today SoCCER (7.45pm) Coca-Cola League Championship Swansea v Derby.............................. Coca-Cola League one Southend v Milton Keynes Dons...... CRICKEt First one day International: South Africa v England (Johannesburg) HoRSE RaCING Ascot, Exeter, Kelso, Wolverhampton, Dundalk SatuRday SoCCER (3pm unless stated) Barclays Premier League Birmingham v Fulham....................... Burnley v Aston Villa......................... Chelsea v Wolverhampton................ Hull v West Ham............................... Liverpool v Man City................ 12.45 Man Utd v Everton..................... 5.30 Sunderland v Arsenal ....................... Coca-Cola League Championship Barnsley v Cardiff ............................. Coventry v Crystal Palace ................ Doncaster v QPR.............................. Ipswich v Sheff Wed.................. 5.20 Leicester v Plymouth........................ Middlesbrough v Nottm Forest......... Reading v Blackpool ........................ Sheff Utd v Peterborough................. Watford v Scunthorpe ...................... West Brom v Bristol City .................. Coca-Cola League one Brentford v Walsall ........................... Brighton v Leeds .............................. Bristol Rovers v Gillingham .............. Carlisle v Swindon............................ Huddersfield v Hartlepool................. Leyton Orient v Tranmere ................. Millwall v Wycombe.......................... Oldham v Colchester........................ Southampton v Norwich................... Stockport v Exeter............................ Yeovil v Charlton............................... Coca-Cola League two Barnet v Port Vale............................. Bradford v Accrington Stanley ......... Burton Albion v Hereford.................. Chesterfield v Darlington.................. Dag & Red v Rochdale ..................... Lincoln City v Grimsby ..................... Macclesfield v Bournemouth............ Morecambe v Cheltenham ............... Northampton v Crewe ...................... Notts County v Aldershot................. Shrewsbury v Bury ........................... Torquay v Rotherham ....................... Clydesdale Bank Premier League Falkirk v Hamilton............................. Hearts v St Johnstone............. 12.30 Motherwell v Aberdeen..................... Rangers v Kilmarnock ...................... St Mirren v Hibernian........................ HoRSE RaCING Ascot, Haydock Park, Huntingdon, Lingfield, Wolverhampton, Gowran Park RuGBy uNIoN International Matches: England v New Zealand (2.30), France v Samoa (5.00), Ireland v Fiji (5.15), Italy v South Africa (2.00), Scotland v Australia (5.15), Wales v Argentina (2.30) SuNday SoCCER Barclays Premier League Bolton v Blackburn.................... 1.30 Stoke v Portsmouth................... 4.00 Tottenham v Wigan.................... 3.00 Clydesdale Bank Premier League Dundee Utd v Celtic ................ 12.30 FaI Ford Cup Final Sligo v Sporting Fingal...............3.00 CRICKEt Second one day International: South Africa v England HoRSE RaCING Musselburgh, Aintree, Towcester, Navan tENNIS atP Barclays World tour Finals (London) weekend fixtures GAA Storm brewing: McCarthy is facing the possibility of a lengthy stand-off with players Limerick teeter on brink as four more quit panel Limerick hurling is headed for a winter meltdown after the stand-off between boss Justin mccarthy and his players intensified. Four more key players have quit the Shannonsiders in protest at mccarthys recent axing of a dozen long-serving regulars. Brian Geary, Donal OGrady and former Young Hurler of the Year Seamus Hickey, who all started in the 2007 All-ireland final, have joined former skipper Damien reale and James ryan in withdrawing their services. A fourth player, midfielder Wayne mcNamara, has also left the panel despite being in line to captain the side in 2010 following Adares county title win. it leaves mccarthy with little experience to call upon just six weeks ahead of the New Year. mccarthy, who was ousted by Waterfords players in 2008, has sought to carry on regardless by holding trials for new talent. News of the latest withdrawals was relayed to Limerick GAA chairman Liam Lenihan on Wednesday night. in a move that raises the prospect of another cork-type strike, the board has backed the manager. Lenihan released a short statement yesterday noting that at a meeting of Limericks management committee on Wednesday night it was unanimously decided to back Justin mccarthy and his management team for 2010. mccarthy was unavailable for comment yesterday, but if he opts to lead an under-strength Limerick team in 2010 he could come under public pressure to resign like Gerald mccarthy did with cork last march. 22 METROSPORT Friday, November 20, 2009 D Traps fury over sOCCer WoRLd CuP CoNtRovERSy Excusez-moi seem to be the hardest words, Thierry Caught on camera: Henrys hand of Gaul Picture: AFP Metros GavIN BRoWN baulks at the France captains attempt to shift blame on to the officials t HIERRY HENRY is no Diego Maradona. The Argentine followed up his Hand of God with an act of brilliance, something now beyond Henrys ability on Wednesdays evidence. Henrys Hand of Gaul was also trumped by an outrageous gesture, but this one had no redeeming features. Somewhere between controlling the ball with his hand and telling the media it had been accidental, the France captain sat down alongside his Irish counterpart Richard Dunne to commiserate. Can you imagine Maradona having the temerity to pat Peter Shilton on the back, and say, hey s*** happens Pete, sorry? Maradona was comfortable in his role as villain and felt the ends, a World Cup semi- final, justified the vilification that followed. Henry, on the other hand has a reputation as one of footballs nice guys. And, as such, he apparently recognised the pain of the vanquished and felt it strongly enough to console them but not strongly enough to tell the referee what hed done to later confess his crime and issue an apology. No, Henry says he didnt mean to caress the ball with his left hand one of the best players in the world, it seems, has great feet but no control over his hands. Instead, he said, it was up to the ref to spot his offence. This abdication of responsibility is entirely fitting of a captain who might as well have had a seat in the directors box for all the leadership he supplied in the play-off. It is claimed France have an ineffective coach in Raymond Domenech, a claim borne out by the evidence of an insipid display. But the fact Domenech is apparently being undermined by a player as ineffective and now lacking in credibility as Henry is laughable. Defeat would almost certainly have spelled the end for their era and the air of torpor and underachievement which hangs around Les Bleus. Without the baggage of the arrogant old guard, promising young players like Hugo Lloris and Yoann Gourcuff may have formed a team to rival the talents of Henry, William Gallas and their peers, but without the crippling self-regard and complacency. Instead, France are through, the status quo remains in place and the desperately needed rebuilding job will be postponed. And sometime next summer Henry and co will almost inevitably get an early comeuppance at the hands of some over-achieving, supposedly inferior opposition. And thats something we can all drink to. I will be honest, it was a handball. But Im not the ref. I played it, the ref allowed it. Thats a question you should ask him - Thierry Henry fAi Cup finAl SpOrtiNG Fingal striker Gary ONeill says he and his team-mates are happy to go into Sundays FAi Ford cup final with Sligo rovers at tallaght Stadium as underdogs. Newly-promoted Sporting put out top-flight sides Shamrock rovers, in a quarter-final replay at tallaght, and Bray Wanderers in the semi-final and have nothing to fear against in-form Sligo in what promises to be a cracking decider. im sure the bookies will make Sligo favourites because theyre premier Division, but i think well be quietly confident, said ONeill. it will be who turns up on the day. Well go into it with a good game plan, im sure [manager] Liam [Buckley] will do his work. Weve nothing to fear, if wed been in the premier Division this year with the squad we have, i dont think wed have struggled at all. Sligos top scorer, raffaele cretaro, is also expecting a good game between two sides who play the right way. Were going to go out and play our own game, said cretaro. Were not going to get carried away with the day thats in it. We know Sporting Fingal are a good side. All the lads and the management are under no illusions that were going to go there and have it easy. Were expecting a good tough game. ONeill happy to take his Sporting chance index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html