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Wicklow Boss Davy Burke Resigns After Two Years

Davy Burke has stepped down from his position as manager of the Wicklow senior football team after two years in the job.

Burke was at the helm for Wicklow’s promotion from Division Four in 2020 and their success in retaining Division Three status for 2022.

The side beat then-Ulster champions Cavan by two points to secure third-tier football for another year in a shock win.

They reached the quarter-finals of the 2020 Leinster Senior Football Championship after a win over Wexford but fell to the same opponent in this year’s Championship in the preliminary round.

Wicklow GAA have thanked Burke for his contributions to their senior football team over the past two seasons: “Wicklow GAA would like to sincerely thank Davy Burke and his management team for all their hard work and dedication over the past two years.

“Both the 2020 and 2021 seasons were severely hampered with COVID restrictions, but the constant drive from Davy to improve standards resulted in promotion to Division 3 for 2022.

“We wish Davy the very best in the future and thank him for everything he has done for Wicklow GAA.”

Burke has issued a statement on his decision: “I would like to thank the group of Wicklow players that I was extremely lucky to have worked with over the past 2 years.

“I am very proud of the group and what they have achieved in gaining promotion from division 4 and retaining division 3 status for 2022 in what were very challenging times.

“I can’t thank my management team of Mike Hassett and Gary Jameson enough for their huge effort and unwavering support over the 2 years.

“I would also like to thank our backroom team for their time, commitment and expertise they each brought to our setup.

“Finally, I would like to thank the Wicklow County Board, the Wicklow Clubs and our team sponsor Renault for their invaluable support.

“Wicklow Football is in a very strong position and I look forward to following their continued progress in the coming years.”

Liverpool v Burnley – Preview, Lineups, Betting, TV Coverage

Liverpool will host Burnley at Anfield in their first home fixture of the 2021/22 Premier League season.

The match will be played in front of a capacity crowd at Anfield for the first time since March 2020 when Atletico Madrid upset the then-defending Champions League winners.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are coming off a 3-0 opening day against Norwich City at Carrow Road last Saturday.

It was not the best performance from the Reds but the Canaries rarely troubled them, and when they did, Alisson was on hand to stop them.

Liverpool’s midfield of James Milner, who wore the captain’s armband, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain did not click as well as Klopp would have hoped.

Some changes are expected in the middle of the park with Fabinho available and Curtis Jones expected to return after suffering a concussion in pre-season.

Kostas Tsimikas will make his second successive start in the Premier League at left-back, with Andy Robertson still recovering from injury.

All of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota are fit for the game and Klopp will be spoilt for choice as a result.

Harvey Elliott and Jordan Henderson will also be available for the side’s first home fixture of the season and Ibrahima Konate could be in with a shout after sitting on the bench against Norwich.

There are no injury concerns for Sean Dyche’s visitors, who return to the ground where they shocked fans of the league last season.

Ashley Barnes scored the only goal in the game that ended Liverpool’s historic 68-game unbeaten run at home.

The Clarets lost their league opener to Graham Potter’s Brighton and Hove Albion and will want to bounce back from the 2-1 defeat.

The fixture saw Dyche set his side up in a 4-4-2 and it is expected that they will line up in the same formation on Saturday.

Lineups

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent, Matip, Van Dijk Tsimikas; Henderson, Keita, Elliott; Salah, Jota, Mané.

Burnley (4-4-2): Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Gudmundsson, Brownhill, Cork, McNeil; Wood, Barnes.

Betting

Liverpool 1/6

Draw 6/1

Burnley 16/1

TV Coverage

Liverpool v Burnley kicks off on Saturday afternoon at 12:30 pm. BT Sport will show the game live on television.

Leeds v Everton – Preview, Team News, Betting

Everton will travel to Elland Road to play Leeds United in Week two of the Premier League this Saturday

The match will kick off at 15:00 on Saturday, 21st August with Darren England as referee. The match will be shown live on Premier Sports ROI 1.

Leeds had a tough start to the 2021/22 season with a thrashing at the hands of Manchester United. Their squad was lacking some of their starters due to injuries and Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba ran rampant in the game, winning 5-1.

Bielsa’s team is expected to bounce back strong, this will be their first match at home in front of a full attendance crowd. Chris Wilder has previously spoken on the importance of Elland Road to their team, click here to read about it.

Everton, on the other hand, had a very important comeback win against Southampton in their opening game. After a mistake from Michael Keane put them behind, Richarlison lit up the game with a goal and an assist.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucouré also got on the scoresheet to win 3-1. This was Raphael Benitez’s first game in charge of them as he becomes the next manager to try to push Everton on to the next level.

Last season was an odd one for this fixture with both teams managing to win away from home. Both games were close affairs with the winners only claiming the games by one-goal margins.

Predicted Starting 11

Leeds United

Formation

4-1-4-1

Starting Team

Meslier (GK), Firpo, Cooper, Struijk, Ayling, Phillips, Harrison, Dallas, Klich, Raphinha, Bamford.

Injuries

Llorente

Everton

Formation

4-2-3-1

Starting Team

Pickford (GK), Digne, Keane, Mina, Coleman, Allan, Doucouré, Richarlison, Gray, Townsend, Calvert-Lewin.

Injuries

Gomes, Rodriguez, Gbamin, Kean

Betting

Leeds, being at home, are favorites for the game with odds of 11/8 to win.

A draw has odds of 23/10.

Everton are minor underdogs with odds of 19/10 to win.

Score Predictions

This match will not be won easily, each team will have to dig deep to earn a score in this game. The Elland Road faithful may give Leeds an advantage throughout the game but it is hard to stop Everton’s strike force of Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.

Expect an entertaining game ending with shared points and a scoreline of 2-2.

Chelsea’s Emerson lands in Lyon ahead of transfer

Thomas Tuchel is continuing to part ways with the players that he believes are not part of Chelsea’s future, next up is Emerson

The Italian left-wing-back Emerson has arrived in Lyon for his loan move to Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais, according to recent reports.

The defender has slipped down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge and is now looking for a move to get game time. Reporter Fabricio Romano has confirmed that the deal is very close to happening.

Emerson will have to complete a medical in France before signing any paperwork. He was previously linked with moves back to Italy with teams like Juventus, Inter Milan, and Napoli but none have come to fruition.

With the defender already competing with Spaniard Marcos Alsonso and England’s Ben Chilwell, it is hard to see him getting minutes this season. The 27-year-old is craving playing more football with him not making more than 15 appearances in a season since 2017.

Is Emerson worth keeping at Chelsea?

Despite his lack of club matches, he became a valuable member of Italy’s Euro 2020 winning side. He made four starts for the Azzuri, playing in the final after Leonardo Spinnazola’s injury.

He also played in six of Chelsea’s Champions League matches last year, scoring a goal.

Emerson is known for his attacking and creative ability, making a name for himself while playing for Roma. His defensive performances are solid but not outstanding.

Now at the Blues for three years, it is time for him to get more minutes on the field or his career could slip into obscurity as he ages. Lyon will be a good move for the player as he will be needed in fullback and he will be surrounded by quality players.

They finished in fourth place last season in France but are now without talisman Memphis Depay so this season may be harder. Either way, expect Emerson to refind some of his form in his stay in Lyon this year.

Ulster Name Cooke’s Beth Cregan As Captain For Interpros

Ulster Rugby have named Cooke star Beth Cregan as the province’s captain for the 2021 Women’s Interprovincial Championship.

Cregan has been involved with the provincial side since joining the U18s after impressing at an open training session.

The new Ulster captain plays with Cooke RFC at club level and captained her club side to the Women’s All-Ireland Shield in 2019.

She has over half a decade of experience playing at provincial level and is one of the established members of the squad.

Old Belvedere’s Fiona Tuite has been named as vice-captain for this year’s instalment of the interprovincial tournament.

The winger has been with the Ulster squad for three years and has established herself as a key figure in the side.

Both players have a wealth of experience that they can use to motivate and help others in the side.

The squad is currently training together at Newforge Country Club and will first face Munster in front of a home crowd on Saturday, August 28 at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast.

On the squad, Ulster Senior Women’s Head Coach, Neill Alcorn said: “This is an exciting time for this group of players. We have a great mix of youth and experience within the squad. The players have driven up standards this year and are fighting for places each week with serious determination.

“The players and coaches are focused and excited to see the start of the Interpros. We’re all looking forward to our opening game against Munster – especially as it’s being played at Kingspan Stadium – the home of Ulster Rugby.”

2021 Deloitte Ulster Senior Women’s Squad

Aishling O’Connell (Cooke RFC)

Aoife Cahill (Queen’s University Belfast RFC)

Ashleigh Orchard (Cooke RFC)

Ava Fannin (Barnhall RFC)

Beth Cregan (Cooke RFC)

Bethany McDowell (Malone RFC)

Diane Ramsey (Queen’s University Belfast RFC)

Dolores Hughes (Cooke RFC)

Elizabeth McKeever (Cavan RFC)

Ella Durkan (Malone RFC)

Emma Jordan (Malone RFC)

Fern Wilson (Malone RFC)

Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC)

Gemma McCamley (Cooke RFC)

Hannah Beattie (Cooke RFC)

Hanna Harris (Cooke RFC)

Helen McGhee (Cooke RFC)

Holly Brannigan (Malone RFC)

Ilse van Staden (Cooke RFC)

India Daley (Cooke RFC)

Jemma Farrell (Old Belvedere RFC)

Jill Stephens (Malone RFC)

Katie Hetherington (Cooke RFC)

Keelin Brady (Railway Union RFC)

Kelly McCormill (Cooke RFC)

Lauren Magennis (Malone RFC)

Pieta McAllister (Malone RFC)

Rachael McIlroy (Queen’s University Belfast RFC)

Shannon Buller (Queen’s University Belfast RFC)

Sorcha MacLaimhim (Cooke RFC)

Stacey Sloan (City of Derry RFC)

Taryn Schutzler (Malone RFC)

Toni Macartney (Cooke RFC)

Revealed: Premier League season ticket prices ranked

The Premier League is finally back and it is time to find out which season tickets will give you the most bang for your buck

For those fans looking for the best price in terms of their Premier League season ticket, Compare.bet has come to help. There is a large range between the tickets with the cheapest costing £320 while the most expensive will set you back £2,545.

London appears to be an expensive place to live with Arsenal and Tottenham having the two most expensive seats with their cheapest tickets still costing at least seven days’ wages for the average person.

It seems that Manchester City is planning to fill out their shiny stadium this season by providing the second cheapest season ticket. On average newly-promoted Brentford are the most reasonably priced club with all of their season tickets costing between £419 and £509.

Both Liverpool and Manchester United rank just above the top half in most expensive tickets, which is expected for England’s two biggest clubs.

Each team’s most expensive season ticket:

1 – Arsenal – £2,545

2 – Tottenham – £2,233

3 – Manchester City – £1,410

4 – West Ham United – £1,200

5 – Southampton – £1,149

6 – Leicester – £1,065

7 – Manchester United – £950

8 – Chelsea – £940

9 – Liverpool – £869

10 – Newcastle United – £811

11 – Crystal Palace – £810

12 – Brighton and Hove Albion – £770

13 – Leeds United – £710

14 – Aston Villa – £684

15 – Burnley – £650

16 – Wolves – £628

17 – Norwich City – £569.50

18 – Watford – £567

19 – Everton – £565

20 – Brentford – £509

Each team’s cheapest season ticket:

1 – West Ham – £320

2 – Manchester City – £325

3 – Leeds United – £349

4 – Leicester City – £365

5 – Aston Villa – £370

6 – Burnley – £390

7 – Southampton – £399

8 – Newcastle United – £417

9 – Brentford – £419

10 – Everton – £420

11 – Crystal Palace – £435

12 – Watford – £496

13 – Norwich City – £499

14 – Manchester United – £532

15 – Brighton – £545

16 – Wolves – £549

17 – Chelsea – £595

18 – Liverpool – £685

19 – Tottenham – £807

20 – Arsenal – £891

Donegal Boston Win Third Boston SFC In A Row

Donegal Boston retained the Boston Senior Football Championship and won their third title in a row with a victory over Connemara Gaels.

The side’s latest win means that they will now progress to the 2021 USGAA finals at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton next weekend.

Their opponents, Connemara Gaels, put them to the sword in their final game of the Championship but it was not enough to stop the defending champions.

The match was back-and-forth for much of its timespan with both sides taking the lead throughout the game.

The Gaels started well and edged themselves into the lead early on before Donegal got their first goal of the game through Shane Carthy.

Connemara reacted well and fought their way back to level the scoring before a spree of Donegal Boston scores had the defending champions up by four.

Shane Carthy added a second goal for his side and a second individually on the day, with the Gaels only being able to decrease the lead to four by the end of the half.

The 2-3 to 0-5 scoreline was indicative of the champions’ ability to take control when the pressure was starting to stack against them.

Buncrana man Padraic MacLaughlin’s title holders started the second half strongly and increased their lead to five before the Gaels woke up.

Connemara’s Jack Bambrick inspired a second wave from his side but the Donegal defence kept them from stealing the lead.

Carthy popped up with two late points to seal the win for his side and earn them a third Boston SFC title in a row.

Donegal Boston advance to the semi-finals of the USGAA Men’s Senior Football playoffs where they will face Philadephia club Kevin Barry’s on Friday, August 20th at 8 pm Irish Standard Time.

Connemara Gaels will face the loser of the first semi-final in the second one, with the winners of both advancing to the final.

Greatest Irish footballers to play for Arsenal

Nowadays, Arsenal’s side is full of the usual mixture of Spaniards, South Americans, and Englishmen but before the club used to be a stronghold for Irish talent

Although the Gunners do not have modern heroes such as Robbie Keane from Spurs in the ranks, they have some legends of the past. Judging by their recent run of form, manager Mikel Arteta would not hurt his squad by trying a few Irish players again.

Here is a list of the top five greatest Irish players to ever play in the Red side of London for Arsenal.

Niall Quinn

Quinn was not a legend at Arsenal, only just a bit-time player that later discovered his form and Manchester City and especially Sunderland. Spending seven years at the club starting in 1983, he only managed 67 appearances.

He never set Highbury alight but he did score 14 goals in his stay. Unfortunately he never qualified for a Premier League winners medal in the seasons where the club dominated England.

Frank Stapleton

Now to a striker that the club wishes they could have back. Stapleton made 300 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 108 times. This good goalscoring record made him Arsenal’s top scorer for three seasons in a row.

He started at the Reds in 1974 and played there for seven years. His crowning moment was one of the FA Cup Final winning goals he scored in 1979. He later moved onto Manchester United for six more years.

Pat Rice

The Belfast right-back started his playing career at Arsenal in 1967 and he would stay there for 13 years. He did it all for the club, winning FA Cups, English Leagues, playing in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

He also captained the team in 1977 for three years until moving to Watford. He would later return to Arsenal in a managerial role at the youth level before becoming the right-hand man to Arsene Wenger.

He was their assistant manager throughout their greatest years from 1996 until 2012.

David O’Leary

A reliable defender by Jack Charlton’s standards, he never reached his potential with Ireland but does own credit to our greatest moment. The ball-playing center-back started at the club in 1975, becoming their record appearance maker over 18 years.

With 772 registered caps he is now ranked in the top 15 greatest Arsenal players of all time. Irish fans will still remember him better for slotting the penalty against Romania in 1990.

Liam Brady

The greatest of them all, Brady was a maestro in midfield for Ireland. He was a once-in-a-generation player that owned the Gunners’ pitch for seven years.

With his left foot, he could find any player on the pitch with dangerous accuracy. He was voted the PFA Player of the Year in 1979 showing he was the pivotal part of the club.

He moved on to great success with Juventus and is still regarded as probably Ireland’s greatest player ever.

Leicester Winger Harvey Barnes Signs New Contract Until 2025

Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes has signed a new four-year contract with the club until 2025.

Barnes has made 101 appearances for the Foxes in all competitions so far, scoring 21 goals in that time.

The winger made his professional debut for the club five years ago when he appeared in a UEFA Champions League clash against Porto.

The 23-year-old has been on the club’s books since he was nine years old and came through the academy.

Barnes had a fantastic season in 2020/21, scoring 13 times and making his debut for England before injury brought an end to his season early.

“I’ve been here for so many years now, it feels like home,” he said.

“For me, it was a no-brainer. Of course, I wanted to extend my stay here.

“It’s been something that’s been going on in the background and to sign now is great. It’s right at the start of a new season as well, which I know everyone is excited about.”

The winger has established himself in the side under Brendan Rodgers and is a key figure in the Leicester attack.

He was unavailable for the FA Cup final last season through injury but played 72 minutes in the FA Community Shield win over Premier League champions Manchester City.

Barnes had loan spells at MK Dons, Barnsley and West Brom before breaking into his parent club’s first team.

The winger was involved in 16 goals in 28 appearances for West Brom and was recalled midway through the season by Leicester and Barnes has been a regular in the side since.

He was previously contracted to a five-year deal that he had signed in the summer of 2019.

Ulster U18 Schools Squad Named For IQ Rugby Clash

The Ulster U18 Schools’ coaching team has named their side to face IQ Rugby this afternoon, in preparation for the upcoming 2021 Age-Grade Inter-Pro Series.

IQ Rugby was established by the IRFU in 2017, to formally identify and develop Irish Qualified athletes from outside of Ireland.

Irish international Kieran Marmion is one of the players to have come through this system in the past.

The Inter-Pros will be making a welcome return after a year’s absence due to COVID-19, and fixtures for the series will be published in due course.

The game will take place on Wednesday, August 18, 2:30 pm at Queen’s University Belfast playing fields.

Ulster U18 Schools’ team to play IQ Rugby

(15-9) Conor Drain (Ballymena Academy), Matthew Booth (Campbell College), Ryan Stewart (RBAI), Rory Ellerby (RBAI), Lukas Kenny (Campbell College), Tristan Ferguson (Cambridge House), Jonny McCracken (Campbell College);

(1-8) Ethan Fitzsimmons (Down High School), Zac Solomon (Campbell College), Nathan Ogborne (Coleraine Grammar School), Andrew Chesney (Ballymena Academy), Patrick Fullarton-Healey (Methodist College), James Anderson (Royal School Armagh), Josh Stevens (Methodist College), Flynn Longstaff (Campbell College).

Replacements: Jack Boal (Campbell College), Jake Bowden (Methodist College), Cameron Hillis (Campbell College), Callum Simms (RBAI), Ben King (Ballymena Academy), Ben McFarlane (Methodist College), Tom Crowther (Campbell College), Alex McBurney (Ballymena Academy), Josh Hanna (Wallace High School), Chris Massey (Campbell College).

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