ireland.com - The Irish Times

Stage set for memorable weekend
GAELIC GAMES: The best eight teams in the country. Four matches. Two days. One stage. This weekend could be hurling's equivalent to a music festival, only without the crazy ticket prices, mud, and long queues for beer. p

Keane reveals ulterior motive
SOCCER: "Folks, Roy's a stickler for time," the Sunderland press officer mused as the scribes shuffled for space in the cramped conference room in Malahide. As Anthony Stokes will testify, you don't arrive late for Keano. p

Harrington heeds Campbell's warning
GOLF: The past week has been a circus. Between meeting the great and the good and the ordinary, Padraig Harrington - who, as the newest British Open champion, didn't lift a club in anger until his appearance in a charity outing at The K Club yesterday - has spent his time taking the Claret Jug in a shopping carrier bag from the restaurant table of his local pizza restaurant to those of government buildings and being treated like royalty. p

Gaelic Games

Unsettled Galway fail to inspire confidence
All-Ireland SHC Quarter-finals: The top four teams in the betting for the All-Ireland play each other this weekend, meaning two of them will be brought to their knees. p
Managing to create a bit of mystery
Keith Duggan gets the views of former Offaly manager Michael Bond and Galway city hurling coach Gerry Spelman on Ger Loughnane's reign p
Ulster rivals may well gain motivation from lost opportunities
All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round Three: Keith Duggan talks to former Monaghan player Stephen McGinnitty about the 1995 tie with Donegal p
Sticky test for McCarthy clan
All-Ireland SHC Quarter-finals/Tom Humphries talks to the Cork and Waterford managers, Gerald McCarthy and Justin McCarthy, who add another chapter to their long story of friendship p
Previews
Previews of this weekend's games p
Preview
A preview of this weekend's match p
Preview
A preview of this weekend's match p
Preview
A preview of the Waterford v Cork match p
Preview
A preview of the Kilkenny v Galway match p

Soccer

In the market for only the best
Focus on Sunderland: Roy Keane has a specific idea of what kind of player he wants at Sunderland and knows they don't come cheap, writes Paul O'Hehir p
Redknapp hits back at Quinn
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has hit back at Niall Quinn after the Sunderland chairman accused the Fratton Park club of spending "silly money" this summer. p
Terry negotiates record Premier League pay deal
Chelsea captain, John Terry, last night became the highest-paid player in Premier League history. Months of negotiations over a new contract concluded with the England captain agreeing a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge worth more than €10.4 million a year. There seems little immediate prospect, however, of his team-mate Frank Lampard following suit. p
Wenger keeps the faith
Arsene Wenger has called Arsenal's last Premiership campaign "unacceptable" but, despite losing key players and facing uncertainty over the long-term ownership of the club, he insists his young side can challenge for the title in the season ahead. p
Sammon steals points for UCD
UCD 1 Bohemians 0: A last-minute penalty from Conor Sammon stunned Bohemians at Belfield to end any lingering hopes of a title challenge from Dalymount Park this season. p
Zayed inspires Drogheda
Drogheda United 3 Waterford United 0: Drogheda ran out comfortable winners against a depleted Waterford to extend their their lead at the top of the Premier Division table to three points. p
Cork draw comfort from late Behan goal
St Patrick's Athletic 1 Cork City 1: On the balance of play, particularly their second-half offering, Cork just about deserved this point. But despite seeing enough of the ball they looked for lengthy spells destined to leave the capital without any reward. p
Slick Sligo dent Rovers' title hopes
Sligo Rovers 2 Shamrock Rovers 0: Shamrock Rovers' hopes of Premier Division glory received a setback after this 2-0 defeat at the Showgrounds last night. p
Longford keep hopes alive
Bray Wanderers 1 Longford Town 3: Bottom-of-the-table Longford Town kept alive their slim hopes of avoiding relegation with a sensational and fully deserved victory over an out-of-sorts Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds last night. p
Soccer Digest
Heinze brings in lawyers Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze is taking legal advice to try tp secure his release from Old Trafford. The Argentina international's representatives have employed a firm of lawyers to see if they can help resolve the ongoing dispute. p

Golf

Back-up force to be reckoned with
The British Open Champion/Credit for a team effort: A guru is only as good as his protege. John O'Sullivan talks to some of those entitled to bask in the reflected glory from last weekend at Carnoustie p
Smyth masters elements to lead
Des Smyth leads the British Senior Open Championship at Muirfield having capitalised on a windy second day when low scoring was difficult yesterday. p
Stenson disqualified after losing count
World number nine Henrik Stenson was yesterday disqualified from the Deutsche Bank Players' Championship after losing count of how many shots he had taken. Stenson was initially credited with a 12 on the par-five 17th at Gut Kaden, but was disqualified as he was not certain of his exact score and therefore unable to sign his scorecard. p
D'Alessio and Hong lead, Sorenstam three back in France
EVIAN MASTERS : Diana D'Alessio fired a bogey-free second-round 68 to snatch a share of the lead on 137 at the halfway stage of the Evian Masters in France yesterday. p

Racing

Murtagh believes Dylan is the one to be on
Aidan O'Brien has two shots at securing a 10th Irish success in today's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and John Murtagh believes the long time favourite Dylan Thomas remains the one to be on. p
A specialist in dash and power
Galway Seven-Day Festival: Brian O'Connor talks to champion jockey Declan McDonogh who combines style with substance p
O'Brien colt looks the pick
Leopardstown Preview: Kieren Fallon will be in France tomorrow aboard Simply Perfect in the Group one Prix D'Astarte at Deauville but the controversial former champion jockey will also be in action closer to home at Leopardstown this evening where Minneapolis can secure him success in the Tyros Stakes. p

Other

Beijing over a barrel with oil to play for
Sideline Cut: With just over a year to go until the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese are being asked some tough questions. In the latest awkward development for the host city, the Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg has said he may have to relinquish his role as artistic adviser for the opening ceremony. p
Casar not kept down by dog day
CYCLING/Tour de France: Dripping blood from one buttock and covered in grazes after a mid-stage crash, the Frenchman Sandy Casar won the stage here after a run of three second places in recent years, his battered state an apt image for a damaged Tour limping its painful way towards Paris amid a spate of rumours of at least one fresh positive drugs test. p
England swamped by bowlers
CRICKET: These are the days when batsmen have to grit their teeth and battle, when the bowler for once can invade the world of his opponent with something a little more powerful as a weapon than a popgun. p
Levova and Bull suffer surprise defeats in finals
TENNIS: To say the top-seeded players in yesterday's International Tennis Federation's finals (under-18) had a poor day at the office would be an understatement, writes Pat Roche. p
Cheats on the run or lying low
On Athletics : Until quite recently any athlete caught taking drugs needed to be incredibly stupid. Testing was far more random and far less reliable than now, and often the testers did not know what they were testing for. The cheats were often one step ahead. p

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