballsbridge. The proposed arrangement is currently at legal stage, Leinster CEO Michael Dawson said, adding ‘It will only be for the Heineken Cup games, Donnybrook, is too small, and Lansdowne Road is too big. The RDS, which could accommodate around 13,000 people seated is ideal.’
Long term, the Leinster Branch may use the RDS on a more regular basis when re-development work gets under way at Donnybrook. Shamrock Rovers used the RDS for a while in the early 90s for their League of Ireland games. The soccer players, though, had get anti-tetanus injections as the ground is also used for showjumping and the same will be true for the rugger boys.
Meanwhile Brian O’Driscoll could be back for Leinster and Ireland earlier than expected. O’Driscoll needed surgery after suffering that infamous “spear” tackle while captaining the British and Irish Lions in the first test against in New Zealand in Christchurch in June. Irish coach Eddie O’Sullivan said: ‘Brian has had the staples removed after his shoulder operation. He has gone away for a short holiday and will then start his rehabilitation program when he returns. It’s early days yet, but I remain hopeful that Brian will be able to play in our Autumn internationals.’

LEINSTER LIGHTS UP
The number of floodlit National Football League games is set to increase next year with confirmation that two more grounds will be lit up by the start of the League in Feb. 2006. The Leinster Council say that installation of floodlights at Pairc Tailteann in Navan and O’Moore Park, Portlaoise will begin in October and the venues should be ready to stage night time games come the start of the League in February. Already there are floodlights at: Pairc Ui Rinn in Cork, Austin Stack Park, Tralee and Parnell Park, Dublin. Now we await decisions from the Connacht and Ulster Councils to see which of their grounds will get grants to install floodlights.

CORK MARCH ON
With Shelbourne out of the Champions League qualifiers Cork City are now the only Eircom League club left in European competition this season. Cork, who are riding high at top of the Eircom League premier division, beat Ekranas of Lithuania in the first round. Now they travel to play Swedish club Djurgardens in the first leg in Sweden tomorrow.

BARRY AIMS FOR
TOP JOB AGAIN
Sean Boylan has yet to indicate whether he is prepared to seek re-election as Meath manager for a 24th consecutive year. The Meath County Board has set Aug. 15 as the deadline for nominations and already Eamonn Barry, the man who has unsuccessfully challenged Boylan three times, has said he is willing to try again. Barry, who led Dunshaughlin to three successive Meath senior football titles, is currently in charge of his hometown club Walterstown. Last year Barry lost out to Boylan on a vote of 50-37, while in previous years Boylan had a much healthier mandate, winning 69-13 in 2003 and 49-30 in 2002. However, none of the great Meath team of the 1980s and 1990s are willing to let their name go forward for nomination until Boylan makes a definite decision to step down. So if Boylan walks away you can expect to see players like: Colm O’Rourke, Gerry McEntee and Colm Coyle in the running for the job.
Elsewhere Tipperary could be looking for a new hurling manager. Ken Hogan’s two-year term ended with the All-Ireland quarterfinal defeat by Galway. And Limerick, who went out to Kilkenny, have to make a decision on whether to make Joe McKenna’s appointment permanent. McKenna took
over as interim manager at the start of the summer following Pat Joe Whelahan’s decision to walk away. But one interim manager walking away is Val Daly in Roscommon. The former Galway star had taken over following the resignation of Tommy Carr.

CARROLL TO RUN
NYC MARATHON
Ireland’s Mark Carroll has confirmed that he will run in this year’s New York marathon on Nov. 6. Carroll made a impressive marathon debut in the Big Apple three years ago when he ran 2:10.54, when finishing sixth. John Treacy is the only Irishman to run a faster time. The 33-year-old Carroll said: ‘I’ve had my eye on one good marathon for a while and I believe that time has finally come. I’m definitely running as strong as I ever was, but I just want to go to New York and be competitive. I’ve got 14 weeks to prepare and I think if I can get to the starting line in good shape then I will be ready to get the result I want.’

U.L. EXPECT BOON
FROM 2012 GAMES
The University of Limerick has received several calls from Olympic athletes seeking the use of their facilities in the run up to the Olympic Games in London. Dave Mahedy, director of sport at UL said: ‘When London was confirmed as the venue for 2012 we had calls coming in straight away from teams and individuals across the world. We have had the Dutch swimming team on to us already. The Dutch did a lot of their preparations here for the Athens Olympics. We have a lot of more to offer here in Limerick than the Campus Ireland center in Abbotstown, Dublin. We have 2,500 beds on campus here, while there is no accommodation in Abbotstown. I think the decision to have the games in London is a fantastic opportunity for Ireland. This will not just mean something for the year 2012, but for the years beforehand as well. Several of the Asian and African countries will be looking at the attractions of coming to Ireland to acclimatize and hopefully they will chose Limerick.’
And the Irish in London are also hoping to cash in on the Olympics. London County Board Chairman Larry O’Leary hopes that Ruislip is developed to accommodate visiting athletes. And he said that hurling should be included as part of the opening ceremony. ‘Every ethnic group is going to be involved in the opening ceremony so why shouldn’t we be represented by an exhibition game of hurling,’ O’Leary said.

LAST 4 GET IN
VIA BACK DOOR
Kerry’s recent win over Laois in the All-Ireland minor football quarter final means that the last four in the championship: Kerry, Down, Offaly and Mayo are all counties who lost their respective provincial final. Clearly the back door at under 18 level is giving young players an opportunity to redeem themselves.

NATIONAL, GOLD CUP
WINNER BREAKS NECK
Irish jump jockey Mick Fitzgerald faces a long lay-off after discovering that he had broken his neck in a fall at Market Rasen last month. The 35-year-old Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup winning rider, sustained the injury in a fall at the Lincolnshire track on 16 July. Fitzgerald was air-lifted to hospital and initially it was thought he has suffered a shoulder injury. However, after an MRI scan the full extent of the damage was revealed. Fitzgerald now has to wear a brace for between four and eight weeks after undergoing a bone-grant operation.

GALWAY TO
BUILD STAND
The Galway Race Committee have confirmed that they are to build a new state-of-the art West Stand, to replace the existing structure, which was built in 1972. Horse Racing Ireland will
provide 10 of the