The sad news on Thursday of the death of Johan Cruyff sent me back to David Winner’s Brilliant Orange, a book as unconventional and imaginative as the Dutch football culture which it investigates and celebrates.

Scotland international Simon Taylor is hoping his first start in a year for Edinburgh Gunners can catapult him into Matt Williams’ team for the RBS 6 Nations game against Italy next week.

THE Cats will bid for the county’s third All-Ireland senior hurling title in a row on Sunday, nourished by milk from the family farms of two Cork players.

TEAM captain Darren Fay returns to the Meath team for Sunday’s Bank of Ireland, Leinster SFC semi-final clash with Kildare at Croke Park.

New All-Ireland champions Kilkenny will arrive back in Kilkenny City at 6.30pm tonight before being paraded through the streets on an open top bus.