It was back to real competitive action for our quartet of Irish League representatives proudly flying the flag for local football in Europe this week and despite mixed fortunes, I personally feel that all four have a really good chance of progressing to the next round of their respective competitions.
Firstly, our League champions Linfield lost 1-0 to Welsh counterparts TNS at the Park Hall Stadium. Although the Blues suffered the narrowest of defeats, they will be quietly confident of overturning that scoreline in the second leg at Windsor Park.
There were lengthy periods when Linfield totally dominated this game, but despite hammering relentlessly on the door they just couldn’t find a path through to the back of the TNS net.
However, I feel the Blues have the necessary firepower in their ranks this season to get the job done at Windsor Park in the return leg.
Larne were also away from home and returned with a very creditable scoreless draw against St Joseph’s of Gibraltar at the Victoria Stadium.
Believe me, all European opposition are tough and it required a very disciplined performance by the Invermen to secure a hard-earned share of the spoils and with it a really good chance of putting this tie to bed next Thursday night when they tackle the same opposition at Inver Park.
Next up were Crusaders, who had to dig deep to keep their hopes alive when they also came up against opposition from Gibraltar, in this instance Bruno’s Magpies.
With the famous Rock as a backdrop to the stadium, it was the Magpies who nicked this one by a narrow 2-1 scoreline which inevitably means that the Crues will have to go in search of goals in next week’s home leg while making sure they keep it tight at the back.
To concede again at Seaview would make it considerably difficult for the Hatchetmen, but the Shore Road venue is tight and the team from Gibraltar will certainly know they’ve been in a game come the final whistle.
Last but not least it was our other North Belfast side Cliftonville who were also away from home in their first leg as they too suffered a narrow loss, going down 2-1 to DAC in Slovakia.
Again, this tie is still very much alive with the Reds only having a one-goal deficit to overcome in the return fixture at Solitude.
It’s always important, particularly away from home in the first leg, to keep the tie alive and for me all of our Irish League clubs have done exactly that, and it just so happens that I genuinely fancy all four to go on and do the business at home.
Some of these European teams don’t travel as well as we do and if our teams get in among them early then they all stand a really good chance of progression into the next round of their respective competitions, which really helps the bank balance.
I wish them all well.
Golf isn’t all about the glitz and glamour
It’s certainly not all private jets and limousines in the world of professional golf and I found that out first hand this week.
I was privileged to be a guest player in this week’s Northern Ireland Open Pro-Am tournament and our four-ball consisted of myself, my mate the former Man Utd, Newcastle Utd and Northern Ireland star Keith Gillespie, a very gifted young professional called Joe Kelly from London, and another young professional from Australia by the name of Brody Harbinson.
This year the format was somewhat different from previous years and was played over three days at three different courses, Cairndhu GC on Monday, Castlerock GC on Tuesday, and then finishing up at my beloved Galgorm Castle GC on the Wednesday.
The new three-day format meant that Keith and I really got to know our two professionals pretty well and it was then that my English pro (with the Irish name) Joe Kelly, got to tell me just how big of a financial struggle it is for him and many like him to progress as a successful professional golfer.
Joe is 25 years old and he knows he’s now at an age where he needs to ‘kick on’ if he’s to make it at the top level, but it’s tough. I was somewhat surprised to learn that Joe has to actually pay his own entry fee to play in these tournaments, and then you can add on flights, car-hire, accommodation, and meals etc for whatever number of days he’s away from home, and that all adds up to a considerable amount of money per tournament.
The irony is that rarely does the prize money come anywhere near to covering his expenses, so unfortunately at present he’s out money each and every time he packs his bags to set sail to a tournament. Nevertheless, young Joe is a hugely talented and determined young man, and as well as a helping hand from his parents he works part-time in a ‘burger outlet’, all to help pursue his golfing dream.
However, the sad fact is there are so many other talented young pro’s out there also trying hard to make that all important breakthrough, so it’s incredibly difficult.
I always find it a great experience to get the chance to play with the pro’s and marvel at their talent with a golf club, but it’s also a strong reminder and a reality check to hear their own personal stories in their quest to reach the top of their profession, or as most of us would refer to as, ‘the big time’.
Young working-class people like Joe Kelly, who are born with an incredible talent, but who just need that ‘rub of the green’ or a few more ‘kind bounces’ of the ball are for me the perfect example that the world of golf isn’t always about private jets, sedans, and the high life, in fact for the vast majority it’s far from it.
Girls played the game in the right way
The jury may still be out with many about women’s football, and I must admit I don’t get to see many games myself, but I did get to watch the Northern Ireland Euros game with Norway on Thursday night past on the BBC and although we were beaten, our girls gave absolutely every last ounce of energy for their country, and that makes me proud.
However, the one facet of the game which really caught my eye immediately was just how honest both set of players were, I didn’t see one player dive or try to cheat all night.
It was so refreshing to watch genuine players only go to ground when it was absolutely necessary, and for me that puts the women streets ahead of the men for honesty and professionalism, and I commend each and every one of them for showing us all how the game should be played.
Well done girls.