Politicians to put boot into one another at soccer game

All the major political parties are tonight limbering up for the kick-off of the General Election campaign – on a soccer pitch.

Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats are tomorrow taking on the Rainbow Coalition in a five-a-side football match in Dublin just weeks before the nation goes to the polls.

The Taoiseach’s side will be hoping the bookmakers have got it wrong on this occasion with the Opposition firm favourites to take home the spoils.

And in another potentially ominous development the Green Party said it will play for whichever side needs to make up the numbers.

The game organised by Newstalk 106 FM in aid of humanitarian charity GOAL will see Sinn Féin holding the balance of power with Martin Ferris as referee.

Fine Gael is wheeling out the big guns for the match with Graham Geraghty vowing to put the boot into the Government.

He’ll be backed up by the Opposition’s player and manager Jimmy Deenihan, Captain Damien English and Simon Coveney.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told Newstalk he was delighted with the party’s fabulous line-up.

“We’re going to play Jimmy Deenihan and Simon Coveney in the full-back line,” he said.

“We’ll put Graham Geraghty, Damien English, Frank Feehan up in the full-forward line. We cannot lose.

“Jim Glennon’s a huge man. But you know the bigger they come the harder they fall and we’ve a plan to take him from the ankles down.”

But the Government is confident their experience in the driving seat will help them to victory in what is expected to be a tight contest.

Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews, Sean Power, John O’Leary and the PD’s Fiona O’Malley will be fighting fit for the day.

Former Dublin goalkeeper O’Leary (FF) said: “I’m looking forward to the game and I’ll ensure Fianna Fáil is in safe hands”.

Asked which side he’d play for Green Party TD Paul Gogarty said he wasn’t ruling anything in or out.

“Whichever team is short we’ll be there to make up the numbers. As long as we get a result it doesn’t matter which team we’re playing for,” he said.

Fianna Fáil Senator Mary O’Rourke will using her sharp analytical eye from the sidelines as lineswoman.

Sinn Féin’s Martin Ferris said he had taken on the role of referee “so as to prevent an outbreak of civil war”.

Soccer legend John Giles will be be giving both sides advice ahead of the 1pm kick off at the ESB sports grounds in Ringsend, Dublin.