Pyros & Patrick's pettiness are big problems

Hooligans need bans but Minister owes fans apology

- patdolan

I LIKE Patrick O'Donovan.

I don't know what his favourite sport is, and frankly, that's his business. He has a democratic right to his preferences, whether in politics or on the pitch.

But I've got some free PR advice for the Sports Minister: Stop attacking football culture.

For decades, football — our biggest and most popular sport - has been treated like a second-class citizen.

We're finally seeing the "soccer" tags dropped for its proper name. We see the Taoiseach back at Turner's Cross sporting a Cork City scarf. Wonderful stuff.

We even saw our leaders in the Twickenham dressing room last week, celebrating a rugby win for a team full of private school grads against an England team full of... private school grads.

Then we have Minister O'Donovan. He was at Oriel Park for the massive Louth Derby, live on TV, and his social media was absolutely buzzing.