Ireland, McDonalds, and Football
On the Official English FA website the Irish flag is represented by an oversized McDonalds logo rather than the Irish Tricolour. No idea why - but it’s very funny. Perhaps Brian Kerr did it. [UPDATE: Too good to last, alas the FA have fixed their site, but you can see the McDonalds logo -actual size - that was in place of the Irish flag at the bottom of that page]
The only thing that could possibly have made Zidane’s infamous head-butt to the chest of Materazzi, an even better exit from world football would have been if it was executed from a salmon-like leap such as Pele routinely did when heading the ball down past Italian goal-keepers or onto Gordon Banks’ hands.
October 2004 - I’m sitting in a house in Kansas, the home of DJ Irishman, the unparalled expert on the music of Stock, Aiken & Waterman, Mr Colm Delahunt. Also present is another Dub and a Kerryman. On French television Ireland are playing France in Paris in a World Cup qualifying game. Zinedine Zidane is not playing because he has retired. Ireland outplay France but the game finishes 0-0. Also in our group is Switzerland, Israel, Cyprus and the Faroe Islands.
1998 - The year before I move to Kansas City, I am sitting at Goodison Park, home of Everton FC, where my father frequented many times in the wave of Irish emigration in the 1950s when the core of the Everton team was Irish. Before that my mother’s father watched this team wherever they played. In the Everton team before my departure to the US is the Italian Marco Materazzi.
September 2005 - Zinedine Zidane is out of retirement as France play in Dublin against Ireland with their out-of-retirement Roy Keane. In Kansas City several attempts to obtain access to watching the game fail, and instead the magic of Thierry Henry’s winning goal is followed in text updates. Zidane is substituted after receiving a yellow card. Keano also collects a yellow card.
October 2005 - In Dublin Ireland limp unimpressively to a nil-nil draw against a slightly less unimpressive Swiss side. In the group Ireland finish behind Israel. France qualify for the finals, Switzerland go into the play-offs. Watching by text update in KC is so much easier on the nails than television, or audio even. Meanwhile the short-sighted FAI do not keep Brian Kerr on as manager of Ireland.
March 31 through May 30, 2005 - McDonald’s Ireland in response to customer demand add a banana to every Happy Meal. Research showed mothers wanted more fruit, no salt on fries and no fizzy drinks.
June 9, 2006 - The World Cup finals start in Germany. France and Switzerland, formerly of Ireland’s qualifying group, are pitched together again in the group phase.
June 2006 - McDonalds, an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup, offers McDonald’s Salads Plus™ salads, fruit bags and Fruit n’ Yogurt at all 12 official World Cup venues in Germany.
July 9 2006 - France are deservedly in the World Cup Final. Zizou later claims that Marco said something like, your moma’s no good, your sister’s no better. Marco, for his part, said, I never. Marco also claims to have used no nouns, adjectives or adverbs, in verbally taunting Zizou. Revisionists proclaim him a lousy player in his spell for Everton. Marco wins the World Cup.
July 19, yesterday - In Ireland Dublin City F.C resign as members of the Eircom League.
July 20 2006, today - FIFA announce suspensions and fines for Zidane and Materazzi. Zidane, retired again, has agreed to community service with kids because his suspension is obviously academic. Materazzi is suspended for two official matches of the Italian national team.
July 21 2006, tomorrow - In Dublin, the Republic of Ireland Cerebral Palsy team begin their European Championship Finals campaign with a group opener against World Champions Ukraine in UCD‘s Belfield Bowl pitch (11am Kansas City time)
On July 26 - In Columbus, The Columbus Crew will face Everton of the English Premier League at 7:00 p.m. at Crew Stadium.
Frenchmen head-butting Italians, is another of the things I miss about Ireland
See Also:
• Meeting Maradona
• Ryder Cup Myths, Legends & Dry Ice
• Irish Lose: O Dear, O-dear O-dear O-dear
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