Even as North Macedonian booby prize looms and the serious talk resumes, more parrot mask-wearing, Pink Pony Club-singing, morning pint-queueing days are surely on the way.

Sure, have a contract, Heimir. What could possibly go wrong?

With the sheer amount of money, data, coaching, fitness, conditioning and skill available, is this the best football can come up with?

It was another week of crisis for Irish football's leaders.

Sometimes you can’t engage. Sometimes there is no need to understand how the other side thinks, to reason and debate.

The FAI will remain good little Europeans for the foreseeable future, turning up when they are supposed to and pocketing the resulting cheques.

It was almost possible to see Franno and Nick Popplewell trudging behind the posts while a cockerel danced a merry jig and Fred Cogley struggled to make himself heard above the Gallic din.

The rain has cooped up kids in the house of a Saturday morning rather than being out playing sport. But how can we fix it?

Arsenal look every inch the real deal, even if they have not won too many hearts.

An Ghaeltacht chairman Dara Ó Cinnéide expressed brilliantly the truth in the club championships’ often homogenised message.