tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44222259851651779352012-03-03T11:49:06.666+01:00NO GIMMICKS. NO FLASH STUFF. JUST FOOTBALL.Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.comBlogger611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-42942669194218444272012-02-29T03:45:00.017+01:002012-02-29T03:48:41.955+01:00

So, it was off to Libreville, capital of Gabon, for the Chipolopolo, and also for Côte d'Ivoire, who had defeated Mali 1:0 in the other semi-final courtesy of a goal just before half-time from Gervinho, who had picked the ball up in his own half and ran unopposed into the Malian box before sidefooting the ball past the 'keeper. Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré both saw efforts rebounding off the

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-88468544800033695572012-02-28T03:16:00.136+01:002012-02-29T03:45:23.056+01:00

Emotional scenes marked the end of the final of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday 12/2/12, when Zambia put their name on the Africa Cup of Nations for the very first time after a pulsating game against Ivory Coast (or Côte d'Ivoire, as the nation's government prefers the country to be known), which took place in the Gabonese capital, Libreville. It was a match which went to a penalty

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-57050178256033890152012-02-19T18:03:00.001+01:002012-02-19T18:03:54.166+01:00

The twenty-eighth edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (sponsored by Orange) was held jointly in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon between 21/1/12-12/2/12, and was won by Zambia, who surprised most pundits by defeating pre-tournament favourites Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 8:7 on penalties after a scoreless 90 minutes and extra-time also failed to provide an outright winner. The results and tables are 

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-8709058409516282952012-02-07T02:23:00.000+01:002012-02-07T02:23:09.260+01:00

Football has long been by far the most popular sport in Egypt, and it has equally been an outlet for the many frustrations of the country's citizens, as well as oft being a source of joy, at both club and international level. However, on Wednesday night last, it became a source of mourning, not to mention widespread anger, after 74 fans were killed (at first, according to reports aired on CNN,

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-3192816739175498822012-01-28T02:31:00.006+01:002012-01-28T13:16:17.899+01:00

The semi-final draw of Spain's Copa del Rey has taken shape, with Barcelona having defeated a rather thuggish Real Madrid on Wednesday evening to progress to the semis, where they will face Valencia, who a day later rounded off a comprehensive 7:1 aggregate win against Levante. Your correspondent is a happy man, as, after a 3:0 aggregate win against Real Mallorca, Athletic Bilbao have qualified

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-48708928541987993062012-01-20T02:43:00.007+01:002012-02-15T15:46:15.044+01:00

This coming weekend sees the start of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Finals, which will be jointly hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, and which will take place between 21/1/12-12/2/12. Sixteen nations will take part; it will be Equatorial Guinea's début appearance in the competition, while Gabon will be competing in the final stages for the fifth time, having previously appeared in 1994, 1996

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-91981117462939610142012-01-03T22:44:00.046+01:002012-01-13T17:36:53.768+01:00

The FA banned Liverpool player Lúis Suárez for eight games and fined him 40000 pounds as a result of a hearing which concluded on 20/12/11, for the use of abusive and insulting words against, and a reference to the colour of, Manchester United's Patrice Evra. Suárez was also ordered to pay the costs of the hearing. The FA's Independent Regulatory Commission, consisting of Paul Goulding QC, Denis

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-52563744359511436222012-01-02T02:22:00.001+01:002012-02-19T16:57:41.088+01:00

Again, another tournament which was not covered at the time due to certain circumstances, but this competition, which served a double-purpose as the qualifying matches for both the OFC Nations Cup and as the preliminary round of qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup, short as it was, threw up some surprises and also saw a little history being made. Four countries took part; American Samoa, Cook

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-25455640804785711512012-01-02T02:05:00.000+01:002012-01-02T02:05:09.617+01:00

Better late than never, indeed, as the Women's tournament of the Pacific Games 2011 commenced at the end of August in around the New Caledonian capital, Nouméa. Nine nations took part, and the group results went pretty much as expected, with the real fireworks coming in the knockout stages. Papua New Guinea surprised New Caledonia by coming top of the heap thanks to a last-gasp win against the

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-16614649375725936862011-12-31T01:53:00.028+01:002011-12-31T21:47:17.957+01:00

The end of another year in the wonderful world of football is nigh, as is the first full year of the one-man operation that is Pat's Football Blog. To say that this blog is not widely-known is an understatement, but that, I would say, is no bad thing. It means that I can write what I think about the subjects which interest me, and if what I write both interests and informs you, dear reader, then

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-62115599904597750122011-12-24T15:15:00.022+01:002012-01-17T22:33:33.334+01:00

The Liverpool player Luis Suárez was found guilty by the FA on Tuesday of using insulting language with racist overtones against Manchester United's Patrice Evra during the game between the two clubs at Anfield on 18/10/11, and received punishment consisting of an eight-match ban plus a fine of 40000 pounds (€48000). It was alleged that Suárez repeatedly used the word "negrito" (literally

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-57367497265322409062011-12-03T01:48:00.006+01:002011-12-03T11:01:50.354+01:00

The draw for the finals of the 2012 European Championship was held this evening at the Palace of Arts in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev (or Kyiv, if you prefer), and interesting times lie ahead for both Ireland and England. The teams, per group, were drawn during the live draw as follows (top seeds in italics): GROUP A: POLAND, Czech Republic, Greece, Russia GROUP B: HOLLAND, Denmark, Portugal,

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-87822732795337278902011-11-29T04:11:00.000+01:002011-11-29T04:11:29.742+01:00

The football community around the UK and further afield has reacted with shock and sadness at the news of the more than untimely death of the manager of the Welsh national team, Gary Speed, at the age of 42 yesterday. It was reported on the BBC and CNN yesterday afternoon that he had taken his own life, having apparently been found hanged at his Cheshire home a few hours earlier. Speed, who

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-77839348130394278722011-11-24T21:22:00.035+01:002012-01-02T01:02:29.871+01:00

In the midst of all the brouhaha in the game of football about racism, the Champions League, the lifesyles of footballers' wives and girlfriends, corruption and much more, some things occur which put a more normal spin on things; things which make you realise that football is, after all, only a game, but a game which is living proof that every footballing dog (don't take it too literally, dear

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-8059229224814069352011-11-22T02:18:00.007+01:002011-11-22T11:03:02.202+01:00

The road to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil is already well under way in the Americas, Africa and Asia. And now, Oceania joins in the four-yearly fun with the OFC preliminary round, which will involve American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga.  The fixture-list (and predictions as to how the group will pan out) is contained in a previous blog: http://patmcguinness.blogspot.com/2011/11/

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-55829952142125444912011-11-18T02:06:00.003+01:002011-11-22T02:15:42.965+01:00

It hasn't been a particularly good year for FIFA president Sepp Blatter, and it may just get worse after his latest comments regarding racism in football, broadcast yesterday on CNN and Al-Jazeera. In an interview with CNN sports reporter Pedro Pinto, Blatter stated that he did not believe that racism existed on the football pitch, and basically said that players abused during the course of a

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-42224588287460622392011-11-16T22:56:00.000+01:002011-11-16T22:56:01.862+01:00

How wonderfully clear and blue the sky looks on this fine November day. How gently the breeze blows. How tuneful is the singing of our wingèd friends. How warmly the sun shines. How sweet is the scent which wafts in the air. All of this can only mean one thing; Ireland have qualified for the European Championship finals, and a monkey the size of King Kong has finally been wedged off the

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-6062912199005562212011-11-14T16:43:00.000+01:002011-11-14T16:43:11.571+01:00

Two and a half months behind schedule, the qualifying campaign in the Oceania region for the 2014 World Cup and for the OFC Nations Cup 2012 kick off in just under a week and a half's time with a dual-purpose, 2-competitions-in-1 preliminary group, which will be played out over five days from 22/11/11 at the incongruously-named JS Blatter Field in Apia, capital of Samoa (formerly known as Western

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-40149723685681574062011-11-10T14:41:00.198+01:002011-11-10T23:13:23.856+01:00

It appears that the media and the general public at large in England were less than pleased with FIFA's decision not to allow the England squad to wear poppies on their shirts this coming Friday when they face Spain in a friendly at Wembley. The poppy, of course, has a special significance for the British as it grew in abundance on the fields of Flanders during some of the bloodiest conflicts of

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-15015145907993585112011-10-31T23:34:00.003+01:002011-12-22T21:46:47.723+01:00

The landlocked West African country of Niger currently has more than its fair share of problems. The country, the 21st-largest in the world and one with a population of over 15 million people, has been struggling with the twin evils of drought and famine for most of the 21st Century so far (and for far longer); it is currently suffering from yet another drought and conditions are getting ever

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-62676702024844109402011-10-17T01:52:00.081+02:002011-10-18T12:17:20.628+02:00

After an interesting Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, the Irish national senior men's team find themselves - yet again - facing home-and-away play-offs in order to qualify for the final stages of a major tournament, which, this time, is scheduled to take place in Poland and Ukraine next June. Ireland finished second to Russia in the qualifying group, ahead of 2010 World Cup qualifiers Slovakia,

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-66955300763386996592011-10-10T20:29:00.032+02:002011-10-10T20:39:30.880+02:00

The fallout from this summer's FIFA congress continues unabated, it appears, as CONCACAF vice-president Chuck Blazer announced last Thursday that he will relinquish his position on 31/12/11. In an interview, conducted va telephone, with a journalist from the Associated Press, Blazer said that he felt that CONCACAF had been enduring what he called a "stagnation period" and that he wanted to do "

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-59942621396942568992011-09-25T02:06:00.022+02:002011-09-27T01:24:08.582+02:00

At the beginning of this month, Holland inflicted a heavy defeat on San Marino by 11 goals to 0, which will now be registered as the all-time record victory for Het Oranje, surpassing Holland's previous record 9:0 wins, which came against Finland (Olympic Games, 1912) and Norway (1972). San Marino's dismal record of never having won a competitive international match continues, and shows no sign

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-18918089363087570002011-09-16T02:48:00.017+02:002011-10-10T19:54:08.321+02:00

It's full steam ahead for the Belize national team in the second stage of qualification for the 2014 World Cup, following not only their 3:1 win in the second leg of their CONCACAF preliminary round joust with Montserrat in July, but also after the Belizean government - represented by the NSC (National Sports Council) - and the BFF (Belize Football Federation) sat down, thrashed out a few things

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-90662944068664581022011-09-14T00:34:00.000+02:002011-09-14T00:34:19.018+02:00

The Pacific Games took place in New Caledonia between 27/9/11-9/9/11, and, as was widely expected, the hosts won the Men's football tournament after defeating the Solomon Islands 2:0 in the nation's capital, Nouméa. Tahiti took third place after a 2:1 win against Fiji. The tournament was to have been the first stage of the OFC's qualification process for the 2014 World Cup, but the inclusion of

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-67601111649543022552011-08-28T23:27:00.094+02:002011-10-10T01:57:48.072+02:00

After the furore surrounding the defeat to Uruguay, Moacyr Barbosa slowly resumed his club career with Vasco da Gama, and remained hugely popular within the club itself and among its supporters. He may have been in the Brazil side which finished as runners-up in the 1950 World Cup, but was a member of the Vasco side which won the Carioca state championship towards the end of the same year, and

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-60425712271716758802011-08-28T23:16:00.007+02:002011-08-29T19:39:29.206+02:00

It has been said that Brazilian football, and maybe Brazil itself, changed after 16 July 1950. It was the day of the final match of the 1950 World Cup - which was being held in Brazil - the only World Cup which was decided by a final group, not by a knockout competition. In their final match, Brazil only needed a draw to win the World Cup; their opponents were their nearest challengers Uruguay,

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-16759428847825878332011-08-27T01:15:00.000+02:002011-08-27T01:15:43.122+02:00

The Cook Islands FA announced their squad for the 2011 version of the Pacific Games several weeks ago. Their website announced the squad as listed below. Please note that the website did not mention the clubs of those playing outside the archipelago, merely the country in which they were playing. For those of a statistical bent, an attempt has been made to identify the clubs of those who are

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-18401071017857519172011-08-23T22:24:00.000+02:002011-08-23T22:24:40.741+02:00

The Guam FA recently announced their Men's and Women's squads for the forthcoming Pacific Games, which begin in New Caledonia this coming weekend. Both squads have put the accent on youth, with the Men's squad having an average age of 21 years and 6 months, while the Women's squad has an average age of just 21 years and 3 months. The squad lists are below. MEN'S SQUAD 1    Brett MALUWELMENG (

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-71164097401818477172011-08-21T14:30:00.004+02:002011-09-13T23:40:35.498+02:00

The draw for the Pacific Games' Women's tournament, which is due to be held in New Caledonia at the end of this month, took place just under a month ago, and will feature nine national sides from across the Pacific region. The competition was originally intended to form the basis for the OFC qualifiers for the 2012 Olympic Games, but that plan had to be shelved following the inclusion of Guam,

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-50636141651529231302011-08-19T00:33:00.013+02:002011-09-13T23:41:40.597+02:00

The draw for the Pacific Games' Men's tournament, which is due to be held in New Caledonia at the end of this month, took place just under a month ago, and will feature eleven national sides from across the Pacific region. The competition was originally intended to form the basis for the OFC qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup, but that plan had to be shelved following the inclusion of Guam, a

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-31480683433347464642011-08-13T01:57:00.047+02:002011-08-19T00:06:22.859+02:00

The small island of Guam, positioned in the western Pacific Ocean just under 1600 miles east of Manila, is far from being a traditional hotbed of football, but it appears that the game has gained a foothold there and seems destined to grow in the coming years. The Guam Football Association was only set up in 1975, but the game was already growing roots on the island, a US territory, thanks to an

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-86412492517406879842011-08-08T23:31:00.004+02:002011-08-15T23:45:26.022+02:00

The draw for the 2011 Pacific Games men's and women's football tournaments, both of which are to be held in New Caledonia, was made on 19/7/11, and will feature 11 nations in the men's tournament, and 9 in the women's. The group draws were made as follows: MEN'S TOURNAMENT Group A New Caledonia Vanuatu Solomon Islands Guam American Samoa Tuvalu Group B Fiji Tahiti Papua New Guinea Cook

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-87968264465658221622011-07-17T20:29:00.399+02:002011-08-20T00:13:54.309+02:00

It states in FIFA's Laws of the Game that a football pitch should have two sets of goalposts, and that they should reach a height of 8 feet, connected by a 24-foot long crossbar. Now, nothing lasts forever, and that goes for sets of goalposts as much as for anything else. Even the goalposts at the Estádio Maracanã (or, to give it its correct name, the Estádio Mario Filho) have to be changed from

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-88055712855896370492011-07-10T17:35:00.016+02:002011-10-10T19:45:30.936+02:00

Strange goings-on in one small corner of Central America abound, it seems. The Football Federation of Belize, originally suspended last month by FIFA, have had their suspension provisionally lifted, but only until 15/8/11. It is a long and winding story, but it means that the country's players will now be able to play the long-delayed second-leg of their 2014 World Cup Preliminary Round 

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-38927004319229667152011-07-07T01:53:00.002+02:002011-07-07T01:57:13.692+02:00

At the time of writing, the group stages of the Women's World Cup 2011 are reaching their conclusion. Yet, there are those female footballers who will never come within a country mile of playing in such a tournament as their nations are not members of FIFA or, for example, UEFA. A couple of hundred or so of them came together in the last week of June to participate in the NatWest Island Games

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-15475370925440641182011-07-06T01:25:00.004+02:002011-07-06T01:32:08.258+02:00

For most football players across the world, appearing at the World Cup Finals is just a pipe-dream. For a small section of the global footballing family, competing in a FIFA-sanctioned competition for their national team is an almost impossible dream. Their only option is to compete in the Island Games tournament, the latest version of which finished last Friday afternoon on the Isle of Wight

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-56286781357799593992011-06-21T02:05:00.012+02:002011-09-16T19:58:07.741+02:00

The world of football is a slightly less grimy place tonight after Jack Walker's resignation from the posts of FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF president. In response, FIFA issued the following statement, one which is bound to illicit emotions among football fans ranging from swinging on the chandeliers with a glass of champagne in one's hand right through to downright incredulity, if not

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-71858397797476758042011-06-19T18:44:00.019+02:002011-11-14T19:22:23.046+01:00

There has been much discussion and debate in the world of football over the game's future, and over corruption and so on, since the draws for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were made earlier this year. A large percentage of the discussions have emanated from England, originating in the tabloids and on the internet, then spreading to TV and radio. (This is my take on it all; it may become a little

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-44628675108686357082011-06-18T01:55:00.000+02:002011-06-18T01:55:08.957+02:00

For most of the European football-loving public (and a fair few beyond), the travails of the season just gone are behind them, and they - and they clubs they follow - are looking forward to (or dreading) next season. However, the round ball just keeps rolling on, and for those football followers who are less than parochial in their love for the game, there is plenty to keep them occupied. Apart

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-80797312092139504812011-06-13T02:33:00.011+02:002011-06-18T23:29:30.782+02:00

"'Chaos,' said the captain, 'we must masticate this malcontent,'" the much-missed '80s avant-garde band Stump once sang. There was plenty of chaos and malcontent at the FIFA Congress straddling the end of last month and the beggining of this, which rubber-stamped Sepp Blatter's fourth term as the organisation's president, in an election process which saw him retain his position unopposed after

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-41249234825950337092011-05-31T23:28:00.000+02:002011-05-31T23:28:07.890+02:00

Sepp Blatter must have thought that all his Christmasses, birthdays and school trips came at once on Sunday, with Mohammed Bin Hammam's withdrawal from the FIFA presidential election (which was to have been held on Wednesday) in the early hours of yesterday morning and Bin Hammam and Jack Walker being suspended by FIFA's Ethics Committee after facing bribery charges at an emergency meeting in

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-70478584223663622082011-05-29T04:44:00.004+02:002011-05-29T12:45:03.917+02:00

The Qatari candidate for this week's FIFA presidential election has withdrawn his cancidacy hours before before he is due to face football's governing body's Ethics Committee hearing into bribery allegations. Mohammad Bin Hammam, who is the president of the Asian Football Confederation, was due to stand against the current FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, in the organisation's election at FIFA's

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-7111076317911326432011-05-29T04:01:00.004+02:002011-06-03T00:07:51.792+02:00

So said the late, great, Sir Kenneth Wolstenholme back in 1970 just after Brazil's Carlos Alberto had scored the fourth and decisive goal in that year's World Cup Final against Italy. If he were alive today, he could have used the same sentence to describe Barcelona's performance against Manchester United in the European Cup/Champions League final at Wembley last evening. Barcelona ran out 3:1

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-31223138800723377222011-05-29T01:30:00.002+02:002011-07-03T23:43:01.958+02:00

The draw for the NatWest Island Games 2011 Men's competition was made recently; the fixtures were also organised at the same time. Fifteen islands will be represented in the tournament; Groups A-C will be comprising of 4 teams, Group C will comprise of 3. There will an admission charge for entry to all football games in this year's competition of £3 for adults and £2 for OAPs.

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-15349022792608962682011-05-25T00:19:00.053+02:002011-06-19T19:17:08.908+02:00

The draw for the NatWest Island Games 2011 Women's competition was made recently; the fixtures were also organised at the same time. There will an admission charge for entry to all football games in this year's competition of £3 for adults and £2 for OAPs. Season-tickets are also available, costing £20 and guaranteeing unlimited entry to all football matches in both the men's and women's

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-83857216444040786592011-05-16T00:47:00.032+02:002011-06-15T01:00:17.591+02:00

The draw for the 2011 NatWest Island Games Men's football tournament, to be held in the Isle of Wight between Sunday 26/6/11 and Friday 1/7/11, has been made. The draw, which originally took place on 5/5/11, was thrown into doubt after concerns were raised about the format of the competition and the ability to complete the competition within the dates above, while ensuring that all of the

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-46860656082127744802011-05-06T01:41:00.002+02:002011-05-07T00:18:02.518+02:00

The semi-finals for the European Cup ("Champions" League, call it what you will) have concluded, with Barcelona due to take on Manchester United at Wembley on 28/5/11. Now, Fergie's Sons of Satan demolished Schalke 04 4:1 yesterday evening - it could have been more, much as it pains me to say so - and 6:1 on aggregate; they will take on Barcelona in the final, after Barca's 1:1 at home in the

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-38899419831751956452011-05-03T22:34:00.015+02:002011-05-04T01:07:32.816+02:00

Brentford fans need not worry, the above headline doesn't refer to a post-season bust-up somewhere in the vicinity of Griffin Park, but to the second leg of Brazil's Goiás state championship (the Goianão) semi-final between Vila Nova and Goiás which took place on Sunday. The first leg ended in a 1:0 win for Goiás the previous Sunday. This time round at the Serra Dourada stadium, which is shared

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-68712627632917253582011-04-29T00:49:00.027+02:002011-05-02T21:03:15.884+02:00

Dismal. That is the only word polite enough to describe the second half of Newry City's season, which has seen the club win just 5 points out of a possible 51 since the turn of the year. This abject run of form has led to the club being relegated from Northern Ireland's Irish League Premiership after a 0:4 reverse at home to Glenavon on Tuesday last. City haven't won since New Year's Eve, and,

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-59939800550795825072011-04-23T01:03:00.000+02:002011-04-23T01:03:31.346+02:00

So, Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey late on Wednesday evening by defeating Barcelona 1:0 after extra-time, thanks to a fine header from the number one candidate for the Portuguese 2012 Olympic Games diving team, Cristiano Ronaldo. No matter, that wasn't the big news this week; the big news was indeed caused by a Real Madrid player at around 04:30 on Thursday morning during an extremely late (

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-51532303709569613122011-04-19T01:14:00.036+02:002011-08-21T21:50:16.610+02:00

The 14th edition of the South Pacific Games will be held in and around Nouméa, the capital of New Caledonia from 27/08/11 to 09/09/11, and included in the itinerary will be both men's and women's tournaments. The full list of competing countries has yet to be announced, but it is expected that the full compliment of OFC member countries (expecting New Zealand) will be competing, alongside Tuvalu

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-44700113977445259122011-03-28T01:54:00.004+02:002011-03-29T00:00:13.392+02:00

Not only will a large percentage of the local population have been dancing on Gaborone's streets this past evening, but many more will doubtless come tumbling out of cupboards around the country during the course of this coming week after Botswana's national side, known as the Zebras, confirmed their qualification for next year's Africa Cup of Nations with a 1:0 win away to Chad. Jerome

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-43916365259784848622011-03-01T01:02:00.002+01:002011-03-01T01:09:19.543+01:00

Preparations are gathering pace for the 2011 NatWest Island Games, to be held between Saturday 25/6/11-Saturday 1/7/11, and several islands have entered both the men's and women's football tournaments. To date, 16 islands have entered the men's tournament, while 10 have entered the women's tournament. The entry list is as follows, with "parent" countries in brackets: MEN'S TOURNAMENT: Aland

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-2221731555974123822011-02-17T01:31:00.000+01:002011-02-17T01:31:03.426+01:00

It is always a pleasure to talk, and write, about a game one has just seen, provided that the game has been of the highest quality, and the game played between Arsenal and Barcelona on 16/2/11 is one such occasion that deserves to be written about. Barca scored first in the first half through David Villa via a defence-splitting pass from an excellent Lionel Messi, before Arsenal levelled through

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-15836964158078864302011-02-15T01:32:00.000+01:002011-02-15T01:32:36.699+01:00

Many in the media and on blogs such as this one concentrate their efforts at year's end with looking back at the year just gone. I have decided to look the other way - forward. Some of you reading this blog may say that it is a bit late to publish something covering a look ahead to 2011, but, hey, it's my blog and I'll do exactly what I want with it. I decided to ask some friends and

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-20617497566345867022011-01-18T02:01:00.000+01:002011-01-18T02:01:19.762+01:00

The English managerial merry-go-round just keeps merrily turning, with Liverpool's Roy Hodgson being the latest high-profile casualty, having departed Anfield on 8 January by "mutual consent"; this, of course, being the mannerly way of saying that he was sacked. He follows other managers (and what of Avram Grant?), such as Roy Keane, told by Ipswich Town to pack his bags, leave and take his dog

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-196638183387175152011-01-11T00:27:00.003+01:002011-01-25T00:22:51.006+01:00

Now that the winter break is upon us (well, in countries such as Italy and Spain), it is time to sit back, put the feet up and take stock, at least at the request of my football-loving compadre, Remco Mulder, a fervent follower of both AS Roma and Ajax; someone who has been hounding me for weeks on end for my prediction as to who who will finish top of the tree in Serie A and La Liga. Who I hope

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-78038190977513049862010-12-22T00:50:00.178+01:002011-02-23T00:25:21.732+01:00

One of the biggest news stories to have come out of the British territories in the South Atlantic Ocean this year was the news that the island of Saint Helena is to get its own airport, which is scheduled to be built by the end of 2012. Until then, the island's inhabitants will have to leave and return to the island by the only means available: the Royal Mail steamship RMS Saint Helena. This

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-27812530006662985802010-12-12T01:08:00.021+01:002011-02-23T00:12:57.263+01:00

The tiny French-governed overseas territory of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon is somewhere that could be described as being a little of the beaten track. Situated some 20 miles south-west of the little town of Fortune, Newfoundland, where one can board a ferry, the archipelago of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, journey’s end for the boat from Fortune, has been continuously inhabited since the seventeenth

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422225985165177935.post-24687102594534954282010-11-14T17:22:00.000+01:002010-12-12T18:05:04.250+01:00

There are several drawbacks to living in an isolated community, particularly if you live on an island. Irregular postal deliveries are one such drawback, while internet and telephone services might not be up to the required standard. A lack of medical care as we know it in Western Europe could also be construed as a problem. But, what of a football team with no-one to play against? This is the

Pat. McGuinnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764722956785270844noreply@blogger.com1