BY COLIN WILLIAMSON

When Fabio Capello surveyed the football landscape at the end of 2007, he was faced with a vast array of employment opportunities, as befitting an intelligent Italian manager with an impressive CV. Unfortunately for ‘Don Fabio’, he too was to make an unwise choice and drink from the poisoned chalice of English Football. Hypnotised by the hype, the status, and certainly the pay packet, he stumbled into one of the few jobs in the world almost guaranteed to end in bitter separation.
The England football team is a bit of an enigma within the national culture. Loved and hated in equal measure, derided within its own borders for its failings and apparent treachery, it is fiercely defended if those from foreign lands dare to point out the very same misgivings.
Armies of supporters march to its cause, travelling in hope and misplaced expectation, fuelled by a fervent media who analyse the actions of the national team with almost forensic fascination.
To be at the helm of such an institution is to carry the dreams of many, with almost no chance of seeing them fulfilled. One of the facts that escapes those who bemoan the inability of successive ‘Golden Generations’ to match the feats of the fabled heroes of ’66 is that English footballers just aren’t that good. Yes, the Premiership is the most watched, and arguably the most exciting, league in the world. It is packed with drama, scandal, athleticism and some of the finest players in the world. It just so happens that not many of them are English. When international football comes calling, the technical ability of the Spanish, Germans and South Americans finds the boys in white wanting.
So how does one approach such a job, where the expectations of success far outstrip the resources available to achieve it? You don’t. You pick the humble looking cup at the back, and live to fight another day.
The English FA are now presented with an unexpected opportunity. To see what must be done, they need only gaze south from the Wembley Arch towards rugby HQ at Twickenham. The similarities between the two organisations are probably far greater than either would care to admit. Both suffered from poor World Cups, both have issues with misbehaving players and a murky public image.
Rugby has taken the bull by the horns, clearing out the old guard and adopting a zero tolerance stance on any miscreants who cross the line of legal or moral acceptability. Whilst the evidence from the opening round of the Six Nations may suggest that this policy has seen no benefits on the pitch, it is undeniable that wounds are being healed off it. Performance will surely follow.
Will the FA dare to follow such a path? Are the footballing public more accepting of their idols misgivings, as long as they are masked by on-field success? How would they react to, for example, Wayne Rooney’s absence if he were to be convicted of drink driving?
It is perhaps prophetic that on the day Fabio ‘crumbled into dust,’ his heir apparent, Harry Redknapp, should appear blinking into the sunlight form Southwark Crown Court, the aura of scandal slipping effortlessly off his back to reveal a squeaky clean, ready-made replacement.
When the choice comes, as it surely will, will Harry be drawn in by the external beauty and sparkling splendour of the biggest job in football, or will he stick with the humble simplicity, but safety, of his role at Spurs.
Let’s hope he chooses wisely.

Queen’s Hurlers Take Title

BY COLIN WILLIAMSON

Another feature of our sporting elite is that their tributes and obituaries rarely make mention of the indiscretions that were all too keenly covered in their sporting prime.

The sad death of Gary Speed will buck the trend on both counts. Scandal was not a feature of his life and there are no unsavoury episodes to brush under the carpet of fond remembrance.

Speed epitomised the industrious stereotype of the modern English game: powerful, passionate and committed. Although perhaps he would object to the term ‘English’: this proud Welshman represented his country 85 times as a player, before taking the reigns as manager last year in a period in which he has overseen a mini revival of fortunes, aided by the exciting young talents of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.

The list of clubs Speed represented is a reflection of the man himself. Leeds Utd, Everton, Bolton, Newcastle and Sheffield Utd: no nonsense northern clubs who have generally resisted the celebrity circus that has engulfed the country’s elite football establishments, clubs at the heart of their communities, and Speed was at the heart of them. The fans appreciated his work ethic and rejection of the flash celebrity lifestyle. Perhaps they saw in Speed a reflection of themselves, a working man made good and staying true to his roots.

His death comes as such a shock in both its timing and manner. Speed, just 42, was reportedly found hanged in his Chester home early on Sunday 27 November morning.
What can possess a successful man, financially secure and revered in his profession, to take his own life?

Perhaps his death will highlight that depression is an illness which can strike us all. Whatever the public persona that Speed presented, it is clear he had problems within that drew him to such a tragic end.   Football has lost something that it can ill afford to: an honourable man.

Darren Clarke’s magnificent win at the weekend at the Royal St. George course in England has cemented Northern Ireland’s place as the current golfing capital of the world. Three major winners in thirteen months are from the north. Moreover six winners of the last seventeen majors have come from the island of Ireland. Surely the time is right for the Open championship to return to these shores for the first time in over half a century.

BY SEAN ASHFORD

The Open is one of golf’s four majors and is the oldest and most prestigious of them all. Each year the course rotates around nine courses in England and Scotland. St Andrews, the ancestral home of golf, plays host every fifth year. The last time Northern Ireland hosted the tournament was in 1951, when Englishman Max Faulkner conquered the championship course at Royal Portrush.

Sixty years on and Northern Ireland is punching well above its weight in the golfing world. The result of all the attention has been to renew calls for Northern Ireland to host the Open in recognition of the achievements of Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke.

Aside for the inherent nationalistic feelings, there are numerous legitimate reasons why Northern Ireland would be a suitable host for a major golfing tournament. Firstly, we have two of the world’s most renowned courses in Royal Portrush and Royal County Down. On the outskirts of Newcastle, Royal County Down has been consistently named as one of the best golf courses in the world.  It was named the best course outside America by Golf Digest in 2007, and the course record happens to be held by a certain Tiger Woods who carded a 65 there. However, the course is not spectator friendly and does not have the ability to cater for the large influx of people the Open Championship would bring.

A more realistic proposition would be a return to Royal Portrush. Regarded by many as one of the most difficult courses in the world, it consistently makes top 10 lists of courses around the world. Its par three 14^th hole, nicknamed ‘Calamity’, is one of the most dangerous holes in championship golf. It’s a classic links course, and the weather on the north coast would certainly guarantee action. All three of Northern Ireland’s top golfers have called for the Open to be held in Portrush, and the club now boasts the gold medal won by Darren Clarke in the Open last week in its vast trophy cabinet.

However, Portrush also suffers in that its fairways are wedged between the sea and the hills, making it difficult to attract the large crowds places like Troon in Scotland can attract. This argument is perhaps not as persuasive as naysayers would have us believe, as the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club covers less acreage than Portrush but will host the competition next year. The other major problem is transport. Despite its proximity to Coleraine, not to mention Portstewart and (obviously) Portrush, spectators must be able to travel to and from the golf course, but also to nearby towns and cities so as the local economy takes the greatest possible benefit from the hosting of such an event. With many tickets for the Open only for certain days of the four-day event, there exists an opportunity for Northern Ireland to showcase itself during their breaks from watching the golf, but also to capitalise on the opportunity by enticing them to the towns in the area thus providing a much needed shot in the arm for the local economy. The most obvious way to do this would be via the adjacent rail network which would take them through Coleraine, Limavady and on to Derry. However, this stretch of railway is the only section not to have undergone any redevelopment in recent decades and with plans to cut the number of trains on the line daily from nine to five, then the much needed investment is unlikely to be forthcoming.

On the issue of local transport, a Translink spokesperson has said ”There are a number of high-profile events which occur on the north coast each year, the North West 200 and the Portrush Airshow. The current road network manages to cope with these large visitor numbers. For any event, the organisers will prepare an event plan to cover all appropriate areas, including traffic management and transportation.”

Despite all this there remains a strong possibility that Northern Ireland will be rewarded for the achievements of its golfing heroes. Undoubtedly there are the courses to host the events. It is simply a matter of whether Stormont politicians are willing to invest money into turning Northern Ireland into a viable alternative to the traditional courses and capitalising on the events of the last 13 months to boost the economy here. With the trade and tourism boost that hosting the Open would bring, any investment would more than prove its value, and it would certainly help pay for the expensive receptions our golfers keep getting at Stormont these days.

By Gown sport reporter

Depending on the weather, waiting pilots and your instructor, it is possible to stay up for a very long time without any additional charges. The instruction is carried out by voluntary expert instructors and the progress is recorded in a personal log book.  The QUBGC uses the Ulster Gliding Club facilities at the Bellarena Airfield (County Londonderry). So it is also possible to use the newer two seat glider of the Ulster Gliding Club for a soaring charge of 35p per minute. Flying is possible on Wednesday and Friday afternoons and on Saturdays and Sundays from dawn to dusk. The club also offers a ground school every Tuesday 8-9 pm, which is not compulsory but recommended. So if you want to try flying a small airplane or aim at getting a license at low cost the Queen’s University Belfast Gliding Club is worth a look.

For further information and details about the club please visit the clubs website:

http://gliding.club.qub.ac.uk/

Indeed, the university rowing is built on the premise of dreams. No other sport at Queen’s allows you to show up at try-outs with no previous experience and become a potential part of an Olympic racing team! The Queen’s team training is intensive. During the cold winter months a Queen’s rower is expected to rise six out of seven mornings to perform cardio-vascular activities; alternatively, if they are not to be found pumping away in the PEC, they are pushing their bodies to unknown boundaries on the water. Other students sometimes find it a personal achievement to rise before eleven and make it to class on time.

BY ORLA MACKLE

“Rowing isn’t just a sport it’s a lifestyle,” Queen’s PhD Psychology student and senior coax for the girls team claims. Aisling has been training with the Queen’s team for two years now and relays how the sport requires a high degree of determination and commitment.

But why does Aisling endure the early morning slogs and let’s be honest, ban on the lazy hung-over student way of life? “Well for a start it looks good on your CV, it shows off your time management skills and team building and it’s a great way for Freshers to build up a strong network of friends…It teaches you the essence of the word “team” because there are no individual medals in Rowing.”

Aisling also points out the opportunities that are available to travel with team as the Queen’s team is constantly competing in Ireland, England and Greater Europe. The notoriously spirited Queens v Trinity Race of which Queen’s currently holds the title is infamous. Just this past summer, the men’s senior crew, due to their excellent performance in the British University Championships were asked by the coach of Great Britain to represent the nation at the European University Championships in Poland.

This success of course spills over into the impressive women’s crew who were crowned second in the women’s Irish intermediate championships and also came second in the British championships.  Ex-Cambridge coach Mark Fangan-Hall’s moto “Train hard to race easy” has obviously infiltrated its way through the rowing ranks. At the time of publishing the men’s crew are also in the middle of trials for the upcoming squad to represent Ireland in the London Olympics.

It would appear that all the early morning starts are not in vain and the Queen’s team continue to sort out the weak form the chafe and sift out the most dedicated and inspiring student athletes QUB has to offer.

 Senior Roinn 1D

1. Queens University Belfast
2. University of Ulster Jordanstown
3. St Marys
4. Dundalk Institute of Technology

Rd 1 15.10.09 Thursday

Dundalk:   Dundalk IT (1-8)  v  QUB (2-13)

Jordanstown:   UUJ  v  St Marys

Rd 2 21.10.09 Wednesday

Jordanstown:   UUJ  v  Dundalk IT

St Pauls GAC:   St Mary’s  v  QUB

Rd 3 4.11.09 Wednesday

Casement:   QUB  v  UUJ

St Pauls GAC:   St Mary’s  v  Dundalk IT

Quarter Finals     Wednesday 11^th November

Home advantage group winners

(1)   _______________  v  ________________

        Winners A                          Runners up D

(2)   _______________  v  ________________

        Winners D                          Runners up A

(3)   _______________  v  ________________

        Winners B                          Runners up C

(4)   _______________  v  ________________

        Winners C                          Runners up B

Semi Finals      Wednesday 18^th November

Neutral Venues

 _______________  v  ________________

        Winners (1)                          Winners (3)

_______________  v  ________________

        Winners (2)                         Winners (4) 

Final       Tuesday 1^st December

_______________  v  ________________

Relegation Playoffs

Wednesday 18^th November

Neutral Venues

(1)   ________________  v  _________________

         Bottom Team A                 Bottom Team D

(2)   ________________  v  _________________

         Bottom Team B                 Bottom Team C

Intermediate D

1. Queens University Belfast
2. University of Ulster Jordanstown
3. St Marys
4. Dundalk Institute of Technology

Rd 1 14.10.09 Wednesday

Dundalk:   Dundalk IT  v  QUB

Jordanstown:  UUJ  v  St Marys

Rd 2 21.10.09 Wednesday

Jordanstown:    UUJ  v  Dundalk IT

St Pauls GAC:      St Mary’s  v  QUB

Rd 3 4.11.09 Wednesday

The Dub:   QUB  v  UUJ

St Pauls GAC:   St Mary’s  v  Dundalk IT

Geovanni Trappatoni’s men got off to the best possible start when Liam Lawrence’s squared free kick to Glenn Whelan met a sublime strike to put the hosts ahead. The Republic famously upset the Italians in 1994 by scoring early and holding out for the win. History would not repeat itself, however; just 17 minutes later the visitors were level when Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given fumbled a Mauro Camoranesi header at his near post from an Andrea Pirlo corner. The Italians, for whom a draw was sufficient, quite predictably shut up shop and held on to the ball without really testing Shay Given’s goal. The second half was to begin with Given picking the ball out of his own net again; fortunately for the Irish, however, Iaquinta’s header was ruled offside.

BY BRIAN QUINN

The second half was mostly without incident with the better chances falling to the Republic. Stephen Hunt replaced Aiden McGeady on 78 minutes and immediately began to worry the Italian back four. On 87 minutes he seemed to have broken free of the visitor’s defense only to be brought down on the edge of the area and winning his side a free kick. Hunt delivered into the box and the ball made its way into the back of the net via Sean St. Ledger’s head.

The reaction inside Croke Park was emphatic, with Stewarts failing to control the crowd in parts of the stadium. Victory was on the horizon; at least it seemed that way. Demonstrating the class of World Champions, the Italian’s were back on level terms through Gilardino’s unceremoniously equalizer in the 90th minute. Unbridled joy inside the arena became deathly silence, and to the unlucky Irish watching the final whistle did not signal a point earned, but two points dropped. The result means Ireland are guaranteed a play-off position for next year’s World Cup in South Africa, and having come so close to victory against the World Champions, the Republic will surely fancy their chances against any team in their path.

Media and sport go hand in hand in today’s society. Sport has become such a big part of our lives, and this may have a lot to do with much of it being covered in great detail by the media. Television mainly, allows us to follow a clubs success, and create our own judgements on their performance. So the issue of broadcasting Queen’s soccer and GAA matches, with the help of a live stream, to the Students Union has been raised quite recently.

Neil Brannigan

Queen’s athletes rank among some of the best in the country, competing at standards varying from a university to an international level. They train tirelessly throughout the year, in all weather conditions, watch their diets and training regimes like experienced professionals, and yet many go unrecognised. Our university has many sporting heroes; the PEC itself is lined with images of past pupils who went on to become successful ambassadors of their sport, and not enough is being done to promote their legacy and that of our rising stars using the media.

I can see only good things coming from Queen’s club matches being broadcast live at the Union. Not only would it promote our teams, but could also prove to generate more individual appreciation for our athletes. More people may become interested in travelling to watch games, and with a good baseline of support behind them, our lads might feel more valued.

If this scheme was to prove successful we could go one step up; broadcasting our teams’ matches on national television. UTV prides itself with covering local events throughout the six counties, so university matches would fit in perfectly! University competitions can generate extreme intensity and excitement. The games are of the highest quality, and really could rank more exciting than some of the yawn worthy premiership matches which are currently broadcast.

Our players need recognition. They are better role models than most celebrities circulating the ‘red carpet world’ at the minute; why not promote them? More supporters are also needed for our clubs, and this scheme could be just the answer.

Martin Ferguson
We have several areas of interest in Northern Ireland named after political leaders and icons who have shaped our history with the likes of Casement Park as a prime example of this. There are many people in the North who would argue the position of Edward Carsons statue in the grounds of Stormont and the Unionist ownership associated with it. Queens University had the same problem with the flying of the Union Jack and the playing of the national anthem so there has always been a grey area in this country regarding ownership and identity. Our communities are far from an ‘identity crisis’ but are we getting closer to a point where we have to fund another government body who deals with these types of issues? Perhaps a Monuments and Murals Partnership? Another body to be funded via the tax payer?

The point we should consider more importantly is our appeal as a country for tourists and interest groups. This should be at the forefront of our governments thinking and strategy to invite more tourism and increase the momentum of recovery in our local economy. We cannot deny our history in this country because it is documented on the very walls we see on a daily basis. Therefore we have to set a cut off point of some sort of mark where we can establish ground rules regarding government funded memorials and naming of certain monuments. This needs to once again be backed by all parties if it is to be a government funded project.
Community worker Mark Gordon from Kilcooley estate said, “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” However the project that Mr. Gordon is referring to is one which would be funded by the government and tax payers alike. It goes against the very idea that the fund for this garden was set up for. It is understandable, however, where Mr Gordon is coming from. The blame should lie once again with Stormont and its miscommunication within departments which is all too familiar.

The case to withdraw the £1 million funding was put forward by Margaret Ritchie in 2007- which cost £300,000- was significant enough to prompt Peter Robinson, finance Minister at the time, to voice his opinion, “The people of Northern Ireland are now paying the consequences. How many houses could have been repaired or improved with the money that has been wasted in defending this case?”
The roundabout that is Northern Ireland and its government is one which makes many of us sick looking at the same arguments and issues re-appearing year after year. It is time to establish ourselves in sound decision making and co operative departments instead of pursuing the overriding interests of the party line in every single issue. At a time when we struggle to fund our own policing we have to hold the politicians accountable. Its about time they stood up and did the jobs they were given instead of having a ‘sound byte war’ and finger pointing. Fastest finger first is wearing thin in our society. If the voters have their say then there may be many candidates up for eviction come election time.

If you have ever had a look at the sports available to you as a Queen’s student, you will know just how many there are. You can’t possibly try them all- that would be crazy. So how do you decide which one is right for you?

NEIL BRANNIGAN

If you are keen on taking up a sport, whether you are a new or returning student, then there are a few things to take into account: Firstly, you can call upon previous experience. If you have had a history of participation within a sport, now might be your chance to continue with it. Queen’s clubs are always welcoming new members, especially those with some experience. Our clubs will help you develop your skills and could also allow you the chance to compete anywhere from a provincial to an international level.

Many sports provide members with challenges, which can vary to suit you.  Would you favour the contact of rugby over the skill needed for basketball? Perhaps you would suit the relaxed yet competitive atmosphere of pool or even challenge yourself against the endurance and discipline needed for a martial art.

Student life is very stressful, and if your life revolves around academic achievements you will feel the pressure. So when choosing a sport, it is crucial you undertake one which you will work on. It can help avert your attention and help you temporarily escape from that essay or assignment.

So go and find a sport that suits you. Find one you will work on, and that mounts a challenge that you are not afraid of tackling.