Goodbye to football men

It is not an uncommon scenario; the rugby man, with all his connections and influence, sending the football man, with his talents, away from the office disappointed.

No doubt John Giles would have experienced many more meetings in his life like the one with RTÉ head of sport Ryle Nugent, had he not been among the top two or three football men the country has produced.

It might be a little unfair to Ryle, and to RTÉ, to see The End of Gilesy in that context, but you could excuse Giles a rueful recollection of old orders.