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McGrath and O’Brien pickup hall of fame award

Former Ireland international players Paul McGrath and Anne O’Brien have been inducted into the FAI hall of fame.

McGrath and the family of the late Anne O’Brien were invited to FAI headquarters in Abbotstown. Incidentally, this is the second year in a row that a male and female have been a recipient of the honour. The hall of fame award was introduced in 1997 with Kevin Flanagan picking up the award.Other who have been awarded the award in the past include include Richard Dunne, Robbie Keane, Ronnie Whelan, Tony Cascarino to name but a few.

McGrath is massively popular among the Irish supporters. He made 83 appearances for the Boys in Green, and featured at two World Cup in 1990 and 1994. Interim Deputy Chief Executive of the FAI, Niall Quinn said, “I have to admit that I was a little bit starstruck when I met Paul at Abbotstown to present him with the Hall of Fame award – and I played with him! That just tells you the stature of the man”.

He continued, “The word ‘legend’ can be used very freely these days, but Paul is just that – a legend of world football, and not just an Irish hero”. “Paul is a very humble man to this day and to meet him again was such a pleasure. He is one of the greatest players we have ever seen and his arrival into the FAI’s Hall of Fame is so well deserved.”

Anne O’Brien passed away in 2016 but she done so much for women’s football in Ireland. She played at club level in Italy and France. She won 6 Italian league titles and 2 Italian Cups. O’Brien would be related to Johnny Giles and Jimmy Conway so football was always going to be her go. Paul O’Brien was on hand to pick up the hall of fame award in honour of his sister. He said, “This is a fantastic honour to recognise what Anne did. She would have been delighted with this and our family are very appreciative for it. We’d like to thank the FAI for remembering Anne and what she did in her footballing career.”

 

Greatest NFL Football Players of All Time

There are so many players that were good football players but a few stand out as the best layers. We have compiled a list of the best NFL football players of all time.

Jerry Rice

Rice was active from the years 1985 to 2004. His position was WR.  He played for the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, and Seattle Seahawks. Did you know that you at best online casino usa you can place your bet on any football player of your choice?

  • Rice was installed into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
  •  He is a 3-timer Super Bowl Champ, Super Bowl MVP; NFL MVP; 13 Pro Bowls
  • He also leads the NFL in all-purpose touchdowns (208) and he leads the NFL in receiving yards (22,895).
  • He is the only player in NFL history with more than 20,000 receiving yards

Tom Brandy

Brandy was active from the years 2000 to the present.  His position is QB and his current team is New England Patriots.  His most notable achievements are listed below.

  • 6-time Super Bowl champ; 4-time Super Bowl MVP
  •   He is a 3-time NFL MVP; 3-time First-team All-Pro (2007, 2010, 2017); 2-time Second-team All-Pro (2005, 2016)
  • He is a 2-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2007, 2010)
  •        NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2009); Holds NFL record for most Super Bowl wins as a player (6)
  •    He Holds multiple Super Bowl records plus most TD passes (18), most passing yards (2,838), most completed passes (256), most passing attempts (392) and most consecutive competitions in a single SB (16)
  • He holds NFL record for most games won by a QB (207); the only QB to have 3 consecutive games w/ 300+ passing yards, 3+ TD passes and 0 interceptions; Tied for most Pro Bowl selections (14).Did you know if you play at online casinos for real money, and bet on Tom Brandy, you could win a lot of cash prizes because he has such a good record
  •    He holds the NFL record for most postseason games played (40); Holds NFL record for most postseason TD passes (73)

 

Lawrence Taylor

He was active from 1981 to 1993 and his team was New York Giants.  His achievements include;

  •     Being initiated into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1999)
  •       He is a 2-time Super Bowl champ; 10-time Pro Bowl
  •         He is a 9-time first-team All-Pro (1981-1989) and second-team All-Pro (1990).

Tennis Rules

Tennis originated in England around the 19th century. it is now played in a lot of countries around the world. There are four major tournaments known as the ‘majors. These include Wimbledon, US Open, French Open, and Australian tournaments.

Object of the Game

Tennis is played on a rectangular court with a net running across the Centre.  The aim will be to hit the ball over the net landing the ball within the margins of the court.  All this will happen in a way that results in an opponent being unable to return the ball. You win a point every time your opponent cannot return the ball within the court just like when you play online casino games at any casino.

Players & Equipment

A tennis game can be played by either one player on each side, whiich is called a singles match or two players on each side, which is  a doubles match.

The rectangular shaped court has a base line which is at the back. It also has service areas which are two spaces just over the net in which a successful serve must land in. The court also has two tram lines down either side.  In a singles match, you use the inner side tram line and in a doubles match, you use the outer tram line.

Scoring

To win a game of tennis, you need to score four points. The points are referred to as 15 (1 point), 30 (two points), 40 (three points) and the fourth would result in the winning point and the end of that game.  If the scores reach 40-40m, this is known as deuce. When a game touches deuce the player must then win by two clear points. Did you know that at site de jeu en ligne you can bet on tennis too, not only on football.

Winning the Game

To win the game you must win a specified amount of sets, best of three for women’s matches and best of 5 sets for men’s matches.

If a player reaches 6 games first, they win but they have to be clear by at least 2 games.

 

 

Liverpool Win Premier League Title: Where the League was Won and Lost

Yes! There is nothing more exceptional than being crowned champions of competition at the comfort of your home.

Just like how you enjoy best casino site games, Liverpool players had the same euphoric moments on Thursday night. Liverpool are Premier League Champions.  A match between Chelsea and Manchester City was enough to secure the title for the Red side of Merseyside. 

However, a glance on how Jürgen Klopp’s side managed to pull quite a show will go a long way for some. One will ponder how did Liverpool managed to be so rampant in a tough competition with Manchester City involved. Well, you need to remember that there are key results that won Liverpool the title. Let’s have a look! 

Norwich City 3-2 Manchester City – 14 September

The brilliant Pep Guardiola’s team was the one to take a first nod in the title race. Despite the Citizens dropping points at home against Tottenham before they visit Norwich. On paper, the defending champions were ready to go stride for stride against Liverpool. 

But Manchester City were rattled with injury woes after Aymeric Laporte suffered a knee ligament. This made shockwaves amongst the City defense as Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones failed to contain the wrath of Todd Cantwell and Teemu Pukki. On that note, Liverpool had earlier beat Newcastle cementing a strong advantage. 

Sheffield United 0-1 Liverpool – 28 September  

Even though Liverpool dropped points for the first time against Manchester United. They kept their head high. Their level of consistency faced a serious test against a tough newly promoted Sheffield United. Liverpool’s breakthrough against Sheffield came through in the 70th minute as Georginio Wijnaldum utilised Dean Henderson goalkeeping error. 

Liverpool 3-1 Manchester City – 10 November 

Going into this match Liverpool were enjoying a crucial win 8 days ago against Aston Villa. This clash of the two league teams had its countless controversies. The major one came through after Alexander-Arnold handball contributed to Fabinho’s opener. Did you know that at jeux de casino sur crazyvegas you can place a bet on your favourite team and stand a chance to win big.

The Liverpool right back was found wanting for the same offence yet again in the late stage of the game. Unfortunately, and fortunately, no penalty was rewarded. 

The three-decade waiting is over for Liverpool and their next match will be against Manchester City where they will get the guard of honour.

All games off in Laois, Kildare and Offaly

All games are off in Laois, Kildare and Offaly for the next two weeks after the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) confirmed a partial lockdown in the three counties from midnight on Friday.

The restrictions will affect contact sports greatly such as Gaelic Games and Soccer. These sports have got back in track in recent weeks but that now will be stalled.However , horse racing meetings will be allowed to continue behind closed doors. Non contact sports and games can continue providing no more than 15 people. A statement was issued on Friday with the GAA and LGFA collaborating to say, “It was confirmed that the “suspension on activities covers all collective training, matches, in-person meetings and camps.”GAA grounds in the three counties will not be allowed to open until further notice. A meeting with the Covid advisory group will issue more details to club on Monday. The FAI also issued a statement. They said, “This suspension includes all matches and organised training” in the three counties”.

In terms of the games that will not be going include four games in the Kildare SHC as well as four games in the Offaly SFC. There are also games at underage level and junior levels but obviously these now will not be going ahead. Laois GAA issued a statement saying, “We are very disappointed, we had our senior fixtures last weekend and we had a round of fixtures tonight, which we have pulled. The news was very late, at 6 o’clock, to allow us to do that”. “We will continue to abide by the government guidelines. It is sport and I know there are people’s lives, at the minute, with business and that, which are going to be affected. We will comply and we will get over it and we will get over more again.”

 

Bohemians put dent in Dundalk title bid

Bohemians have put a massive dent in the Dundalk bid with a 2-1 win at Dalymount Park on Friday. It was a good game but the Dundalk title bid is now looking likely to becoming to a premature end.

Dundalk drew 1-1 last week with St Pat’s and were poor going by their high standards. Vinny Perth’s side are now two points behind Bohs and a further five points behind league leaders Shamrock Rovers who have a game in hand with Derry on Sunday. The two goals came courtesy of Keith Buckley and Daniel Grant. Michael Duffy registered a goal for the away side.

Keith Buckley makes it 2-0 thanks to a deflection #rtesoccer
Subscribe to https://t.co/9HrAoXnXYd to watch over 55 games pic.twitter.com/wjo6WX9y2l

— Soccer Republic (@SoccRepublic) August 7, 2020

Bohs were very creative in the game, creating chances and showing signs of the excellent qualities they possess. They will target a top four finish and by the way they are playing they are well on the way to this. If they stay in touch with the their Dublin rivals then they may be able to pose a threat. Bohs took the lead after just 7 minutes of play. Twardek did excellent on the left side, before pulling it back to Anthony Breslin. He in turn crossed to find Daniel Grant at the back post who finished past Gary Rogers. Bohs doubled their lead on 15 minutes with that man Twardek causing problems for Sean Gannon, Grant got on to ball to lay it back to Buckley who scored via a deflection of Andy Boyle.

Dundalk looked sluggish at times and some sloppy play by Jordan Flores allowing JJ Lunney to be put through by Twardek but Rogers saved. Colovic moved to the right wing now for Dundalk. Andy Boyle headed over from a Duffy corner and Dundalk needed a goal to have any chance after the break one thought. That goal eventually came. Colovic, crossed to find Michael Duffy to head home past Stephen McGuinness. Bohs to their credit were comfortable after the restart. Dundalk, had a chance with Patrick Hoban heading off the bar when it looked a certain goal.

With a half hour into the second half Dawson Devoy hit a curled effort wide of the post. Dan Cleary also had a shot but it wasn’t to be for Dundalk. They will have to improve if they are to get into the title race once again.

Dundalk: Rogers; Gannon, Boyle, Cleary, Massey (Oduwa 87); Kelly (Mountney 34), Shields, Flores (Patching 66), Duffy; Colovic; Hoban.

Bohemians: McGuinness; Lyons, Casey, Cornwall, Breslin; Grant, Buckley, Lunney, Twardek; Ward (Devoy 72); Wright.

Connacht set to play in 24 team Champions Cup Rugby 2020/21

There was great news for Connacht Rugby fans this morning when EPCR chief Vincent Gaillard confirmed 24 teams will compete in the 2020/21 Champions Cup.

There has been no confirmation on the structure of next season’s tournament, but its suggested that there will be eight groups of three teams, each group will feature a team from the Pro 14, Top 14 and the Aviva Premiership.

Connacht fans were left in a precarious position with the season finishing just before make or break clash with the Scarlets which may have decided who finished third in their pool.

MORE TO FOLLOW

Video highlights of Connacht Rugby signings Ben O’Donnell and Abraham Papali’i

We have video highlights of the two new Connacht Rugby signings – Australian 7s player Ben O’Donnell and Bay of Plenty Number 8 Abraham Papali’i.

The pair will link up with the squad before the start of the 2020/21 Guinness PRO14 season.

Ben O’Donnell joins from the Australian Sevens programme, having played 95 matches for his country since he was handed his debut in 2017 under Andy Friend. The 24-year old went on to score 47 tries in that time and has been a key figure in their progression through the World Rugby Seven Series over the past three seasons.

O’Donnell was voted Australian Sevens Player of the year in 2018 and subsequently went on to be the first Australian player ever nominated for the World Sevens Player of the Year. But he got an ACL injury earlier this year so let’s hope that it is healed.

New Zealander Abraham Papali’i arrives from Bay of Plenty where he was a key member of the squad that won the Mitre 10 Cup Championship last year. The Auckland-born duel code player started his Rugby Union career with North Harbour before being recruited into the New Zealand Warriors (Rugby League) pathway. In 2015 Papali’i signed a two year contract with the Sydney Roosters of the Australian National Rugby League (NRL). This is a huge gamble for Connacht so lets hope it pays off

Following his time with the Roosters, Papali’i joined Lézignan Sangliers in the premier French Rugby League competition before the 6’4” number 8 returned to New Zealand and successfully restarted his Rugby Union career with Bay of Plenty.

Head Coach Andy Friend says today’s announcement is a significant boost ahead of the return to rugby.

“I am delighted to welcome Ben and Abraham to Connacht Rugby.

I got to know Ben very well on the Australian Sevens scene. It did not surprise me that he went on to become such an important player for them and I am thrilled that he has chosen to join Connacht.

Abraham is a powerful number 8 who has all the attributes to become a really valuable player for us while furthering our options in the back row. I know every Connacht supporter will be excited to see what he can offer.”

Friend expressed his excitement about the announcement and what the squad can achieve in the upcoming season.

“Today’s announcement comes on the back of discussions that started a number of months ago and we are delighted to eventually be able to share this exciting news with all of our supporters today.

These signings bring our squad up to 43 players for next season. We have freshened up and added depth to our squad in a number of key areas, having signed a healthy blend of young exciting players who have come through our Academy system as well as bringing in some additional quality and experience from further afield.

We are an ambitious group and I firmly believe we have all the tools we need to kick on to the next level and achieve success in what is going to be a really exciting season.”

UEFA plan August review for fan return

UEFA plan an August review for a fan return to the Champions League, Europa League and domestic seasons. The European football body held a video conference on Thursday to discuss these plans.

At present there are measures in place, with regular testing been conducted. These tests are for both players and staff members as the various domestic leagues are set to be completed for the season. New guidelines will be coming in to place next season, which may mean teams  who will be competing in European competitions will have to forfeit games if they fail to inform UEFA of travel restrictions.

No guidance has been released in terms of when teams will be allowed have fans in stadiums. However, UEFA have discussed this and this will be addressed in a further meeting later this month. UEFA released a statement saying, “UEFA and the General Secretaries of the 55 National Associations met in a video conference today to discuss topics related to the restart of UEFA competitions in the light of the current situation; most notably those for clubs, national teams and youth”.

It continued, “It was stressed that, in order to comply with travel restrictions and quarantine requirements issued by authorities, some matches may need to be moved to neutral countries/stadia and the detailed scenarios were presented”. Hubs have also been put in place to allow neutral games to take place in Poland, Greece, Cyprus and Hungary which FIFA thanked for their cooperation. “UEFA is constantly monitoring the evolution of the regulatory landscape in the different countries and a review of the situation is planned around mid August to see if the current decision of playing all matches behind closed doors can be at least partially changed.”

Champions League quarter finals will be played on August 12th four nights in a row. These will be single knockout games and will be played in Benfica and Lisbon. The semi-finals will also take place on the 16/17th of August, with the final pencilled for the 23rd. Meanwhile, the Europa League will take place in Germany from the quarter-finals onwards.

Premier League clubs says no to five sub rule

The Premier League clubs in England have said no to the five sub rule. Clubs were allowed to use five subs which was increased from the usual three when the league restarted in June due to Covid 19. However, clubs have now opted to vote against the five sub rule for next season.

Teams will now go back to the usual three subs after a vote on Thursday afternoon. In addition to this the Premier League have also stated that it has “approved the implementation of VAR with full FIFA protocol”. This news comes after FIFA took over control of overseeing video assistant referee system from IFAB. Referees will also be using pitch side monitors more in terms of checking goals, red cards and goal kicks. Furthermore, in relation to goalkeepers, if a goalkeepers foot is over the line when he saves a penalty then the penalty will have to be retaken. Players who encroach in the area when a penalty is taken – and have a material impact on the outcome – will be judged by any part of their body that is on the ground when the kick is taken.

In relation to the five substitute rule FIFA have said this can be used in all competitions up until August 2021. Of course this will now mean that the Copa America and the European Championships can adopt this method if they so wish. Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho as in support of keeping the rule, speaking to Sky Sports he said, I like the 20 players [in the squad]. It doesn’t make any sense to travel with 20 players and then you arrive in the stadium and have to send two guys to the stands when the clubs pay every player and invest in every player”. He continued, “And it’s much better for a manager to have on the bench a right-back, a left-back, a centre-back, a winger, a midfielder, a striker”.

The Premier League is set to resume on September 12th.