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The McFall guy

Alex Gulrajani looks at Portadown boss Ronnie McFall, another manager celebrating 25 successful years at one club

Ronnie McFall became the manager of Portadown in December 1986. He is still there 25 years later. A title-winner as a player and manager with Glentoran, the 38-year-old arrived with his hometown club bottom of the Irish League. A quarter of a century on, everything has changed. “I remember that first day well,” McFall recalls. “When I arrived at training, there was only about six or seven lads there. The first thought I had was ‘What have I done?’ The club needed restructuring from head to toe. We had no youth set-up and were rock bottom of the league. Everything had to be rebuilt.”

Sunday, January 1st, 2012 - Book reviews

Trap door

After their first leg play-off win, Lee Daly reflects on Ireland’s Euro 2012 qualification campaign

Despite the Republic of Ireland scoring four goals in their away victory against Estonia in the first leg of their Euro 2012 play-off, the most ambitious Irish performance of the night was from fan Conor Cunningham. He managed to sneak past security into the stadium and make it onto the pitch, disguised in an Estonian team tracksuit top. Cunningham sat in the home team dugout and celebrated with the Irish players after their victory. He became an overnight media sensation and made several appearances on radio explaining he was as surprised as anyone that he wasn’t found out until after the final whistle.

Sunday, January 1st, 2012 - The Archive

New studio, no difference

Simon Tyers reviews the BBC’s change of studio and whether it has made any difference to Match of the Day

Whisper it, for fear of TV columnists suddenly finding themselves surplus to requirements in these financially straitened times, but viewers of highlights shows don’t really care about what happens for much of each programme. As long as the action is plentiful and well edited – and the bits in between don’t inspire mass acts of seppuku – you can by and large get away with it.

Sunday, January 1st, 2012 - The Archive

Forever young

James Morris looks back on Dario Grado’s 26 years in management at Crewe Alexandra, as he steps aside to oversee the youth academy

Dario Gradi was not exactly a stranger to the experience of Crewe Alexandra fans calling for his head. Absurd as it sounds now, with the club currently sat in League Two, chants of “we want Gradi out” were doing the rounds even when the club was punching way above its weight in the Championship.

Sunday, January 1st, 2012 - Book reviews

Launch of the QEII

Andy Ollerenshaw tells the story of Enfield Town’s new stadium

At the turn of the millennium, fans of Enfield FC saw their beloved football ground bulldozed. But what has happened in the subsequent decade makes for a heartening tale. Formed in 1893, Enfield had a rich and successful history. They played their home games at Southbury Road, an ageing but well-loved 1930s ground, considered by many to be an iconic non-League venue. The sale of Southbury Road in 1999 by Tony Lazarou, who owned the club at the time, initiated a cycle of extraordinary events. Lazarou attempted to rehouse the club at Cheshunt but the move fell through, so for two years the club suffered a nomadic existence, playing at various venues outside the London Borough of Enfield. Fan resentment had already started to grow before the sale of the ground, but the sight of the bulldozers moving into Southbury Road was the final straw for many.

Sunday, January 1st, 2012 - The Archive

Author Archive

The McFall guy

Alex Gulrajani looks at Portadown boss Ronnie McFall, another manager celebrating 25 successful years at one club

Trap door

After their first leg play-off win, Lee Daly reflects on Ireland’s Euro 2012 qualification campaign

New studio, no difference

Simon Tyers reviews the BBC’s change of studio and whether it has made any difference to Match of the Day

Forever young

James Morris looks back on Dario Grado’s 26 years in management at Crewe Alexandra, as he steps aside to oversee the youth academy

Launch of the QEII

Andy Ollerenshaw tells the story of Enfield Town’s new stadium