MAY 2001
www.celtic-connection.com
Page 27
Celtic Fans Riot in Dublin
DUBLIN - Rioting broke out on Dublin's O'Connell Street on the afternoon of April 29, when jubilant soccer fans, with too much to drink, blocked traffic and refused to obey garda instructions to clear the road.
An estimated 200 people were involved and 29 were arrested and charged with public order offences. The real action was in Glasgow where Celtic were adding to their list of successes with a 3-0 victory over archrivals Rangers. At the end of the game, which had been televised live, supporters spilled out of a pub onto O'Connell Street and their celebrations got out of hand.
Street Parties in Parkhead
Celtic fans celebrated lustily on April 7, when their team clinched the League Championship with a 1-0 win over St Mirren. It was "only" the second time in nine years that they had won the trophy - many fans recall the glory days when Celtic won nine consecutive titles. Streets in the east end of Glasgow - and elsewhere - were decked in green and white stripes. One party in Royston had 7,000 fans congregating.
O'Neill Denies Manchester Move
With the retirement at the end of next season of Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United, there is always speculation about who will succeed him. As a result, there have been renewed rumours that Martin O'Neill, the Celtic manager, was the favourite to replace Ferguson. Considering O'Neill's success, it would be surprising if he was not on the list of potential candidates. But O'Neill himself is adamant that he wants to stay with Celtic.
Glasgow to Host Unique Athletics Event
Top athletes from Great Britain, United States and Russia are to compete in a unique sports event in Glasgow on July 1. Originally scheduled to be a British/US athletics competition, the addition of the Russians makes it the first triangular meeting involving the three countries since the 1960s. The prize money of 8250,000, the biggest prize fund for any international match worldwide, is attracting the top athletes. Maurice Greene the 100 - metre Olympic champion and Yiriy Borzakovsky the world indoor champion in the 800-metre will be there along with a host of other stars.
Rugby Ground May Be Uninsurable
The rugby ground at Murrayfield which hosts Scotland's international matches may become uninsurable if it is flooded again. It has been flooded three times in the last 16 years - the last time was a year ago when the club was left with a repair bill of ill.5 million when flooding of the nearby Water of Leith meant that the heating and ventilation system had to be replaced and ground staff had to work around the clock to get the ground in condition for the English Rugby League Challenge Cup Final. If the ground is flooded again, insurers will raise their premiums so high it will be uneconomic to provide for flood cover. Edinburgh City Council are working on proposals to enhance the flood defences but these will take some time to bear fruit.
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New Sports Stadium Costs Under Review
DUBLIN - Irish Minister for Tourism Jim McDaid has announced that the Government will commission independent consultants to review all the costs associated with the development of Sports Campus Ireland, including the new national stadium.
The intention is to put an end to all the uninformed speculation as to the ultimate cost of the project. At this stage, McDaid believes the project will cost IR£550 million, of which IR£200 million will be invested or donated by the private sector. The best estimation of the final cost will actually be known on June 21 when all the tenders
The new consultants will also concern themselves with ongoing costs and projected income. You should be aware that sections of the media have labelled the new Stadium the "Bertie Bowl," in fact the Irish Examiner recently included the two words in its main headline on four editions out of
Ahem has promised that the Campus Ireland sports complex will be the country's legacy from the boom years. He declared, "It is not an ego trip for me, for politicians or athletes. It will stand as a legacy of the prosperous era." Ahern fended off critics of the massive project with a phase-one plan that will include a 50-metre swimming pool and an 80,000-seat football stadium.
- The Irish Independent
Sports Legend Jim Baxter Dies
GLASGOW - Football fans were saddened when one of the real "greats" of Scottish football lost his fight against cancer and passed away. Jim Baxter was larger than life both on and off the pitch. TV news reports on his death frequently showed him cavorting 20 yards down the pitch at Wembley, playing "keepie-uppie" with the ball - and this in an international in 1967 against England, the newly crowned World Champions.
But his arrogance was justified -Scotland won that day by 3-2 in a match which many claim was Scotland's greatest against the "Auld Enemy." Four years earlier, "Slim Jim" scored both goals in a 2-1 defeat of England.
In the first five years of Baxter's career at Glasgow Rangers, which started in 1960, the team won three league championships and two Scottish cups. Off the pitch, he was a hard-drinking, sociable man, fidl of good humour. But that life eventually caught up with him - he had two liver transplants in 1994.
Rangers fans - and also those from other teams such as Celtic -have transformed the Copland Road end entrance to the Ibrox Stadium into a shrine with scarves and flags. There were 2,000 mourners at the funeral on April 20 at Glasgow Cathedral.
Baxter's ashes will be placed under the turf behind the goal at the Copland Road end at Ibrox. Rangers are also looking at ways of creating a permanent memorial to a great player.
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