The record books will forever enshrine Mark Farren’s impact at Derry City as a golden boot for the ages. And since goals were his business, that’s how it should be.

Signing for Shamrock Rovers is a homecoming in more ways than one for Stephen McPhail, representing not just a return to the country of his birth after 19 years in English football but also to the team he supported in his youth.

Milo Corcoran, chairman of the Setanta Sports Cup organising committee, is adamant the cross-border competition has a future after its 11th hour reprieve.

After arriving in a blaze of fanfare as a potential precursor to an All-Ireland League in 2005, yesterday’s announcement of the 2014 Setanta Sports Cup was delivered amid its latest setback.

Georgios Samaras is less than enthused about the prospect of playing on Solitude’s plastic pitch when Celtic take on Cliftonville in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier tonight.

Champions League fever in Sligo means there are now only 700 tickets left for sale for home fans for their second qualifying round first leg game against Norwegian champions Molde which, the club have confirmed, will take place on Wednesday, July 17 at the Showgrounds.

Irish sides have been handed difficult draws for next season’s Europa League.

Having put a stop to Sligo Rovers’ Airtricity League Premier Division gallop with an impressive 2-0 win, third-placed St Patrick’s Athletic now turn their attention to trying to put an end to Derry City’s fine run of eight league games unbeaten, as the two sides prepare to meet at Richmond Park this evening (kick-off 7.45pm).

Tommy Stewart scored twice against his former club as Shamrock Rovers rubber-stamped their passage through to the semi-final of the Setanta Sports Cup with a 3-1 win over Linfield at Windsor Park, comfortably winning the tie 7-2 on aggregate.

It's shaping up to be an all Airtricity League last four in the Setanta Sports Cup for the first time in the competition's history following last night's action north and south of the border.

Former Republic of Ireland international Con Martin, best known for scoring in the famous victory over England in 1949, has died.

Ciaran Kilduff proved Shamrock Rovers’ supersub with a dramatic stoppage time winner as they beat Coleraine 2-0 at the Showgrounds for a 2-1 aggregate victory to set up a cracking Setanta Sports Cup quarter-final tie with Linfield.

Cork City delighted Turner's Cross as they hammered runaway Irish League leaders Cliftonville 4-0 in the pick of last night's Setanta Sports Cup first round, first leg clashes as the cross-border competition got under way.

Cork City make their return to the Setanta Cup at Turner’s Cross this evening, with Danske Bank Premiership leaders Cliftonville travelling south, and the Leesiders’ new captain Kevin Murray insists the hosts will be not be holding anything back despite it being their first competitive outing of the year.

Former Northern Ireland captain Alan McDonald has died at the age of 48.

Simon Mason turned up at Lansdowne Road bright and early for the game of his life, a net of balls slung over his shoulder.

Unbeaten Sligo Rovers travel to Gortakeegan expecting a tricky assignment against newly promoted Monaghan, who have got off to a solid start to life in the top flight.

Holders Shamrock Rovers beat Cliftonville 3-1 on penalties to advance to the semi-finals of the Setanta Sports Cup on a dramatic night at Solitude.

Derry City will start slight favourites to advance to the Setanta Cup semi-finals when they take on old rivals Linfield at the Brandywell in the pick of tonight’s second round, second leg ties (Setanta Ireland, 7.45pm).

The organising committee of the Setanta Sports Cup are confident the incident which marred Sligo Rovers’ 2-0 quarter-final defeat of Glentoran at the Showgrounds was a rarity and unlikely to be repeated.

Martin McGuinness has reiterated his desire for an all-Ireland international football team after visiting the home of the Northern Ireland side for the first time in almost 50 years.

Martin McGuinness has reiterated his desire for an all-Ireland international football team after visiting the home of the Northern Irish side for the first time in almost 50 years.

Several buses carrying Glentoran football fans were broken into during a match in Sligo last night, with human waste being left on one coach.

Goals in each half from Billy Dennehy and Colin Hawkins gave holders Shamrock Rovers a 2-0 first leg lead over Cliftonville to put them in the driving seat ahead of the second leg at Solitude on March 20th.

Keith Long’s Bray Wanderers’ first foray into the Setanta Sports Cup didn’t stretch beyond the first round.

A second half goal from Joe Gormley earned Cliftonville a surprise 1-0 win over St. Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park as the Belfast side knocked out the Dubliners in the first round for the second year running.

New signing Rory Patterson scored a hat-trick as Derry City all but booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Setanta Sports Cup with an emphatic 4-0 first round, first leg win over Lisburn Distillery at the New Grosvenor Stadium.

They say that you need to be up early to achieve anything in life, which means that Setanta Cup newcomers Bray Wanderers should have at least some kind of edge on all the rest when they open their competitive season with a home game against Glentoran on February 13.

The draw for the first round of the 2012 Setanta Sports Cup has been made today.

LEADING 1-0 from the home leg, Shamrock Rovers still have a lot to do to see off Flora Tallinn in the Champions League in Estonia next Tuesday but, if they can manage that, the Irish champions now know they will face FC Copenhagen in the next round.

Stoke’s first Europa League tie will see them face Croatian giants Hajduk Split in the third qualifying round.

DARE VRSIC scored a penalty and a stunning free-kick to leave Bohemians with a difficult night ahead of them in the second leg of this Europa League tie at Dalymount next week.

THE Martin Jol era at Fulham got off to an encouraging start last night as Fulham secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Faroese minnows NSI Runavik in the Europa League first qualifying round first leg at Craven Cottage.

Fulham will face NSI Runavik of the Faroe Islands in the first qualifying round of the Europa League.

HAVING put out Belfast’s big three of Linfield, Glentoran and Cliftonville on their way to Saturday’s Setanta Sports Cup final with Shamrock Rovers, Dundalk boss Ian Foster admits he would relish the prospect of an All-Ireland League.

THERE was a time, maybe 15 or more years ago, when if you’d imagined Keith Gillespie playing in red and black stripes, the club you’d have had in mind would have been AC Milan.

SHAMROCK ROVERS will be hoping to extend their 100% record for the season when they take on newly promoted Derry City at the Brandywell in the pick of tonight’s Airtricity League Premier Division ties.

IN one of the most eye-catching transfer coups in the domestic game for many a season, First Division Longford Town have announced the signing of former Manchester United and Northern Ireland winger Keith Gillespie.

Dundalk 1 Glentoran 1 (Dundalk win 2-1 on aggregate)

Bohemians will be hoping to maintain their 100% start to the season when the take on Dundalk at Oriel Park tonight (kick-off 7.45pm).

Glentoran 0 Dundalk 1

The draw for the Setanta Sports Cup quarter-finals has been made today.

Dundalk 1 Linfield 1 (Dundalk win 6-4 on aggregate)

Jose Mourinho was named FIFA Coach of the Year ahead of World Cup-winning Spain boss Vicente del Bosque and Barcelona's Pep Guardiola for leading Inter Milan to an unprecedented Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia treble.