Three subjects dominate the sports pages: The FA Cup Final, The Magners Semi-final and FAI’s ban on Barcelona playing a friendly against Limerick at Thomond Park on July 3.
The Irish Times’ Gerry Thornley reports that that despite believing that form isn’t everything , Leinster will still have the edge when they face Munster at the RDS on Saturday night. The Times also report that Frank Lampard is ‘plotting a ruthless conclusion to Portsmouth Fairytale’.
Writing in the Irish Daily Mail, David Wallace’s brother Paul questions the dropping of Jerry Flannery and David from Munster’s starting line-up, calling it ‘an act of utter madness’. The Mail also reports on Barca’s anger at being banned from meeting Limerick, with the furious Spanish superstars pointing out that they’ve never been banned from playing in a country before. FAI bosses are refusing to elaborate on why the ban on Messi and Co has been issued. The Star also lead with the Barca story.
The Indo also focuses on the FAI, saying they’re having to do a U-turn with regard to the forthcoming glamour visit by Man U and have come up with a cut price offer for people holding ten-year season tickets who had been told they’d have to pay extra to see the game, despite having already shelled out between €12,000 and €32,000 for their premium seats. We’re wondering if the FAI will throw in a few prawn sandwiches too, just for good measure.
Finally The Sun and The Mirror both focus on the FA Cup with The Mirror highlighting the fact that it will be the last game playing for Portsmouth for eleven of the team, and The Sun report that Chelsea’s Nicolas Anelka has ripped into his former boss Avram Grant with whom he had an unhappy relationship under the headline ‘You Av No Respect’.
