Bringing it all back home

IN football, as in life, as in the songs of Creedence Clearwater Revival, the big wheel keeps on turning. On a cold, rainy morning in November 2004, I sat with Brian Kerr in the Red Cow Hotel on the outskirts of Dublin and the talk was of a World Cup qualifying campaign involving, amongst others, Ireland, France and the Faroe Islands. Now it’s five years almost to the day, and I’m back in the same venue sitting across from the same man and, once again, the talk is of World Cup qualifying and of Ireland, France and the Faroe Islands.

The big difference is that, back then, Kerr was the manager of Ireland. Now, he’s in charge of the Faroes, while a veteran Italian has the task of masterminding World Cup success for the Irish against the French. So, all changed, changed utterly, you might think. But as Kerr looks back and looks forward, there are times in his company when you really can’t help thinking that it’s not such a very long way from there to here.

IRELAND had made an encouraging start to their qualifying campaign for the 2006 World Cup, beating Cyprus 3-0 at home and drawing 1-1 away to Switzerland before they faced up to the French in Paris in October, 2004.