SEEMINGLY ONE OF the biggest perks of being a film star or a famous musician is a endless access to the world of sport. If Kanye West wants to drop into the Manchester United training ground, he gets an all-access pass.
If Chris Smalling wants to see Kanye, he’s probably sitting in the crowd with Joe and Jane public.
2015 was yet another year with plenty of celebrity/sports star mingling and here are some of the best crossovers.
Arnold Schwarzeneger and Conor McGregor
The Terminator is completely smitten with the Irish MMA fighter, christening him the McGregornator and constantly tweeting praise at the Irish fighter.
This is all building up to an immensely enjoyable action flick starring Arnie and the Notorious to be released by 2017.
Niall Horan and the Westmeath footballers
One Direction’s Horan is a huge sports fan and being a Mullingar native he was ecstatic after Westmeath beat arch-rivals Meath in the championship for the first time ever in 2015. He even promised to make their Leinster final against Dublin but a 1D concert clashed with the big game.
It turns out Horan is also budding buddies with Dan Carter. Some life he leads.
Justin Bieber and Floyd Mayweather
Not since Hitler and Mussolini has there been such an offensive friendship.
Wayne Rooney and the WWE
It is a bit of a stretch to call this a celebrity/sporting crossover but since Wayne Rooney was acting and wrestling is classified as ‘sports entertainment’ it just about qualifies.
Sean St Ledger and Taylor Swift
Nobody boosted their profile in 2015 more than St Ledger did by blagging a photo with Taylor Swift before allowing a rumour to grow that the two were together. Ingenious!
St Ledger actually looks a lot like Swift’s boyfriend Calvin Harris so maybe she just got temporarily confused?
Noel Gallagher and Match of the Day
The outspoken musician is a massive Manchester City fan so the BBC decided to allow him sit in the pundit’s chair on their flagship highlights show early in 2015. Opinion was fairly divided on whether the former Oasis guitarist was a good guest. Here is a taster of what he brought to the table.
Jean-Claude van Damme and Manchester City
The funniest thing about JCVD’s visit to the Man City training ground is that most of the players probably hadn’t a clue who he was. Seriously, when was the last time he was in a memorable film?
Eddie’s just disappointed his profits are taking a hit.
@Paul Mallon: he is a business man in all fairness.
Weird that music promotors seem to make plenty of money all the time in Croker, Hearn just chancing his arm looking to make more money. Ringside tickets will cost a few hundred minimum so he would stand to make more than any music concert plus he would be able to have Hill 16 open which you wouldn’t get at a gig.
Because the GAA are trying to milk it. Hearn can’t milk it. As he says himself that’s business
So it’s gone from twice as expensive to three times as expensive. Negotiations are going well.
So we have CP at a risky 80K and his option at 8K. Has he looked outside of these options, that’s all we have here 8K or 80K. What about 50K at the Aviva? 45K at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
There are more options in Ireland between 8 and 80K capacity.
I think this man just wants PPV, and or to get KT a fight, any fight at home. I don’t imagine it’s what she really imagined or deserved but it looks like he’d rather blame CP than list some other options.
@Niall Stone: Aviva will be hosting the Heineken cup final that evening so that’s a non starter.
@baz dunne: Point is there must be other options. He switched a fighter, switch the date
As he says it is a risk as it’s a less attractive fight now. Would this fight attract 80K? His second fight option would be less likely to attract a full house and he knows it, cold feet.
Steve Collins got good crowds in Cork, or select a different night.
In my opinion, he wants to go for safe PPV money, minimally meet KTs desire to fight in Ireland, hold the Amanda Serrano fight somewhere else all the while blaming the GAA. He could do more, be proactive rather than keep churning out the same sad story about CP.
He’s like a guy arguing with a bouncer to get into a nightclub, move on, go somewhere else.
8K tickets for KTs home match is underwhelming. She deserves more, he’s her agent not the GAA.
No doubt he’s right, The grab all association were always going to try and milk this for all its worth and more.
@baz dunne: Ah here,I’m not beyond having a go at the GAA,but Eddie Hearne,please…The GAA were dead right and its up the price should go,bye Eddie don’t let the door hit you in the Arse.
@Gerry Campbell: In fairness you’re not wrong. There’s the pair of them in it.
@baz dunne: was wondering how long before some anti gaa gobdaw would come up with the ‘grab all association’ line… When has no knowledge of numbers involved. All we need now is a brilliant original Father Ted line…
@baz dunne: he didn’t say the pair of them were at it..
As much as I don’t like Hearn I have no doubt he’s telling the truth. As my Granda used to say and the older I’ve got the more I’ve seen the truth in it in politics, institutions and pretty much every facet of life, he said, Ireland will never get anywhere, because it is a nation run by gombeen men, they’d sell their own mothers if you offered them the right price, but if you were dying of thirst they wouldn’t give you a drop of water unless there was something in it for them.
@Zim Zimma: we see what we want to see. Try looking at things more positively than your Granda did, and you might see things differently!
Tell Eddie, we saw how Wembley operated during the Euro’s final a couple of years back. Absolute chaos with the level of security & policing they put on. I wouldn’t be using them as a good example.. He’s also looking to schedule same wkend as the European rugby final in the Aviva. Just go for a night in August or Sept when nothings clashing with it.
@John Geary: if fans want to behave as they did last summer at Wembley or Lansdowne Rd years ago no amount of security or policing will suffice. Also much the scheduling of bouts is determined by training regimes.
The only lad to complain about the cost of holding an event in Croke Park. It sure is a bad taste he has left.
How much are gardai getting paid?
To be fair to him, it costs an absolute fortune to insure and police big-time Boxing events in Ireland. The amount of rival criminal gang members that would invariably show up would increase the likelihood of a Regency shooting style incident occurring. Despite their willingness to push other events through, and the high esteem in which Katie Taylor is held, I cannot see the Irish government wanting anything to do with assisting something that could potentially be associated with such negative publicity. Regular, large scale, professional Boxing events, on these shores, are a thing of the past. With or without star drawing power.