Big Head!

Just noticed that the County Antrim Shield semi-finals scheduled for next week have had to be cancelled. The County Antrim F.A. have said that the cancellation has nothing to do with security concerns, just operational difficulties. If this is the case, then why are they talking about a change of venue for the Linfield/Distillery clash at the Oval? Their latest statement cites ticketing problems, but surely there’s ample time to sort out any such difficulties. It’s just another shambolic performance by the football authorities here and they’ve had the audacity this week to suggest nominating the ‘colour blind’ Jimmy Boyce, for the vice-presidency of F.I.F.A. This is of course the I.F.A. and not the County Antrim F.A., but they are so closely linked its hard to tell one from the other. This also is the same Jimmy Boyce who saw fit to enter the referee’s dressing room at halftime during the Cliftonville/Ballymena match last season and berate the official as to his first half performance. There was no great surprise when the official awarded Jimmy’s team, Cliftonville, a penalty in the second half, when otherwise it’s doubtful they would ever have scored. His colour blindness has been widely acknowledged by his insistence that his team’s supporters only wear club emblems when attending games. I’m at a loss to see what part of Clintonville’s emblem incorporates the Irish Tricolour, as displayed on the South stand during last Saturday’s C.I.S. cup final. Jimmy’s one claim to fame is that he has for the most part kept his jet black hair (Grecian 200 has a lot to answer for), but then again this could work against him as he’s too young looking for such a senior post. Jimmy, I understand, will be one of four nominees from the four home countries and I have to admit grudgingly that he’s probably the best man for the job. The English F.A. or F.A. as they are known are even bigger bunglers than our own association and could not be trusted with children’s piggy banks (unless of course there was a ‘bung’ involved). The Scottish F.A. talk constantly about taking sectarianism out of sport, while bending over backwards to keep Celtic and Rangers happy. The Welsh F.A. are just a baby of the English F.A. and toe the English line and in the end make no decisions. So, sad as it is to contemplate, Jimmy Boyce is probably the best of a ‘bad lot’, but he’d probably be even more pompous than he is now and that’s what’s worrying me!