Wednesday, 6 December 2023

How many caps does Megan Connolly have?

Following the Republic of Ireland's final 2023 UEFA Nations League game, the FAI tweeted congratulations to Megan Connolly on her 50th cap

This was a little surprising to us, because we had posted on mastodon 🔗 and blue sky 🔗 that it was actually the Bristol City midfielder's 51st cap, having reached the half century against Hungary at Tallaght Stadium in the previous game.

So, which is correct?

Prior to the FIFA Women's World Cup last summer, we started an initiative to bring the Wikipedia pages for each player in the Women's squad up to date, including corrected tables for appearances and goals. We did notice a discrepency on Megan's page, and asked for help on the Talk section of the page. The table below is taken from the talk section on Megan Connolly's page, with the games that took place since the last update to the page added in, containing the cap number, the date of each cap, and a link to a report on the game containing the lineup, from either RTE, the Irish Times, UEFA's website, FIFA's website, or the FAI's own website.

Cap Date Result
1 23 January 2016 USA 5-0 Republic of Ireland🔗
2 2 March 2016 Austria 2-0 Republic of Ireland🔗
3 4 March 2016 Italy 1-1 Republic of Ireland🔗
4 7 March 2016 Hungary 1-0 Republic of Ireland🔗
5 9 March 2016 Finland 0-2 Republic of Ireland🔗
6 3 June 2016 Republic of Ireland 1-4 Finland🔗
7 7 June 2016 Republic of Ireland 9-0 Montenegro🔗
8 1 March 2017 Republic of Ireland 2-0 Czech Republic🔗
9 3 March 2017 Republic of Ireland 0-0 Hungary🔗
10 6 March 2017 Republic of Ireland 1-0 Wales🔗
11 8 March 2017 Republic of Ireland 0-2 North Korea🔗
12 10 April 2017 Republic of Ireland 1-0 Slovakia🔗
13 8 June 2017 Republic of Ireland 0-0 Iceland🔗
14 7 July 2017 Scotland 1-0 Republic of Ireland🔗
15 6 April 2018 Republic of Ireland 2-1 Slovakia🔗
16 10 April 2018 Republic of Ireland 0-2 Netherlands🔗
17 12 June 2018 Norway 1-0 Republic of Ireland🔗
18 20 January 2019 Belgium 0-1 Republic of Ireland🔗
19 28 February 2019 Wales 0-0 Republic of Ireland🔗
20 5 March 2019 Wales 0-1 Republic of Ireland🔗
21 9 April 2019 Italy 2-1 Republic of Ireland🔗
22 3 September 2019 Republic of Ireland 2-0 Montenegro🔗
23 8 October 2019 Republic of Ireland 3-2 Ukraine🔗
24 19 September 2020 Germany 3-0 Republic of Ireland🔗
25 23 October 2020 Ukraine 1-0 Republic of Ireland🔗
26 8 April 2021 Republic of Ireland 0-1 Denmark🔗
27 11 April 2021 Belgium 1-0 Republic of Ireland🔗
28 11 June 2021 Iceland 3-2 Republic of Ireland🔗
29 15 June 2021 Iceland 2-0 Republic of Ireland🔗
30 21 October 2021 Republic of Ireland 0-1 Sweden🔗
31 26 October 2021 Finland 1-2 Republic of Ireland🔗
32 25 November 2021 Republic of Ireland 1-1 Slovakia🔗
33 30 November 2021 Republic of Ireland 1-0 Georgia🔗
34 16 February 2022 Poland 1-2 Republic of Ireland🔗
35 12 April 2022 Sweden 1-1 Republic of Ireland🔗
36 19 June 2022 Philippines 0-1 Republic of Ireland🔗
37 27 June 2022 Georgia 0-9 Republic of Ireland🔗
38 1 September 2022 Republic of Ireland 1-0 Finland🔗
39 22 February 2023 China PR 0-0 Republic of Ireland🔗
40 8 April 2023 Republic of Ireland 0-2 USA🔗
41 12 April 2023 USA 1-0 Republic of Ireland🔗
42 22 June 2023 Republic of Ireland 3-2 Zambia🔗
43 6 July 2023 Republic of Ireland 0-3 France🔗
44 20 July 2023 Australia 1-0 Republic of Ireland🔗
45 26 July 2023 Canada 2-1 Republic of Ireland🔗
46 31 July 2023 Republic of Ireland 0-0 Nigeria🔗
47 23 September 2023 Republic of Ireland 3-0 Northern Ireland🔗
48 26 September 2023 Hungary 0-4 Republic of Ireland🔗
49 27 October 2023 Republic of Ireland 5-1 Albania🔗
50 1 December 2023 Republic of Ireland 1-0 Hungary🔗
51 5 December 2023 Northern Ireland 1-6 Republic of Ireland🔗

Thursday, 30 November 2023

Episode 65 - The End Of The Road

I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to discuss the Republic of Ireland Men's Team's final Euro 2024 qualifier against the Netherlands, and the final game of 2023 against New Zealand, which became the final two games of Stephen Kenny's reign following the FAI's announcement that his contract would not be extended.

With the recruitment process for a new manager already in progress, what are we looking for in the new manager, and who are the favourites for the position?

Friday, 3 November 2023

Round Up for week of Tuesday, 31st October 2023

Tuesday, 31st October 2023
League 1
Derby County 4-0 Northampton Town
Conor Hourihane assisted a goal for the first time in ten weeks

Wigan 2-3 Charlton Athletic
Babajide Adeeko was booked for the fifth time this season

Wycombe Wanderers 0-0 Cambridge United
Killian Phillips made his tenth start for Wycombe Wanderers

League 2
Barrow 1-0 Morecambe
Mazeed Ogungbo's introduction was his 25th appearance in League Two

Swiss Cup
Bellinzona 0-1 FC Zurich
Armstrong Oko-Flex was named in the Zurich starting XI for the first time in seven weeks

English League Cup
Mansfield Town 0-1 Port Vale
Stephen McLaughlin's introduction was his first appearance of the season

Football League Trophy
Bradford City 3-0 Manchester City U21
Colin Doyle was shown his first yellow card since September 2017

Wednesday, 1st November 2023
League 1
Fleetwood Town 3-3 Blackpool
Promise Omochere scored his first goal of the season


Scottish Premiership
Celtic 2-1 St Mirren
Liam Scales' start was his 25th appearance for Celtic

Motherwell 2-4 Aberdeen
Conor Wilkinson was named in the starting XI for the first time in eleven weeks
Jamie McGrath marked his 100th appearance in the Scottish Premiership with his first goals in a month

St Johnstone 2-1 Kilmarnock
Graham Carey's first assist in two months was his fifth assist for St Johnstone

Dundee 0-5 Rangers
In his 300th appearance in the Scottish Premiership, Joe Shaughnessy was booked for the first time since Monday, 2 January 2023

English League Cup
Ipswich Town 1-3 Fulham
Marcus Harness was booked for the first time this season
Jack Taylor assisted a goal for the first time this season

Bournemouth 1-2 Liverpool
Caoimhin Kelleher made his 25th appearance for Liverpool's senior team - starting each one

KNVB Cup
Den Bosch 1-2 Excelsior
Troy Parrott started a game for Excelsior for the first time

Copa del Rey
Tardienta 0-12 Getafe
John-Joe Finn marked his first appearance since January 2021 with his first senior goal

Tuesday, 31 October 2023

Round Up for weekend of Friday, 27th October 2023

Friday, 27th October 2023
Scottish Championship
Queen's Park 2-2 Partick Thistle
Ruairi Paton's first goal in five weeks was his tenth goal for Queen's Park

Belgian Challenger Pro League
KV Oostende 0-0 Patro Eisden
Liam Bossin was booked for the first time this season

Lommel 1-1 Zulte Waragem
Joel Bagan was booked for the first time since Friday, 25th August

Eredivisie
Vitesse Arnhem 1-1 PEC Zwolle
Anselmo Garcia MacNulty was shown his first yellow card in eight weeks

Saturday, 28 October 2023
Premier League
Bournemouth 2-1 Burnley
Josh Cullen was booked for the fifth time this season
Dara O'Shea assisted a goal for the first time since Saturday, 20th August 2022

Championship
Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Swansea City
Andrew Moran was booked for the first time since Saturday, 23rd September

Cardiff 2-0 Bristol City
Jason Knight was named in a starting XI for the 150th time in his career

Ipswich Town 3-2 Plymouth Argyle
Marcus Harness scored his tenth goal for Ipswich Town

Middlesbrough 0-2 Stoke City
Alex Gilbert's introduction(his first appearance in five weeks) was his first appearance in the Championship
Jack Bonham's start was his first appearance since Wednesday, 27th September

Sunderland 3-1 Norwich City
Adam Idah was booked for the first time this season

League 1
Barnsley 2-2 Fleetwood Town
Corey O'Keeffe scored his first goal of the season - this was his first goal since Tuesday, 18 October 2022

Exeter City 1-1 Lincoln City
Paudie O'Connor assisted a goal for the first time since Tuesday, 8th August

Oxford United 2-2 Wycombe Wanderers
Richard Keogh made his tenth start for Wycombe Wanderers

Port Vale 1-2 Cheltenham
Sean Long's brace was the defender's first goals since Saturday, 1 October 2022
Will Ferry was booked for the first time this season

League 2
Doncaster Rovers 1-0 Grimsby Town
Gavan Holohan was booked for the first time this season

Mansfield Town 2-1 Walsall
David Okagbue's start was first appearance since Saturday, 9th September

MK Dons 3-2 Swindon Town
Warren O'Hora's first goal since Saturday, 26th August was the tenth goal of his career

Notts County 0-2 Wrexham
Dan Crowley was booked for the first time in six weeks

Sutton United 2-1 Bradford City
Aiden O'Brien assisted a goal for the first time in seven weeks

Scottish Premiership
Hibernian 0-0 Celtic
Mikey Johnston came off the bench for his first appearance of the season for Celtic's senior team

Livingston 0-2 Dundee
Joe Shaughnessy's brace was his first goals for new club Dundee

St Mirren 4-0 St Johnstone
Charles Dunne's introduction was his first appearance in a month

Scottish Championship
Ayr 0-1 Greenock Morton
Alan Power made his first assist of the season

Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1-0 Airdrie Utd
Zak Delaney made his 50th appearance for Inverness Caledonian Thistle
After signing for them on a short term contract, Cillian Sheridan made his first appearance for Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Sunday, 29th October 2023
Premier League
Brighton and Hove Albion 1-1 Fulham
Evan Ferguson's fifth goal of the season was also his 15th goal for Brighton

Evan Ferguson,Georgie Kelly,Ryan Johansson,Joe Mason

Thursday, 26 October 2023

Round Up for week of Tuesday, 24th October 2023

Tuesday, 24th October 2023
Championship
West Bromwich Albion 2-0 QPR
Jimmy Dunne was sent off for the second time in his career - the first time since May 2018

League 1
Barnsley 3-0 Shrewsbury Town
Barry Cotter returned to the Barnsley starting XI for his first start since Tuesday, 19th September

Blackpool 3-2 Cheltenham
Sean Long was booked for the first time in ten weeks

Lincoln City 3-1 Charlton Athletic
Sean Roughan marked his 60th start for Lincoln City with his first goal since Tuesday, 8th August

Reading 1-2 Fleetwood Town
Bosun Lawal scored his first goal for Fleetwood

Northampton Town 2-2 Leyton Orient
Aaron Drinan started a game for the first time in five weeks

League 2
AFC Wimbledon 2-4 Accrington Stanley
Seamus Conneely's introduction was his first appearance in six weeks

Forest Green Rovers 0-2 Barrow
Sam Foley scored his fifth goal in the competition

MK Dons 4-1 Bradford City
Conor Grant started a game for the first time in five weeks

Swindon Town 0-1 Gillingham
Conor Masterson's start was his 100th career appearance

Wrexham 2-1 Sutton United
James McClean was booked for the fifth time this season and is suspended for the next game
Aiden O'Brien scored his first goal since Tuesday, 29th August

Wednesday, 25th October 2023
Championship
Plymouth Argyle 3-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Finn Azaz assisted a goal for the tenth time for Plymouth

Preston North End 2-2 Southampton
Gavin Bazunu marked his 50th appearance for Southampton with his first yellow card since February 2022
Will Smallbone made his first assist of the season

Rotherham 2-0 Coventry
Georgie Kelly came off the bench to make his first assist of the season

Thursday, 26th October 2023
Europa League
Liverpool 5-1 Tolouse
Caoimhin Kelleher's start was his 25th career appearance


Episode 63 - The Road To Acceptance

I'm joined by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to discuss two games we really don't want to talk about. There was an element of denial about qualifying for the European Championships in Germany next year when the group draw was made. We've been angry with the results, the most losses in a single campaign since the 1972 European Championships, and despite numerous bargaining efforts with whatever god would listen, it's all left us pretty depressed with the current state of the national side men's team. to the point where we have all accepted the manager's time in charge is ending soon.

Tuesday, 24 October 2023

Round Up for weekend of Saturday, 21st October 2023

Saturday, 21st October 2023
Premier League
Five Irish players were named as starting players in the Premier League for the first time since May 2021
Brentford 3-0 Burnley
Three Irish players(Nathan Collines, Dara O'Shea, and Josh Cullen) were named in the starting XI of a single game for the first time since David McGoldrick, John Egan, Enda Stevens, and Jimmy Dunne started when Sheffield United played Burnley in May 2021

Nottingham Forest 2-2 Luton Town
Chiedozie Ogbene scored his first goal for Luton Town, and his first Premier League goal

Championship
Preston North End 1-1 Millwall
Greg Cunningham was booked for the first time this season - this was the defender's first booking since December 2022
Will Keane assisted a goal for the first time in ten weeks
Aidomo Emakhu was named in the Millwall starting XI for the first time

Hull City 1-2 Southampton
Will Smallbone scored his fifth goal in the Championship
Ryan Manning booking(his first in five weeks) was his fifth of the 2023/24 season and the defender is suspended for the next game

Norwich City 2-3 Leeds United
Shane Duffy scored his first goal for Norwich City, but unfortunately also scored his first own goal since August 2016 - the first Irish player to score at both ends in the same game since Cyrus Christie in Hull-Middlesbrough in November 2022

Stoke City 2-1 Sunderland
Enda Stevens' start was his first appearance in seven weeks
Luke McNally scored his first goal for Stoke City

League 1
Burton Albion 4-1 Bristol Rovers
Ryan Sweeney assisted a goal for the first time this season

Cheltenham 1-0 Cambridge United
Will Ferry's start was his 50th appearance for Cheltenham

Portsmouth 1-0 Carlisle United
Joe Rafferty was booked for the first time in a month

League 2
Gillingham 1-2 Notts County
David McGoldrick was booked for the fifth time this season and is suspended for the next game
Dan Crowley assisted a goal for the first time in a month

Australian A-League Men
Macarthur 1-1 Brisbane Roar
Jay O'Shea's scored his first goal in eight week

Sunday, 22nd October 2023
Ligue Un
Lyon 1-2 Clermont
Jake O'Brien was booked for the first time this season

Eredivisie
Excelsior 2-4 PEC Zwolle

Monday, 23rd October 2023
Serie A
Udinese 1-1 Lecce
Festy Ebosele was booked for the first time this season


Wednesday, 4 October 2023

Round Up for weekend of Saturday, 30th September 2023

Saturday, 30th September 2023
Championship
Southampton 3-1 Leeds United
Will Smallbone scored his first goal of the season - this was the fifth goal of the midfielder's career

Hull City 1-1 Plymouth Argyle
Sean McLoughlin started a game for the first time in five weeks
Both Cyrus Christie and Finn Azaz were booked for the first time this season

Norwich City 2-0 Birmingham City
Kevin Long was booked for the first time this season

Preston North End 0-4 West Bromwich Albion
Will Keane's introduction was his first appearance since Saturday, 2nd September

QPR 1-3 Coventry
Sinclair Armstrong assisted a goal for the first time in seven weeks

League 1
Shrewsbury Town 0-0 Charlton Athletic
Louie Watson was booked for the first time this season

Wigan 1-2 Portsmouth
Conor Shaughnessy assisted a goal the first time since February 2022

League 2
AFC Wimbledon 4-1 Tranmere Rovers
In his first appearance since Saturday, 19 August, Lee O'Connor was booked for the first time in eight weeks

Bradford City 1-3 Walsall
Ross Tierney was booked for the first time this season

MK Dons 0-1 Harrogate Town
Warren O'Hora scored an own goal for the first time since December 2021

Swindon Town 2-1 Grimsby Town
Liam Kinsella's introduction was his first appearance in five weeks

Scottish Premiership
Motherwell 1-2 Celtic
Dan Casey assisted a goal for the first time since signing for Motherwell

Kilmarnock 1-1 St Mirren
Corrie Ndaba started a game for the first time in six weeks

St Johnstone 1-1 Livingston
Dara Costelloe scored his first goal in senior football

Belgian Challenger Pro League
Francs Borains 0-2 RFC Seraing
Matt Healy shown his first yellow card in six weeks

Sunday, 1st October 2023
Ligue Un
Reims 2-0 Lyon
Jake O'Brien's start was his first appearance for Lyon - the first Irish player to appear in Ligue Un since Tony Cascarino in the 1999/2000 season for AS Nancy

Swiss Super League
Luzern 1-4 FC Zurich
Armstrong Oko-Flex scored his first goal in the Swiss Super League

Eredivisie
Excelsior 2-1 Sparta Rotterdam
After scoring his second goal in two games, Troy Parrott was booked for the first time this season

MLS
Colorado Rapids 1-0 Austin FC
Jon Gallagher's start was his 100th appearance for Austin FC

Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2-2 D.C. United
Derrick Williams made his 25th appearance for D.C. United

Swedish Allsvenskan
Häcken 2-0 AIK
Zachary Elbouzedi's introduction was his first appearance in six weeks

Monday, 2nd October 2023
Indian Super League
Goa 1-0 Punjab
Carl McHugh was booked on his first appearance for Goa

Friday, 29 September 2023

Round Up for week of Tuesday, 26th September 2023

Tuesday, 26th September 2023
English League Cup
Ipswich Town 3-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Jack Taylor scored his first goal in seven weeks
Marcus Harness assisted three goal in one game - the first Irish player to do that in English football since Will Smallbone did so for Stoke against Sunderland in March 2023

Port Vale 2-1 Sutton United
Aiden O'Brien was booked for the first time this season

Bradford City 0-2 Middlesbrough
Alex Gilbert made his first appearance for Middlesbrough - this was the striker's first appearance in senior football since December 2021

Salford City 0-4 Burnley
Dara O'Shea scored his first goal for Burnley - just over a year after the defender's last goal on Saturday, 17th September 2022

Scottish League Cup
Kilmarnock 1-2 Hearts
Corrie Ndaba's introduction was his first appearance in five weeks

Football League Trophy
Barnsley 3-1 Manchester City U21
Conor McCarthy scored his first goal for Barnsley - this was the defender's first goal since April 2022

Burton Albion 2-0 Everton U21
Ryan Sweeney started a game for the first time in six weeks

Wednesday, 27th September 2023
English League Cup
Blackburn Rovers 5-2 Cardiff
Sammie Szmodics' introduction was his 50th appearance for Blackburn Rovers
Andrew Moran scored twice (including his first goal for Blackburn) and assisted twice in the same game - the first Irish player to score and assist more than one goal in the same game since Aaron Drinan for Leyton Orient against Hartlepool in October 2021
Callum Robinson scored his first goal of the season in his first start since February 2023

Scottish League Cup
Ross County 1-2 Aberdeen
Jonathan Hayes started a game for the first time in a month

Serie A
Napoli 4-1 Udinese
Festy Ebosele started a game Udinese for the tenth time - this was his 25th appearance for Udinese


Wednesday, 27 September 2023

Episode 63 - A Game Of Two Hearts

I'm joined on the show by Mark O'Brien to discuss his life in football, from moving to Derby at 15, winning Ireland U16 Player of the Year, making his senior debut, and being diagnosed with a leaking aorta (all in the space of 12 months!) the recovery from that, and another serious injury, to playing in Scotland, non-league, and scoring one of the most important goals in Newport County history. 

You can order Mark's book, A Game Of Two Hearts, from Morgan Lawrence here: A Game Of Two Hearts

Friday, 22 September 2023

Round of week of Tuesday, 19th September 2023

Tuesday, 19th September 2023
Championship
Preston North End 2-1 Birmingham City
Kevin Long's start was his 200th career appearance

Southampton 0-1 Ipswich Town
Jack Taylor was booked for the first time this season

Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Middlesbrough
Darragh Lenihan scored his first goal for Middlesbrough - this was the defender's first goal since April 2022

League 1
Barnsley 2-3 Portsmouth
Barry Cotter scored his second goal of the season - the second time in his career he's scored twice in a single season
Joe Rafferty was booked for the first time this season

Football League Trophy
Derby County 2-0 Lincoln City
James Collins assisted a goal for the first time this season in his first start in a month
Dylan Duffy started a game for the first time this season
Oisin Gallagher made his first career start

Shrewsbury Town 0-0 Brighton and Hove Albion U21
Leigh Kavanagh was booked for the first time this season

Sutton United 2-2 Aston Villa U21
Aaron O'Reilly made his first appearance of the season

Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 Crystal Palace U21
Kieran Sadlier's start was his first appearance for Wycombe Wanderers
Both Richard Keogh and Sean Grehan were booked for the first time this season

Leyton Orient 2-2 Fulham U21
Aaron Drinan made his first start of the season
Oliver O'Neill scored his first goal in senior football

Oxford United 0-1 MK Dons
Michael Kelly made his first appearance for MK Dons
Conor Grant's start was his 100th career appearance

Bristol Rovers 1-3 West Ham U21
Sean Moore made his first appearance for West Ham U21

Wednesday, 20th September 2023
Championship
Hull City 0-0 Leeds United
Cyrus Christie started a game for the first time in six weeks

Millwall 3-0 Rotherham
Dan McNamara's introduction was his 100th appearance in the Championship

Thursday, 21 September 2023
Europa League
LASK 1-3 Liverpool
Caoimhin Kelleher's start was his first appearance of the season

MLS
Colorado Rapids 1-2 Seattle Sounders FC
Connor Ronan started a game for the Rapids for the 30th time

Thursday, 14 September 2023

Episode 62 - Nearing the end of the road

I'm joined by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick, Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football, and James Carew of pogmogoal to discuss the two Euro 2024 qualifiers against France and the Netherlands, and what the results mean for the manager Stephen Kenny - how close are we now to the end of his reign, and who will take over after him? Also, James learns the forfeit he has to pay after guaranteeing that Josh Cullen would be sold by Burnley in the summer

Wednesday, 6 September 2023

Round Up for weekend of Saturday, 2nd September 2023

Saturday, 2nd September 2023
Premier League
Brentford 2-2 Bournemouth
Nathan Collins assisted a goal for the first time since Saturday, 17th October 2020

Burnley 2-5 Tottenham Hotspur
Josh Cullen assisted a goal for Burnley for the fifth time

Championship
Swansea City 1-2 Bristol City
Mark Sykes scored his first goal of the season

Plymouth Argyle 3-0 Blackburn Rovers
Finn Azaz scored his first goal of the season
Following his senior debut in the League Cup, Thomas Bloxham made his first league appearance

Stoke City 0-2 Preston North End
Enda Stevens was booked for the first time since Saturday, 12th November 2022
Greg Cunningham's introduction, his first appearance of the season, was his 350th career appearance

West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Huddersfield Town
Jayson Molumby's start was his 150th career appearance

League 1
Charlton 2-1 Fleetwood Town
Cian Hayes was booked for the first time this season

Northampton Town 0-1 Wycombe Wanderers
Richard Keogh scored his first goal for Wycombe Wanderers - this was the defenders first goal since Wednesday, 1st May 2019

League 2
Grimsby Town 2-0 Gillingham
Gavan Holohan scored his first goal of the season

Walsall 1-0 Colchester United
David Okagbue made his first appearance for Walsall

Eredivisie
Almere City 1-2 PEC Zwolle
Anselmo Garcia MacNulty was named in the PEC Zwolle starting XI for the first time

Sunday, 3rd September 2023
Scottish Premiership
Rangers 0-1 Celtic
In his tenth start for Celtic, Liam Scales was booked for the first time this season




Monday, 4 September 2023

Episode 61 - Two Top Ten Teams

I'm joined by Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to discuss the senior mens squad announced by Stephen Kenny to face France and the Netherlands, both ranked in the top ten in the world by FIFA, and the U21 squad announced by Jim Crawford to face Turkiye and San Marino

And we haven't forgotten what James Carew said when he joined us in June...

Friday, 1 September 2023

Round Up for week of Tuesday, 26th August 2023

Tuesday, 29th August 2023
English League Cup
Stoke City 6-1 Rotherham
Jack Bonham's start was his first appearance of the season

Wrexham 1-1 Bradford City
James McClean made his first appearance for Wrexham, and was shown his first yellow card of the season six minutes later
Emmanuel Osadebe made his first start of the season - this was the defender's first start since Saturday, 30th July 2022

Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-0 Blackpool
Matt Doherty marked his first appearance in his second spell at Wolves with two goals - his first goals in the League Cup
Joe Hodge's start was his first appearance of the season
Nathan Fraser scored on his senior career debut

Luton Town 3-2 Gillingham
Chiedozie Ogbene was named in the Luton Town starting XI for the first time

Wycombe Wanderers 0-1 Sutton United
Aiden O'Brien scored his first goal for Sutton United

Wednesday, 30th August 2023
English League Cup
Harrogate Town 0-8 Blackburn Rovers
Andrew Moran assisted a goal on his first start for loan club Blackburn Rovers
Zak Gilsenan scored his second career goal in his second senior appearance
Thomas Bloxham marked his senior career debut with a goal

Sheffield United 0-0 Lincoln City
John Egan started a game for the 400th time in his career

Chelsea 2-1 AFC Wimbledon
Alex Pearce was booked for the first time this season

Thursday, 31st August 2023
Europa League
Aberdeen 1-3 Häcken
Jamie McGrath was booked for the first time this season in his first start for Aberdeen

Monday, 28 August 2023

Round Up for weekend of Friday, 25th August 2023

Friday, 25th August 2023
Championship
Hull City 1-1 Bristol City
Mark Sykes assisted a goal for the first time this season, this was the midfielder's first assist since January

Belgian Challenger Pro League
RFC Seraing 0-5 Zulte Waragem
Joel Bagan was booked for the first time this season - this was the full back's first yellow card since January

Saturday, 26th August 2023
Premier League
Everton 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Tom Cannon's introduction was his his first appearance of the season

Brighton and Hove Albion 1-3 West Ham United
Evan Ferguson was named in the Brighton starting XI for the first time this season

Championship
Birmingham City 2-1 Plymouth Argyle
Scott Hogan scored his first goal of the season - this was his first goal since Saturday, 4th February

Huddersfield Town 0-4 Norwich City
Shane Duffy started a game for the 300th time in his career
Adam Idah assisted a goal for the first time this season

Millwall 1-0 Stoke City
Luke McNally made his 25th appearance in the Championship

Preston North End 2-1 Swansea City
Alan Browne made his first assist of the season, this was his first assist since Saturday, 25th February

Southampton 2-1 QPR
Ryan Manning assisted a goal, in fact two, for Southampton for the first time

West Bromwich Albion 4-2 Middlesbrough
Jayson Molumby made his first assist of the season - this was the fifth time Molumby assisted a goal for West Brom

League 1
Leyton Orient 2-0 Cambridge United
Glenn McConnell made his first appearance for Cambridge United

Peterborough 2-4 Derby County
Eiran Cashin scored his first goal of the season

Stevenage 0-0 Portsmouth
Joe Rafferty was sent off for the sixth time in his career, almost three years after his last red card, in November 2020

League 2
Barrow 1-1 Wrexham
Sam Foley made his 50th appearance for Barrow
Niall Canavan was booked for the first time this season
Thomas O'Connor was booked for the first time this season

Bradford City 1-0 Crewe Alexandra
Lewis Richards was booked for the first time since Tuesday, 25 October 2022

Gillingham 0-3 Colchester United
Fiacre Kelleher marked his first appearance of the season with his first goal of the season

MK Dons 2-1 Doncaster Rovers
Warren O'Hora scored his first goal of the season

Scottish Premiership
Celtic 0-0 St Johnstone
Liam Scales' start was his first appearance of the season
Dara Costelloe made his first appearance for St Johnstone

Motherwell 2-1 Kilmarnock
Dan Casey scored his first goal for Motherwell - this was his first goal since Thursday, 21 April 2022

Scottish Championship
Greenock Morton 0-3 Arbroath
Alan Power was booked for the first time this season

Eredivisie
Excelsior 2-2 Fortuna Sittard
Troy Parrott made his first appearance for loan club Excelsior

Australian FFA Cup
Sydney United 0-5 Brisbane Roar
Jay O'Shea scored his 20th goal for Brisbane Roar

Sunday, 27th August 2023
Premier League
Burnley 1-3 Aston Villa
Josh Cullen made his 50th start for Burnley

Sheffield United 1-2 Manchester City
John Egan was booked for the first time this season

Championship
Watford 0-1 Blackburn Rovers
Andrew Moran made his first appearance for loan club Blackburn Rovers

Scottish Premiership
St Mirren 2-2 Aberdeen
Jonathan Hayes scored his first goal of the season, more than a year after his last goal on Saturday, 13 August 2022

Eredivisie
PEC Zwolle 1-0 FC Utrecht
Anselmo Garcia MacNulty made his first appearance for PEC Zwolle


Friday, 4 August 2023

Episode 60 - 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Group B

I'm joined by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick to review the performances of the Republic of Ireland's Women's team in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. What did we think of how the side played against co-hosts Australia, Olympic Champions Canada, and African Cup of Nations semi finalists Nigeria, and who did we think excelled from the squad?

We also review the group stage as a whole and look forward to the round of 16

(note this was recorded before the final fixtures of the group stages, and contains speculation on Germany's performance in the knock out stages)

Tuesday, 1 August 2023

August 2023 Transfer, Loans, and Contracts

Transfers
Tuesday, 1st August
Following the expiration of his contract with Wycombe Wanderers, Daryl Horgan returned to Dundalk FC

Wednesday, 2nd August
Aaron Connolly joined Hull City, signing a one year contract with the Tigers

Thursday, 3rd August
19 year old defender Emmanuel Aegboyega signed a long term contract with Norwich City, and will initially join their academy setup

Friday, 4th August
Following a year in Spain with Levante, Tyler Toland has returned to England, signing a two year deal with Blackburn Rovers

James McClean signed a 12 month contract with promoted side Wrexham FC

Saturday, 5th August
Dubliner Josh O'Brien signed a one year contract with Hamilton Academical
Thursday, 10th August
Fionn Mooney left Crystal Palace to sign for Segunda Division side Real Valladolid

Tuesday, 15th August
Gemma McGuinness was one of five new signings announced by AFC Bournemouth

Goalkeeper Grace Moloney signed a two year contract with London City Lionesses

Wednesday, 16th August
Experienced defender Niamh Farrelly returned to England from Italy to sign for London City Lionesses

Friday, 18th August
Former underage defender Lewis Richards joined League Two side Bradford City

Satuday, 19th August
Lily Agg joined the Irish contingent at Birmingham City, signing a one year contract with the Blues, with the option of a further 12 months

Tuesday, 22nd August
Carl McHugh left ATK Mohun Bagan to sign for fellow ISL side FC Goa

Jamie McGrath returned to Scotland, signing a two year contract with Aberdeen

Winger Justin Ferizaj signed for Serie B Champions Frosinone
Wednesday, 23rd August
Ruesha Littlejohn joined London City Lionesses, signing a two year contract

Thursday, 24th August
Cathal Heffernan joined Newcastle United

Ahead of the new WSL season, Megan Connolly signed for Bristol City

Following his release from Brighton, former U19 midfielder Matt Everitt signed for Dorking Wanderers

Wednesday, 30th August
Heather Payne signed a two year contract with Everton

Friday, 25th August
Ryan Johansson has signed for SC Freiburg and will initially play for their U23 side

Friday, 1st September
Full back James Furlong signed a three year contract with Hull City

Andrew Omobamidele completed a transfer to Nottingham Forest, signing a five year contract at the City Ground

Elite Project Group confirmed that their client Ike Orazi has signed for Ligue Un side Stade de Reims
Loans
Tuesday, 1st August
Aiden O'Brien returned to his native London to sign a loan deal with Sutton United until January 2024

Wednesday, 2nd August
Aston Villa's Finn Azaz returned to Plymouth Argyle, where he spent last season on loan, for another season-long loan

Stoke City signed Burnley centre half Luke McNally on loan for the 2023/24 season

Thursday, 10th August
Cardiff City full back Joel Bagan signed a season long loan deal with Belgian Challenger Pro League side Zulte Waragem

Thursday, 17th August
Celtic's Bosun Lawal signed a season long loan with former Hoops captain Scott Brown's Fleetwood Town

Thursday, 24th August
Troy Parrott signed a season long loan deal with Dutch side Excelsior

Saturday, 26th August
Brighton's Ireland U21 midfielder Andrew Moran signed a season long deal with Blackburn Rovers

Friday, 1st September August
Stoke City defender David Okagbue signed for Walsall on a season long loan

Luton Town's Louie Watson signed for Charlton Athletic on loan for the rest of the season

Jeff Hendrick will spend his second season in a row on loan in the Championship after joining Sheffield Wednesday for the 2023/24 season

Udinese's James Abankwah signed a season long loan with League One's Charlton Athletic

JJ Kayode returned to Carlisle for his third loan spell

Contracts
Monday, 28th August
Will Smallbone signed a new contract with Southampton, keeping him at St Mary's until the summer of 2026


May/June 2023 Transfers, Loans, and Contracts
July 2023 Transfers, Loans, and Contracts

Tuesday, 18 July 2023

Episode 59 - The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick to discuss Group B in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup - what can Ireland expect in the three group games against co-hosts Australia, Olympic champions Canada, and African Cup of Nations semi finalists Nigeria? We make our predictions for each group, and how we expect the tournament to go.

Tuesday, 4 July 2023

Episode 58 - Hanging By A Thread

Myself, Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick, and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football are joined by James Carew of pogmogoal to discuss the loss in Greece and victory against Gibraltar. After the discussion in our previous episode on what a draw would mean for our qualification hopes, not to mind Stephen Kenny's time in charge of the national side, what does the result in Athens mean for the manager, and did the response against Gibraltar change anything?

Monday, 3 July 2023

July 2023 Transfers, Loans, and Contracts

Transfers
Tuesday, 4th July
Following her release by Birmingham City, striker Eleanor Ryan-Doyle signed a 12 month contract with Durham WFC

Nathan Collins joined Brentford FC, becoming the first and second most expensive transfer fee paid for an Irish player in the process!

Richard Keogh returned to former club Wycombe Wanderers, where he was on loan in 2005

Brentford B Player of the Year, and top scorer, Alex Gilbert signed for Middlesbrough

Wednesday, 5th July
32 year old full back Enda Stevens signed a one year contract with Stoke City

Friday, 7th July
Former Drogheda United defender James Brown signed for Scottish side Ross County until June 2025

Monday, 10th July
Defender Shane McLoughlin signed a two year contract with Newport Country

Tuesday, 11th July
Jason Knight signed a four year contract with Bristol City

Free agent Ryan Manning signed a contract with Southampton until the summer of 2027

Kieran O'Hara signed for Scottish Premier League side Kilmarnock

Winger Ryan Graydon signed a two year contract with Fleetwood Town

Thursday, 13th July
Waterford defender Tunimse Sobowale signed a 12 month contract with Shrewbury Town

Clare O'Riordan will join Amber Barrett at Standard Liege when she returns from the World Cup, after signing for the Belgian club

Friday, 14th July
Ahead of the 2023/24 WSL season, Southampton added Emily Kraft to their squad

Burton Albion signed defender Ryan Sweeney on a two year contract

Deji Sotona signed for League Two side Doncaster Robers

Will Keane returned to Preston North End, where he was on loan during the 2015/16 season, signing a two ywar contract at Deepdale

Ryan Nolan returned to Spain, signing for Segunda Federación side Hercules CF

Monday, 17th July
Mipo Odubeko signed for Portuguese Second Division side CS Maritimo

Midfielder Matthew Healy signed for Belgian Challenger Pro side Royal Francs Borains

Tuesday, 18th July
U21 player Conor Noss signed a two year contract with newly promoted Austrian side FC Blau Weiss Linz, with the option of a further 12 months

Shadrach Ogie signed for League Two side Gillingham

Thursday, 20th July
Matt Doherty returned to Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he mode more than 300 appearances, three years after leaving for Spurs

Friday, 21st July
Aiden McGeady signed a contract with Ayr United, where he will combine his duties as a player with a new role as Technical Manager, while also studying a degree as a Sporting Director in UFCB

Monday, 24th July
Promising defender Josh Seberry left the League of Ireland to sign a two year contract with Newport County

Wednesday, 26th July
Anselmo Garcia MacNulty has signed a 12 month contract, with an the option of a further year, with newly promoted Eredivisie side PEC Zwolle

Friday, 28th July
Republic of Ireland U19 captain Jessie Stapleton signed for West Ham United Women

Liam Bossin returned to his native Belgium to sign for Challenger Pro League side K.V. Oostende

Saturday, 29th July
2022/23 London City Lionesses Player's Player of the Season Hayley Nolan signed for Crystal Palace

Striker Sean Maguire signed a twelve month contract with Carlisle United

Loans
Monday, 24th July
Ross Tierney signed a season long loan deal with League Two side Walsall FC

Thursday, 27th July
Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers signed a season long loan deal with Stoke City

Contracts
Saturday, 1st July
U21 full back Joel Bagan signed a new contract with Cardiff City until June 2026

Monday, 3rd July
Having recovered from a serious knee injury, Jack Clarke was offered a new contract by Reading

Tuesday, 4th July
U17 centre half Jake Grante signed his professional contract with Crystal Palace. Also, Killian Philips and Fionn Mooney agreed new deal with the Eagles

Thursday, 6th July
Ahead of the World Cup, Louise Quinn extended her contract with Birmingham City until June 2025

Thursday, 13th July
Following his successful loan with Motherwell in the second half of the 2022/23 season, James Furlong has signed a two year extension to his contract with Brighton and Hove Albion

Luca Connell signed a four year extension to his contract with Barnsley, with the option of a further 12 months

Wednesday, 19th July
Aoife Mannion signed a new contract with Manchester United, extending her stay at Old Trafford

Friday, 21st July
Jamie Finn signed a two year extension to her contract, until the summer of 2024

Managers
Monday, 3rd July
Michael Doyle returned to Portsmouth as professional development phase coach at their academy

Steven Reid returned to Nottingham Forest as a first-team coach. Reid had previously held the same role for two years at the City Ground

Monday, 24th July
Former women's international Marie Hourihan was announced as head coach of Stoke City Women

May/June 2023 Transfers, Loans, and Contracts
August 2023 Transfers, Loans, and Contracts

Monday, 26 June 2023

Episode 57 - The Highs and Lows of the 2022/23 season

I'm joined by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to discuss the highs and lows for Irish players during the 2022/23 season. In the past 12 months, we've seen record lows for players numbers in the Premier League, loan deals that either didn't work out or exceeded expectations, and one player emerging to set new records of his own - listen in to see what else sparked our interest

Monday, 12 June 2023

Episode 56 - Is A Draw A Bad Result?

I'm joined by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of the Bottomless Pit of Football to discuss the 25 players called up by Stephen Kenny to face Greece and Gibraltar in two Euro 2024 qualifier. The squad is settled, but can the team find consistency between performances, and what lessons have been learned from the four games in June 2022? The Ireland Men's U17 2023 European Championship campaign came to an end in the quarter finals against Spain, we look at the players who impressed us, and what the future holds for Irish football at this level.

Friday, 9 June 2023

Transfers, Loans, and Contracts for May/June 2023

Transfers
Friday, 2nd June
Joe Shaughnessy joined Dundee FC, becoming manager Tony Docherty's first signing for the Dee

Wednesday, 7th June
Former U21 striker Courtney Duffus linked up with Pete Wild, who he played under at Oldham, at Barrow AFC, signing a one year contract with the Bluebirds

Friday, 9th June
Free agent Shane Duffy signed a three year contract with Norwich City

Saturday, 10th June
David McGoldrick returned to Notts County, where he started as an academy graduate

Tuesday, 13th June
Amber Barrett will play in the Belgian Super League next season after signing for Standard Liege

Wednesday, 14th June
26 year old defender Conor Shaughnessy signed a two year contract with Portsmouth, with the option of a further 12 months with Pompey

Friday, 16th June
Winger Anthony Scully signed a two year contract with Portsmouth, with the option of a further 12 months

Tuesday, 20th June
Dan Crowley signed a two year contract with newly promoted League Two side Notts County

U18 international Thomas Bloxham joined Blackburn Rovers, signing a contract until the summer of 2025

Thursday, 22nd June
Former St Patrick's Athletic midfielder Glory Nzingo signed a two year contract with Swansea City academy

Liam Kelly signed a contract until the summer of 2025 with Crawley Town

Friday, 23rd June
Dara O'Shea joined Josh Cullen, Luke McNally, Dara Costelloe, and Michael Obafemi at Burnley, signing a four year contract with the Clarets

Sunday, 25th June
After spending the second half of the 2022/23 season with Birmingham City, Kevin Long has signed a one year contract with the Blues

Monday, 26th June
Jack Taylor is promoted side Ipswich Town's first signing of the summer, joining the Tractor Boys on a three year contract

Tuesday, 27th June
Chiedozie Ogbene will play Premier League football next season after signing for play off winners Luton Town

Wednesday, 28th June
Defender Mazeed Ogungbo signed a two year contract with League Two side Barrow Town

Friday, 20th June
Recent U19 call up Sean Moore joined West Ham United, signing a three year deal with the Hammers

Loans
Thursday, 23rd June
Ipswich Town defender Corrie Ndaba will spend the 2023/24 season on loan at Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock

Contracts
Wednesday, 7th June
Midfielder Aaron O'Reilly signed his first professional contract with Aston Villa

Thursday, 1st June
Chloe Mustaki pledged her allegiance to Bristol City by signing a new two year contract

Monday, 5th June
Robbie Brady and Preston North End reached an agreement on a two year contract extension, keeping the midfielder at Deepdale for until the summer of 2025

Tuesday, 6th June
Wolves striker Nathan Fraser signed a two year extension to his contract at Molineux

Wednesday, 7th June
Ciara Grant signed a one year extension to her contract to stay with Hearts for the 2023/24 season

Monday, 12th June
Lewes Player's Player of the Season, and Manager's Player of the Season, Sophie Whitehouse will stay at The Dripping Pan for the 2023/24 season

Tuesday, 13th June
After recently passing 100 appearances for Liverpool FC women's team, defender Niamh Fahey has signed an extension to her conract with the Reds

Thursday, 14th June
Greg Cunningham signed a six month extension to his contract at Preston, with an option further six months depending on fitness and availability

Wednesday, 22nd June
Having proved his fitness in the second half of the season, Kyle Callan-McFadden has signed a one year extension to his contract with King's Lynn Town

Wednesday, 28th June
Everton exercised the 12 month option on Courtney Brosnan's contract with the Toffees

Recent U19 call up Patrick Casey signed a three year contract with Charlton Athletic, this is the striker's first professional contract

Thursday, 29th June
Seamus Coleman signed a one year extension to his contract with Everton, which should see him overtake Tim Howard with the most appearances in the Premier League for the Toffees

Friday, 30th June
Left-sided defender Sean Roughan committed himself to Lincoln City, signing a contract extension until 2025 with the Imps

Managers
Monday, 26th June
Robbie Keane agreed to take over Maccabi Tel Aviva, signing a two year contract with the Israeli side

Thursday, 29th June
Alan Sheehan joined Michael Duff's backroom team at Swansea City, as assistant haead coach

July 2023 Transfers, Loans, and Contracts
August 2023 Transfers, Loans, and Contracts

Wednesday, 26 April 2023

The Twitter API

On February 2nd, it was announced, with almost no notice, that Twitter would discontinue its free API and start charging for access.


This was met with universal scorn from the development community, and the changes were postponed, first on the eighth until February 13th, and then on the 13th for "a few more days"

Six weeks later, on March 30th, three new access tiers for the API were introduced, to begin on April 29th

This new api would consist of 

  • A Free tier for posting only, with a limit of 1,500 a month
  • A Basic tier for hobbyists with a limit of 50,000 posts a month, for $100 a month
  • An Enterprise tier with a limit determined by the needs of the company, at $42,000 a month

IMO, these charges will destroy the twitter development ecosystem. Most automated accounts, including the official Irish Abroad account @irish_abroad, will blow through the 1,500 limit before the end of the month
Additionally, no hobbyist can afford $1,200 a year, and this has already led to the end of many popular bots on the site, and will also affect third party clients
The cost of the enterprise tier is so great, that even Microsoft has said they will not pay for it

I'm making some changes to the code the posts the birthday, #OnThisDay, and remembrance tweets and they will continue as normal.
How will this affect the live updates? Well, from this coming Saturday, they will have to be reduced to stay under the monthly limit. The goals and red cards will still be posted.
The daily summaries and team of the round tweets will continue.
No lineups. No assists. No bookings. No end of game summaries

If the account is still under the limit, or the limits are altered, these changes will be reviewed, and some updates will return.

Further Reading

Microsoft drops Twitter from its advertising platform