The footballers of Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford are plotting a response to the Munster Council’s decision to seed the provincial championship. Players from each of the four counties have met via video call on the back of the recent vote to place Kerry and Cork on opposite sides of the draw, given that they are the two highest ranked counties in the province as per League standings. Limerick manager Jimmy Lee has been particularly critical of the seeding decision and the fact that his own county voted in favour of it, saying that “we feel disrespected.’’ A statement from the GPA has outlined how players from the four ‘weaker’ Munster counties have been communicating with each other on the matter in recent days. But money county and the Munster Council know that a Cork-Kerry final is always a big attraction, whether it’s played in Cork or Killarney.
NO PREMIER PLANS
FOR GAMES ABROAD
EPL CEO Richard Masters says there are no plans to play a top-flight match abroad and the idea is ‘‘not anywhere near my in-tray.’’ In the past month, Italy and Spain's football federations have unveiled plans to stage league fixtures in Australia and the United States, and are seeking permission from Fifa and Uefa. If successful, La Liga clubs Barcelona and Villarreal will face each other in Miami in December in what would be the first European league fixture to be played abroad. And if permission is granted, Serie A clubs AC Milan and Como will meet in Perth, Australia in February next year. Other one-off matches, such as the Italian Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup, have been held abroad in recent years. The idea of the EPL playing an extra round, the 39th game, outside of England was raised in 2008 but the plans were shelved after criticism from fans and the media. And, despite former Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore saying ten years ago that clubs were keen on the idea, Masters has downplayed such a scenario. Masters said: ‘‘I don't think it changes the EPL’s view on this at all, we don’t have any plans to play matches abroad, It's not anywhere near my in-tray and it’s not a debate around our table.’’ Significantly there are currently 11 US-owned clubs in the EPL, closer than ever to the two-thirds majority of 14 that is needed to impose changes to the Premier League's rules.
DOWN LEGEND
HADDEN IS DEAD
Another link with the trailblazing Down team that won the Sam Maguire Cup in 1960 and 1961, has been severed with the passing of legendary forward Tony Hadden. The Newry Shamrocks clubman was 89. After making his senior debut in 1954, Hadden lined out at right corner forward on the Down’s All-Ireland winning teams in 1960 and 1961. He also four Ulster titles, in addition to a pair of senior county championships with his club. Hadden was also part of the management team that led Down to their first All-Ireland minor final win in 1977. He was also selector under Joe Lennon as the Mournemen won the 1981 Ulster championship, beating Armagh in the final. Hadden was the master of the fisted point and he often said that he could fist the ball as far as another man could kick it. As a young boy growing up in County Kerry I remember Tony with his crew-cut, running at the Kerry defense.
ROVERS, SHELS
EYE BIG MONEY
Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne have the opportunity to win a combined €7.5m across the next fortnight after the Hoops 5-0 win over Ballkani gave the League of Ireland two representatives in the Conference League final play-off round. Shelbourne already knew they would be involved in the drama after their narrow 3-1 defeat Rijeka on Thursday and they now face a reunion with Linfield after the Belfast club came through their tie with Faroese club Vikingur last week. Shels have decided to play their first leg tomorrow against Linfield at Tolka Park, rather than opt for the larger Tallaght Stadium. There is no guarantee that the Reds would get a huge crowd in Tallaght as Rovers only attracted a crowd of just over 6,000 last week. Not great for a team who are currently top of the LOI premier division. When the clubs met in the first round of the European Cup qualifiers last month Shels won 1-0 in Dublin and the teams drew 1-1 in Windsor Park. Linfield are expected to be in better shape this time round as the Irish League, which still uses the traditional August to May season, is now in full swing.
Meanwhile Rovers will travel to the Azores tomorrow for their first leg against Portuguese club Santa Clara, who are the westernmost top flight club in Europe. Galway-born striker Rory Gaffney scored twice in the 5-0 win over Kosovo club Ballkani in their second leg in Tallaght Stadium last Thursday. Manager Stephen Bradley revealed after the game that 35-year-old Gaffney took a pay cut when signing a new deal after coming back from a long-lay off and the Hoops manager said he was really impressed with Gaffney’s attitude. Bradley added that he is aware of Santa Clara’s strengths, pointing that the Portuguese club has 17 Brazilian players in their squad. Bradley said: ‘‘We will hope to keep the tie alive and bring them back to Tallaght, where we fancy our chances against any team.’’ The Hoops will be without former Irish international Jack Byrne, who was cut from the squad last week after a disagreement with manager Bradley
3 CLUBS HAVE 2 WINS
In the Championship Stoke City, Middlesbrough and West Brom are the early leaders with maximum points from their first two series games. Republic of Ireland international Mikey Johnston came off the bench and managed two assists as West Brom won 3-2 away to Wrexham.
Italian Serie A club Torino have given Irish defender Senan Mullen a new contract before sending him out on loan to a Serie B club Mantova for the season. The Cavan-born player joined Torino from Dundalk last year and made rapid progress in his first season in Italy, earning a place in the first team squad for a Serie A game, but the Cavan man awaits his competitive debut.
GRIMSBY WILL
HOST RED DEVILS
Six-time winners Manchester United will visit League Two club Grimsby Town in round two of the 2025-26 League Cup. United, who won no European competition for the first time in 11 seasons, were the final club drawn and delivered a plum tie for the Mariners. Newcastle United beat Liverpool 2-1 in last season’s final to end a 56-year wait for major silverware. The EFL Cup, in which all clubs in the top four tiers compete, remains regionalized in the early rounds, with the draw split into Southern and Northern sections until round three. The 23 second-round ties will take place next week.
PSG SNATCH
WIN VS. SPURS
European Cup champions PSG produced a superb late recovery before winning a penalty shootout to clinch the UEFA Super Cup in the Stadio Friuli in Udinese last week and deny Thomas Frank a first trophy as Tottenham boss. Spurs led 2-0 after 84 minutes and were seconds away from clinching an impressive victory before PSG sub Goncalo Ramos headed in a 94th-minute equaliser. That took the tie straight to penalties where the French club won the shoot-out 4-3. Manager Frank was taking charge of Tottenham in a competitive match for the first time since he replaced Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked 16 days after guiding the club to a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final in May.
FAI CUP WIN GETS
ADDED INCENTIVE
Winning the FAI Cup in November has taken on an added impetus after it was confirmed that for the first time the winners will qualify for the Europa League, which means two bites of the UEFA cherry in Europe next year. Bohemians, who haven’t won the cup since 2008, won’t be in the Europa League next season after they were knocked out of the cup by Sligo Rovers, who won 1-0 at Dalymount on Friday night. Bohs wore their new Oasis jersey, but the blue strip didn’t bring them any luck, just 24 hours before Liam and Noel Gallagher performed the first of their two concerts down the North Circular Road in Croke Park. Meanwhile 2024 Cup winners Drogheda who were denied a place in the Conference League this season, as they have the same owners as a Danish club, are through to the quarter-finals after a penalty shoot-out win over Derry City at The Brandywell. Drogheda’s Californian-born goalkeeper Luke Dennison was their hero, saving two Derry penalties with their third effort going way over the bar, while Drogheda’s first three penalty takers all scored. Kerry FC beat Cobh to qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time in their short League of Ireland history and it looks like their good European form has got St Patrick’s Athletic back on track as the Saints beat 2024 League champions Shelbourne 2-0 at Inchicore on Sunday evening.
EPL results: Aston Villa 0, Newcastle Utd 0; Brighton 1, Fulham 1; Chelsea 0, Crystal Palace 0; Liverpool 4, Bournemouth 2; Leeds 1, Everton 0; Manchester Utd 0, Arsenal 1; Notts Forest 3, Brentford 1; Sunderland 3, West Ham 0; Spurs 3, Burnley 0; Wolves 0, Manchester City 4.
FAI Cup 2nd Round results: Bohemians 0, Sligo Rovers 1; Cork City 2, Waterford 1; Derry City 1, Drogheda Utd 1, (Drogs won 3-0 on pens); Finn Harps 3, Bray Wanderers 1; Kerry FC 2, Cobh Ramblers 0; St Patrick’s Ath.2, Shelbourne 0; Shamrock Rov. 2, Longford Town 1; Salthill Devons 0, Galway Utd 4.
