Dervan Digest. Ireland, France Face Off in World Cup. GARY Breen wants to face France at Croke Park in the World Cup qualifiers next season after last Friday’s mouth-watering draw in Frankfurt.
Euro 2004 foes Switzerland, Israel, Cyprus and the Faroe Islands are also in Group 4 with Ireland and France, but Breen, like the rest of the country, is licking his lips at the prospect of facing the current European champions and 1998 World Cup winners.
And the lifelong Kerry fan has pleaded with the GAA to open their doors to soccer now that FIFA have thrown the bucket seats out of Lansdowne Road.
“It would be a dream come true for me and for millions of Irish men and women to see us play our first home game of the World Cup qualifiers against France at Croke Park,” declared Breen.
“I say that as someone who has been involved with the GAA all my life. My dad brought me to Ruislip, the home of the GAA in London, from a very young age and we have always been massive Kerry fans in our house.
“Croke Park is one of the greatest stadiums in the world today, better than most of the grounds I have played international football in, and I would love nothing more than to play there for the Republic of Ireland.”
Breen is confident that the GAA will move with the times and relax the ban on non-national sports from headquarters.
And he points to the visit of the Westmeath footballers to Wearside last week as the way forward for a new understanding between the two codes.
The 2002 World Cup hero added, “It was a real privilege to meet Paidi O Se when the Westmeath team trained at Sunderland last week.
“We were delighted to give them the full use of all our facilities here and it was fascinating to see how they trained and to talk to Paidi and the players.
“The two sports can live together and it would be wonderful now if the GAA could show soccer the same friendship. It would be mad to play France in front of just 22,000 people and empty terraces at Lansdowne Road but imagine what a boost it would give the Ireland team if we brought them to Croker.”
Ireland boss Brian Kerr has revenge against the Swiss on his mind but acknowledges the power of the French as the top seeds.
Kerr admitted, “France will be a huge task for us. I would have liked to have avoided them because they are the top-rated team in Europe. I watched them play Switzerland in a friendly earlier this year and they have some of the best players in the world, without a doubt.
“But looking at the group you have to say that apart from France we’ve got a chance. There will be a revenge factor against the Swiss while Israel showed in the last qualifiers that they are a much-improved side and the Faroes gave Scotland a hard time a year ago or so. But I was delighted to avoid a seven-team group.”
Many pundits believe Ireland and Switzerland will fight it out for the runner-up spot behind the French, amongst them the former French captain Michel Platini.
He said, “We had an easy group for Euro 2004 and this is not much stronger. In France not many people will know any of the Irish team. Okay, we know Damien Duff and Robbie Keane but not many more. For France this is a good draw.”
Kerr skipped the World Cup draw to watch the Ireland under-20s in action in the United Arab Emirates, but he will attend the Group 4 fixtures meeting, to be held in Dublin in February.
Sonia Wants to Run for Aussies
SONIA O’Sullivan, in action for Ireland alongside Catherina McKiernan in the European Cross County championships in Edinburgh on Sunday, wants to run for Australia.
The Cobh flyer spends six months of each year in Oz with her Australian partner Nick Bideau, and has admitted she fancies running for her other “homeland” in the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
The event is due to be held in Melbourne, her Aussie home town, and O’Sullivan insists the one-off would not affect her allegiance to Ireland.
“I compete and train there daily to prepare for the summer season in Europe and my training runs past the Melbourne Cricket Ground where the championships will be held,” O’Sullivan said.
“Many times I’ve thought to myself, ‘One day I want to run for Australia in there,’ and the closer we get to 2006 the stronger that feeling is.”
Rest for Harrington
PADRAIG Harrington will put his feet up and take a two month break at home with his new son once he has defended his Williams World Challenge title in the U.S. this weekend.
Harrington warmed up for his trip to the States when he won the Omega Hong Kong Open on Sunday.
And he has claimed that the win, his second of 2003, will stand to him when he starts to think about the forthcoming season and next September’s Ryder Cup.
Harrington said, “Since I won the Deutsche Bank Open in May I have had quite an average year. I have really been looking to win one of the last events to prove my year’s standing in my own mind. This is the second win of 2003. Two wins in a year is pretty good and I can put this down as a good year now.
“It means I will enjoy my time off a lot more. It’s harder to have time off when you feel you need to be out there playing. A win like this means I can take time off and I intend to take the next two months off after this week and enjoy my Christmas.”
Best ‘Beef’
TOP Cheltenham hope Beef or Salmon returned to winning ways at Punchestown in the John Durkan Memorial Chase and hardened with the layers for the Tote Gold Cup next March.
“My horse was a bit rusty at Clonmel on his comeback, but we did a bit of schooling over hurdles with him earlier in the week and that sharpened him up,” reported jockey Timmy Murphy after the horse recorded his 10th career victory.
Possibly back in action at Cork next Sunday, Beef or Salmon shortened with all the major bookmaking firms for the Cheltenham showpiece and is trading now generally as 8/1 second favorite to deny Best Mate a Gold Cup hat-trick.
GAA Shorts
THE 2006 Ryder Cup will be played at the K Club from September 22-24 and the GAA has confirmed that the All-Ireland football final will be brought forward by a week to avoid a clash with the most famous team golf trophy of them all. “It makes absolute sense,” said former GAA player and 2002 Ryder Cup hero Paul McGinley . . .
ARMAGH forward Barry O’Hagan is the latest big name player to quit the inter-county scene, barely 16 months after he won an All-Ireland medal and 10 years after his senior debut. “I just don’t have the appetite for it any more,” O’Hagan said. “There’s no point in me being there and maybe holding somebody else back.” . . .
PAUL Taylor has vowed to regain his place on the Sligo football squad after he was left out of the training panel for the NFL by new boss James Kearins. Taylor said: “The manager has made his decision and I have to accept that. It’s disappointing to be left out of the squad, but it’s up to me to earn a recall and I will be doing my best to do that. I am not throwing in the towel as far as my inter-county career is concerned.” . . .
FORMER Louth boss Paddy Clarke moved a step closer to All-Ireland glory when he guided Dublin champions St. Brigids to the Leinster club title with a win over Kildare’s Round Towers in Sunday’s final at Navan’s Pairc Tailteann. “I said I’d die happy if I won a provincial title. It meant a ferocious amount,” he said. Brigid’s will now meet Kerry’s An Ghaeltacht in the All-Ireland semifinal after they beat Tara in London . . .
DERRY legend Anthony Tohill has finally given in to a long standing knee injury and quit football at the age of 32. The Ireland compromise rules captain, All-Ireland winner and four time all-star admitted, “The knee injury is the reason I’m hanging up my boots. I would only be putting my health at further risk if I played on. I want to do other things in life which I probably neglected over the last few years.” ...
A GROUNDBREAKING motion that could open Croke Park to non-GAA sports was passed by a huge majority at the Wicklow county board’s convention. The motion, proposed by the Arklow Geraldines/Ballymoney motion, will allow the GAA to lease Croke Park to the government for five events per year. The Wicklow board will now send the motion to congress next April.
FERMANAGH football fans were shocked on Sunday when senior football team boss Dominic Corrigan sensationally quit his post after guiding his team to the NFL semifinal and the All-Ireland quarterfinals this year. Corrigan was unhappy with the resources on offer for next season and also lost team trainer Martin McElkennon to Cavan . . .
BILLY Morgan has recalled Philip Clifford and Ciaran O’Sullivan to the Cork senior football panel as he begins preparations for next season’s league and championship campaigns. Neither player was considered for selection by Morgan’s predecessor Larry Tompkins this year . . .
KILDARE will have to plan without promising young full-forward Stuart MacKenzie Smith after the player emigrated to Canada and confirmed that he will not be available for next season’s championship . . .
ARMAGH full forward Diarmuid Marsden has had his All-Ireland final red card overturned by the Central Council of the GAA. Marsden is now free to play against Monaghan in the first round of next year’s Ulster championship . . .
NEW Cavan football manager Eamon Coleman has persuaded Paul O’Dowd, Gerry Sheridan and Terry Farrelly to come out of retirement and rejoin the county squad.
Soccer Shorts
DERRY City will meet local rivals Finn Harps in a fascinating north west derby to decide the winners of the promotion-relegation playoff in the eircom League this week. Harps will host the first leg on Wednesday night with the final on Saturday after they saw off Bray and City defeated Limerick in the semifinals . . .
IRISH racing duo J.P. McManus and John Magnier have again upped their stake in Manchester United and now own 24.24% of the club after snapping up more shares on Monday via their Cubic Expressions investment vehicle.
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