Inside Track: Curiosity Corner

KNOW YOUR INITIALS

This week: RC

1: Get it during a game, and you’re off

2: A famous English ice-skater of many years ago

3: It’s rolled out on All-Ireland day

4: A local junior club that’s been around for some time

5: He captained Offaly footballers to an All-Ireland senior win

6: Meath....

7: ....Cork....

8: .... a Scottish football team

9: It has a stool on which many World champions have sat

10: An Australian long-distance runner who broke many World records, but never won an Olympic Gold

CAN YOU HELP?

As mentioned on these pages before, St Bride’s GFC celebrate their centenary in 2028. To coincide with this auspicious occasion, the Knockbridge club is publishing a history, work on which is at an advanced stage.

A major fundraiser was held in 1954, the proceeds of which helped build what we know today as Páirc Uí Chuinnigh. It was a challenge at the Athletic grounds involving Louth and Kerry, who had met in the All-Ireland semi-final the previous year.

An original photo of the Kerry team has been unearthed, but not the Louth team. It’s a longshot, they know, but if there is anyone who has a copy, the Bride’s centenary committee would love to hear from them.

THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG HERE

Ireland played England in a Six Nations match that was low on quality and scores. Very few openings were created – it wasn’t until the 21st minute that there was a score, Peter Stringer crossing for a try and Jonny Sexton adding the conversion.

It was enough to give Ireland victory – England could only manage four points.

WORLD CUP ODDS ‘N’ ENDS

Forty-eight countries will contest this year’s World Cup Finals, being played across three countries, America, Canada and Mexico. That’s a record number.

Only 13 contested the first Finals, in 1930, and for many renewals after that, there were just 16. Italy won’t be travelling this year – for the third time in succession, the Azzurri have failed to make it.

Italy has four titles to its credit, the first won in 1934, the most recent in 2006. The debut win had Czechoslovakia in opposition in the final, and by coincidence, each team’s goalkeeper was captain.

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No sign of El Salvador in this year’s line-up, which is maybe just as well. On two previous occasions in the Finals line-up, in 1972 and again ten years later, the Central American country failed to win a game and scored just one goal – in a 10-1 thrashing by Hungary.

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Harry Kane will have a major focus on him when he wears the England jersey. The former Spurs attacker has been scoring for fun with his new club, Bayern Munich, and supporters will be hoping his rich vein of form extends to the summer.

He is, however, unlikely to knock Juste Fontaine from his pedestal as leading scorer at a single celebration of the Finals. The Frenchman bagged 13 goals in Sweden, in 1958, four of them coming in the third-place play-off with Germany.

WHO AM I?

I excelled in Kate O’Connor’s discipline, heptathlon, before retiring. My hyphenated name might suggest I’m from Co Clare, but I’m English, my win at the Olympics being cheered to the echo by the home crowd.

ANOTHER McDONNELL

Regular Ardee correspondent, Colm Ross, was in touch to say there is a McDonnell worthy to be added to the list which appeared in Inside Track a fortnight ago. The story centred on members of the McDonnell clan who played for Louth over the years.

Colm wants to mention Peter ‘Trick’ McDonnell, who figured on St Mary’s teams in the club’s early years. He was on the first Mary’s team to play in a senior final, in 1937, and lined out again the followed year when Mary’s also made the final. He also played for Louth at all levels.

His grandson, Daniel McDonnell, is a sportswriter with the Irish Independent.

ANSWERS

Know Your Initials: 1 Red Card, 2 Robin Cousins, 3 Red Carpet, 4 Rock Celtic, 5 Richie Connor, 6 Royal County, 7 Rebel County, 8 Ross County, 9 Red Corner, 10 Ron Clarke. There’s Something Wrong Here: A rugby team cannot end a game on four points. Who Am I? Jessica Ennis-Hill.