Tommy Martin: Flares and foreign policy a political football 

It was another week of crisis for Irish football's leaders.

Fire stewards remove flares from the pitch before the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Dundalk and Drogheda United at Oriel Park. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

The relationship between Irish football and the concept of crisis is like that between Ireland and the concept of rain, in that it is never far away and often seems to come from several directions all at once.

This week was a particularly drenching one as the League of Ireland dealt with the fallout from Drogheda United fans going all Bomber Harris on Dundalk’s new astro pitch, while the FAI continued to handle the almighty headache of sharing a Nations League group with Israel.