For ages, we’ve been wondering why someone didn’t put together a DVD featuring this almost entirely unchronicled period in Irish history.

Apparently, this one contains rare footage of Ray Houghton scoring against England many years ago and Packie Bonner saving a penalty in some important game or other. Rumour has it, there’s even some never-seen-before pictures of an excitable sideline exchange between John Aldridge and a man in a yellow hat. Some say Jack Charlton himself exclusively reveals a liking for fishing.

In the light of this historic release, we’ve had some money-spinning DVD ideas of our own. Look out for these revelatory documentaries at a Chartbusters near you soon.

Pure Mutton
“How I may or may not have once eaten a lamb in the woods” with Gerry Ryan

Terminal Threesome
Shay Healy, Linda Martin and Johnny Logan talk us through all of Ireland’s Eurovision successes.

The Green Shirts
Ireland gave West Germany their first set of gear, you know.

So I Married a dickhead
The shocking untold story of Bryan McFadden’s split from Kerry Katona

Kept Strong in Pies
“How the Commitments put Ireland on the map” with Glen Hansard

Article repurposed direct from October 2005

Spurs on-loan midfielder Jamie O’Hara is currently plying his trade at Fratton Park and producing some stirring displays in an attempt to keep Portsmouth afloat until the end of the season.

Pompey’s current plight has been well-documented and much credit was bestowed upon O’Hara when he agreed to return for a second loan stint and help out the beleaguered South Coast outfit rather than join another Premier League club.

He has turned out to be one of Portsmouth’s best players during a torrid campaign and was unlucky not to be involved in Tottenham’s first eleven this term.

O’Hara has represented England at U21 level but under current FIFA rules can now represent another country at senior level. The previous FIFA ruling allowed international players to change their allegiances up to Youth level only.

O’Hara has been quoted at saying he is keeping his international options open until after the World Cup but that the Republic of Ireland (for whom he qualifies) are his second choice behind the country of his birth, England.

Should O’Hara plump for Giovanni Trapattoni’s charges, would his inclusion be fair considering it would come at the expense of some other up-and-coming Irish-born players?

Most players will have a good idea as to whether or not they are going to be able to make the step up to the senior grade once they have completed their stint at international U21 level.

This makes the decision to allow players to seemingly change allegiances all the more galling when federations have invested so much time and money nurturing a player’s talent from childhood right through to U21 only to see the player turn around and play for another country.

The Republic of Ireland has a long and proud tradition of fielding players who were not actually born on the island itself but qualified through parent and even grand-parentage rulings.

Many of those players claimed Irish nationality and played a huge part in Ireland qualifying for Euro 88 and Italia 90. The likes of Ray Houghton, John Aldridge and even Tony Cascarino – who revealed in his memorable autobiography ‘The Secret Life of Tony Cascarino’ that he didn’t even possess a proper Irish passport until well into his international career.

Did it matter to Irish fans back then where our payers were born as long as they helped in the international team qualify for major tournaments? Not at all.

The only difference with Jamie O’Hara’s decision is that he is clearly stating that the Republic is his second choice behind England.

Based on that assumption, I would honestly have an issue with O’Hara playing for the Republic at the expense of a young Irish-born player who has come up through the ranks of the FAI’s youth setup.

Midfield is not an area the Republic of Ireland is blessed in terms of creativity due to the absence of both Stephen Ireland and Andy Reid for various reasons.

It seems unlikely Trapattoni will sacrifice Glenn Whelan or Keith Andrews for the more attacking talents of O’Hara anyway such is the Italian’s preference for two holding central-midfielders.

However, as with most fickle Irish football fans, were O’Hara to come of the bench and score a crucial goal in one of our upcoming European Championship qualifiers my reservations would be quickly forgotten.

All Irish fans desperately want Ireland to qualify for the next major football tournament. Do fans really care what the previous nationality of the players who score the goals is as long as qualify?

What do you think?

Ger McCarthy  is author of the book Off Centre Circle, which chronicles the curious life of  a West Cork League junior footballer.

The Merse

Coverage

First pick for all the “Grand Slam” clashes makes Sky Sports the definitive Premier League channel. Barca and Real Madrid focus has made La Liga action a must.

Presentation

Best hi-definition picture of the lot. Though off-tube La Liga coverage sticks out like a sore thumb with broom-cupboard commentary and frequent satellite link breaks.

Best innovation

With some judicious Sky+ forwarding at injuries and corners, you can compress Stoke-Bolton into 40 minutes and not miss a thing. Some might say 40 seconds.

Commentary

Martin Tyler is now the grand doyen of English commentators. Ian Darke well clear of Leslie, Hawthorne, Parry chasing pack.
Andy Gray’s “What a hit, take a bow son, if I’m honest and I really, really mean that” are either becoming, or belong in, an institution.

Punditry

Jamie is certainly no top, top pundit but Sky’s Champions League lineup of Gullit and Souness adds substance. Souness’ clear contempt for Redknapp always amuses.

Credit is due

The Sky Soccer Saturday panel are the jewel in the crown with sense and grammar taking a back seat to entertainment – take a bow, Paul Merson.

Relegation form

Tony Cottee. Paul Jewell. You’re on Sky Sports. And the extended bout of hand-wringing and recrimination after Chelsea-Barca last season was as unedifying as it was typical. Gullit was anxious to distance himself.

Star man

Jeff Stelling pulls the Soccer Saturday boys’ strings like a master puppeteer.

Turn-off

Stay well back from the screen if Jamie is sporting a pair of particularly tight strides.

They said

John Salako is box office:
“He’s already on a yellow card, now he’s treading the boards.”

>> BBC

>> RTE

“The families would turn up with all the hats and the scarves, all newly bought, and most wouldn’t have a clue why they were there.

These people are not football supporters. They are not Liverpool Football Club supporters and they should go.”

And then sings a few bars of You’ll Never Walk Alone.

As soon as Wayne Rooney diverted a header into the bottom corner of the net and extended Manchester United’s aggregate lead at a packed Old Trafford on Wednesday night, the writing was on the wall for AC Milan. The Milanese club simply didn’t possess the necessary extra gear to mount a fightback and United cruised to a deserved 4-0 victory to progress to the last eight of the Champions League.

True, Milan are a pale shadow of the once all-conquering side of the 1990’s which was graced by such luminaries as Marco Van Basten, Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit, George Weah, Franco Baresi… the list goes on. Silvio Berlusconi built a club that dominated Europe and regularly topped one of the strongest domestic leagues in the world during a golden period for Italian football.

There was a time when every weekend players of the calibre of Diego Maradona, Michel Platini and Liam Brady could be found plying their trade in packed stadiums the length and breadth of Italy. The AC Milan of today does not possess such a strong squad but rather an ageing collection of once former great players which are now unable to match the power and pace of the top English and Spanish sides.

There are numerous reasons the Italian game has fallen into sharp decline. A series of betting and bribery scandals that rocked well-established clubs such as Juventus gave Italian football a bad name. Many of the Italian stadiums have been allowed fall into such a state of disrepair that many fans have been put off attending matches resulting in a dramatic drop in attendances.

Worse still, the growing influence of ultras or hooligan factions within Italian clubs (controlling tickets sales, turning up at training sessions threatening players after poor performances) has no doubt turned many top class internationals away from signing for Italian clubs.

But the main reason Italian football has lost out to the likes of the English Premier League and Primera Liga in Spain over the past number of years is down to money. Italian football does not enjoy the same lucrative rewards that the Premier League does with Sky TV. As a result, few of the top Italian clubs can afford to pay the increased wage demands or buy out the contracts of the world’s best players like Chelsea or Real Madrid can afford to.

Where Milan, Inter and Juventus once had the pick of the world’s elite players knocking on their door, now Real Madrid, Barcelona and the top clubs in England are more likely and rewarding destinations.

But for all its perceived failings there are signs of Italian revival. Consider Inter Milan’s domination of the domestic game and recent re-emergence as a force in the Champions League under Jose Mourinho. Fiorentina were hugely unlucky to lose out to Bayern Munich in the last sixteen round of the CL this season. Roma and Juventus are slowly re-building their squad after years in the wilderness of European football.

And then there’s the Italian knowhow.

Such is the Italians’ knowledge and success rate with treating injuries and prolonging players’ careers that Chelsea has modelled their own new medical / physiotherapy treatment centre based centre in Milan. When Carlo Ancelloti was recruited to take over the reigns at Stamford Bridge the former AC manager brought many of the famed Milan backroom medical team with him to help improve the fitness of Chelsea’s squad and help prevent long-term injuries.

The English media pundits who regularly deride the Italian game for being too slow and cumbersome forget that their international team has its best chance of winning a World Cup this coming summer thanks to the managerial skills of an Italian. Fabio Capello has instilled an Italian discipline on the English International setup and his knowledge and leadership skills have seen England emerge as outside contenders for the World Cup, something they never were under recent managers.

The small matter of Italy having claimed the World Cup as recently as 2006 is also conveniently forgotten when writing off Serie A. Whatever their domestic tribulations, Marcelo Lippi’s new-look Italian international side will still be expected to reach the latter stages of the tournament.

English and Spanish football remains at the forefront of European football for now thanks to the millions pumped in to the respective leagues by Satellite TV companies. As a result Italian football remains on the periphery and will continue to do so for some time until similar amounts are spent in Serie A.

But Italian football is far from dead. It’s just resting until it takes its rightful place at the top table of European football once again.

Ger McCarthy is author of Off Centre Circle, which chronicles the curious life of  a West Cork League junior footballer.

THE UNTOUCHABLES

Just 10 days PR (Post Ramsey) and Arsenal’s bid to redefine football is escalating further:

“Nasri tonight was touched.”

Outrageous!

DELIBERATE HANDBALL

At least Alan Shearer spotted Theo Walcott concentrating on his own game:

“Second half he picked his balls.”

DOMESTIC WAGER

Iain Dowie tends to cause quite a disturbance when he pops down his local bookie:

“I wouldn’t put my kitchen sink on them, but worth a flutter.”

VOICE OFEXPERIENCE

Dr Charlie Nicholas completes another flawless diagnosis:

“I’ve had a broken leg and it’s painful.”

NO MIRACLE CURE

The BBC had a shock for home fans ahead of Sweden’s visit to Swansea:

“Ramsey Ruled Out Of Wales Clash.”

SMALL SETBACK

Less seasoned observers might see going behind in the 72nd minute as part of the Mick McCarthy master plan, but Chris Waddle’s astute football brain wasn’t so sure:

“That’s not what Wolves wanted.”

EAMO SAVES THE EURO

Eamon Dunphy makes German economists’ day by relocating Panathinaikos and Athens to South America:

“Gilberto Silva has gone back to play domestic football now in Brazil.”

ALL IN THE HEAD

On Off The Ball, Johnny “Sigmund” Giles had a theory and he was sticking to it:

“Concentration is a mind thing.”

NOT SO RARE TREAT

Why does one get the feeling every day is pancake day for Talksport’s Mickey Quinn?

“I had a good day yesterday and it wasn’t even Pancake Thursday.”

MUCH ADO ABOUTNOSFERATU

At the Bernabeu, mixed metaphor champ Ray Hudson greeted van der Vaart’s winner in familiar jumbled fashion:

“The Dutchman sinks his fangs in and draws sweet blood. Astonishing scenes of absolute Shakespearean drama here.”

ROCK BOTTOM

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Real though. At two-nil down, Hudson could see the cracks appearing:

“Lady Luck turning her big cellulite backside towards Real Madrid tonight.”

RECAP

Can you go through that one more time for us Gilesy?

“You see, concentration is a mental thing, Owen.”

Think we have it now.

DEFENSIVE CONSTIPATION

In case you were wondering why most teams post a couple of defenders near the Emirates lavatories, Matt Le Tiss had the inside track:

“You’ve got to stop Arsenal in their motions.”

PISS ARTIST

Just like Craig Bellamy, Alan Brazil would do well to heed what they say about people in glass houses:

“I didn’t think Hampden would patch the piss inspection.”

SIXTH SENSE

Even as a player Bobby Gould’s vision was second to none:

“Jamie O’Hara has been brilliant on the recordings I’ve seen of him on the radio.”

LOST IN TRANSLATION

On Today FM, David Fairclough got stuck in dictionary corner:

“I think Liverpool need to be more outgoing. Benitez is taking a kind of watchword approach to things.”

TRY AGAIN RONNIE

Ronnie Whelan is asked for some standout names from Brazil’s 1970 World Cup side:

“Garrincha.”

FAINT PRAISE

Roberto Martinez hailed a quick cameo from United’s Serbian:

“Vidic was absolutely brilliant tonight, from the first minute to the second.”

QUICK ONE-TWOS

Jimmy Magee hands out a ticket:

“One yellow plus another yellow equals red. And if you don’t stop at the traffic lights, that’s too bad.”

If only we heard from Paul Scholes more often:

“Scoring goals is what you need to do to win games.”

Rob “The Etymologist” McCaffrey pays tribute to Alessandro Diamante:

“He’s got one of the sweetest left foots in football.”

Arsene performs successful exploratory op on Theo:

“I believe he has not only a football brain but he has a brain.”

Nigel Worthington is baffled:

“I find it difficult to understand that a player doesn’t want to play for Northern Ireland.”

Guy Mowbray raises the alarm:

“Villa are attacking their own supporters.”

Though the big centre forward seemed anxious to claim a generous slice of the credit.