Proof football really is a global game

AH, football. It really is the global game. The last thing you might expect when stumbling bleary-eyed into a hotel reception in the Balkans first thing in the morning is to be given a blow-by-blow account of Cork City’s home win over Bray Wanderers the night before.

Fair play to Branko though, no bluff here. He could delve deep into the game’s innards too, describing how Bray had gone a man down, then two goals down before scoring a consolation goal late on.

Branko’s beaming smile when imparting this info betrayed the fact that, while he is a part-time receptionist, he is a full-time bookmaker and one with a web of contacts around Europe feeding him information on the most unlikely of footballing outposts.