Conn, McKenzie, Cooke ...what about Eddie?

As good as the rest.

The real story about the Mini

"God, love there I was telling the audience about the nil all draw with Barnsley and these four Irish geezers stood up and they were wearing t-shirts with me on it - matching t-shirts - frightened the fuckin shit out of me. There was one small little fellah, one ugly brute with a t-shirt that was miles too small for him, one with a lisp and the last one had barely a pick on him - like something from Belsen.

Anyhow the boys kept following me around asking me to dance, so I ran like fuck down into the car park and was running so fast I nearly fell over the Cooperman's Mini Minor. I vaulted it in one leap and didn't stop running till I got three blocks away from the four poofs with their piano...."

Pope's visit to Ireland

At a time when our country is racked by unemployment, public v private sector feuds, Lisbon yes v no battles, widespread social disaffection and despair, etc - think back to the simple days of the late 1970's.

Thirty years ago today we were uplifted by the arrival of Pope John Paul II - a million people in the Park, religion before the fall, money for a pint and sure what else really mattered. Not sure which of us were there but I do recall going from Blinkers to Milo's for cards and then on to UCD for the buses into the Park.

Life seemed so much simpler then. Yes I would go back, watch for the Celtic Tiger and shoot it while it was still a cub. Right between the eyes.

Watch this prick walk....

Despite the results from White Hart Lane and JJB Stadium, the best result of the weekend was at Portman Road as Newcastle routed the Keane-inspired (!!) Ipswich.

Hopefully with a few more results of this nature, the ignorant prick will do what he's best at by walking out on another team or club which "couldn't deliver to his high standards" - my fuckin arse.

It will make a nice trio - Ireland, Sunderland and then Ipswich - God if we're lucky he'll end up at United one day and destroy them too. Is that too much to ask - the King returns to the Evil Empire?

Remember there's only one Keano and he scores four goals.

Carling Cup Draw

Nice one - Yids v Toffees at the Lane. Brian - you up for it? Week commencing 26th October.

Bohs spoil the party

Premier Division class showed as the Bohiz won reasonably comfortably, with a final scoreline of 3-1. No complaints, apart from the fact I missed Robbie's four goals at the Lane - would have been nice to witness and reminiscent of the three he got against Everton back in 2003 in our company.

So for Waterford, back to the bread and butter of the league with Longford at home on Tuesday followed by the trip to Ballybofey next Saturday evening. A joy in store.

First Bohs goal:

Thirty five years later

Two months before the trip to Liverpool mentioned in the last posting, a trip to Tolka Park was made to witness Waterford win the inaugural League Cup by defeating Finn Harps 2-1 in the final.



Tomorrow, a similar trip will be made, but to the RSC in Waterford as we take on the league leaders "the Bohiz" in this years League Cup final. Three to one odds indicate that we are rank outsiders but it's a two-horse race and hope springs eternal.

Watch this space.....

Away trips - from humble beginnings

Off the boat at 6am, seasick (well not really - only John Bergin), a big fry in Wimpeys, a parting of the ways at Lime Street Train Station and separate paths to the joy of football - live and in the flesh!

Only blemish on the morning for the Liverpool trio was the side-trip into Woolworth's to witness Rich Hudson shell out money that came too easily on a coat that was visible at four nautical miles. An early audition for Letter from Breshnev, with the large black fur collar. Those of us that made the trip to Manchester were spared the ignominy of trudging around Liverpool as aghast Scousers just stopped and stared as Rich proudly wore his new battle regalia.

And after the match, more chips and a read of the shared Football Pink with reports of matches and incidents you has seen live and the right-hand sided vertical corner column with the results from places far afield - London, Leicester and the like. Fuck Tottenham - another year to wait - little knowing it would be 1981, seven years later, before we got our yiddish hands on the piece of silver.

And Michael Lawless - how and why? Quite baffling really.

Recall the day - 5 January 1974:

Aston Villa 3 1 Chester
Birmingham 5 2 Cardiff
Bolton 3 2 Stoke
Bradford 4 2 Alvechurch
Bristol C 1 1 Hull City
C Palace 0 2 Wrexham
Cambridge 2 2 Oldham
Carlisle 0 0 Sunderland
Chelsea 0 0 QPR
Derby 0 0 Boston Utd
Everton 3 0 Blackburn
Fulham 1 0 Preston
Grantham Town 0 2 Middlesbro
Grimsby 0 2 Burnley
Ipswich 3 2 Sheff Utd
Leicester 1 0 Tottenham
Leyton Orient 2 1 Bournemouth
Liverpool 2 2 Doncaster
Man Utd 1 0 Plymouth
Millwall 1 1 Scunthorpe
Newcastle 1 1 Hendon
Norwich 0 1 Arsenal
Nottm Forest 4 3 Bristol R
Oxford 2 5 Man City
Peterborough 3 1 Southend
Port Vale 1 1 Luton
Portsmouth 3 3 Swindon
Sheff Wed 0 0 Coventry
Southampton 2 1 Blackpool
West Brom 4 0 Notts Co
West Ham 1 1 Hereford
Wolves 1 1 Leeds

We all remember the first line

Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur. Hi omnes lingua, institutis, legibus inter se differunt. Gallos ab Aquitanis Garumna flumen, a Belgis Matrona et Sequana dividit. Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae, propterea quod a cultu atque humanitate provinciae longissime absunt, minimeque ad eos mercatores saepe commeant atque ea quae ad effeminandos animos pertinent important, proximique sunt Germanis, qui trans Rhenum incolunt, quibuscum continenter bellum gerunt.

Fantasy League update

Brilliant stuff guys - eight points separate the top three, with Brusselsblue well off the pace.

Well done also on the Last Man Standing - three still running.

See Gerry - you chose the old one

And there's no second choices ...........

Carling Cup Round 2

Everton back to form, Spurs coast home, Chelsea do enough and Leeds lose again.

Mike, we are sorry for your troubles. Again.

Brian Hartnett's Brazil kit

The year 1970 - the World Cup just completed - and Brazil the big thing in everyone's minds. Probably the greatest team that any of us are likely to see, ever.

Rumour went round that there was this guy up in Brewery Road who had the full kit - wore it well into fourth year if I remember correctly - so up we went for a game of two-a-side in his back garden. Going reasonably well - 3.1 up with five mins to go when his mother lets the dog out of the kitchen and hey presto, next thing you're lying on the ground having your bollox sniffed by a beast twice your size. Dust yourself down, throw the dog a bone, and resume with a hop-ball. The composure is gone however and you end up with a disappointing 3 all draw. Crying as you troop home, you can never imagine it happening to Enrico Albertosi and Luigi Riva in the Azteca Stadium in Mexico.

Spot Tammy if you can as you look back at these Brilliant brazilians........

Ok we'll take that result

Could have been better but at least it leaves it in our won hands. A win against Montenegro, irrespective of the result against Italy, will see us through to the play-offs.

Italy 1 Bulgaria 1 - the perfect result

A draw tonight in Group 8 would be the perfect result for us as it will give us the chance to win the group (by winning our two final home games) or guaranteeing second spot (by beating Montenegro in our final game).

The worst possible result from tonight's game is a Bulgarian win as it creates a very real risk that we could end up third.

If we finish second, it will be down to a two-legged play-off against potentially one of the following:

Group 1 Sweden
Group 2 Greece
Group 3 Czech Republic
Group 4 Russia
Group 5 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Group 6 Ukraine
Group 7 France
Group 9 Scotland

I anticipate Scotland will be the worst second place team and will be eliminated from the play-off draw. Of the balance, the plum draw would be one of Sweden, Greece or Bosnia-Hervegovina. The games will be played on 14th and 18th November.

Boy Interrupted

Edinboro again, post Volvo.

Ian Holloway - football genius

I bet he got his ass kicked when he got home.

The Celtic Tiger

Now that we are sadly lamented its' passing, let's reflect on the birth and death of the Celtic Tiger. Contrary to what the economists might tell us, it's birth should not be attributed to the lowering of tax rates, the returning diaspora or the supposed innovative and far-thinking politicians who allegedly lurked around Dail Eireann in the early nineties. No, simply put, Ray Houghton started the whole thing one lovely June afternoon in 1994 .

The goal he scored at the Giants Stadium against Italy gave the nation belief, and proved that we could take on and beat the best the world had to offer. With our new self-belief, we buried the traditional stage Paddy, we opened up cafe and wine bars overnight and the rest was a dawdle.

Thirteen years and one hell of a party. The world loved us and everything we gave them. The money flowed in and we were the kings of the world. We were invincible.

So how did it end? It ended because we grew so cocky we started to take the piss. We lashed up our prices, we stopped talking to the tourists, we banned them from smoking in bars and worst of all - we sent a fucking turkey to Eurovision. We weren't so fuckin smart when we sent Dana, a subsequent presidential candidate, across in 1970 with her skirt around her arse to sing "All kinds of Everything". Bloody happy to win it back then and indeed again when Johnny Loganberry and Linda Martin and all the others romped home.

So in 2007, we're high as kites and off goes Dustin to win "null points". And with this display of breath-taking arrogance, the rest of Europe stands up and says "Who the fuck do they think they are?". And the rest my dear, as they say, is history.

Two pictures below:

Hartnett and Clancy at the start; Dustin at the end.

Transfer day deadline

The usual flurry of spending at the Lane on the final day of the transfer period. Injuries to Modric have forced us to take the shekels out again and we wait to see what gems Arry will deliver between now and 5 o'clock.


Good weekend for the four teams - long time since we all won - even if it was courtesy of last minute goals at the Lane and at Goodison. Let's keep driving on, boys.