Beautiful Dreamer!

Another season is almost over and what has been achieved by any team or organisation? In essence it has to be said, ‘sweet Fanny Adams’. Linfield have won all the domestic trophies so far, but as they’re getting a £250,000 of a leg-up from The I.F.A., that’s hardly surprising. They’ve also been given every possible chance to win the fourth trophy, the Irish cup, as the final is on their own ground. There was never even talk of a neutral venue and anyway Linfield and Glentoran fans have a tendency to go missing for games outside the Belfast area, as witnessed at Ballymena last Saturday. What of our dear governing body the sweet F.A., sorry I’ve missed out a letter here haven’t I, it should be the (I.) F.A... On reflection maybe F.A. is closer to the truth, as evidenced by the Brian McClean saga, which has enfolded recently. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you about this ‘fiasco’, how Brian should’ve had an International cap in a competitive game before he was 21 years-old, in order to qualify for Northern Ireland. The Glasgow Rangers player, loaned out at present to Motherwell, has been left high and dry by the bungling of our F.A.. If that’s not bad enough, they are now appealing to F.I.F.A. to try and have the ruling overturned. Glentoran (never a team to miss an opportunity), are watching this development with interest, saying that if it is overturned, then it’ll establish a precedent and they’ll be entitled to have their £5,000 fine for failing to register Gary Smyth  a few years ago returned. Then just this week we learned of another ‘cock up’, involving for the second time our dear neighbours (Coleraine Scum) and the F.A.. Coleraine you may remember were fined a £1,000 for playing an ineligible player, Ryan McLaughlin in the C.I.S. cup, when he had already played for Dungannon Swifts, at the start of this season. I’m just wondering here if they actually did pay it or was it ‘written off’ with the rest of their debt? But I digress, Cliftonville (haven’t these teams heard the old adage, ‘people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones?), have raised a matter referring to Coleraine signing Sean Hennegan from Tobermore United during the January transfer window, stating that the player wasn’t properly registered and in that case they should’ve been awarded the points in a recent game where they lost one nil to the Coleraine Scum. The F.A. have quickly stated that there is no case to answer, too quickly to my mind and I’m sure Cliftonville with I.F.A. president Jimmy Boyce on board, must have been pretty sure of their facts before raising the matter. As I’ve stated many times in the past, the I.F.A. is a ‘cancer’ in our midst and we all know that if cancer isn’t cut out completely, it will eat away until it kills you. If the Premier league clubs really want to progress, as they say they do, they must disband the I. F.A. immediately and replace it with a real professional organisation, otherwise our local game will continue to dwindle until there’s nothing left. That’s enough ranting from me, I’m off now to do a bit of gardening and play a lot of golf, but I will return all nicely refreshed in September I hope, but remember, ‘Sky Blue Sport’ will keep you updated with all the news from the Showgrounds during the close season. Have a nice break and  remember, ‘North, South, East or West, Sky Blue Sport, is the best’!