Should next Saturday’s Champions League final resolve itself into a head to head contest between Ronaldo and Gianluigi Buffon, the outcome might not only decide the game but also the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or.

The post-war era saw a return to full production in Cork, but the economic path wasn’t always smooth. Some workers sailed to Dagenham, while those who stayed saw plenty of VIP guests.

West Brom 0 Manchester United 2: They say the old ones are the best and Zlatan Ibrahimovic certainly proves the adage. But he wants to push human boundaries to the limit.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez hasn’t ruled out a return to action at the weekend for Irish international Seamus Coleman.

Paul Kelly writes that in 1964 Denis Law scored 50 goals in 51 matches, a staggering return that earned him the Ballon d’Or.

Chart star Robbie Williams has been given one of his greatest honours after years of amassing awards – the Freedom of the City of his native Stoke-on-Trent.

“You knew what he was going to do. You just couldn’t stop him doing it.”

Cristiano Ronaldo is a sensitive soul. As Sepp Blatter discovered last October, it is unwise to make fun about how much an actor spends on his appearance.

Andre Villas-Boas thinks a meeting that he held with Gareth Bale earlier this season may have been the spark that ignited the Tottenham forward’s devastating campaign.

Fulham 1 Blackpool 1

Chatting to Packie Bonner this week, ahead of Celtic’s cruel defeat in Barcelona, I was somewhat taken aback when he didn’t hesitate for a second to hail Lionel Messi as the greatest footballer of all time.

THE POOR old FA Cup has been subjected to more battering in recent years than the Spanish version which Sergio Ramos let fall under the wheels of the Real Madrid bus.

Players’ chief Gordon Taylor insists footballers’ wages have not spiralled out of control and claims a salary cap would be impractical in the Premier League.

Bolton 2 York 0

THE Blackpool bandwagon rolls on with DJ Campbell scoring a second-half winner against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.

IAN HOLLOWAY will have no hesitation in sending his Blackpool players back out on the beach if the weather turns nasty again.

Stoke 0 Blackpool 1

WHEN Bobby Robson spoke, invariably there was passion in his voice, a twinkle in his eye and laughter rarely far away.

THE debate raged on in Turnberry bars and in national phone-ins long after Tom Watson had fled the scene of his flirtation with history.

THIERRY HENRY has been named Footballer of the Year for a record third time by the Football Writers’ Association.

THIERRY HENRY has been named Footballer of the Year for a record third time by the Football Writers’ Association.

Alan Shearer admitted tonight he “fears the worst” after a scan on his injured knee had to be postponed for 24 hours.

Chelsea 1 Newcastle 0

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has denied he is a “diver” after being accused of feigning a foul during the 2-0 victory over Portsmouth on Saturday.

Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho has been named the 2005 European Footballer of the Year.

David Gold claims Jesper Gronkjaer was forced out of Birmingham by Blues fans’ negative response to the former Chelsea winger.

REPUBLIC of Ireland and Manchester United legend Noel Cantwell will be back in his native Cork this weekend, as the guest speaker at the annual eircom/Soccer Writers Association of Ireland awards ceremony, in the Rochestown Park Hotel.

A LOCAL Dublin newspaper, the Northside People, recently reported that the FAI is replacing the Irish team jersey, introduced in March 2003, and that replica jerseys will cost soccer fans €60.

Thierry Henry has created yet more history by becoming the first player to win the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award for the second year running.

The magic of the FA Cup weekend will have a very strong Irish flavour, especially among the lower ranked teams writes Mark Gallagher

England’s stunning victory over Denmark today booked a potential quarter-final clash against four-time champions Brazil in Shizuoka next Friday.

Teddy Sheringham has added the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year prize to the football writers' gong he won last week.