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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is now Europe's longest-serving manager. EMPICS Sport

Arsene Wenger becomes Europe's longest-serving manager after Armagh native steps down

The Arsenal boss has been at the club since September 1996.

Updated at 18.09

ARSENAL MANAGER ARSENE Wenger is now Europeโ€™s longest-serving coach after Ronnie McFall resigned as manager of Portadown last night.

69-year-old McFall has been in charge of the Northern Irish club since December 1986 โ€” six weeks after Alex Ferguson took over as Man United manager.

McFall had initially been planning to step down from his role at the club at the end of the season, but decided to leave after his sideโ€™s shock Irish Cup loss to Lurgan Celtic and with the club struggling in seventh place in the table.

The Armagh native, who is an MBE, helped the club win over 20 trophies, including four league titles and three Irish Cups.

Wenger, whose future came under renewed speculation following Arsenalโ€™s disappointing loss at home to Swansea during the week, has been in charge of the Gunners since September 1996.

h/t BBC Sport

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    Mute Eel Knack Mole
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:48 PM

    If Sky Sports cared about their Irish customers, the first 15 minutes would be broadcast in Ireland.

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    Mute Diarmuid
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    Oct 24th 2014, 1:04 PM

    Great comment!

    214
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    Mute Cosmo Kramer
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    Oct 24th 2014, 2:54 PM

    Just show delayed footage at 5:15. Then when the second half kicks off youโ€™d be back up to live coverage.. The studio guests on Spanish Football are muck anyway

    189
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    Mute Maurice Dancer
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    Oct 25th 2014, 12:16 AM

    But Sky donโ€™t care about you. England is where they care the most.

    16
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    Mute Colin Garthwaite
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    Feb 26th 2017, 2:14 PM

    @Eel Knack Mole: Like you lot arenโ€™t popping over to England for EPL ganes!

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    Mute james kelly
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    Oct 24th 2014, 10:55 AM

    Should change it to just domestic matches if itโ€™s to protect crowd attendance

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    Mute Ted Carroll
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:28 PM

    I donโ€™t think itโ€™s quite as straightforward as that but the 17:15 part bothers me greatly, if the rule ceased at 5 pm it would be good enough.

    The reason the domestic only rule wouldnโ€™t work is that they fear that if this game were on at 3pm that the crowds that might otherwise have attended games would be sitting at home or in the pub to watch this instead.

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    Mute Joe Bloggs
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    Oct 24th 2014, 2:27 PM

    Why canโ€™t they just start showing it at 5.01, then technically itโ€™s not live

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    Mute Dave O'Hanlon
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    Oct 24th 2014, 1:09 PM

    as long as first row sports can show it

    117
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    Mute Snorre Sturleson
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:02 PM

    Mobdro

    13
    phil
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    Mute phil
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:43 PM

    No the quality can be quite crap. Download ace stream and use wizwig to find a good stream. Near HD quality if you have a fibre connection

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    Mute cosmological
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:23 PM

    Rules are made to be broken.

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    Mute Frank Buffalo
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:31 PM

    Is that a rule?

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    Mute cosmological
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:46 PM

    I like that Frank.

    56
    Kev
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    Mute Kev
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:11 PM

    Just watch online

    62
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    Mute Gavin Scott
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    Oct 24th 2014, 2:48 PM

    Normally takes 15 minutes to clear the JavaScript pop-ups!!!

    92
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    Mute Mervin McPervin
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    Oct 24th 2014, 3:33 PM

    Ad blocker

    53
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    Mute Michael cunnane
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:18 PM

    Loadamebollocks.Worse than itv

    45
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    Mute Mick Stafford
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    Oct 24th 2014, 11:39 AM

    Do BT Sport not have to comply with this ruling? I May be completely wrong, but donโ€™t they show games around this time on a Saturday?!

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    Mute Dan O'Connor
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:11 PM

    Thatโ€™s correct. BT and setanta often show the 3pm game on a Saturday.

    51
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    Mute Pauliebhoy
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:14 PM

    No, only Setanta do and itโ€™s only available in Ireland

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    Mute Dan O'Connor
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:16 PM

    Wasnโ€™t aware of that. Good to know!

    49
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    Mute Ger O'Shea
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:43 PM

    Yeah because Sky Sportโ€™s showing the game from the start would have any affect on the attendance of a Spanish football match sold out months ago.

    40
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    Mute Anthony Kelly
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    Oct 24th 2014, 1:43 PM

    Does anyone else fancy explaining it to him?

    83
    Luke
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    Mute Luke
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    Oct 24th 2014, 1:46 PM

    no point anthony. he simply doesnโ€™t get it

    62
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    Mute Sean Mcphillips
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    Oct 24th 2014, 2:18 PM

    There are no restrictions in the US thank goodness..that is an ass-inine rule.Can you imagine joining the match with one of the teams up by two or threeโ€ฆ.game over.Folks in Ireland who pay for this service should be up in arms.

    34
    JJ
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    Mute JJ
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    Oct 24th 2014, 2:23 PM

    Apart from the blackout rules for the NFL that prevent a game being televised locally if the game hasnโ€™t sold outโ€ฆ

    51
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    Mute Sean Mcphillips
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    Oct 24th 2014, 3:03 PM

    I will never have that problem with the Giants.

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    Mute Colin Garthwaite
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    Feb 26th 2017, 2:16 PM

    @Sean Mcphillips: Yes and we get to watch PGA golf live,while you have to wait for a basketball match to finish.

    1
    Luke
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    Mute Luke
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    Oct 24th 2014, 1:52 PM

    watching football is one of the few things that gets me through the week. real sense of anticipation for barca vs madrid then united vs chelsea on super sunday. looking forward to Saracens against Munster tonight too

    32
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    Mute Trevor Nolan
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    Oct 24th 2014, 2:55 PM

    Is this only for league games? The FA Cup Final was shown live for years with a 15:00 kickoff on a Saturday. If the rule can be flouted for that game, surely authorities can do the same for a game shown in another country?

    29
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    Mute Dermot Mc Loughlin
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:44 PM

    Archaic ruleโ€ฆ.next up thereโ€™ll be a call to prayer on tvโ€ฆโ€ฆโ€ฆโ€ฆ.

    27
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    Mute cosmological
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:59 PM

    Gave you a thumbs up but I donโ€™t get the connection.

    24
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    Mute Mick Jacobs
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    Oct 24th 2014, 2:38 PM

    Dont RTE have that gong, sorry going already โ€ฆ

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    Mute Niall ร“ Cionnaith
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    Oct 24th 2014, 1:04 PM

    Find a bein sports stream onlineโ€ฆthey have Keys and Grey too.

    14
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    Mute Joan Fallon
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    Oct 24th 2014, 4:21 PM

    Donโ€™t watch football, if I wanted to watch someone try to score for 90 mins I would bring my friends to the pub on a Saturday night

    13
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    Mute shane o'donnell
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    Oct 24th 2014, 4:25 PM

    Good one Joan

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    Mute Maurice Dancer
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    Oct 25th 2014, 12:18 AM

    Cool story Joan you misery

    12
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    Mute Kevin Geraghty
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    Oct 24th 2014, 7:11 PM

    You could quite possibly miss 3 or 4 goals in that 15 minutes!

    13
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    Mute JosephmJames
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    Oct 25th 2014, 12:38 AM

    Irish people complaining about British channels showing Spanish games. Bejaysus

    9
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    Mute Maurice Dancer
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    Oct 25th 2014, 3:26 PM

    Irish customers of said British channel you mean. Or perhaps you like to sit back and be taken for a mug.

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    Mute Snorre Sturleson
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:01 PM

    โ€ Of course, in this day and age there are plenty of ways for you to circumvent the blackout and watch the first 15 minutesโ€ฆ not that weโ€™d be encouraging you to do that sort of thing.โ€โ€ฆ..Sly wont be happy with the str@@ming stealing their thunder!

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    Mute robbie fowler
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    Oct 24th 2014, 4:37 PM

    Setanta show games from the premiership every weekend at 3pm whats the difference? ??

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    Mute Snorre Sturleson
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:05 PM

    Only in Ireland they cannot show 3pm sat matches Ukky Kingdom

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    Mute Alan Martin Doherty
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    Oct 24th 2014, 9:39 PM

    I am impressed by u saying UKky Kingdom. How long does the deal last until?

    1
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