Emerging Ireland team manager Joey Miles yesterday spoke of the common bond between everyone in Irish rugby to maximise overseas tours for the benefit of the game.

Irish soccer fans have been warned they face travel price mark-ups and a minimum €2,500 bill if they want to follow the nation’s away-day bid for Euro 2016 qualification.

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Andre Villas-Boas expects a “frantic” end to the transfer window that he admits could see Gareth Bale leave Tottenham.

Germany rode their luck to beat Austria 2-1 and continue their perfect start to World Cup qualifying Group C in Vienna.

CRAIG LEVEIN’S decision to drop Kenny Miller and play a defensive line-up failed to pay off as Scotland suffered the first defeat of their campaign going down 1-0 against Czech Republic in Prague last night.

EVEN Robbie Keane admitted yesterday that we’re probably all a bit weary at this stage about the constant flashbacks to Ireland’s night of shame here in Nicosia three years ago.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI continues to sweat on the fitness of Sean St Ledger for tomorrow night’s World Cup qualifier against Cyprus, after the Preston centre-half suffered a reaction to the knee injury he incurred playing for his club last Saturday.

Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni has attempted to bring an end to the ongoing debate over Stephen Ireland and Andy Reid.

THE Republic of Ireland remain unchanged in 38th place in the latest FIFA rankings.

Giovanni Trapattoni has admitted he would not be happy with four points from the Republic of Ireland’s opening two World Cup qualifiers.

THE FAI have asked their counterparts in Georgia for 6,500 tickets for the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualifying game in Mainz this day week.

The venue for Ireland's upcoming World Cup qualifier against Georgia remains shrouded in uncertainty this morning.

Ireland skipper Robbie Keane has promised his side will be ready to face Georgia in their first World Cup qualifier wherever it is played.

US president George Bush sent a stern warning to Russia today that it cannot lay claim to two breakaway provinces in neighbouring Georgia, a US ally, and said there was no room for debate on that point.

A siege at the office of Turkish Airlines in Tblisi in Georgia is over, Russian reports said.

A special European Union envoy was travelling to Tblisi today to encourage all sides in the protests in the Georgian capital to abstain from violence, the Italian foreign ministry said.

UEFA is due to decide today if Georgian football authorities should be punished over the knife-throwing incident in the recent Euro 2004 qualifier against Ireland in Tblisi.

AFTER a couple of days of uncertainty and hours of laborious negotiation, RTÉ announced yesterday evening that it has secured the rights to broadcast live, Ireland’s vital Euro 2004 qualifier with Georgia in Tblisi on Saturday.

A British banker kidnapped in Georgia nearly five months ago has told how he was freed in a gun battle in which one of his captors and another hostage were shot dead.

THE Georgian interior ministry is investigating claims of sabotage after Saturday’s EURO 2004 qualifying match between Georgia and Russia was abandoned due to a floodlight failure.