October 2011

Had Enough; McLeish Out

Another day, another draw. Having accumulated just one point in his last three games, Alex McLeish’s oddly heightening reputation is finally being pecked at from beneath – long after it should’ve been. After guiding Villa to the top half of the table by default, and overseeing a dull, cowardice 7 games unbeaten spell at the beginning of the league campaign, Villains far and wide were being told to curb our enthusiasm for the appointment of the Scotsman because he was allegedly doing a stellar job. I gave him his chance, of course I did, but some fans were all-too-easily converted by what can only be described as an apathetic start to the … Continue reading →

Man City: Digital Media Citizens

I wrote this post for our friends at Sports Geek HQ. Thanks to @seancallanan and @Dion_Anthony for the request and help. Sir Alex Ferguson, George Best, Sir Matt Busby, Eric Cantona, Bobby Charlton, Wayne Rooney…your boys took one hell of a beating! Nobody could have predicted that score from Sunday’s derby. Manchester United don’t concede SIX goals away, never mind at Old Trafford. I always despised Man City. Their spending power, the players they were purchasing with it, their rise from obscurity to title challengers in three years just seemed unfair. As a Liverpool fan, maybe it’s just jealousy, as it’s another team we have to get through to get to where … Continue reading →

Sweat Plus Sacrifice Equals Success

For many of us sport is something that is very much a part of our everyday lives, even when it gets us down and you think ‘i’ve had enough’ you haven’t really. That feeling of adrenaline rushing through your body as you push yourself to the limit knowing there was nothing more you could do in your attempt for glory is one all sports people yearn for. As time passes glory the once shining chalice can become a tainted image along with broken bones, torn hamstrings, metal hips, joint replacements and constant physiotherapy. However, for most the glory is not the shining chalice, but something much greater, a deeper lying glory that … Continue reading →

Ireland vs Australia: International Revenge

Tomorrow, Ireland can level the scales. They can bridge that frighteningly tight 13 point margin which divides ours and Australia’s aggregate score over the entire 15 International Rules series. They can take one step closer to tying the all-time standings which currently resides 8-7 in favour of our cousins in the southern hemisphere. More importantly though, they have the opportunity to set the nation on its way to our first legitimate Compromise Rules victory over Australia in 7 years (I don’t count the 2008 campaign which was blatantly designed to ease the tensions and appease an unhappy Irish contingent after they had withdrawn from the competition following the violent and humbling 2006 … Continue reading →

League of Ireland Team of the Year

The time has now come to pick SC1 Sports’ inaugural “League of Ireland Team of the Year”. Selecting this team has not been an easy task as this seaon has been one that has seen many young, exciting talents flourish; adhereing strictly to SC1 Sport’s #raiseyourgame philosophy. Many of the players below have achieved great success with their clubs this season also. Shamrock Rovers have won the League of Ireland title and the Setanta Cup; not to mention their European success in becoming the first League of Ireland side to compete in the group stages of a major European competition. Derry City have won the League Cup in what was their first … Continue reading →

Like Father Like Son

As you sit at your dinner table, surrounded by your loving family, laughing and enjoying each others company take a moment to think on Jimmy ‘Spider’ Kelly. Many of you will have heard of the famous British and Empire boxing champion, but what you won’t know is that Jimmy Kelly could neither read nor write. Or that on a cold winter’s morning he set off from Derry by foot to Five Mile Town (11.1 miles) for a fight that if victorious would feed his family for a week. Knowing that defeat was not an option he was victorious and the people of the Lecky Road ate handsomely for a full week. Often … Continue reading →

Technical Football: Our Broken Promise

I’m sick of saying it. In May, this year, we did a piece exposing the lack of technical football in the home nations and looked at ways of improving our chronic ignorance to total football; winning football. It came in the week before Paul Scholes – the most undervalued international footballer of all time – announced his retirement. It came in the week Barcelona had waltzed their way to another European title using the most fluid style we have ever witnessed. It came at a time when England were beginning to wake up and notice that the system is flawed; that it is designed to bring through the best athletes rather than … Continue reading →

Check-out the Sports Check-in

In my last social-media related post, I talked about how social media and sport are connecting to provide us sports fans with some completely new and innovative products, enhancing our sporting experience. Since Web 2.0 took off, the online world has become social. For anyone reading this that isn’t aware what Web 2.0 is (or Web 1.0 for that matter), I will try to explain. When the internet took off, businesses marketed themselves online solely through their website, providing information and hoping potential customers come across it. This is Web 1.0. Then, 2.0 came along and the world decided to interact with each other. Companies began to reap the rewards of spending … Continue reading →

Consolidation is the key to progression for City

Shamrock Rovers effectively ended Derry City’s title aspirations after their 1-0 victory over the Candystripes on Thursday night. The Hoops now look set to record their record seventeenth league title in the coming weeks. Despite the fact that two games remain in the current campaign, it is very much a case that the end of City’s title challenge has given rise to another challenge, as they must now seek to retain the services of many members of the current squad for next season. Stephen Kenny must feel that he is privy to something quite special based on how his young squad has developed from First Division novices to Premier Division title challengers … Continue reading →

Mouthguard: Tracking Technology

So far, I have covered two other types of tracking technology that athletes have been using to analyse performance. We had GP Sports, which was a vest usually seen in warmups and in pre-season by football teams. Then we had the E39, a new under armour top developed by Under Armour and Zephyr, which many NFL draftees were being tested in, as well as the Wales rugby team in their build-up to the Rugby World Cup. Now, I have come across a new type of tracking technology, an innovative and creative way of collecting information that is also sure to benefit the lives of our athletes. A study was done last year … Continue reading →