[caption id="attachment_67767" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Richard Dunne, Shay Given and Damien Duff after training on Monday."]
Twenty-four years ago this week a Scottish footballer scored one of the most memorable goals in the history of Irish soccer. Gary Mackay's strike against Bulgaria in Sofia on November 11, 1987 ensured that the Republic qualified for the European Championships for the first time in our history. The stories from Euro '88 are legendary and while we didn't set Europe on fire with Jack Charlton's 'route one' style of play, there is no doubt that the excellent behavior of our supporters in Germany did as much for Ireland Plc as any Bórd Fáilte ad. We have qualified for three World Cup finals since then, but we have not made it to another European Championship final. The Irish economy could do certainly do with another boost and while we have thousands of Polish people working in Ireland, maybe our supporters could do a bit of "tourism promotion" in the Ukraine next summer.
Now 34 years to the day we're in Tallinn on Friday night in the first leg of the play-off Estonia for the Euro 2012 finals, which will be held in Poland and the Ukraine next year. This is our seventh time to be involved in a play-off for a major tournament and we have won only once, against Iran in 2001 for the 2002 World Cup. We have had some bad luck in the play-offs, starting in Paris in 1965, right up to the Thierry Henry handball in Paris two years ago. I have said before on these pages that I believe Giovanni Trapattoni is a lucky manager and hopefully it will be "seventh heaven" on Friday night.
Ideally we would like a 0-0 draw in Tallinn on Friday night or maybe, just maybe, a 1-0 away win. If we lose1-0 in Friday I wouldn't fancy us winning 2-0 at the Aviva in the second leg next Tuesday. That's not me being negative, but the way Trap's teams play we don't score many goals. West Brom say that Long is not fit to travel and at this stage it looks like he is definitely out of both games. Also out is Liam Lawrence who was sent back to his club Portsmouth for treatment. Trap is confident that John O'Shea will be fit for the second leg. LA Galaxy's Robbie Keane looks in good shape and strikers in the first leg will be Keane and either Simon Cox or Jon Walters. Kevin Doyle is suspended for the first leg. The manager has called up Newcastle United's Leon Best, who won the last of his seven caps against Brazil in March 2010.
However, we must be optimistic. I think luck is on our side; Estonia, was on paper, the easiest opposition we could have get in the draw and if Trap's luck holds we should bridge that 24 year gap and get to the European Championship Finals once again.
FOUR PROVINCES READY FOR HEINEKEN
Rugby history will be made this weekend when all four Irish provinces play in the Heineken Cup for the first time. Ulster were the first Irish winners of the Heineken Cup in 1999, while Munster and Leinster have both won the cup twice in recent years. Now thanks to Leinster's win over Northampton in last season's final, Connacht get to play in the top tier of European competition for the first time after competing for 15 seasons in the second level Challenge Cup. Connacht's opening game on Saturday is away to Harlequins, who are now coached for former Irish international Conor O'Shea. Connacht coach Eric Elwood admits that he does not have the strength in depth that the other provinces have. The former Irish outhalf said: ''We don't have the luxury of making eight or nine changes every week or resting players. We have a squad of 29 full-time players, plus seven or eight players from our academy. So for us to be competitive we will be picking our strongest team every week. It's difficult, but we are not in the business of making excuses.'' Heineken Cup holders Leinster will not have captain Brian O'Driscoll will be fit the trip to Montepellier on Saturday (see page Munster have Northampton at Thomond Park and Ulster play French club Clermont at Ravenhill on Saturday.
CUSACK TO CAPTAIN CORK
New Cork hurling manager Jimmy Barry Murphy has appointed 34 year-old goalkeeper Donal Og Cusack as his captain for 2012. Earlier Barry Murphy recalled 34-year old Seán Og O hAilpin to his squad after he was dropped by previous manager Denis Walsh. So it looks like the new manager's motto is 'if you are good enough, you are young enough.'
Retirements were expected in Tyrone after their heavy defeat to Dublin in the All-Ireland semifinal. Veteran Brian Dooher was first to go and he has now been followed by Brian McGuigan, Philip Jordan and Ciaran Gourly.
Also former Donegal manager Brian McEniff has been confirmed as a selector with Louth for next year. The Bundoran hotelier worked as an advisor for manager Peter Fitzpatrick this year, but next year he will be officially part of the Wee County back room team. Wise old writer the late Dave Guiney once said that once you are on the intercounty scene it's very hard to get off the roller coaster.
WOMEN'S LEAGUE KICKS OFF
Soccer history will be made on Sunday next when the first-ever Women's National League kicks off. There are only six teams, but they have a good geographic spread: Cork Women's FC, Castlebar Celtic, Wexford Youths, Raheny United, Shamrock Rovers and Peamount United, who are from Newcastle in County Dublin. That's a better spread than the eight clubs who featured in the first-ever Men's League of Ireland season back in 1921 when all eight clubs were from Dublin. There had been an earlier attempt to form a Women's National League back in 1973, but this time it has the full backing of the FAI and UEFA. Peamount, as Cup holders, competed in the UEFA Champions League this season, but a domestic League had to be formed if we want our Ladies to play in Europe every season. Games will be played on Sunday afternoons, just like the Men's League did in the old days. The opening fixtures are: Cork v Peamount, Shamrock Rovers v Raheny United and Wexford Youths v Castlebar Celtic. We wish them well and hope they get support. The Men's League got great support in the fifties and sixties, but now people seem to prefer to go to England to watch Premier League games or tune into Sky Sports.
GAA HEADED IN CL DIRECTION: OFFICIAL
Kilkenny's Ned Quinn, former chairman of the GAA's Hurling Development Committee, says it's only a matter of time before we have a Champions League type format for the hurling and football championships. The Gaelic Players Association is to make the first move and they intend drawing up a blueprint for a group style system. But Quinn says that something will have to give. He said: ''If they are going to go the road of a group championship, then the National League will have to either remodeled or removed. You are not going to have interest in two league formats.''
O'NEILL STAYING WITH ROVERS
Despite being linked to the vacancy in Northern Ireland Michael O'Neill says he plans to stay with Shamrock Rovers and try and win the Airtricity League of Ireland for the third season in a row. O'Neill says talks are at an advanced staged with Rovers directors. Meanwhile the Irish Football Association say there are not in a hurry to appoint a replacement for Nigel Worthington. The North's next game is a friendly against Norway at Windsor Park at the end of February and they should have new man by then. Former internationals Ian Dowie and Jim Magilton are just two of the names mentioned as likely candidates, but whoever gets the job it's going to be a tough task as the North don't have many premier division players right now.
MAYO TAKE SPONSOR
Mayo has followed the example set by Cavan and Armagh and sold the naming rights to the top ground in their county. For the next five years the county ground in Castlebar will be known as Elverys McHale Park. County Board Secretary Seán Feeney said: ''Money has to be raised to replay loans as over €16 million was spent on major improvement work on the ground which has seen it turned into a 38,000 all-seater floodlit stadium. Clubs are always the first port of call when fundraising, but there is a limit on what you can ask of them because they all have their own debts. The fact a Mayo company has won the naming right makes it all the more satisfying.''
Another county with financial trouble is Kildare. Now the Lilywhites have recruited Charlie McCreevey, the former Minister for Finance and EU Commissioner, to help them reduce the debt. McCreevey is a big GAA fan and Kildare plan to recruit other high profile supporters to help them clear their €200,000 deficit.
McGOVERN BACK HOME
Mark McGovern, the Fermanagh footballer who suffered brain damage after being struck in an off the ball incident in San Francisco last June, said he forgives the person who left him in a coma. He arrived home to Belcoo last week after making an 18-day journey by land and sea from California, as the nature of his head injuries means he is not allowed to fly. McGovern had only been in San Francisco five days when he was injured in a game between the Ulster Club and the San Francisco Celts. So severe were his injuries that his family were told that he might not live. McGovern said of the injury: ''What he done to me, well he done it. I forgive him. I don't believe he ever meant to put me in the shape he put me in. It will be hard to get back to my normal life. I am hoping to start in rehab in Belfast. It is very tough to realize that I cannot play football again and very frustrating. My therapist was using a ball during rehab and at one point I could not even throw or kick it and I would just be sitting there looking at it. I felt like cracking up.''
