damien duff

Newcastle United have signed French trialist Fabrice Pancrate until the end of the season, with the option to extend the deal. The 29-year-old winger has been training at the club since his release by Paris Saint Germain in the summer. He impressed during the 3-2 reserve win against Hartlepool on Tuesday.  

Newcastle United have signed French trialist Fabrice Pancrate until the end of the season, with the option to extend the deal. The 29-year-old winger has been training at the club since his release by Paris Saint Germain in the summer. He impressed during the 3-2 reserve win against Hartlepool on Tuesday.  

90:00+3:12 The game is over, as the referee blows his whistle. 90:00+2:35 Bobby Zamora gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Stephen Carr. Joe Hart takes the free kick. 89:38 The referee gives a free kick against Bobby Zamora for handball. Direct free kick taken by Joe Hart. 88:04 Jonathan Greening sends in a cross, save by Joe Hart. 87:59 A cross is delivered by Jonathan Greening, clearance made by Scott Dann. 85:25 Clinton Dempsey takes a shot. Save by Joe Hart.  

IRELAND captain Brian O'Driscoll has offered his support to the international soccer team after their World Cup exit on Wednesday night, questioning Thierry Henry 's role in France 's controversial victory. O'Driscoll, who leads out the rugby team against Fiji at the RDS this evening (5.15), and his team-mates watched the World Cup play-off in the team room at their hotel and sent a text to Ireland winger Damien Duff immediately after the game. "I texted Duffer just after the game, just saying what a

I texted Duffer just after the game, just saying what a privilege it was to watch a performance like that and how they'd done everyone proud   -Brian O'Driscoll

 

ROY HODGSON is sure Damien Duff will bounce back from his World Cup heartbreak. The Fulham winger played all 120 minutes of the Republic of Ireland's 1-1 draw with France on Wednesday, a result that denied Giovanni Trapattoni's side a place in next year's World Cup finals. Duff and his team-mates were left furious by Thierry Henry's handball in the lead-up to William Gallas' equaliser, which put France through 2-1 on aggregate.  

The furore concerning the Thierry Henry handball has moved into a new dimension of weirdness, with the player himself agreeing that the controversial World Cup qualifier should be replayed, while former Ireland captain Roy Keane, with his customary charm, asserts that the Irish got what they deserved. Keane's relentless, rancorous contrariness can be amusing, but it would be nice if, just occasionally, he could show some generosity of spirit. If even the French can applaud the splendid efforts of the Ir  

T he great, tortured Quebec songwriter Dédé Fortin once penned a bluesy dirge called 'Dehors novembre', which pretty much sums up the sentiments in these here precincts on cold, soggy late-fall days. Snippets of the lyrics to this dark and troubling song ("my body is a country at war that's on the brink of ending . . . we're going to raise the white flag, period, full stop.") came to us when we ambled by his old apartment this morning - it's around the corner from French Immersion's luxurious mid-town co  

The last bend in World Cup play-offs has seen Algeria put one over their sworn rivals Egypt to book ticket to Nelson Mandela's land but hasn't gone down in roses with the Republic of Ireland. Not that they lost their tie. But because of deceitfulness by one team called France, one Frenchman called Thierry Henry and one referee called Martin Hansson.  

Republic of Ireland winger Damien Duff has admitted he probably would have replicated Thierry Henry's now infamous handball if the opportunity had arisen at the other end of the field. The France striker used his hand to help set up William Gallas to score the goal that sent Giovanni Trapattoni's men crashing out of the World Cup in Wednesday night's play-off encounter. The Football Association of Ireland have since lodged a formal complaint with FIFA, which is expected to fall on deaf ears, as the cont