The FA Cup has been much maligned in recent seasons, with mid-ranking Premier League teams sending out shadow sides and television audiences falling. The 2008-2009 denouement of this world’s oldest Cup competition has the potential to be a box-office success.

This year’s semi-finalists currently occupy the first six places in the Barclays Premier League – and no matter what happens, interest in this year’s final is sure to be high. Apologies, of course, to fans of Portsmouth and Cardiff – but the 2008 decider did not exactly capture the hearts and minds of football fans, apart from those who followed the finalists themselves.

First up is Arsenal v Chelsea at 5.15pm on Saturday. I was listening to John Giles on the radio during the week and he claimed that Arsenal have the look of a team who can winy any match at the moment. There is no doubt that the Gunners have stepped it up in recent times, and their performance in disposing of Villarreal mid-week was quite impresive.

Chelsea, too, have picked it up under the watchful eye of  Hiddink, even though their prospensity to concede goals and Cech’s frailties, would be a worry in recent outings.  A classic is in store, with Chelsea’s strength and the returning John Terry, just about shading it for the Blues.

An FA Cup final involving Chelsea and Everton is 5/1 with Ladbrokes, though Everton’s part in making that happen is a tough ask in that they have to face a Manchester United side who have designs on winning everything.

If this match was played at a traditonal semi-final venue like Villa Park, you would give David Moyes side a great chance, but the vast expanses of Wembley Stadium is sure to suit the Red Devils more. Make no mistake, this will be a tough uncomprimising battle that may be settled in extra time, with Everton doughty enough to hold their own at 0-0 for 90 minutes (8/1).

Crucible Drama?

Back in the 1980s, the World Snooker Championship attracted far healthier viewership than it does now. The irony is that the snooker played now is of a higher standard, though the public perception of those who play it is not met on met with any heightened interest or fascination.

Ronnie O’Sullivan should be champion on 4 May – but the Rocket has imploded and Ali Carter has predicts that a similar fate awaits O’Sullivan this time around with John Higgins and Peter Ebdon in the same half of the draw.  Carter’s money is on Ebdon (33/1) if he was take himself out of the equation, while O’Sullivan reckons the title will be won by him or John Higgins (12/1) – the same price as Ali Carter by the way.  Needless to say if the Rocket steers off course, there will be at least four or five players vying for his crown.  

Mixed Offerings

Racing this weekend sees the Scottish Nattional at Ayr.  One of my Grand National fancies Brooklyn Brownie bids to atone at a price of 20/1, though my preference this time is for Sound Accord (20/1) with Barry Geraghty in the plate.

On the flat, the Greenham Stakes at Newbury sees Jim Bolger send over Vocalised who impressed when winning on his seasonal return at Curragh, while the trainer could bag a double if Maoineach takes the Dubai Duty Free Stakes

What a few weeks it has been, with medals at the European Indoors;  an unexpected octet of winners at Cheltenham and the exploits of one Ruby Walsh, Grand Slam heaven in Cardiff and a World title holder in boxing.  Hopes are high that Aintree will bring more success, but expectations are lowered when the Republic of Ireland soccer side are mentioned. No one will doubt their honesty, not even their manager, but if they make a World Cup play-off, you can’t help but think they will eventually come up short.

I don’t want to sound pessimistic – but a crunch tw0-legged affair could be their undoing next November with their light weight midfield likely to be exposed by sides who will offer more of a threat than the Bulgarians.

As for now, the Italians lie in wait in Bari. The World champions are not an intimidating force, but will be wary of the ‘Trap’ that may befall them on April Fool’s day. Lippi, an admirer of the said Trapattoni, will have his side well prepared, but don’t expect them to roll over the Irish.

John Giles is confident that Trappattoni’s game plan of containment and lack of general lack of creativity can serve the Republic well and that a draw  is possible. A scoreless draw is avaliable at 7/1 with Ladbrokes.

It may not be a pretty sight, but Trap’s side, possibly without Aidan McGeady and definitely missing Damien Duff, and not to mention the absent duo of Andy Reid and Stephen Ireland, would welcome such an outcome.  If the Italians decide to cut loose and show their old boss a thing or two a 3-0 victory for them is worth 9-1. 

A defeat for the Irish would not be a disaster as second place is still well within their grasp – but away trips to Bulgaria and Cyprus could yet prove to be more daunting than the visit to Trap’s homeland. Expect more twists and turns.   

Watch Italy v Republic of Ireland on RTÉ Two television and on www.rte.ie/live from 7.00pm on Wednesday, 1 April.     

Forpadydeplasterer, Garde Champetre and Quevega provide me with some notable returns on the opening day at Cheltenham. The Irish, with four winners, did better than expected. Will Irish domination at Prestbury Park kickstart our embattled economy – instiling a greater sense of worth to all Irish citizens. Let’s hope so!

In any event, it’s onward to day two. The first race – the National Hunt Chase Challenge, Niche Market at 7/1 is the fanct, but Tony Martin has so often in the past struck a winning blow in these types of races. I’ll side with Drumconvis each/way at 14/1

In the 2.05 – the Ballymore Properties Hurdle – Wille Mullins can get his second winner of the Festival with Mikael D’haguenet at 3/1.

In the RSA Chase, I’m prepared to give Carruthers  (6/1) another chance after his below par run at last year’s Festival. His runs so far this season would indicate he is keen to atone and make the evergreen Lord Oaksey a happy man.  Cooldine for Willie Mullins and What A Friend for Paul Nicholls are likely to be in the shake up.

So to the Champion Chase at 3.20, where Master Minded is expected to romp home. It’s more of a race to watch the exploits of a class animal. Without Nicholls’ performer, take Big Zeb to be the best of the rest.

In the Coral Cup at 4.00 Kirbybroguelantern at 33/1 is my fancy to find a place in what is always a difficult race to make sense of.

In the Champion Bumper at 5.15 – Willie Mullins has his usual strong team with Gagewell Flyer my pick, but Dermot Weld’s Rite Of Passage is the obvious threat.

The Cheltenham Festival is upon us after all the waiting. A build up that began towards the latter end of last September will culminate in what will hopefully be four days of thrilling action, and something to take our minds of fiscal crisis, tax levies, belt tightening etc.

RTÉ Sport will be on hand to bring you the best of the coverage on television, radio and online. For more details, click here.  

Colm Murray reliably informed me that favourites do not have a good record in the opening event of the Festival – the Supreme Novices Hurdle (1.30). Some late scares are circulating about favourite Cousin Vinny’s well being in advance of the race.  If all is well with him come 1.30pm on Tuesday, he does have the speed to run his rivals ragged.

Torphichen is the one for me if the Irish hope fails to deliver. He won’t mind the rain with Andrew McNamara on board at 11/2. The heart still says Cousin Vinny, however.

In the Arkle Chase (2.05), the inclusion of Follow The Plan (16/1) is one that I’m attracted to. Trainer Oliver McKiernan has a small string and he sent this fellow to record a fine victory over Tatenen at Leopardstown over Christmas. Indeed, his daughter is a kids’ presenter on RTÉ Television.

Paul Nicholls charge is the favourite here, but don’t rule out the Forpadydeplasterer at 9/1.

The Smurfit Champion Hurdle (3.20) should be a classic, with much of the money (maybe too much) on Binocular. Celstial Halo also has his support, with Jered (33/1) – an engaging price to be the best of the Irish. 

In the Cross Country Chase (4.0o) Enda Bolger seeks his fourth victory in the marathon. L’Ami – once a Gold Cup contender – is the favourite, but preference here is for Garde Champetre to repeat the victory of last year at 3/1, with Paul Nolan’s Dix Villez (7/1) also likely to be in the skake-up.

In the Mares Hurdle (4.40pm) – the heart rules the head again with Willie Mullins’ Quevega my preference, but many dangers lie waiting. Among them is David Pipe’s Gaspara at 20/1.

Enjoy the opening day, and the possible element of surprise that may be in store.

The serious business of the Champions League is upon us with Barcelona the favourites at this remove to land the ultimate prize in Rome. Their footballing displays this season have the Catalan giants at 5/2 favorites before a ball was kicked in the round of 16. 

Lyon stand in their way of further progress,  but in truth the French champions are not the same side who were genuine dark horses in the competition a few years back. Manchester United comfortably brushed them aside at the round of 16 in 2008, and Barcelona should do something similar over the two legs in spite of only drawing in France.

Jose Mourinho got on Alex Ferguson’s nerves when Porto shocked the Red Devils in 2004. The ‘Special One’ dash along the Old Trafford sideline on that evening was his introduction to the wider world. Fergie now hopes Mourinho will return to the Premier League. They’re good buddies now you see. But, Jose will no doubt want to pull another fast one, and so add a new dimension to their relationship.

United are a much stronger squad now than they were in 2004, and the feeling persists that the tie will be won at Old Trafford in a fortnight. The champions are tipped to prevail and after their first leg encounter in Milan, that view has gained even greater credence

Whiile Inter were poor, Real Madrid reached reached even greater levels of ineptitude against a Liverpool side, who were dogged and in a manner which has served them well in Europe since Rafa’s arrival.

As for Arsenal, they will be disappointed they didn’t bag more against Roma, while Chelsea will feel they have work to do against Juve in Turin on 10 March.

Bayern Munich were the big movers in the market after their 5-0 romp of Sporting Lisbon, and are 9/1 to win the competition outright. That is probably unlikely, but don’t bet against them reaching the semi-final if a favourable draw is theirs.

Indeed, the draw is all important, with an all English final very likely. The rest of Europe may not like it, but the power base of football in this continent is with the Premier League, and it does not look like shifting for a few years yet.

Live Champions League on RTÉ Two television and www.rte.ie/live on Tuesday 10/Wednesday 11 March from 7.00pm.

Six Nations Crunch

England (9/4) have a chance of beating Ireland at Croke Park if  they can improve on their showing against Wales. The experts claim Kidney’s men can wear them down, with Kidney’s men 6/1 to win the match from behind with england ahead at half-time. Tommy Bowe a good bet at 12/1 to be the first Irish try scorer.

Live RBS 6 Nations rugby on RTÉ Two and www.rte.ie/live from 2.30pm on Saturday, 28 February.

Last weekend, Ireland had their expected victory over the Italians, though for a while it did look that they would struggle to beat them by the 10 point margin I was hoping for. Beat them, they did, and what was very much in evidence was Declan Kidney formulating a game plan to deal with the given situation.

 The Azzurri were a tough nut to crack, and on the evidence of their dispaly against the Welsh, Martin Johnson’s England will be no pushovers in the cauldron that will be Croke Park on Saturday, 28 February. Their 2/1 price to spoil the Irish party will not see many takers on this side of the pond, but with Kidney’s men carrying the weight of expectancy of potential Grand Slam winners, an ambush of sorts is always possible.

Domestic Battles Near Kick-Off

This week saw the release of the League of Ireland fixtures and so bookmakers across the land can open up their markets. The Premier League is a 10-team competition this season and much focus will head to the foothills of the Dublin mountains where Shamrock Rovers new home in Tallaght finally sees competitive action. I liked the look of their new manager, Michael O’Neill, when he spoke at his unveiling last December.  He spoke a lot of sense and seemed to have a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve.

Last season the Hoops played some nice football and the roar of 6,000 or so fans in Tallaght may very well see them finish higher in the League in 2009. They are 10/1 with Ladbrokes to win the championship. A nice price, I hear you say, but maybe their day will ultimately come in the early years of the next decade.  However, turbulent winds are still forceast to buffett the League of Ireland in the short term, so Shamrock Rovers could be the team to emerge from the slipstream and grab ultimate glory.

Derry City, at odds of 7/4 are a more solid bet, with Bohemians at 15/8, favourites to retain their title, though its hard to know how things off the field are going to pan out at Dalymount Park this season. Interestingly, a poll on the RTÉ website http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/mns/ asks which Premier League of Ireland manager will be first to lose their job this season. As I write, Pat Fenlon is who the respondents think will go first, with Stephen Kenny (Derry City) and Paul Cook (Sligo Rovers) deemed least likely to walk the plank.  

League of Ireland coverage resumes on RTÉ Two television and www.rte.ie/live on Friday, 6 March at 7.35pm when Bohemians travel to face Dundalk at Oriel Park. Monday Night Soccer returns to RTÉ Two television on Monday, 9 March.

This weekend in the Barclays Premier League Manchester United will bid to put a bit of daylight between themselves and Liverpool at the summit. Blackburn Rovers are the visitors to Old Trafford and a 3-0 victory to the Red Devils at 7/1 would not be a surprise.

Liverpool face Manchester City at Anfield and if Benitez picks his strongest team and plays them from the start they should account for Mark Hughes’ outfit who were terrible at Portsmouth last week. Hughes was a great player, and by all accounts is a decent man, but I have a feeling we may not see him on the line at Eastlands next August.  

In other Premier League tussles, I fancy Wigan to go to Riverside and beat Middlesborough; Chelsea to turn the tables on Aston Villa for their new manager and Newcastle can battle for a draw against Everton for their absent manager.

Watch Premier Soccer Saturday on RTÉ Two from 8.00pm. 

Club Bragging Rights

The GAA club sem-finals are down for decision this weekend. In hurling Ballyhale Shamrocks against Portumna is set to be a real cracker, and while the Kilkenny side are favourites, the Galway men cannot be ruled with live wire Joe Canning in their side.

De La Salle of Waterford can book their place in the final with victory over Cushendall of Antrim.

In the football, Crossmaglen should be too strong for Dromcollogher Broadford, while Corofin of Galway (11/8) can upset Kilmacud Crokes in the other semi-final in Longford. After that, it’s roll on St Patrick’s Day.

Listen to live coverage of All Ireland club semi-finals on Saturday Sport & Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.  Watch highlights on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Two television from 8.00pm.

It’s Valentine’s weekend and love is in the air, though it could be a massacre in Semple Stadium as Tipperary face a Cork slection in Division 1 of the Allianz Hurling League under lights. The Rebels third string, or is it fourth, fought gamely against the Dubs last weekend, but Tipperary are a more potent force and are well capable of getting four or more goals at 5/6.

In the football League, Fermanagh to beat Meath at 2/1 represents the best value this weekend, as the Royals looked out of sorts in their opening match against Cork. Kerry’s visit to Tyrone will see Jack O’Connor lock horns again with Micky Harte. I’m going to go with the Kingdom to reverse the result of last September and claim the points at 13/8.

Listen to the best of the Allianz League action on Sunday Sport (LW & DAB) on RTÉ Radio 1. Highlights on RTÉ Two television from 7.00pm.

Ireland expects

After Ireland’s victory over France, talk of the Grand Slam and a showdown with Wales on 21 March, is in the public domain. Dangerous sentiments, as the Irish are not always good at delivering when expectations are high. 

However, we may have turned a new leaf with Kidney at the helm and Brian O’Driscoll rediscovering the magic of old? Ireland are 4/1 to win the Grand Slam. In saying that, the trip to Rome should yield a victory, but the hosts will make it tough for us and we may have to work hard to win by plus 10 at 6/1.

Watch live coverage of Italy v Ireland on RTÉ Two from 1.45pm on Sunday, 15 February.        

Hennessy Gold Cup

With Cheltenham fast approaching, the Leopardstown highlight has lost some of its lustre as a result of its cancellation from last week.  Neptune Collonges travels over and he will hope to stay upright at the venue this time around. His odds are prohibitive at 8/11, and his rivals are not likely to trouble him with Thyne Again at 14/1 capable of following him home if he gets a good run

In the Betfair Ascot Chase on Saturday, I am going to oppose Voy Por Ustedes and plump instead for Tamarinbleu at about 5/2.

The start of the National Football League is a little reminder that the longer days are just around the corner. I think we deserve a hot summer in ‘09 to cheer us up and make us feel good about ourselves in these straightened times. Well, the temperature is certainly high in Melbourne and the mercury will rise even more for the Men’s Singles final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

The Spaniard came through a marathon five-set semi-final on Friday, and with Federer having an extra day’s rest, the odds might seem to favour the Swiss player. The latter is slight favourite at 4/6, with Nadal 11/10. Can we expect a final equally as enthralling as the one served up (excuse the pun) at SW19? Early risers will certainly hope so on this side of the world – with Federer likely to have that extra resolve to add another Grand Slam in his efforts to surpass the record of Pete Sampras. All sports fans should simply sit back and enjoy.

GAA Fans Rejoice

With inter-county teams prohibited from training in the months of November and December, don’t be surprised if surprising results are the order of the day in the opening round of the Allianz Football Leagues. In recent years, the competition has proven to be an interesting barometer for what happens later in the summer.

ndeed, the Ladbrokes quote of 3/1 for the All Ireland winners to also have bagged the Division 1 title, is worth considering. Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has intimated that he would like to win all the honours this year and are 9/1 for themselves and the Kilkenny hurlers to win their respective League crowns. Kerry, under Jack O’Connor, for the second time, will be keen to signal their intent right from the off.  At this remove, it is hard to see Sam Maguire spending next winter in any place other than Tyrone or Kerry.

And so to this weekend’s matches, where Derry (13/8), Westmeath (3/2) can claim victories in Division 1, while Cork, Monaghan, Laois & Wexford (all to win) can be taken as an accumulative bet in Division 2.

Listen to live commentary of Dublin v Tyrone from 7.30pm on RTÉ Radio LW & DAB

Listen to live commentaries and reports on all the Allianz League action on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1 from 2.00pm.

Highlights on RTÉ Two television from 7.oopm on Sunday Sport.

Do Liverpool look capable of arresting their latest slide? They have drifted out to 7/1 for the Premier League and defeat on Sunday against Chelsea would probably end their chances. While much has been said about Rafa’s treatment of Robbie Keane, what’s more of interest is Liverpool’s lack of a scoring threat. Only for Steven Gerrard, the Pool could very well be cast adrift at this point of the season. Rafa is a cautious manager, but the bulk of Premier League have been won by teams (Man Utd & Arsenal) with an adventurous approach.

Rafa, is a stubborn man, and his philosophy on the game is quite rigid. With all the other off the ball stuff circulating around, who’s to say the Spaniard won’t be in charge come the start of next season. It’s probably 50/50 that he may have moved on.

Chelsea could put a further nail in the coffin on Sunday and are 2/1 to do so. Manchester United are at home to Everton, and the Toffees will make it difficult, but United have seen to have upped the gears in recent weeks and could quite easily go through the rest of the season unbeaten. In other games I go for Stoke (9/4) to see off Manchester City; Portsmouth (12/5) to nick a point away to Fulham and Middlesborough (6/4) to get back on the winning track against Blackburn.

Watch Premier Soccer Saturday on RTÉ Two from 9.00pm/Premier Soccer Sunday on RTÉ Two from 9.55

Cheltenham and Leopardstown dominate the racing schedules this weekend and both are covered extensively on the box. Ladbrokes have an incentive for punters to take an early price of 3/1 or more at Prestbury Park. And so Paul Nicholls’ Nozic (5/1) in the Cotswold Chase is a fancy, but Roll Along, trained by Carl Llewellyn (7/1) also has his supporters and is likely to appreciate the soft ground.

At Leopardstown, the Toshiba Champion is the highlight at Leopardstown on Sunday. Brave Inca is the current market leader at 13/8, and while positive soundings have been emerging all week from that camp, Sublimity at 5/2 looks the most likely and is perhaps the only Irish runner who can upset the ’short priced’ Binocular in the Smurfit Champion hurdle on 10 March.   

In the Irish Arkle, only five go to the post. Willie Mullins’ Golden Silver, with the rising star Paul Townend in the saddle, gets a tentative vote here.  Oliver McKiernan’s Follow The Plan was a nice winner at Leopardstown over Christmas, defeating Arkle favourite Tatenen in the process. Sunday’s race will tell us more about his prospects for championship success come March.

Watch racing from Leopardstown on RTÉ One and www.rte.ie/live from 1.35pm.

1.50 The Arkle Perpetual Challenge Cup
2.20 The Foxrock Handicap Steeplechase
2.50 The Toshiba Champion Hurdle
3.25 The Golden Cygnet Hurdle

Heineken Cup

Munster are already guaranteed a place in the quarter-final, but victory against Montauban would ensure a home tie in the last eight.  Much has been said about Munster’s ability to come through tight games and that’s what might be required again against their opponents who made life difficult for them in Thomond last October.  

Bonus points are always difficult to get in France, but much has been said about the strong ties between the Munster side and its supporters, insofar that the players on the pitch will not want their followers dipping into their pockets to fund an away trip in these straightened times in April.

Leinster take on their bogey side Edinburgh, knowing that victory may not guarantee a quarter-final berth. The province started the competition so brightly, but the 18-15 defeat to Castres showed again how brittle they can be. They will hope that their French conquerors can now do them a favour against Wasps, who are an attractive 10/3 to top the group. One wishes Leinster well, but the confidence levels are never sky high when they have to do what is absolutely required of them.

Watch highlights of Montauban v Munster & Stade Francais v Ulster on RTÉ Two television from 9.30pm on Saturday, 24 January. Leinster v Edinburgh highlights on RTÉ Two television from 8.00pm on Sunday, 25 January.

In the weekend just past, it was a case of ‘close but no cigar’. Bolton nearly hung on for the draw against Manchester United, while Hull, for a short while looked as they might upset the Gunners. Munster, thankfully completed an impressive victory in the Heineken Cup, while Cloudy Lane ran out the winner of the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock.

And as for Master Minded – by God he’s a class horse. The Champion Chase, for which he is 1/3, looks like a formality at this stage. Big Zeb is next in the betting at 12/1.

What’s far from certain is the Thystes Chase at Gowran Park. It’s a race that has produced some decent winners in the past, namely Aintree National winner Hedgehunter. This year’s renewal has another Aintree contender Snowy Morning at the head of the weights. Operation Houdini, who is nicely treated with regard to his burden, is my fancy at 7/1.

The upcoming weekend will see more Cheltenham Festival clues come to light with the Trials Day at Prestbury Park and the Irish Champion Hurdle and Irish Arkle at Leopardstown. More about those anon, but with Denman co-owner stating that the reigning Gold Cup hero is better than ever after his heart problems Festival fever is already starting to grip.

The FA Cup reaches its fourth round stage with a plethora of matches on the box. Manchester United v Tottenham & Liverpool v Everton the standout ties. Sir Alex’s men have become the master of the 1-0 of late and 6/1 is generous odds for them to maintain the sequence against Harry’s outfit. What is surprising to most is that Spurs have not climbed further up the Premier League since Harry’s arrival. They will hope that their £14 million arrivals can produce the required bounce, but I still think they need a solid goalkeeper to replace Gomes. 

At this stage of the season, United can sense a clean sweep of all the domestic trophies and can lay down a marker by sending Tottenham home with their tail firmly between their legs.

The best word I can use to describe Everton FC at the moment is ‘industrious’. They have had many injuries to deal with this season, and funds are not exactly flush around the corridors of Goodison Park. Nevertheless, they deserved their point against Liverpool earlier in the week and will feel that they are well capable of at least taking their neighbours back to their own patch for a replay.

A 0-0 draw is 8/1 and with Torres & Keane not in sync; Stevie Gerrard’s day in court possibly on his mind – the blue half of Merseyside would appear to have some positives going for them. As for Liverpool, two points out of six in the League since Rafa’s rant is a poor return. Rafa’s thinking was no doubt aimed at taking the attention of his squad of players and absorbing it himself. The tactic simply hasn’t worked.

In the other Cup ties, I go for Swansea to upset Portsmouth, Wolves to dispose of sorry Middlesborough and Cardiff to hold Arsenal scoreless up to half-time.