Ireland grounded

The Republic of Ireland’s trip to San Marino has begun in farcical circumstances, with their plane forced to return to Dublin airport after 90 minutes in the air.

The pilot on the Czech Airlines flight to Rimini discovered he was unable to raise the undercarriage after taking off but could not land again immediately until a slot became available.

The passengers – including the Irish squad, Football Association of Ireland officials, media and fans – then had to wait on the runway until the fault was corrected.

It is thought a member of the ground crew failed to remove a pin from one of the wheels.