Previous Day
Premier League backs off Game 39
SOCCER: THE ENGLISH Premier League were forced into a major climbdown last night over plans for an international round of fixtures, cancelling a meeting with Fifa president Sepp Blatter at 36 hours' notice and effectively killing off the prospects of Game 39 proceeding in its current form. p
Groin concern as Given faces missing rest of season
SHAY GIVEN could miss the rest of the Premier League season as
well as Giovanni Trapattoni's first two games in charge of Ireland
if it is decided during the next few days that a recurring groin
injury requires surgery. p
Soccer
Drogheda show no signs of rustiness after break
SETANTA SPORTS CUP/ Drogheda United 3 Cliftonville 2 : CHAMPIONS FOR the past two seasons, Drogheda United took a lively first step towards a hat-trick of all-Ireland titles last night with two goals from Eamon Zayed helping them to an entertaining win over Cliftonville in the Setanta Cup. pO'Callaghan brace hands manager Mathews a winning start
SETANTA SPORTS CUP/ Dungannon 0 Cork City 2 : NEW MANAGER Alan Mathews enjoyed a winning baptism via a comfortable victory courtesy of George O'Callaghan's brace at Stangmore Park last night. pNI may yet take their place in Euro 08
EURO 2008: EUROPEAN SOCCER'S governing body Uefa has warned Spain they could be thrown out of Euro 2008, which may open the door for Northern Ireland to qualify for the event. pHicks denies rumours
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE : THE FUTURE of Liverpool remains dogged by uncertainty despite American co-owner Tom Hicks firmly insisting yesterday he is not planning to sell his stake in the club. pThaksin to splash cash if let off hook
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: SVEN-GORAN Eriksson could be handed significant transfer funds if Thaksin Shinawatra is successful in clearing his name when he returns to Thailand tomorrow to face allegations of multi-million-euro fraud. pHyypia hopes to make it to 10 years
SOCCER SHORTS: Veteran defender Sami Hyypia has revealed clinching a new deal at Liverpool is his priority as he comes to the end of his existing contract. pHell hath seen no keener rivalry than Istanbul's
DERBY DAYS GALATASARAY v FENERBAHCE: One of the
greatest local rivalries in world sport is between two soccer clubs
based on separate continents. p
O'Connell delighted to be back in the swim
SIX NATIONS NEWS : IT'S AS WELL Paul O'Connell was a champion swimmer in his school days and a champion listener these days. pRyan revelling in captain's role
SIX NATIONS NEWS : WHEN RYAN Jones was appointed Wales captain last month it prompted a chorus of surprise. The number eight had only just returned from a long period out with a shoulder injury, he was relatively inexperienced in terms of caps and he was not regarded as a shoo-in in the back row. pO'Kelly makes timely Leinster return
CELTIC LEAGUE : LEINSTER WELCOME back several of their international contingent this weekend as they face Connacht in their Magners League clash at the Sporstground in Galway. pBoys in blue put cuffs on Monkstown
SCHOOLS RUGBY LEINSTER SENIOR CUP/ St Mary's
College 22 CBC Monkstown 10 : NOTHING CAN
adequately prepare a team unused to the do-or-die scenario of a Cup
match in Donnybrook. pHow rugby put Spring in step
MEMORY LANE DICK SPRING : REWIND THE spool of Dick Spring's life and sporting images keep flickering past. Before politics or business, there was sport. Before rugby, there was football and hurling. Before schooling in Roscrea, there was Kerry. pPumas to join Mandela celebration
RUGBY DIGEST/ CELEBRATION MATCH : Argentina have been invited to play the world champions South Africa in a Test match in August to mark former president Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday, the Argentine union (UAR) said yesterday. pTrying to decipher our Celtic cousins
AGAINST THE ODDS : After the Scotland game, Vinny and his friends venture further afield than is their wont. p
Veteran Whelan travelling down a familiar road
Mickey Whelan will have fond memories as he prepares his Marino side to meet Nemo Rangers in the All-Ireland club championship final on St Patrick's Day. pIt's time to get some points on the table
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE : Mayo's Billy Joe Padden is aware of the must-win nature of Saturday's meeting with Laois pCahill glad to be back so soon
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE : BARRY CAHILL had been eyeing up Dublin's football league match against Cavan ever since the fixture list was drawn up last November. pGarda College thrown out
SIGERSON CUP: Comhairle Árdoideachais of the GAA has thrown the Garda College in Templemore out of this season's Sigerson Cup. pBluffer's Guide National Football League
What is the National Football League ? A competition designed to allow managers appease supporters by giving game time to fringe players before dropping them when the championship comes around in favour of last summer's first-team. p
Mossbank's preparations right on track
CHELTENHAM BUILD-UP : THE RYANAIR Chase might be the race leading owner Michael O'Leary wants to win more than any other but that isn't adding to the pressure Michael Hourigan feels in preparing Mossbank for the Cheltenham Festival. pWell Run to prove point
PREVIEW : THE NOEL Meade-Paul Carberry team are back in flying form, and Well Run can prove the point in today's three-and-a-half mile Powers Ulster Grand National at Downpatrick. pLegend in the saddle with all-round passion
SPORTING PASSIONS - JOHNNY MURTAGH : The
jockey talks about his abiding love of soccer and the Meath Gaelic
football team. p
Living for the days of the big finals Alexandra College
SCHOOL REPORT/ ALEXANDRA COLLEGE AND HOCKEY :
Alexandra were there at the beginning and contest another cup final
on Friday. pBig Teddy Bear but no picnic
DIARY OF A HOCKEY REPORTER : Grange Road has its very own microclimate, which results in the temperature of 36 degrees below. pLaying the proper foundations to develop a fitness for sport
COACH'S CORNER: In the first of a series designed to promote better fitness for sport, our coaches emphasise laying the foundations before training . pJury still out as creatine values remain uncertain
DOCTOR ON CALL ASK THE EXPERT : What is creatine? Our rugby coach regularly warns us not to take it. I know some guys who do and it doesn't seem to be doing them any harm. pA family tree that makes the leap from football to athletics
THE GENERATION GAME/ JOHN MAUGHAN AND HIS DAUGHTER SALLY-ROSE MAUGHAN: GIVEN HIS lifelong devotion to Gaelic football, you'd expect John Maughan to take the credit for any sporting talent in the family. pParis-Nice on despite UCI threat
CYCLING NEWS: THE PARIS-NICE stage race will take place as planned next month even though the International Cycling Union (UCI) have urged teams to boycott the event, organisers said yesterday. pIndia claim the Aussies 'starting the whole thing'
CRICKET NEWS: INDIA HAVE written to match referee Jeff Crowe complaining about the behaviour of the Australians. pSenior event award for Ryan
EQUESTRIAN SPORT: AN OUT-OF-DATE passport prevented Michael Ryan from flying home yesterday to accept his award as Irish Field senior event rider for 2007. pIOC insist Games will help China improve record
OLYMPIC GAMES: THE BEIJING Olympics will help to improve the human rights situation in China, according to a senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) official. pUnder-19s consider their options
SPORTS DIGEST/ CRICKET : Ireland were last night weighing up the pros and cons of bringing forward their next match at the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia as physiotherapist Iain Knox worked overtime on three injured bowlers. pMan mountain climbing high
AMERICAN FOOTBALL THE IRISH ANGLE : Glenn Baker has
his US playbook and designs on the Ireland team. pTreacy strides home to retain title
ONE FROM THE ARCHIVES WORLD CROSS COUNTRY 1979: Each weeek we reprint an original Irish Times report on a major event in Irish sporting history. This week, Peter Byrne's dispatch from Limerick, March 26th, 1979. p
