It’s time to resume some unfinished business

WITH both the English and Irish international soccer sides now being steered managerially by two Italian legends and both making encouraging starts to their World Cup 2010 qualifying campaigns, the time is appropriate for the return of the England soccer team to Dublin.

There is unfinished business because when England last visited Dublin in February 1995 — as those of us fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to have been there that fateful night will remember — Ireland were leading 2-0 when serious crowd disorder forced the premature abandonment of the game. Now is the opportunity to purge those bad memories and for the FAI formally to invite England to Croke Park in Dublin and for Irish fans to savour the ultimate battle between two Italian masters in front of an undoubted 82,000 capacity attendance.

Such an occasion would further enhance Anglo-Irish relations at this crucial juncture as well.