I was a bit annoyed at myself after the latest instalment of MNS. I didn't get around to mentioning the fact that Lithuanian international Mindaugas Kalonas, who plays for Bohemians, had made one, and scored one in Lithuania's excellent 3-0 win away to Romania in their opening World Cup qualifier. Actually, we tried to get footage of the game but were unsuccessful, although I did see the goals on YouTube, unfortunately the quality was unbroadcastable.
Incidentally, Irish referee Alan Kelly took charge of that Romania v Lithuania fixture in Cluj on Saturday, and it raises the question, when did an eircom League player score in a World Cup qualifier refereed by an eircom League official before? My guess would be never, but if you can put me right, mns@rte.ie for your emails.
Another eircom League player, Romuald Boco of Sligo Rovers, was also involved in World Cup duty last weekend, for Benin in the African qualifiers. They beat Angola 3-2 to go through to the final African qualifying stage along with the likes of Nigeria, Cameroon and the Ivory Coast.
You may remember that Angola qualified for the World Cup finals in 2006, and the fact that Boco has been an ever-present for Benin during this campaign goes to prove that the eircom League's tentacles are spread far and wide during this World Cup qualifying series. Sadly, there's no league representation on the senior Irish international team.
We received an email this week pondering the question, who was the last League of Ireland player to score for Ireland whilst still playing in the league, and we had to go back to 1978, when Ray Treacy scored twice in a 4-2 win over Turkey at Lansdowne Road. The Irish team contained four LoI players that day - John Giles, Noel Synott and Treacy from Shamrock Rovers, and Synan Braddish of Dundalk came on as a sub.
I was at that match but I didn't remember that Ray 'Mr Punch and Judy man' Treacy also missed a penalty which had he converted would have given him a hat-trick. The Punch and Judy man refers to a record released by Ray around that time. If I'm not mistaken, another former Irish international John Devine also recorded a song around then too.
I got a few emails last week after my request for suggestions for how I could introduce Tony McDonnell the next time he's on the show, instead of just, UCD legend.... Thanks for those, and at least some will be put to good use the next time Tony's on the show.
I was going to introduce Damien Richardson this week as a man who's had an illustrious managerial career, but then I discovered that it's very difficult to say 'an illustrious' without verbally tripping over when you're going through a list of intros. So 'an illustrious' changed to 'enjoyed a successful managerial career.' Damien preferred the former, but I think he was just hoping I'd get tongue tied in my opening spiel.
Damien recently became a grandfather for the second time, and we were slagging him before the programme, about the fact that even though he's now a grandad twice over, it doesn't mean he has to dress like one. His cardigan this week was a definite fashion no-no. All he was missing was the flat cap, glass of warm beer and pigeons in the back yard to round off this week's look.
Every time I looked at the cardy, I was reminded of Hilda Ogden's husband, Stan, in Coronation Street. You try and have a serious conversation about football, when all you can see is three ducks flying across the wall behind Damien's head!
Sean Connor was telling us that the Sligo doctor has been admiring the shirts he's been wearing on the show. All I can say to her - for I'm led to believe that the club doctor is a lady - is that there must be a Specsavers in Sligo, and if there isn't I'm sure any optician would be glad to give her eyesight the once over.
I think Dave Barry went into shock when I told him that Dave Tyrell's thunderbolt for Finn Harps against UCD reminded me of Dave in his heyday. I think it's the first nice thing I've said about Dave in years. However, he recovered his composure to talk us through the footage of Tyrell's cracker.
I know I've made the point before but I reiterate, how great it is that we have cameras at all matches in the Premier Division these days. The fact that all the goals are accessible on the MNS website is a wonderful facility as well.
When we put together a compilation of the best goals of the season come the end of the campaign, it'll make for very impressive viewing. I've no doubt that Tyrell's goal will be amongst the contenders for Goal of the Season. What a vital one it might prove to be for the Donegalmen too.
I was aghast to receive an email after the show criticising me for talking about GAA on a football show! Surely as football fans we're big enough to be able to cope with a throwaway reference to the Hurling final when talking to Jim Beglin (a proud Waterford man and a proud former Irish international and Shamrock Rovers player to boot).
If you're going to get your knickers in a twist over a quick reference to Kilkenny's win, then I think you have a very very narrow mind, and it might be worth opening that mind up. Sadly for me, the email came in from a fellow Shamrock Rovers fan. I would have expected better.
I was also criticised for taking the mickey out of Giovanni Trappatoni's Italian accent, and that's one criticism I'd gladly take on board. I really enjoy his struggle to articulate the points he's trying to make in English, but I promise I won't take his accent off anymore.
Finally, it's FAI Ford Cup quarter-final week. Four matches on four different days. I have mixed feelings about spreading the games out over the weekend. Nice for some neutrals to be able to get to a few of the matches, but from a broadcaster's point of view, some of the impact is lost when the fixtures are diluted over four days/nights.
RTÉ willl be covering the Friday, Saturday and Sunday games on Radio 1, and I know TG4 have two live games out of four, so there's lots to look forward to.
Speaking of looking ahead, after the 3-0 win against St Patrick's Athletic, Bohemians can now comfortably look forward to lifting the eircom League trophy in a few weeks' time.
Congratulations to all at Dalymount, especially the defence. I still think that the concession of only eight goals so far this season is a wonderful achievement and the bedrock on which Bohemians have built this winning campaign. Well done Bohs.
