TONY'S GOAL TO SUCCEED

Cascarino looks back on a colourful career of highs and lows

- By KIERAN CUNNINGHAM

SITTING down to watch an advance copy of the new documentary Tony Cascarino: Extra Time an old memory was triggered.

It centred on one of many trips on Ireland duty to Cyprus, this one coming a couple of years after Cascarino had retired. That was the era when the media flew on the same charter as the players, and stayed in the same hotel. Cascarino was there as a pundit and his eyes lit up when he discovered there was a casino in the basement of the hotel.

After sampling a few local bars, a few of us popped in and pulled up a few pews around the roulette table. We were like Tarzan in Manhattan, but Cascarino was in his element. One reporter sheepishly pushed forward a few chips and the big man shook his head. "Fack it all on, mate, that's the only way to play this game. Fack it all on."

That's Tony Cascarino.

On game day, there was a match against a team of local journos and Cascarino started up front. He lumbered around to little effect and an onlooker would never have picked him out as a former international player.