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I see there's an Inside Sport special tonight featuring Marcus Trescothick, Frank Bruno and OWC favourite Neil Lennon amongst others.. shoukd be interesting to hear all their experiences, particularly Lennon who suffered badly from this during his Celtic playing days.

Long-time poster Stalin has told me that he appears to have been given a permanent ban for one or two inappropriate remarks in the wake of the Michael Jackson tragedy.

Other posters only received 5-day bans but Stalin has been unable to sign back onto the board since.  I wonder if the mods could clarify the situation or provide an explanation for this excessive punishment?

A client of mine is selling a boat to a Norwegian man.  The boat is in Spain.  Obviously the Norwegian doesn't want to transfer the E7k to my client before going to Spain to get the boat given he doesn't know him personally.  My client does not want to travel to Spain and collect a cheque which might bounce, and he doesn't have a Spanish bank account to put cash into.

He asked me if our firm could act as an intermediary and hold the money to order awaiting transfer of ownership of the boat but it would be in breach of all sorts of money laundering regulations.  Anyone know of who would usually act as an intermediary in these circumstances and how much would they typically charge for the service?

Anyone else watch this show?  Absolutely brilliant television.  Very impressed by Caprice's dish tonight although the entertainment was a bit strange.

I think the big screens showing the match spoils the atmosphere a bit at Croke Park.  Everyone seems to be looking up at them all the time as evidenced every time the camera cuts to someone and they start waving at the screen, as well as the odd "oo" after a replay has been shown of a post being hit or whatever.  In other sports they just show the team line-outs on the screen.  It has to be off-putting for the players and the crowd should be looking at the pitch or else whats the point of actually paying in rather than watching it at home?

Heading inter-railing this weekend, has anyone been before and where were the best cities to visit?

I'll be in Berlin this weekend and I know that I'll be in Seville a different weekend, does anyone know any Irish bars in either of these cities that would be showing the football or hurling?

Certainly good news for Ireland!

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/euro2008/2008/0628/euro2008.html

European championships to expand
Saturday, 28 June 2008 16:18

The Republic of Ireland's chances of qualifying for the European Championship finals could be improved after the proposal to increase the number of teams to 24 teams from 2016 was unanimously agreed by senior officials of all 53 UEFA member nations.

The recommendation was made at a meeting of the presidents and general secretaries of UEFA members.

UEFA president Michel Platini said that increasing the size of the European Championship to 20 or 24 teams from 16 finalists would not necessarily diminish the quality of the competition.

UEFA will decide whether to expand the tournament by four or eight teams, or leave it as a 16-team event, at its executive committee meeting in Bordeaux on September 25/26.

Platini reminded reporters that when he won the tournament playing for France in 1984 it was only half the size it is now.

'Remember, I won the Euros when there were only eight teams. It is not certain it was better with eight teams than 16 or that 16 is better than 24 or 32 or 54,' he told a news conference.

'I am not worried about the quality by increasing the number of teams. Countries like England, Denmark, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, Serbia, Ukraine and Bulgaria all have the ability to participate in a European Championship.

'Would they reduce the quality of the Euros? I believe they have the quality to take part, yes sincerely, there are teams that could be at the Euros and even enhance the quality of the competition.'

The first five finals were staged as four-team events from 1960 until 1976 and were increased to eight teams in 1980.

The first 16-team finals were in 1996, but pressure has come from some countries to increase the size of the finals again.

If the tournament was increased to 24 teams, it would mean nearly half of UEFA's 53 members associations would take part in the finals.

I read today he's away to West Brom for £100,000.  Stephen Kenny wasn't happy with the valuation but he was out of contract in November so he had no choice but to sell.  I've watched him a few times and he is very skilful, would this be a record sell in Irish soccer despite him going for less than market price or did Jason Byrne go for more that time?

Would love to see him do well but I'm not sure he'll get that much football in the Premiership.  Would have expected him to move to Championship or SPL at some stage.

I've heard about divisional teams playing in the Kerry senior Championship before but never really bothered looking into it too much.  Just wondering a few things:

1) Does anything like this happen in any other counties?
2) Do the divisional teams train together much and if so would this not put a strain on players representing their clubs and counties?  Do they just play Championship I assume?
3) I know they can't go on to represent the county but what happens if say South Kerry beat Austin Stacks in the semi-final and then Laune Rangers in the final? If Laune Rangers got to go and represent Kerry I'd imagine Stacks would feel very agrieved as Rangers would have done nothing more to deserve their place than them.  I heard that in the past divisional teams were allowed to play in the all-Ireland series, you'd be seriously pissed off if you got knocked out by one. 

I get the point that it's there to help the county team by giving junior and intermediate footballers more games as a higher level, but it seems to an outsider to be contrary to what is good about the club parish system in the GAA.  I can't imagine much celebrations in any parish when a regional team wins in the county final. 

Is Scor still popular in many parts of the country?

Our club used to participate in a lot of the competitions 10-15 years ago but it seems to have died out in the club and across Derry probably I think.  There used to be North Derry and South Derry heats when I first remember being at it and but within a few years there was no need for regional heats in the county.  Just saw an old photo there of myself in the Scor na nOg about 10 years ago so got me wondering.

Was thinking of going to this at Spring and Airbrake but it says the tickets are not on sale on ticketmaster, I take it they are sold out and you wouldn't be able to go down there and buy some tomorrow?  Anyone going?  Saw them before at same venue you could pay in on the night easily but maybe with it being midweek a load more students are going.

Who would you include on a world XI based not necessarily just on current form (Adebayor would be a shoe-in), but on consistency over the past season or 2?                           

                   Cech

Alves   Puyol    Cannavaro   Zambrotta

          Kaka    Pirlo    Fabregas     
             
    Messi          Drogba         C.Ronaldo

Heard a rumour he was having a medical at Villa with a view to a loan deal but no mention of this on the headlines on F365.  Has it been on the news or anything?  Will he have as positive an impact in the EPL this season as he did last year?

Apparently there's a bit of a fad in America with boys wearing ridiculous amounts of fake tan, calling themselves "guidos" I saw it on a football365 thread there's a link below.  The boys in these pictures are actually white (caucasian)!  Have any of the US-based posters seen any of these clowns about, and how come they manage to have pretty fit women attached to them?

http://forum.football365.com/index.php?t=msg&th=470317&start=0&;

I see there has been a British football thread but he requested that it be about clubs and not universities.  Anybody playing football or hurling for any British student sides this year and how are your teams faring, what is the standard like and what sort of numbers have you got togging out?

Ridiculously good talent in Scarlet Bar but there never seems to be anybody getting blocked.  I'd probably plump for the Queen Vic if only to have a pint with Patrick and Jim and try the hand with Stacey, and when you get knocked back there's always Pat Butcher.

Is everyone strictly monogamous GAABoard men or would you be on many other boards/forums not just Hogan Stand but soccer ones, personally I'd usually have a peek at the F365 forum although I'm not actually a member and occasionally would be on the Celtic Huddleboard

Given that some club championships have a back door and others have Champions League-style group stages, which of these are better at both club and county level or do you prefer the traditional "one chance and you're out" format?

         Cluxton

McCloy Canty Lynch
Kernan Cullen T.O'Se

   D.O'Se Cavanagh

Dooher O'Neill Doyle
Bradley Clarke Cooper