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Football

15th Jul 2015

1980s rom-com about a Liverpool housewife may save Limerick FC from relegation

Thinking outside the box

Patrick McCarry

So crazy it just might work.

Films can have a massive effect on ones’ psyche.

Watch Rocky and you’ll be ready to beat the world. Watch Finding Nemo and you’ll buy a fish tank, expecting to be entertained. Watch The Purge and you’ll never want to see a baseball bat ever again.

Limerick FC chairman Pat O’Sullivan was watching Shirley Valentine the other night and struck upon a novel idea to help his relegation-threatened team.

O’Sullivan was frustrated that Limerick could not bring in English players that have been released from their clubs until July.

The film, which follows the amorous adventures of a bored Liverpool housewife during a spontaneous trip to Greece, sparked a idea to draft in some footballing talent for a song.

O’Sullivan told RTE Sport, ‘I’m sitting at home, watching Shirley Valentine the other night with my wife, Helen, and I’m saying the Greeks are technically very good at football. Austerity has to [have] had [an effect] and football must be suffering. So why not look at that?

‘They are Europeans so why not look at them as regards looking at any other country?

‘So, what we did was I got my daughter, Pam, to Google and find the players union in Greece and emailed them and told them what we were looking for. They have sent us details of certain players.’

Limerick, well adrift at the bottom of the SSE Airtricity League, are now set to offer a number of short-term trials to Greek players.

‘The Irish go to England and different countries so why can’t the Greeks come here?’ O’Sullivan mused.

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