FIFA president Sepp Blatter has declined an invitation to give evidence about World Cup bidding allegations to a Parliamentary committee.

IRELAND captain William Porterfield believes his side’s displays at the World Cup have proved they can overcome restricted qualification rules at future tournaments.

OFF-TRADE sales of Magners are up by 15% in the year to date, according to latest industry figures.

THEO WALCOTT insists he won’t listen to his critics and has blamed his poor form this season on a horrendous run of injuries.

MANAGER Noel King has hailed the national U17 women’s team as the best in Ireland in any code after they secured a 1-0 victory over Canada in the FIFA World Cup on Thursday night.

THE strength in depth of Ireland cricket will be tested over the coming weeks after the announcement yesterday that stalwart all-rounder Andre Botha may have to undergo a second operation on his right ankle.

FORMER Argentina boss Diego Maradona has targeted a return to management with Aston Villa.

THE French Football Federation (FFF) has called five players to appear before its disciplinary committee to discuss the behaviour of the national team during the World Cup.

THE Football Association of Ireland would be €2 million better off a year by the building of a National Stadium.

SWITZERLAND, who face France in a potentially decisive 2006 World Cup qualifier in October, have shrugged off the return of Zinedine Zidane to the French side.

MARCO TARDELLI will swap the Irish dugout for the red and black of Longford Town when he plays in this evening’s Sean Prunty Testimonial game at Flancare Park.

THIS morning 30 young Irishmen will wake up in Bordeaux. Like so many millions of Irish people before them they will wake in a foreign place, their hearts full of hope, their ambitions fervently shared by everyone they left behind at home.

WILL Irish rugby hopes for the 2011 World Cup hinge on new training facilities like this one, ear-marked for Cork Constitution?

FRANK HADDEN has challenged Chris Paterson to prove he deserves to be Scotland’s World Cup stand-off when the former stand-in captain lines up against Ireland on Saturday.

FOOTBALL could be damaging to your health as new research suggests that avid football viewers are in increasing danger.

THE hit musical based on Manchester United captain Roy Keane’s infamous departure from Saipan before the World Cup may be staged in Britain.

ENGLAND has recruited security experts to stop spies from penetrating the team’s Rugby World Cup camp in Australia.

LITTLE Eoghan O’Sullivan was the picture of health when he lined out with Ireland’s rugby heroes at Lansdowne Road in Dublin yesterday.

Having watched the opening two games from a distance, Irish coach Joe Schmidt is due in Georgia today to run the rule over remaining candidates for Ireland’s World Cup campaign.

Double world record holder Gillian O’Sullivan leads the Athletics Ireland 20 kilometres team in the European Cup of Race Walking in Russia on May 19.