LAST UPDATE | 21 Jan 2023
MICK MCCARTHY WAS made to wait for his first match as Blackpool manager after Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship home clash with Huddersfield was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
The contest at Bloomfield Road had been set to open McCarthy’s tenure after he was placed in charge of the Seasiders for the remainder of the season on Thursday, succeeding the sacked Michael Appleton.
But a statement from Blackpool at 10.45am on Saturday said the game had been postponed. Next up for Blackpool is the FA Cup fourth round clash away to Southampton next Saturday 28 January, while they are away to Middlesbrough in the Championship on Saturday 4 February.
There were Irish goalscorers in today’s action that did go ahead in England and Scotland. In the Championship, Alan Browne was set up by Robbie Brady in the 15th minute for Preston’s second goal as they defeated Birmingham City 2-1. Preston are now 10th in the table, two points off the play-off places.
Conor Hourihane scored Derby County’s second goal in their 2-1 win at home to Bolton Wanderers, for whom Kieran Sadlier netted. Derby are now fourth in the table as Bolton stay in fifth.
And in the Scottish Cup, Jamie McGrath scored a superb bicycle kick in the 68th minute as Dundee United won 3-0 against Stirling University.
Ooh Ahh Jamie McGrath @FAIreland pic.twitter.com/jZ7zSDn5Ud
— The Green Machíne (@GM_Pod) January 21, 2023
Elsewhere, Republic of Ireland international Ruesha Littlejohn featured in the Women’s Super League [WSL] for the first time this season after an injury lay-off.
The midfielder was introduced in the closing minutes of Aston Villa’s impressive 1-1 draw at Manchester City.
Littlejohn sustained a serious foot injury in Ireland’s World Cup qualifier win over Finland at Tallaght Stadium last September.
The Glasgow-born 32-year-old featured for Villa in December’s Conti Cup clash against Durham, but suffered another setback soon after.
The rule changes can’t make the game any worse to look at as a neutral than the sh!te we have seen for the past number of years. Football is light years behind hurling. Maybe this is the start of the comeback for the big ball.
@Maureen: Why do people feel the need to compare 2 different sports. Might as well compare Gaelic football to horse racing, has about the same relevance
@Mel Roberts: So u can see no comparison between both sports even tho so is so many dual players out there? Need I explain that both use the same pitches, goal posts, scoring system etc?
Football is awful to watch, something needed to be done, the Gaa recognise that mainly because the crowds are turning up. Hopefully these rules are a step in the right direction and bringing it back to the glory days.
@Maureen: that’s where the comparisons end. The glory days? Of what? Catch and kick? Not even look for a man just kick it as hard and as far as you can to the other end of the pitch, watch some of the games from 70s and 80s, awful awful stuff
@Mel Roberts: The likes of Tyrone destroyed the game with their possession basketball sh!te and 15 men behind the ball crap. Thankfully the Dubs put a stop to that.
You do know it’s called football? U can pass the ball with the foot as well? At least the top brass can see this and not handpass/throw the ball from one end to the other.
@Maureen: oh yeah it was Tyrone that destroyed football wasnt it. Maybe a motion should be put before Congress to ban Tyrone from entering the championship for all their sins
@Mel Roberts: how does the likes of Tyrone just mean Tyrone? Ye might as well be banned, if there was a B Championship ye would have a good chance of winning that! Thank f#ck ye are finished. Mickey Harte should stick to the Eurovision ; )
@Maureen: We are finished, won back to back Ulster titles in 2016 and 17 and All Ireland runners up in 2018. Sure lump us in the second tier championship right enough there
Why did Meath players club names suddenly go as gaeilge?
Something had to be done . The garbage football of the last few years was un-watchable .