Park Ji Sung is to North Korea as Gary McKay is to the Republic of Ireland!!

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The North Korean soccer team have achieved the impossible by qualifying for 2010 World Cup. By holding out for a nil-all draw in their final qualifier against Saudi Arabia, the North Koreans have qualified for their first FIFA World Cup since their impressive showing in 1966:



This is thanks in no small part to NK goalkeeper Ri Myong-guk - who kept a clean sheet for the fourth time in five games - but also to South Korea & Manchester United's Park Ji Sung, whose 81st minute leveller in the South's own qualifier against Iran ensured the North Koreans held on to 2nd place in the group and avoided a play-off against both Bahrain and New Zealand. Having qualified 2 weeks ago, South Korea really lent a helping hand to the Secret State by drawing both their remaining meaningless games to keep NK's dream of automatic qualification alive.. Shades of Gary McKay's dig out for Jack Charlton in our Euro '88 qualifying campaign spring to mind, although its unlikely that Park Ji Sung would be received as openly in Pyongyang as McKay is this side of the Irish Sea!

This article in today's Indy imagines the scenario should the USA be drawn in North Korea's group in South Africa (Stranger things have happened...)

Speaking of Ji Sung Park, here he is "having a laugh" with Patrice Evra and "Carlito" Tevez - Go on the lads!!

The futures so bright....

No wonder Trap's making sounds to stay on for the Euro 2012 campaign. Despite the limited amount of Premiership talent in his current Irish squad selections - 14 in the latest - there has been a future-embracing 26 Irishmen deployed in the top flight at some stage during this Premier League campaign. See Daniel McDonnell's detailed feature in today's Indo for the rundown on the bright new Irish upstarts gnawing their way in from the edges of the world's greatest league. Add to this the cluster of Irish at Wolves, Birmingham and one Burnley bright spark in the guise of Chris McCann entering the Premiership next season, its fair to say that Ireland's cross-channel soccer talent is one stock that will rise in the next 18months...

What do Arsenal Football Club, Dublin GAA, the Irish Rugby Team, and Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland soccer teams all have in common?

Dr. Kevin O'Flanagan. Confused? For a bit more context, read the following snippet from Brian Glanville in last week's Sunday Times:

"What should be emphasised, however, is that those footballs of yesteryear picked up both moisture and mud from pitches. Playing against Bolton in 1946, Arsenal’s Irish winger, Dr Kevin O’Flanagan, wiped mud from the ball with his sleeve before scoring with an extraordinary right-footed free kick from 30 yards. The same year, sporting allrounder O’Flanagan turned out for Ireland’s rugby union team against France, then featured for the Northern Ireland football team against Scotland seven days later."

Further investigation shows that O'Flanagan also played with distinction for the Republic of Ireland soccer team, was on the Dublin Minor Football team in the 1930s, and had illustrious spells with London Irish, Lansdowne, and Leinster with the oval ball. Puts a bit of perspective on how worked up punters get when they hear of the dilemmas Tomás O'Leary and Shane Long have had with committing to sporting codes!

During his time on the Dublin minor panel, it emerged that O'Flanagan also played soccer with Home Farm, as did soon-to-be Manhcester United legend Johnny Carey. When the GAA found out, O'Flanagan, but not Carey was dropped from the Dublin panel. After moving to London in 1945 to work as a GP, he divided his spare time between playing soccer for Arsenal and rugby union for London Irish - can you imagine anyone from the current none-too-physical Arsenal crop making the London Irish XV? I sure cant! In his debut season with Arsenal, 1945-46, he scored 11 goals in 18 Football League South appearances, finishing as the club’s top scorer. Despite clearly being good enough to play soccer as a professional, he remained an amateur so he could continue to play rugby union.

For more info on O'Flanagan's extraordinary sporting life, check out the following:

- Obituary in The Independent (he passed away in 2006, aged 86)

- Kevin O'Flanagan wikipedia article (nice summary of his life and times)