UP THE DUBS!!!!

Well, it's been over a year since I last blogged. And, me oh my how time flies. For a start I'm now no longer a Belfast-boy living in Liverpool studying journalism. That's because as of 17/08/08 (my birthday) I'm a Belfast-man now residing in... wait for it... DUBLIN! Ha. Yes, the big-smoke has yet another 'Nordie' to put up with these days - times, they are a-changin' folks. So far I have found the locals to be very warm and hospitable, but I have to admit the language barrier has been a real pain in the ass sometimes! Who would have known 'dowidzenia' means 'hello' in Irish? Not me, that's for sure.

On a serious note, I found getting set up with a job extremely difficult. I mean where do I start? I chose not to aim high from the start, and instead opted for the like's of Spar, HMV etc. just to get started. Even had an interview with Centra on Camden Street (I worked in their Holywood store a week previous)... a job I didn't get in the end! 'Maybe it's cuz I wasn't Polish?' But bear no grudges and all of that malarky. So, after a month or so running around the city centre I land this job with The Academy - Dublin's hottest new music venue/nightclub (allegedly...). Never pulled a pint before in my life before, so I was thinking this could be fun! It was, and still is. Got to see Sterophonics, some Abba lookalikes, Tom Baxter (who?), Johnny Vegas (he drinks heineken), Bono (he drinks budweiser... bottles mind), Glasvegas, Staind, and yer man that does Galway Girl (I'm sure that wasn't all he's famous for). But the calibre of talent they've attracted of late has been brilliant. I mean, a 20 minute set from the world renowned Eoghan Quigg, where else would you get it?

At the minute life is good. It's alot different from last year in Liverpool. For a start, the majority of Dub's don't think/talk/sleep football 24/7 like the Scousers - unless they're politely discussing last night's United v Liverpool game on Sky TV of course. That's where the problem lies. Local football is dying on it's feet, no matter how much the FAI try to cover it up. Yes, St Patrick's Athletic did fantastic last season in the UEFA Cup but trying to tempt the fans out of their houses to actually watch them was like trying to get the Orange Order down O'Connell Street - it just wasn't happening.

I was fortunate enough to be North of the border where All-Ireland fever struck East Belfast (never thought I'd be saying that!). That night St Pat's took on a resurgent Glentoran team, where the winner would qualify for the Sentata Cup semi-final (and incidently knock out Linfield in the process!). However, I counted 26 travelling fans in total. It was later confirmed to be by someone at the club that in actual fact 27 tickets were sold. I can just picture that one poor Dub wandering around Sydenham by himself asking the local hoods "alllll-roight bud howz it gooooin', story wit cha lads... now tell me dis an tell me no-more.. where's dis oval kip???"

But as I said before, we Irish don't take any pride from supporting our local game in the same way Liverpudlians do. I remember 'Red or Blue?' was the message coming out of the European capital of culture in 2008, displayed on giant billboards etc. The city was buzzing on match-day. The clubs took turns for example, it tended to be Everton at home one week, then Liverpool the next. No matter who it was, a vibrant atmosphere was guaranteed. And don't get me started on the Merseyside derby. It's puts Glens/Linfield, Bohs/Rovers to absolute shame.

Speaking of shame, what was Boxing Day all about? Yes, thats right the annual clash between Belfast's 'Big Two' was marred by violence - surprise, surprise! This time though 99% of the blame lied on so-called Glentoran fans. I say so-called because this fixture seems to be the ONLY Irish League game these young chaps attend each season. No time whatsoever so these people. It was 3-0 to the Blues at the time, why humiliate ourselves any more?? Answer: because they are not actual fans. However, along with the condemnation, came the fantasists on the Nolan Show on Radio Ulster spewing their usual 'anti-anything Northern Irish' crap. Nolan himself had to laugh. The abuse started off with the usual - "Eamon from Poleglass says the fighting between Linfield and Glentoran fans should mean we just disband the league and join with the League of Ireland, and while we're at it have an all-Ireland team" - boring, heard it all before, it's ok we know where you're from and what you're about - it's to be expected. But then, as I was starting to nod off, on comes Geraldine from the Falls to tell the country "Glentoran and Linfield fans are just as sectarian as each other, that's why there were fighting each other, they're just sectarian" - a bold statement from someone who clearly knows nothing about Irish League football (wonder if shes a DC fan?!). I'd say even Cliftonville and their prodominately catholic fanbase must have been scratching their heads at the thought of Linfield fans having a change of faith and shouting 'ya orange bastards' to the Glentoran fans! Geraldine from the Falls, we salute you.

Right, so that's the football covered and Christmas covered. At the minute it is Saturday afternoon. I'm not long out of bed (still carrying a bit of that student-itous). Getting ready to watch the Champions of the World take on the pride of Merseyside - Everton (a big thanks to Timmy Cahill for further wrecking the Red-shite's season!).

Back to work at 10pm tonight where my tips are fucking fantastic. Another big thank you all the pilled-out Dubs/Eastern Europe blow-ins. However a big thanks for nothing to all you cheapscate northerners asking me 'hay much is yer cheapest drink hi' and I say '5 euro' and you're face drops like a lead balloon. Not only am I not getting a tip off you, you're not getting drunk tonight, shit one all round.

Life of Reilly for Catholics in Norn Iron?

It seems the oppression continues 'up nort'................

God love them

THE GREATEST STRIKER IN EUROPE... FACT!

Northern Ireland striker David Healy continued to update his now legendary status in yet another special night under the floodlit Windsor Park. Having scored the winner in the giant-killers 2-1 win over 10/11 favourites Denmark, the golden boy from Killyleagh took his tally an incredible 13 goals in the 2008 European Championship qualifying campaign.

That incredible feat now see's the Fulham new-boy overtake former Croatia striker Davor Suker as the highest ALL-TIME scorer, a record that has lasted since the Euro 96 tournament.

So it's now 33 goals in 61 internationals for Healy. Not bad. Especially when you consider the size of the country he represents. Last time I checked the Northern Ireland population was 1.5 million. Heavens above, if Liverpool opened any more universities in the city it would be guaranteed to breeze past that amount!

So now that you have got the idea of the magnitude of what David has actually achieved, it might be time to arrive slowly back down to Earth. To be blunt, Northern Ireland WILL NOT qualify for Austria & Swizerland next year (you heard it here first folks). Yes, we can go off to sunny Spain with all the hope in the world, but even if we did pull off a famous victory in the Canary Islands, we still need Latvia to go to Stockholm and do a number on Sweden! Not impossible, but highly improbable nonetheless.

But with every cloud they say there's a silver lining. It appears to be the reverse with Northern Ireland. Yes, we got the win but at a cost as we'll now be without Keith Gillespie for the Spain game. He's the battler (quite litterally eh Keef) we needed in Las Palmas. And then there was Spain's 3-0 over Sweden - who were from what I saw were completely uninterested from start to finish. Oh and another thing, who the hell was the twat waving his Rangers FC scarf at the final whistle like a monkey on a '3 leet'? Get lost mate, you either go to show your support for your COUNTRY, or you don't show your face at all. And no, Peter Lovenkrands wasn't even playing either if that's what you were thinking! The logic is lost on me.)

However, back to the up-side and as it draws to a close, what a rollercoaster this campaign has given us. The fans were amazing, as per usual. Vocal. That's what was required beforehand, and that's what we continue to get time and time again at home. It's a truley unreal atmosphere, and one that which if you haven't been you MUST experience. The 16,000 home fans (wish we had room for more) cheered their team onto yet another home win at 'fortress Windsor' which was very nearly 'waterlogged Windsor' before kick-off! But hey, the swimming pool effect worked perfectly! Well done IFA... and God (not Healy, the other one).

But at the end of the day, when it's all said and done, what a truely remarkable campaign it has been from the boys in emerald green, and one man inparticular... **Salutes**... DAVID HEALY. Good times never seemed so good.

PS: Well done to a former Ashfield Boys' pupil Warren Feeney, who like myself attended the East Belfast high school. To think, he was a 5th year when I was an itsy bitsy 1st year, ah the memories! 'Feeno' you did us proud tonight.

FOOTBALL APARTHEID IRELAND!!

World governing body Fifa has suggested that players born in Northern Ireland should be allowed to opt to play for the Republic of Ireland.

A question for all you blog-ites out there... should the world governing body FIFA allow Northern Ireland born players to opt for the 26 counties in the Republic of Ireland?

Puzzled? Ok, I'll answer it for you. They shouldn't. End of. Here's why...

The Irish FA is the 3rd oldest association in the world - who once officially ran the all-Ireland team for its first few decades - and they are clearly NOT the partitionists on this issue.

Of course the Brits could be accused of being partitionists in the political sense (ooh controversial!) but in all fairness this is FOOTBALL we're talking about and the Republic's football association should really reap what they sowed in the 1920's when they took their ball and killed off the islands all-Irish side. Lets not forget the fact that up until the partition of Ireland in 1921 the IFA governed football across the entire island but a decision by the Dublin clubs to form their own association led to the formation of the FAI (Football Association of Ireland).

What this breakaway association (the FAI) is doing is essentially sectarian, as players from nationalist/catholic areas such as Darron Gibson will form a generation of Irish catholics on their team (ROI) and we'll have a team full of Ulster protestants (NI).

The door will then be shut firm on the chris bairds, martin o'neills, gerry armstrongs, damien johnsons of days of old and partition in Ireland in footballing terms will be even greater.

So come on FIFA, in a time when Northern Ireland is beginning to achieve the cross-community support of old with the various campaigns run by the IFA, please dont make partition between our two countries even greater as we may potentially end up with 'Catholic Ireland' and 'Protestant Ireland' - sad, but a real possibility should they rule in favour of the breakaway association - the FAI.

CONFUSING BRANDS

CONFUSED?? You should be!

Pretty random, but how come brands in Northern Ireland suddenly change their name when you cross the border to the Republic?? It's a question that has quite simply baffled me for years. It seems the North-South divide applies to crisp and drink labels too!

Being honest I'll admit I haven't really bothered my arse in investigating this strange phenomenon, but as you can see from the above UK version is 'MAGNERS' whereas ROI version is 'BULMERS'. Infact, ask a Dubliner if he would like a bottle of Magners, you might just get a very bemused look.

Same thing would happen if you went down South and struck up a conversation on Mr Tayto (the wee man off the crisps). Both Mr Tayto's look completely different, and I am not sure as to who is the original and who is the imposter. Just look below, the red packet is 'the Irish one' and the yellow packet of Cheese & Onion is the 'Norn Irish one'.



When i was young I was always told, Mr Tayto was from Tandragee (Co. Armagh), but is he really? Or does he now have a clone running somewhere in Ashbourne (Co. Meath). I just don't know.

Ah the mind boggles as to this puzzling episode, so if anyone out there can enlighten me it would make my day... no really, it would.

TEAM GB OR TEAM ENGLAND?

OR

All the talk on Sky Sports News today, and all over the press for that matter, has been about this proposed 'Team Great Britain' football team for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Will it or wont it happen is the question of everyones lips at the moment.

But the latest snag hitting the team has come from across the water from Great Britain, in Northern Ireland. New IFA president Raymond Kennedy is now AGAINST such a move to involve the four home nations together in a one-off tournament. Leaving England as the sole country interested by the team. And it should be remembered that it was former IFA chief Jim Boyce who was 'all for' there being a Great British team in 2012. But new-boy Kennedy's reasoning behind the IFA's 'U-turn' on the team was a follows...

"If this was to happen the IFA would be in a dangerous position. Other federations could seize on the opportunity to say that a GB team could compete in a European Championship or World Cup in the future. I'm not giving anyone the chance to say that. We do not want to compromise our national identity."

The word paranoid might spring to mind!

But, already, the associations of Wales & Scotland respectively, have been opposed to the joint team as they believe it could give FIFA a reason to propose a UK team solely in the future which would take away the four home nations rights to exist as separate footballing nations.

However, it seems the majority of fans of Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland are very much against it for other reasons, citing 'English arrogance' as a reason behind their opposal to such a team being formed. Here's a few arrogant English fans (why they are so arrogant i do not know - Russia, Croatia and all that) at their best...

comment by pinnacleoffruit:

lol at barry fergerson, come on! so he is better than hargreaves, lampard, barry and more? I dont think so. We saw how good he was when he flopped at blackburn.The only reason the other teams arent that interested is that the GB team would mainly be english players with giggs, bale and gordon.

comment by liverpool_4_tital:

we (england) dont need wales and scotlad with us they wouldnt have any players in the team!

Typical, you might think. But lets be honest about this, a team representing Great Britain would be prodominantly full of English players, wheres the 'unity' in that?

If indeed it were to go ahead it would HAVE to be:

6 English

6 Scottish

6 Welsh

6 Northern Irish

+ a coaching squad containing EQUAL numbers from the four associations.

Only then, should the Home Nations be all for it.