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World Cup own goals

Ropey refs; dreary final; stopping the clock; Darragh ‘I know’ Maloney; and Hannigan’s hits

Letters to the Editor. Illustration: Paul Scott
The Irish Times - Letters to the Editor.

Sir, – I agree with Ken Early’s analysis of the World Cup final – the referee didn’t want to spoil the game, so he let the players play by their own rules.

Any chance that when the next time 1.8 billion people are watching a boring soccer match, the referee might be substituted at halftime? – Yours, etc,

DERMOT O’ROURKE,

Lucan,

Dublin.

Sir, – Just before sitting down to watch the eagerly anticipated World Cup final between Spain and Argentina on television, I had applied the final coat of paint to the kitchen ceiling.

During the course of the game – a lamentably mind-numbing affair – I occasionally glanced up at the ceiling to see how the paint was drying.

It would be no exaggeration to say that I got marginally more satisfaction out of watching the paint dry than I did from watching the actual match.

What an anticlimax. – Yours, etc,

PAUL DELANEY,

Dalkey,

Dublin.

Sir, – Why don’t the soccer authorities do what they do in Croke Park when there is an injury or whatever stoppage? Stop the clock? It’s a no-brainer. – Yours, etc,

PAUL DORAN,

Clondalkin,

Dublin 22.

Sir, – Quote of the day should go to RTÉ commentator Darragh ”I know” Maloney before the final. He said: “This place is packed to the rafters.” There was no roof on the stadium.

If Ray Houghton pointed this out to him, he no doubt would have said: ”I know.” – Yours, etc,

DERMOT FOLEY,

Kimmage Road West,

Dublin.

Sir, – Regarding the article: Rating the World Cup pundits: the mad, the bad, and the Roy Keane ad, July 20th:

Mary Hannigan 10/10. – Yours, etc,

HELEN NOONAN,

Ranelagh.

Dublin 6.