IRELAND ASSISTANT BOSS Roy Keane has hailed John Caulfield and Cork City for their impressive unbeaten run in the SSE Airtrcity League Premier Division this season.
The Leesiders have won 11 games out of 11 so far and are consequently top of the table on 33 points.
Asked whether it was finally going to be their year having finished as runners-up to Dundalk the past three seasons on the bounce, Keane said:
“It looks like it. It would be great, they’ve had a tough few years in terms of being runners-up to Dundalk who have been amazing. Dundalk have lost two or three top players over the last year or two and it seems like it’s catching up on them.
Cork City have made some clever signings, they’ve been working hard, John Caulfield has done a great job there, I think them winning the cup last year has given them that extra bit of confidence and belief so it looks like it’s Cork City’s to win and it would be great if they push on because as we know Cork City, there is great support there, it’s had its ups and downs, like a lot of league of Ireland clubs it’s been on that roller coaster.
“The cup last year was great but to win the league would be great for the club and for the city because it’s been a tough few years for Cork City.”
Speaking at a Show Racism the Red Card event in Tallaght Stadium, Keane was also asked what kids can do to stand up to racism in Ireland and elsewhere.
“I suppose it comes down to individuals, if they see it, whether it’s in the schools or their sports clubs, then you’ve got to try to do something about it, report it to a teacher or one of your coaches.
“You’ve got to try to step up to the plate, to help try to stamp it out if you see it because that sort of behaviour is unacceptable. Clearly the kids in here are doing something about it because the work that’s going on here is amazing.
Even if you look around this room today you see different nationalities, different races and I think there’s has been a big change in the last five, 10, 15 years and sometimes it’s just about educating people properly; it’s not just about accepting people’s different background, it’s about respecting it and that seems to be going on here, I’ve been sitting there looking and I’ve been moved by it.
“I have children myself and if they and everyone else could do what the kids are doing in this room, then I think the world would be a different place, I’ve been really moved by it. I think it’s fantastic.”
“If you try to put yourself in these people’s shoes, starting life in a new country, in a new school must be nerve-racking, it must be so hard but then somebody goes out of their way to help them out on their first day in whatever way that might be and sport always seems to play a big part in bringing people together….it must a huge difference to people in that situation.
I’ve never experienced it myself because obviously I was brought up in Ireland, the country I was born in, but it must be so nerve-racking, it must be unbelievable and so any help we can give to people has the potential to be a huge help to their confidence, to their belief that they made the right decision to move to Ireland.”
Keane admitted moving to a new country as a teenager, as he did after joining Nottingham Forest, was far from easy, particularly as others got to grips with his strong Cork accent.
“Yeah (laughing), I did have to slow down a small bit for the first few months. But there were lads in England who went out of their way to help me.
“I remember lads like Gary Charles and Gary Bowyer who I look back on now and remember how they were there to help me settle into a new city, a new club, a new country and you remember it for the rest of your life that people went to that little bit of extra trouble for you to help you out in the middle of what is a new experience.
As I’ve said, sport plays a huge part in it. We’ve seen clips there of people playing basketball and it doesn’t matter what colour your skin is, what your religion is or your beliefs; sport brings a lot of people together and that’s why in life, sport is so important.”
Football itself has not been immune to racism of late. A Serie A game at the weekend was overshadowed by Pescara midfielder Sully Muntari leaving the pitch after being racially abused by fans, while last Saturday’s Old Firm derby was also marred by a racist gesture from a supporter.
Asked about the latter incident, Keane added: “There are still a lot of ignorant people out there and it looks like the people involved are going to be charged. In my opinion, rightfully so.
“It’s unacceptable that these things happen, not just in football but anywhere. It goes to show that, as much as there is great work being done, you can’t relax; you have to keep working, trying to educate people because it’s unacceptable, really it’s disgusting.”
Roy Keane was speaking to RTÉ reporter Tony O’Donoghue at the Show Racism the Red Card Creative competition awards at Tallaght Stadium. More info is available here.
Brilliant stuff lads – cheers for that. Some great recommendations.
You can add A Year Till Sunday. Best GAA documentary
@Gerard Browne: never knew there was a doc on Ring, will watch for sure
@Gerard Browne: Was coming here to comment the same thing. An absolute classic. Watched it again last week. Ja is the man!
@Stevie D: John Divilly…..sin é!
@Gerard Browne: Not just GAA, one of the best sports docs ever made
@Fr Chewy Louis: it was before its time. Even a cameo appearance by Eamon Dunphy haha
If anyone has BBC 4 I cannot recommend OJ Simpson- made in America, highly enough. It’s a 5 part 30 for 30 documentaries series. It’s one of the greatest documentaries ever made- probably a bit of a stretch to put it in the sports bracket given the subjects infamy & notoriety. Part 2 is on tonight if anyone wants to series link.
@Robert O Farrell: check out a documentary called ‘madness on wheels rallyings crazy years’. Its about when car rallying turned into an arms race to make crazier faster cars in the 1980s with the inevitable banning of the particular group b class due to driver and spectator deaths. If it’s no longer on YouTube it will be on dailymotion
@Robert O Farrell: 30 for 30 are class, some great documentaries, Sole Man is a personal favourite of mine. Their podcasts are good too.
@Stephen Lyons: slaying the badger is hilarious. Hinault is meant to be the baddy as opposed to Greg lemond but hes so cool even in middle age you find yourself rooting for him
Hoop Dreams a great doc to watch on YouTube
Formula 1 drive to survive is superb
For anyone missing Irish basketball there’s ‘We Got Game – The Golden Age of Irish Basketball’. A brilliant documentary on basketball in the eighties featuring Kelvin Troy, who once kept Larry Bird to 6pts in a college game, Dave Hopla, still regarded as the best shooter in the world, and Mario Elie, who went on to win 3 NBA titles after his time in Ireland. Whether you’re into Irish basketball or not it’s a fascinating sports documentary and well worth a watch.
The gatti ward fights were unbelievable and round 9 will go down as one of if not the best round of all time
@Warren Mcdermott: two absolute warriors
The weight of a nation, a documentary on New Zealand’s 2011 world cup win is brilliant too. Surprised it wasn’t in the original list.
If you’re interested in American Sports, would recommend Foul Play, the series documenting the Ole Miss/ Laremy Tunsil scandal, and how corrupt the NCAA system is.
https://youtu.be/_Qm-P2foSE4
Great article guys. Thanks for the recommendations.
Jim Stynes – Every Heart Beats Through. Watched it on YouTube last week for the first time in ages. What an inspirational man.
@Patrick McCarron: Great shout. An incredible watch.
‘A Sunday in Hell’ free on YouTube, for cycling fans.
The Bert Trautman story on YouTube
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_RvDhsv8jjw
If you have amazon then I highly recommend the best of men, it’s about Ludwig Gutterman he created the Paralympics
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Men-Eddie-Marsan/dp/B00IWLJ3H0
@Richard Cronin: also I rather enjoyed the toughest trade
https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+toughest+trade++
The 2009 Lions documentary is also available on YouTube. ROG like.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=97uxJmXMQuc
Road (2014) The story of the Dunlops and Knuckle (2011) are top documentaries
@Richard McBriar: Excellent
“All for one” also for cycling fans.
Great doco showing the team effort of a cycling team and that to a layman it may come across as an individual sport, but it is really anything but. The trials and tribulations (not to mention the funny sides) of a cycling team.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ch1m085rpU
For me it’s the one and only ringy!! ( Christy Ring) xx
‘The Names on the Cup’ brilliant documentary and ‘The Broadstreet Bullies’