Author: rayhyland40
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2000 There seemed to be little to look forward to heading into the new millennium. We had a new jersey anyway. A wooly effort more reminiscent of our rugby brethren. Its debut came in yet another friendly against the Czech Republic. They had become what Poland were to us in the 70s. A 3-2 win…
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a selection of designs past and present I got back into my covid hobby a few months back. Lots of designs on the Ganzypel page which is available here.
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Part 3 overall (part 2 of The McCarthy era but…) 1998 After the disappointment of the World Cup Qualifiers it was inevitable that some of the elder statesmen exited stage left. Houghton and Townsend called it a day which opened up possibilities in midfield. Mark Kinsella would soon make his debut alongside Damien Duff. March…
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Part 2 of Ireland’s modern football history, very abridged… The McCarthy Years: Part 1 1996-1998 There are some people who will always base their view on Mick McCarthy within the prism of…well if I say it, then you’ll be thinking it for the rest of this piece. But no matter how you approach it there…
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A brief review of some of the places I have visited since I came back to Ireland. Upon my return to Europe in November I harboured desires to take in some of the Bavarian hinterlands and possibly Mürren in Switzerland. I wanted to visit the Adidas museum and Piz Gloria in quick succession. The fact…
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Ireland’s Odyssey: Part 1 Big Jack Here is the first part of a series about the Irish football team. Where were you when we were f*ckin’ shite? This refrain was popular around the turn of the millennium with Man City fans. Gradually it has been phased out but it’s always something I think about with…
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Still listening to old tunes. Comfort food for the ears. This is a great upbeat song from the late 70s. My mate said he played it on repeat the day Alex Ferguson left Man United. That’s good enough for me. Funny thing I thought Arianna was Australian for ages. But she’s not! Anyway, she’s racking…
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‘To have lived through those 12 or 13 years. It had excitement, it had drama. Skullduggery, loyalty, disloyalty. It had everything. And it can never and will never be repeated again…’ The above quote by Padraig Flynn. And boy, did he have a way with words. For those of us born after say, 1977, it…
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Part 7 2017-2020 Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six are here. I guess a lot of the subtext here is about my being a spoilt brat with commitment issues. I can’t say for sure if Liverpool were any way the cause of my life’s disappointment heretofore. Some of the most depressed people I’ve…
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Part 6 : 2014-2017 Parts One, Two, Three, Four and Five are here. 2014 was probably the most exhilarating year Liverpool Football Club ever saw. Some older fans could plump for either 1988 or 1979 but for me it was this one. For about three solid months Liverpool played football at a speed few have…
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