To the point. Conor McGregor’s certainly been active on Twitter over the last few days. After commenting on Ariel Helwani’s workout and wishing Sage Northcutt a happy birthday, the Notorious has got right back down to business. Following Frankie Edgar’s first-round TKO defeat to Brian Ortega at UFC 222, McGregor paid tribute to Edgar by […]

8 years ago

A fresh doping storm in the world of cycling. A damning parliamentary report has accused Bradley Wiggins of using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport released a report on Monday morning stating that Wiggins used a powerful and banned corticosteroid in order to give himself an […]

8 years ago

Told. Antonio Conte hit back at “stupid” Gary Neville and Jamie Redknapp after the Sky Sports duo criticised Chelsea’s gameplan during their 1-0 defeat at Manchester City. Redknapp said that Chelsea’s limp, toothless performance was a “crime against football” while Gary Neville offered similarly withering words, blasting the champions as “woeful and embarrassing” before stating they […]

8 years ago

The Frenchman clearly has ambitions beyond the Sky Sports studio. Arsene Wenger is as close to the brink of being sacked by Arsenal as perhaps he ever has been. The Gunners’ defeat to Brighton on Sunday was their fourth in a row and one which left their hopes of playing Champions League football hanging by […]

8 years ago

He’s not hiding away. The sense of crisis engulfing Arsenal deepened on Sunday as Arsene Wenger’s men fell to a damaging 2-1 defeat at Brighton. In the space of ten days, the Gunners have now lost four in a row, to Ostersunds, Manchester City twice and now Chris Hughton’s Seagulls. Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray […]

8 years ago

Unbelievable. Brighton are playing Arsenal and the ball is in the air. Brighton’s Ezequiel Schelotto chases it. So does Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac. We’ve seen it countless times. It looks like a classic 50-50. Schelotto, eyes fixated on the ball and poised to control it, doesn’t see a rampaging Kolasinac coming his way. Like a […]

8 years ago

This should have happened a long time ago. It was confirmed on Saturday that FIFA had approved the use of VAR at this summer’s World Cup, but another nugget of news went slightly more under the radar. Perhaps that’s understandable, given the current hullabaloo around VAR, but it’s an important piece of news nonetheless. The […]

8 years ago

Intuitive. Back in January, Eddie Alvarez shared an interesting theory. In it, the Underground King put forward what seemed like an entirely plausible reason as to why the UFC and Dana White were stalling on stripping Conor McGregor of his lightweight belt. Before we progress, let’s refresh. On an episode of the MMA Hour, the […]

8 years ago

Sporting Lisbon have an excellent track record of producing stars. The Portuguese club boasts one of the finest youth academies in world football. It’s a mystical talent factory that has shaped the likes of Ballon d’Or winners Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo. Its output since then hasn’t been too shabby either, giving us Nani, Ricardo […]

8 years ago

He sure knew how to pick them. Roy Keane always stayed true to his convictions. He knew when he liked someone and knew when he didn’t like someone. And when it was the latter, he had no qualms letting them know about it. That’s part of what made Keane such a fascinating football character, a […]

8 years ago

No petty arguments here. Considering the career Frankie Edgar has had in the UFC, his first-round defeat to Brian Ortega was difficult for his fans to take. Ortega wasted barely any time in doing what had never been done before: knocking out Edgar. With 16 seconds remaining in the first round, Ortega ended proceedings convincingly […]

8 years ago

Well, there you go. Conor McGregor will fight in the octagon in 2018. This much we know. When and against who, though, is a more complicated matter. While we’re not expecting the 29-year-old to return for at least another few months, it turns we could have seen him competing this weekend at UFC 222. In […]

8 years ago

An inquiry has been launched. Two Liverpool youth players are under investigation for alleged sexual harassment. According to The Telegraph, the two players have been accused of harassing female teachers and young girls at Rainhill High School in Merseyside. The school has launched an inquiry following reports of inappropriate sexual comments and behaviour. According to the […]

8 years ago

Don’t be fooled. It seems that ever since Floyd Mayweather beat Conor McGregor last August in “The Biggest Fight in Combat Sports History,” there has been constant speculation about that particular blockbuster getting a sequel. Recently, Dana White poured fuel on the fire when he admitted that he had been in talks with Mayweather’s longtime […]

8 years ago

Colourful. Roy Keane was notorious for many things. The former Manchester United captain was a tremendous leader, a fine motivator, a no-nonsense midfield general. He was also well-known for not having anything to do with extravagant football boots. While David Beckham and several of his United teammates often indulged in his latest cutting-edge footwear, Keane stayed […]

8 years ago

Flexing the financial muscles. There’s one thing you can’t accuse Manchester United of being and that’s parsimonious. Since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, the club has splurged over £600m on 22 players, including marquee signings like Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial and Angel Di Maria. It has brought some success without catapulting the club […]

8 years ago

He was down but never out. Watching Brian Fenton command Dublin’s midfield is watching a man completely in his element. His work-rate, ball skills and a heightened understanding of where to be on the pitch at all times have helped establish him as arguably the finest midfielder in the GAA. Considering his indomitable rise with […]

8 years ago

Solid decision. The GAA confirmed the inevitable on Wednesday, announcing that all of this weekend’s Allianz League football and hurling matches had been called off due to the inclement weather conditions. It was difficult to argue with the decision, especially considering how the GAA were criticised recently for waiting far too long to call off […]

8 years ago

Some set-up. It’s been a rough week. All across Ireland, matches and training sessions have been called off due to the goddamn snowpocalypse. The GAA were forced to completely wipe out this weekend’s Allianz League football and hurling action, with hundreds of GAA clubs taking to social media to advise their players to stay indoors. […]

8 years ago

The Swede has had his struggles with injury this season. Jose Mourinho does not expect Zlatan Ibrahimovic to remain at Manchester United beyond the current season. The Swede has struggled with injuries this season, failing to fully recover from the serious knee injury picked up last April. The 36-year-old, who has been linked with a […]

8 years ago

Staying in?

8 years ago

Get the Brennans out. Don’t even think about it. You can’t mess with Mother Nature because right now she’s having her way with Ireland. This weekend, with blizzards and red alerts very much the order of the day, is a perfect opportunity to catch up on some laziness. With the heaviest snowfalls to come on […]

8 years ago

Deadly. There’s something endlessly satisfying about shutting yourself in from the descending blizzard outside and basking in your television’s warming glow. A healthy chunk of Ireland’s population will experience just that this week as Storm Emma and the Beast From The East have their way with our daily lives, swooping in to plunge the country […]

8 years ago

Well. It’s amusing how, in the near two years since Manchester United dismissed him, Louis van Gaal has remained a dissenting voice in the background. The Dutchman was removed from his post as United manager hours after guiding the club to FA Cup success in May 2016. It was United’s first piece of silverware since […]

8 years ago

Great prospect. Munster have signed Sale Sharks fullback Mike Haley as the province prepare for life without Simon Zebo. Zebo is leaving Thomond Park to join French side Racing 92 in the summer but Munster are not messing around with finding his replacement. Munster confirmed the signing on Wednesday morning. Player News | Munster confirm […]

8 years ago

Chris Farrell has been ruled out for the remainder of the Six Nations. One man’s pain is another man’s gain. With news that Ireland centre Chris Farrell will miss the rest of the Six Nations campaign after picking up a knee injury, Joe Schmidt looks set to turn to Garry Ringrose. With Robbie Henshaw also […]

8 years ago

Keen-eyed viewers picked up on the reference on Saturday. The BBC has said that ‘mistakes happen’ when explaining why a reference to rugby referee Nigel Owens’ sexuality appeared during Scotland’s Six Nations win over England. A reference to Owens’ sexuality was appeared in the 66th-minute of the game, with the subtitles reading, “yellow card. Nigel Owens […]

8 years ago

Snow joke. The GAA is set to have a few problems on its hands in the coming weeks as Storm Emma blows her way into Ireland. This coming weekend sees a full programme in both the football and hurling national leagues but several matches are under threat of being postponed with the bad weather predicted […]

8 years ago

Massive blow for Ireland. Although Joe Schmidt seemed fairly relaxed about the knock Chris Farrell picked up during the win over Wales at the weekend, the IRFU have confirmed that the centre may well miss the rest of the Six Nations tournament. Farrell was extremely impressive during Ireland’s win at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, […]

8 years ago

Screamer. Shamrock Rovers give their League of Ireland campaign a thrilling shot of adrenaline, thumping Bray Wanderers 6-0 at Tallaght Stadium. There was plenty for Stephen Bradley to be delighted about but Graham Burke’s opener will surely live longest in the memory, the forward producing a spectacular effort to get the ball rolling so to […]

8 years ago

5.55pm is early for a Champions League game. UEFA have announced a raft of changes to the Champions League and Europa League starting from next season, with different kick-off times being one of the most significant takeaways. The Champions League is synonymous with midweek evening games, with most games having always kicked off at 7.45pm […]

8 years ago

It’s hard enough playing Dublin as it is. In Saturday’s League clash between two Championship heavyweights, Dublin overcame a wasteful Mayo side to stretch their unbeaten run against their bitter rivals. Admittedly, having produced tense, exciting and dramatic All-Ireland finals in the last two years, it wasn’t the most absorbing encounter in Castlebar. Goals from Paul […]

8 years ago

Bollocks. The GAA have confirmed the fixture arrangements for the All-Ireland club finals on St Patrick’s Day. With Corofin facing Nemo Rangers in football and Cuala taking on Na Piarsaigh for the hurling title at 2pm and 3.45pm, the finals will go head-to-head with the eagerly-anticipated Six Nations clash between England and Ireland. Ireland face […]

8 years ago

We were all duped. Usain Bolt may be retired but he still possesses the power to set social media alight. On Sunday, the legendary Jamaican sprinter generated enormous levels of excitement among his five million Twitter followers after announcing he’d signed for a football team. The eight-time Olympic gold medalist said he would reveal who […]

8 years ago

Arsene Wenger’s position will be reviewed at the end of the season. Arsene Wenger is still the Arsenal manager but it seems that planning for the post-Wenger era is already well underway. The first signs of preparation happened earlier in the season, when Sven Mislintat and Raul Sanllehi were appointed chief scout and head of football relations […]

8 years ago

A return to the octagon looks to be very much on the cards. Dana White has set the tongues of UFC fans wagging after posting a photo of himself with Brock Lesnar on Twitter. Lesnar hasn’t fought in the UFC since his unanimous decision victory over Mark Hunt at UFC 200 in 2016. However, after […]

8 years ago

It was a day of wildly mixed emotions for Owen Farrell. The England centre played extremely well for Eddie Jones’ side. He scored a try, had another chalked off for a knock-on but was also involved in a tunnel scuffle just prior to kick-off in England’s Calcutta Cup defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday. […]

8 years ago

Lovely video. On Friday night, Derry City goes home. After a temporary move to Maginn Park, the Candystripes will return a brand spanking new Brandywell Stadium when they host Dundalk in the League of Ireland. To celebrate the return to the Brandywell, the club have released a video entitled Back to Brandy. Soundtracked by Derry-based artist […]

8 years ago

It’s as bad as it looked. Chris Cloete suffered a forearm fracture against Glasgow on Friday night and has been ruled out for between three and four months, Mnnster have confirmed. Munster getting back to winning ways came with a tinge of disappointment as Cloete went off with what looked like a serious arm injury. […]

8 years ago

Sunday’s victory over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley was Pep Guardiola’s first piece of silverware as Manchester City manager. However, such a landmark moment in Pep’s English football revolution seemed like a secondary matter behind the other dominant narratives. Gary Neville’s on-air evisceration of Arsenal’s lackadaisical approach to defending was undoubtedly the […]

8 years ago

Tipp did everything they could and still wasn’t quite enough. Considering the intensity of the rivalry, Kilkenny and Tipperary games are rarely not worth tuning in for, but we were treated to a scintillating clash at Nowlan Park on Sunday. The Cats, typically armed with that mental toughness, edged a thrilling League game by the […]

8 years ago

The Northern Irishman wasn’t happy. A miserable season has got even worse for West Brom this past week. After being dumped out of the FA Cup by Southampton last weekend, the Baggies’ wretched Premier League season continued on Saturday as they lost at home to Huddersfield. Their latest loss leaves West Brom rooted to the […]

8 years ago

“There are better pitches in Phoenix Park.” Cavan continued their unbeaten start to Division 2 on Sunday, producing another fine performance to see off Cork 0-11 to 0-14. Unfortunately, much of the post-match discussion focused on the state of Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Last year, we couldn’t help but get excited at a virtual tour of the […]

8 years ago

Disappointing. The GAA congress on Saturday morning started encouragingly. Passing motion 1 to ban all sponsorship from betting companies, the GAA took a huge step in the right direction. The vote was passed by 93 per cent of the delegates. However, a motion tabled by Liam Griffin, a former Wexford All-Ireland winning manager, looking to […]

8 years ago

“There is no strength without unity.” It’s never been difficult to spot the sense of community and togetherness that has driven Slaughtneil to wonderful success. Even from the outside looking in, it’s clear to see the south Derry community is proud of its heritage, its commitment to embracing Irish culture and, perhaps most of all, […]

8 years ago

Tiger Woods is back for real it seems. On the basis of what we’ve seen over the first two rounds of the Honda Classic, this Tiger Woods comeback is not a false dawn. The 14-time Major winner failed to produce anything spectacular at the Genesis Open last week, but by conjuring up a healthy dose […]

8 years ago

Wise move. The GAA Congress has voted to ban all sponsorship by betting companies. Motion 1, which reads exactly as “sponsorship by a betting company of any competition, team, playing gear or facility is prohibited,” was passed with 93% of delegates voting in favour. In addition, the Congress also passed Motion 3, which read as “sponsors […]

8 years ago

Flip. Either England or the United States may end up hosting the 2022 World Cup with Qatar reportedly in danger of losing the tournament. Dubai news channel Al Arabiya reported on Saturday, citing German magazine Focus, that FIFA will make a final decision on whether or not to host the tournament in Qatar. According to the report, […]

8 years ago

What a joke. Friday night, 7.53pm. Referee John McLaughlin, after careful consideration, calls off Drogheda United’s clash with Finn Harps in the Airtricity League Division One. The match was supposed to kick-off at 7.45pm but, due to several bulbs not working in the floodlights, the referee was not sufficiently happy with letting the game go […]

8 years ago

Friday night’s win was likely to be his Cork swansong. Simon Zebo bid Munster fans a fond farewell on Friday night after their 21-10 Pro14 victory over Glasgow Warriors. Johann van Graan’s side won convincingly at Musgrave Park, closing the gap on their opponents at the top of the conference. And Zebo was given a […]

8 years ago