There has been widespread shock and sadness in football here and in Britain following the sudden death, at just 45, of former Ireland U21 international Paul McCarthy.

The historical sex abuse scandal unfolding in British football continued to widen with a south coast police force becoming the latest to confirm it has received allegations.

Chris Hughton isn’t the revenge type but you’d have to suspect Saturday’s 5-0 mauling of Norwich City in the Championship meant plenty to the Brighton boss.

It was a contrasting weekend for the two Irish managers dreaming of pitting their wits against the Premier League elite next season. 

Alan Judge hopes his match-winning brace for Brentford in the 2-1 Championship win over Rotherham on Saturday will have given Martin O’Neill food for thought ahead of next month’s Euro 2016 play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

When lowly Yeovil Town seek to rekindle FA Cup romance tomorrow by plotting Manchester United’s downfall, their playmaker Sam Foley will have international ambitions with Ireland stored in his mind.

Republic of Ireland U21 head coach Noel King has named his squad for a friendly international against Portugal at Tallaght Stadium on Monday, March 25 (7.30pm).

Reading manager Brian McDermott has made seven changes for the Royals’ potentially tricky FA Cup third round trip to Crawley, with Ian Harte appointed captain for the first time.

Rafael Benitez may be in as Chelsea manager but Republic of Ireland starlet Conor Clifford is, for now at least, out of Stamford Bridge.

Crawley 2 Swansea 3

Nottingham Forest last night appointed former first-team coach Sean O’Driscoll as their new manager.

The big guns avoided each other in today's FA Cup quarter-final draw.

Stoke named a strong-looking side for today’s FA Cup fifth-round tie with Crawley.

Portsmouth’s home match against Hull became the first npower Championship fixture to fall victim to the weather as it was postponed due to a frozen pitch this morning.

Former Irish international striker Clinton Morrison found the net for Sheffield Wednesday as they looked to be on the brink of claiming a spot in the fifth round.

Liverpool will take on Brighton and Chelsea face Birmingham in the fifth round of the FA Cup, after today's draw.

TODAY

PAUL O’CONNELL insists Munster’s World Cup contingent are buzzing again after returning to the province and ready to meet the challenge of Leinster this weekend and the Heineken Cup campaign beyond.

MORE INNOCENT times. On the day Fianna Fáil launched its 2002 election campaign, PJ Mara walked into the party’s press conference in the Shelbourne Hotel and announced: “It’s showtime.”

AS old Red Nose himself once put it so succinctly, “football eh, bloody hell!”

FORMER Premier League top gun Andy Cole insists Fernando Torres will deliver for Chelsea and that questioning his goalscoring ability following the Spaniard’s record move to Stamford Bridge from Liverpool is ridiculous.

Manchester United have been handed the prospect of an FA Cup quarter-final meeting with Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Manchester United 1 Crawley Town 0

PAUL SCHOLES believes it is time to ‘stand up and start playing’ after admitting the resumption of the UEFA Champions League signals the beginning of the run-in.

MANCHESTER UNITED midfielder Park Ji-sung has been ruled out for a month after suffering a hamstring injury in training.

Crawley 2 Derby 1

MANCHESTER UNITED and Liverpool will meet in the third round of this season’s FA Cup after the bitter rivals was pitted against each other in last night’s draw.

Leeds United face an away tie against Oldham Athletic in the first round of the FA Cup.

Joe Gamble has devoted his future to Cork City after signing a new two-year extension to his contract to keep him at the league champions to the end of the 2008 season.

Hearts Supporters Trust chairman Martin Laidlaw claims Tynecastle shareholders are “extremely unhappy” with the appointment of new first-team coach Graham Rix.

The draw for the first round of the FA Cup is as follows: