Sproule relegated to stand-by list

Ivan Sproule has been left out of the squad for our next two qualifiers, it is being reported. Sproule’s season has just started picking up after a slow start, and if he is left out it will be his first absence since being called up for the games against Azerbaijan and England over a year ago.

Gareth McAuley also drops down to stand-by, along with Chris Brunt.

Shiels brace

Dean Shiels scored 2 great goals and set up another in Hibs’ 6-0 demolition of Gretna in the CIS Cup on Wednesday night. Shiels goal tally for the season now stands at 5. Afterwards, ‘the impressive Shiels’ (BBC) talked to the official website.

Hughes leaves Oldham

Northern Ireland midfielder Mark Hughes, who made his debut against Uruguay in June as a substitute for Sammy Clingan, has left Oldham after 73 first team appearances for the club. The former Spurs midfield was contracted till the end of the year, but has had it cancelled and paid up.
Lactics boss John Sheridan:
“I was as honest as possible with Hughesy”, said Sheridan. “I’ve got a lot of time for Mark, he’s a great lad.
“I told him early on that I’d got other players in mind for the first team. He accepted that, and his attitude is different class, to be fair. However, he’s not playing first-team football, and I think he needs to be playing regularly.”
“Hopefully he’ll go on to be successful at another club, and if there’s anything I can do to help him, then I’ll do it.”

Merchandise

From the latest IFA email:

The official anthem of the European Championships now on sale.
The CD We’re Not Brazil we’re Northern Ireland is now available on line and at Windsor Avenue at £3.99 RSP. The CD featuring Jackie Fullerton and George Jones together with Clubsound and some Northern Ireland Supporters is also available at HMV, Virgin and other High Street music retailers. Other tracks on the CD include I’m Yer Man by Sammy Mackie, Mexico Here We Go by Showbiz Club of Belfast and Sammy Kirkpatrick (Why Don’t You Come Home) by Ivan Martin & Richard Young.
Two panoramic Stadium Pictures will soon be available in 3 frame sizes and 2 frame options. Samples will be available to view in the shop and on line in approximately 2 weeks time. The pictures were taken on the evening of the Spain victory at Kick Of and at the team line up for the National Anthems at the beginning of the match and prices are expected to between £14.99 and £49.00.
There are negotiations currently underway for a NI v Spain DVD and several options are being explored. The outcome will depend on cost versus demand and as usual we will keep you informed.
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Can’t believe they’re considering not making a Spain DVD. The pictures could be good though.

Graveson retires from intl football

Yooooooo!!!
(Running scared of us of course)

Sproule wreaks havoc – Hibs 2 Rangers 1

There were no Northern Irish players on the scoresheet in Hibs’ latest defeat of Rangers, but according to the match report, ‘Ivan Sproule wreaked havoc with his pace and passion’.

In other Hibs news, manager Tony Mowbray was upset at the end of last week at Aberdeen going public over their interest in Dean Shiels: “I was slightly surprised that another club has been talking about our player,” said Mowbray. “Dean has another three years left on his deal. There is very little chance Dean Shiels will be leaving this football club.”
Grant McCann was on target again last Saturday and put in another great performance as Cheltenham beat Huddersfield 2-1.

Sproule wreaks havoc – Hibs 2 Rangers 1

There were no Northern Irish players on the scoresheet in Hibs’ latest defeat of Rangers, but according to the match report, ‘Ivan Sproule wreaked havoc with his pace and passion’.

In other Hibs news, manager Tony Mowbray was upset at the end of last week at Aberdeen going public over their interest in Dean Shiels: “I was slightly surprised that another club has been talking about our player,” said Mowbray. “Dean has another three years left on his deal. There is very little chance Dean Shiels will be leaving this football club.”
Grant McCann was on target again last Saturday and put in another great performance as Cheltenham beat Huddersfield 2-1.

Shiels and Sproule on target

Both came on as subs to score in a 3-0 win over Dundee United at the weekend.

Shiels and Sproule on target

Both came on as subs to score in a 3-0 win over Dundee United at the weekend.

Beacom’s campaign fails – Lawrie Stays!

Lawrie Sanchez will see out his contract as Northern Ireland manager. Despite the best efforts of Belfast Telegraph journalist Steven Beacom to undermine Lawrie’s reign (claiming that the fans felt let down by Sanchez, that we’d never really warmed to an ‘English’ manager anyway), Lawrie issued a statement on Saturday saying he’s staying. It was undoubtedly a nasty shock for Beacom, who ensured that the day after our famous victory over Spain, his paper carried the FRONT and back page headlines about Sanchez quitting – not the heroics of the night before. His evidence for this was that the grieving Sanchez refused to talk to Beacom at 6am at Belfast City Airport as he flew home to attend a funeral. The next day, his headlines read ‘End of the Road’ and ‘It’s all over’.
However Sanchez clearly saw through Becom’s phoney claims to represent the NI fans – in his statement he says he stayed ‘largely thanks to the tremendous messages of support I’ve received from the people of Northern Ireland’.
Of course, Beacom couldn’t resist yet more attacks on Sanchez when the boss finally decided to stay on – in Saturday’s ‘Ireland’s Saturday Night’ he tried to claim that Sanchez’ statement ‘raises more questions than it answers’. He threw doubt on Lawrie’s claims that he’ll honour his contract, saying we’ve no reason to trust him. And of course, they couldn’t resist yet another dig, asking if Lawrie wanted his tie and jacket back – forgetting of course that no-one saw what Lawrie did as a sign he was leaving until Beacom started spouting his nonsense.
So Lawrie stays! Brilliant!! Now the campaign to boycott the Belfast Telegraph gains momentum!!