It didn’t start the way they wanted but Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh had a spectacular day to remember at Cheltenham, claiming three big prizes on day one of the Festival. 5:30 Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase 1 Ballyalton (IRE) 12/1 15 Bouvreuil (FR) 14/1 14 Double Shuffle (IRE) 8/1 3 Bridgets Pet (IRE) 33/1 The […]

10 years ago

The revolution will not be televised (at least not the first 25 minutes anyway). We’ve all done it. You’re sure you’re playing at home, positive. No need to check the fixture list, you just know. But then you turn up to the ground and the gates are locked. You were playing away. And now your […]

10 years ago

By Hayley O’Connor It has arrived. The waiting, the debating – it’s over. Now it’s time to nail your colours to the mast and put your money on your picks for the first day of the AWESOME Cheltenham festival. All the chat at the track this morning is about Vautour running in the Ryanair Chase […]

10 years ago

Interesting

10 years ago

“That’s a lie”

10 years ago

The psychological blow of two cup exits will be the biggest threat to Arsenal’s title challenge, Jamie Carragher has said. Former Liverpool captain Carragher watched the Gunners get eliminated from the FA Cup by Watford, and expects Barcelona to have too much for Arsene Wenger’s team in the Champions League. And he has claimed the […]

10 years ago

Suits you, sir gelding. You’ve got to love Cheltenham week, that magical four days when EVERYONE becomes a master tipster and a TV is switched on in every office. College students around the country forget about lectures as the festival of horseflesh in the Cotswolds means an unofficial rag week for many. The exodus from Ireland has […]

10 years ago

Euro 2016 is just around the corner, and the kits for tournament are slowly being leaked out to us. We’ve already brought you such beauties as the Republic of Ireland’s new strip, while Ukraine’s kit was not as well received. One shirt we’ve been eagerly awaiting is that of hosts France, who are known for […]

10 years ago

Never change

10 years ago

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is going to be a busy man this summer. The Swedish captain has confirmed that he will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this season, and will likely kick off a bidding war for his services. Ibrahimovic helped lead PSG to the Ligue 1 title with an incredible eight games to spare – […]

10 years ago

Touching recollection

10 years ago

Give me strength

10 years ago

It was business as usual at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon. Arsenal continued their ongoing collapse as they fell to a 2-1 defeat by Watford, putting an end to their quest to become the first team to win three consecutive FA Cups since the 1880s. The Gunners now trail Leicester by eight points in the league and face […]

10 years ago

It’s one thing to win the league. It’s another thing entirely to win it in March. Incredibly, that’s a feat Paris Saint-Germain have just pulled off this weekend, sealing the Ligue 1 title with a straightforward 9-0 thrashing of bottom-placed side Troyes. FULL TIME: PSG give a championship-worthy performance at Troyes to win their 4th straight Ligue 1 […]

10 years ago

There might be plenty of talk about onda Rousey getting another crack at the UFC women’s bantamweight title later this year, but Miesha Tate is busy making other plans. The reigning champion has Amanda Nunes in her sights after the Brazilian’s hot streak in UFC, and boyfriend and coach Bryan Caraway has shared his thoughts on […]

10 years ago

The Manchester United rumour mill keeps going and going. With Louis Van Gaal almost certain to leave in the summer, speculation as has been rife about the next Old Trafford boss. Jose Mourinho has been touted for months, but according to reports in the Daily Star Sunday, it’ll be Laurent Blanc in charge of United come […]

10 years ago

From the horse’s mouth

10 years ago

Martin O’Neill admits he would be foolish not to think about taking Jack Byrne to France if he impresses whilst training with the squad. The Republic of Ireland boss has invited the Manchester City youngster to train with the senior international team next week. What has impressed O’Neill most about the 19-year-old is his decision […]

10 years ago

“Colm Cavanagh is a baste!”

10 years ago

Scary stuff. An apparently displeased cow caused a temporary abandonment of a football match in Australia this weekend. During a game in Granville, a suburb in western Sydney, a cow emerged from the trees before sprinting onto the pitch and looking to have taken a particular disliking to one player who was thankfully agile enough […]

10 years ago

Things very quickly went downhill for Chelsea on Saturday evening. The Blues appeared to have steadied the ship after the troubles that plagued their season and stood a very good chance of still claiming some silverware in the form of the FA Cup. But after Romelu Lukaku powered his way through the Chelsea defence to score two […]

10 years ago

Chelsea may have dominated England last season, but things aren’t going so well this time around. The arrival of Guus Hidink as interim coach steadied the ship somewhat for the defending Premier League champions, but they came unstuck against Everton in the FA Cup as Romelu Lukaku rampaged through a porous Blues defence. The former […]

10 years ago

Stan is not the man…

10 years ago

Behind-the-scenes

10 years ago

Double whammy

10 years ago

“Please go home at half-time”

10 years ago

Classy finish

10 years ago

Hard yards

10 years ago

Making waves

10 years ago

Guess who’s back, back again. Rafa’s back, tell a friend. That’s right, the worst kept secret in English football has been officially announced as Rafa Benitez replaces Steve McClaren as the manager of Newcastle United. The former Real Madrid manager was spotted outside the Magpies’ stadium earlier today… Benitez #nufc pic.twitter.com/rGNV2GEl0X — Rob Scanlon (@RobScanlon_TV) March 11, […]

10 years ago

Celebrating a vital goal by your ex-club? Heaven forbid! That’s the heinous crime that David Beckham committed whilst watching former club Paris Saint-Germain at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night. The 40-year-old was present in the Chelsea directors’ box to support the Parisians along with son Brooklyn, and was understandably made up when PSG scored their […]

10 years ago

We love a good mixed metaphor. Whether it is “making hay while the iron is hot” or “we could stand here till the cows turn blue” we just can’t get enough of the word jumbles. Galway football manager Kevin Walsh has generously gifted a new one to the canon. Following Galway’s dramatic Allianz Football League Division […]

10 years ago

Not for the faint of heart

10 years ago

Everyone has these moments. When you realise that you wouldn’t miss this world so much. Not the footballing world anyway. Liverpool host Manchester United on Thursday night. You know, Liverpool-United. Big rivalry. Read up on it. And, okay, it’s the first time the sides meet in European football but keep a bloody ticket or something. […]

10 years ago

Casual as you like. Denis Irwin, Andy Cole and Gary Pallister are men of the people. Okay, they might not be as bonkers as Phil Jones watching United games with the supporters, but they enjoy being amongst their people. Three legends of the crest, the trio got together for the trek to Anfield and were […]

10 years ago

It’s the big one. Liverpool and Man United meet in European competition for the first time ever on Thursday evening for their UEFA Europa League clash, and the teams are in. The good news for the home side is that Daniel Sturridge returns to Liverpool’s starting line-up, and Nathaniel Clyne replaces Jon Flanagan, who is not registered to […]

10 years ago

But will Old Trafford be the destination?

10 years ago

Fair flippin’ play

10 years ago

Handy directions

10 years ago

Ouch

10 years ago

Trickier than it looks

10 years ago

Footballer Adam Johnson is awaiting sentence for child sex offences – but some supporters are still backing him. The former Sunderland and England man was told to expect a lengthy jail term by judges in the crown court trial which saw the 28-year-old convicted of one count of sexual activity with a child and plead […]

10 years ago

Manchester United look to have been stuck in first gear for most of this season. Even so, the huge weekly wage packets brought home by their star players means many squad members can make the daily trip to training in style. The car park at United’s AON Carrington training complex is regularly filled bumper to […]

10 years ago

Fair play

10 years ago

Maximum Media are delighted to announce the signing of Dion Fanning as Chief Sports Writer for SportsJOE.ie and JOE.co.uk. Dion is one of the most distinct voices commenting on football today, bringing together insight, analysis and humour in a hugely compelling and original manner. Dion joins SportsJOE from the Sunday Independent where he has been Chief Football Writer […]

10 years ago

He even loves the Championship

10 years ago

Chelsea’s Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain is delicately poised after the French club won the first leg 2-1. And Blues boss Guus Hiddink has made a big call, leaving out Oscar for the important clash. The Brazilian has been left on the bench, with promising youngster Bertrand Traore earning a surprise start against Laurent […]

10 years ago

60 minutes from immortality. Castlebar Mitchel’s and Ballyboden St. Enda’s will leave it all on the line for their shot at the holy grail on St. Patrick’s Day. After both never-say-die outfits came through two tense semi-finals after extra time, it’s Dublin versus Mayo at Croke Park next Thursday and we’ve put it to debate: […]

10 years ago

The Premier League could be about to get a whole lot cooler. According to reports in France, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is so sure that he will be joining Manchester United alongside Jose Mourinho this summer that he is already preparing for life in England. We’re not quite sure how he is preparing for life in England – […]

10 years ago

Now that UFC is so mainstream even your granny watches it, you’re going to need a new niche-interest bloodsport. Maybe it was the Notorious Conor McGregor, maybe it was phenomenal success of the Joe Rogan podcasts. Whatever the reason, UFC has now firmly cemented itself as a staple of popular sporting culture. When half of Hollywood hit […]

10 years ago