SOCCER: The Roy Keane influence is working as Sunderland move up the championship table, but his taste in music isn’t shared by the players after fellow Irishman Graham Kavanagh revealed that Keane’s Abba CDs have been ditched by the first time squad. “We’ve put Dwight Yorke in charge of the music and the results have improved on the pitch,” joked Kav, who also revealed that R&B and Dance are now the flavors of the day in the Sunderland dressing-room. “We had a bit of Abba before a game this season so it might explain the kind of start we had!”

SOCCER: These are good times for soccer in and around Wexford. Firstly, local entrepreneur Mick Wallace is pressing ahead with plans to push for a Wexford team to replace Dublin City in the eircom League’s First Division next season. Secondly, local hero Kevin Doyle is responsible for Reading shirts flying off the shelves all across the country, never mind the county, with his name emblazoned across the back of them, so even Santa knows about the legend that is young Doyle at this stage!

SOCCER: Scunthorpe’s young Irish striker Andy Keogh, wanted by Wolves boss Mick McCarthy, did a Beckham on it last weekend when he scored from the hallway line across Carlisle to seal three points for his team. “I’m shell shocked,” said Keogh. “You practice things like that in training so I was pleased but shocked to see it come off in a game.”

GOLF: Darren Clarke said all along that he didn’t deserve to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and his words came true on Sunday night when Zara Phillips, daughter of Princess Anne no less, picked up the annual award. Clarke did finish second in the public vote –- on the day the new woman in his life was revealed by an English newspaper, just four months after the tragic death of his wife Heather!