2 months ago
Larne manager Gary Haveron says he is keen to experience another "pinch yourself" moment by leading the club back to the league phase of the Uefa Conference League.
Having managed three of Larne's games during their Conference League debut in 2024-25, Haveron is hoping to guide the Inver Park club back to a major European stage after reclaiming the Irish Premiership ****** le earlier this year.
Larne hold a 2-0 aggregate lead over Gibraltar's Lincoln Red Imps heading into Thursday night's play-off second leg at Inver Park.
"It's what you live for. The nights down here, I look back to when we played the Imps here two years ago when we got to the group stages and it was something that will live long in the memory for me, up there with my best night in football."
The 45-year-old former defender added: "To be on the cusp of potentially doing it again, it's a pinch yourself moment and it's a credit to the players that we're back in this position."
#back #league #larne
Having managed three of Larne's games during their Conference League debut in 2024-25, Haveron is hoping to guide the Inver Park club back to a major European stage after reclaiming the Irish Premiership ****** le earlier this year.
Larne hold a 2-0 aggregate lead over Gibraltar's Lincoln Red Imps heading into Thursday night's play-off second leg at Inver Park.
"It's what you live for. The nights down here, I look back to when we played the Imps here two years ago when we got to the group stages and it was something that will live long in the memory for me, up there with my best night in football."
The 45-year-old former defender added: "To be on the cusp of potentially doing it again, it's a pinch yourself moment and it's a credit to the players that we're back in this position."
#back #league #larne
2 months ago
Ahead of his return to the BKFC ring, Darren Till was involved in a street altercation outside of a pub in his hometown of Liverpool, England.
Till is hoping to continue his good start to life with the BKFC, following his debut knockout win over Bellator and BAMMA veteran Aaron Chalmers. A step up in competition is an understatement for the Scouser, whose second fight with his new promotion sees him compete against a several-time UFC **** le challenger and Olympic silver medalist Yoel Romero.
The fight is one of the sport's most anticipated matchups, but Darren Till, eager to return to action, has been making headlines outside the ring. Till was involved in an incident that circulated online earlier this week. The 33-year-old can be seen aggressively confronting the towering 6-foot-5 Lee Browne outside o the Blarney Stone Irish Pub on Renshaw Street in Liverpool.
The situation quickly became heated, with Till sizing up Browne while screaming, "Who's a sh*thouse? I'm right here now, and you're saying nothing," likely referring back to their online feud in the weeks prior. Browne had spent weeks trash-talking the former UFC fighter, calling 'The Gorilla' a coward and accusing him of ducking a fight between the two.
Not willing to settle their grudge with words, Darren Till hit Lee Browne with a barrage of punches, sending him crashing to the floor before a crowd of onlookers.
#till #browne
Till is hoping to continue his good start to life with the BKFC, following his debut knockout win over Bellator and BAMMA veteran Aaron Chalmers. A step up in competition is an understatement for the Scouser, whose second fight with his new promotion sees him compete against a several-time UFC **** le challenger and Olympic silver medalist Yoel Romero.
The fight is one of the sport's most anticipated matchups, but Darren Till, eager to return to action, has been making headlines outside the ring. Till was involved in an incident that circulated online earlier this week. The 33-year-old can be seen aggressively confronting the towering 6-foot-5 Lee Browne outside o the Blarney Stone Irish Pub on Renshaw Street in Liverpool.
The situation quickly became heated, with Till sizing up Browne while screaming, "Who's a sh*thouse? I'm right here now, and you're saying nothing," likely referring back to their online feud in the weeks prior. Browne had spent weeks trash-talking the former UFC fighter, calling 'The Gorilla' a coward and accusing him of ducking a fight between the two.
Not willing to settle their grudge with words, Darren Till hit Lee Browne with a barrage of punches, sending him crashing to the floor before a crowd of onlookers.
#till #browne
2 months ago
Larne's defeat by Iberia 1999 in Europa League qualifying was not just bad news for the Irish Premiership champions, but for the league as a whole.
While the club's European hopes are still alive with the Uefa Conference League, the loss in Georgia has wider implications.
It meant that, as an ***** ociation member, Northern Ireland dropped to 51st in Uefa's coefficient, out of a possible 55.
As things stand, the Irish Premiership would lose one of its four European places for the 2028-29 season.
But what is the Uefa coefficient, and how have Irish League clubs struggled? BBC Sport NI takes a look
#conference
While the club's European hopes are still alive with the Uefa Conference League, the loss in Georgia has wider implications.
It meant that, as an ***** ociation member, Northern Ireland dropped to 51st in Uefa's coefficient, out of a possible 55.
As things stand, the Irish Premiership would lose one of its four European places for the 2028-29 season.
But what is the Uefa coefficient, and how have Irish League clubs struggled? BBC Sport NI takes a look
#conference
2 months ago
Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins said his side want "more success" in this year's Irish Premiership.
The Bannsiders won the Irish Cup last season and came second in the Irish League by three points.
It has been an impressive summer transfer window for Higgins' side who have signed Northern Ireland international Conor McMenamin as well as Derry City's Ben Doherty.
"When you look at some of the signings the so-called bottom six clubs are making, it is going to be an even stronger league I feel this year and extremely competitive," Higgins told BBC Sport NI.
"When you hear people writing off Linfield, I think that is very, very naive. Larne are the reigning champions and deserve respect and Glentoran will be really, really strong again and then you have the really competitive teams outside of them as well.
#well #premiership
The Bannsiders won the Irish Cup last season and came second in the Irish League by three points.
It has been an impressive summer transfer window for Higgins' side who have signed Northern Ireland international Conor McMenamin as well as Derry City's Ben Doherty.
"When you look at some of the signings the so-called bottom six clubs are making, it is going to be an even stronger league I feel this year and extremely competitive," Higgins told BBC Sport NI.
"When you hear people writing off Linfield, I think that is very, very naive. Larne are the reigning champions and deserve respect and Glentoran will be really, really strong again and then you have the really competitive teams outside of them as well.
#well #premiership
2 months ago
After a summer of transfers, preparation and uncertainty, the start of the Irish Premiership 2026-27 season has finally arrived.
A full 104 days after Larne lifted the Gibson Cup in style, a north Belfast derby between Cliftonville and Crusaders will kick start what looks set to be another exciting year in the Irish League.
It has been a far from simple summer, with plenty of talking points off the field and even this week the threat of the season being delayed.
However, with that crisis averted and the opening round of matches now just days away, BBC Sport NI takes a look at some of the talking points around the league this season.
Now that red and white ribbons have been attached to the Gibson Cup once again, Gary Haveron and his Larne players will be determined to hold on to their crown this time around.
#season #league #start #talking
A full 104 days after Larne lifted the Gibson Cup in style, a north Belfast derby between Cliftonville and Crusaders will kick start what looks set to be another exciting year in the Irish League.
It has been a far from simple summer, with plenty of talking points off the field and even this week the threat of the season being delayed.
However, with that crisis averted and the opening round of matches now just days away, BBC Sport NI takes a look at some of the talking points around the league this season.
Now that red and white ribbons have been attached to the Gibson Cup once again, Gary Haveron and his Larne players will be determined to hold on to their crown this time around.
#season #league #start #talking
2 months ago
Larne have said their Europa League qualifier at Inver Park with FC Iberia 1999 on Tuesday night is set to go ahead as scheduled despite their visitor's travel complications.
The Georgian team could not land in Northern Ireland on Monday due to paperwork issues with their chartered flight, sparking concerns the game would be delayed.
Some of FC Iberia 1999's players and staff are now not expected to arrive for the first leg of the third qualifying round tie until Tuesday afternoon, with kick-off scheduled in Larne at 20:00 BST.
Uefa regulations state that teams must arrive in a country for a match no fewer than 24 hours before kick-off, but Larne have posted on X that the game is "scheduled to go ahead as planned".
The second leg will take place in Tbilisi on 11 August at 17:00 BST.
#larne #ahead #game
The Georgian team could not land in Northern Ireland on Monday due to paperwork issues with their chartered flight, sparking concerns the game would be delayed.
Some of FC Iberia 1999's players and staff are now not expected to arrive for the first leg of the third qualifying round tie until Tuesday afternoon, with kick-off scheduled in Larne at 20:00 BST.
Uefa regulations state that teams must arrive in a country for a match no fewer than 24 hours before kick-off, but Larne have posted on X that the game is "scheduled to go ahead as planned".
The second leg will take place in Tbilisi on 11 August at 17:00 BST.
#larne #ahead #game
2 months ago
A husband and wife found dead inside their North Carolina home are believed to have died in a murder-suicide, investigators say.
Stephen Larnell Willetts and Tracey Parker Willetts were both found shot dead inside their Wilmington, North Carolina, home on Thursday.
The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office said, "Based on the evidence gathered during the investigation, detectives believe this to be a murder-suicide in which the wife fatally shot her husband before taking her own life."
Stephen and Tracey Willetts were found shot dead inside their Wilmington, North Carolina, home in what deputies are calling a murder-suicide.
Tiktok Influencer Who Accused Estranged Husband Of Pedophilia Found Dead In Possible Murder-suicide
#inside
Stephen Larnell Willetts and Tracey Parker Willetts were both found shot dead inside their Wilmington, North Carolina, home on Thursday.
The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office said, "Based on the evidence gathered during the investigation, detectives believe this to be a murder-suicide in which the wife fatally shot her husband before taking her own life."
Stephen and Tracey Willetts were found shot dead inside their Wilmington, North Carolina, home in what deputies are calling a murder-suicide.
Tiktok Influencer Who Accused Estranged Husband Of Pedophilia Found Dead In Possible Murder-suicide
#inside
2 months ago
Celtic have been drawn against Austrian champions LASK in the Champions League play-off round.
Meanwhile, Rangers will face either Larne or Iberia Tbilisi of Georgia in the Europa League play-offs should they defeat Jagiellonia Bialystok of Poland.
And Heart of Midlothian will take on either AGF Aarhus of Denmark or Sabah of Azerbaijan should they defeat Benfica.
Should they lose, the Edinburgh side will face Paide Linnameeskond of Estonia or Rapid Vienna of Austria.
If Rangers lose, they will face Jablonec of Czech Republic or RFS of Latvia.
#champions #either
Meanwhile, Rangers will face either Larne or Iberia Tbilisi of Georgia in the Europa League play-offs should they defeat Jagiellonia Bialystok of Poland.
And Heart of Midlothian will take on either AGF Aarhus of Denmark or Sabah of Azerbaijan should they defeat Benfica.
Should they lose, the Edinburgh side will face Paide Linnameeskond of Estonia or Rapid Vienna of Austria.
If Rangers lose, they will face Jablonec of Czech Republic or RFS of Latvia.
#champions #either
2 months ago
Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian, Motherwell and Rangers now have a clearer idea of who they might face in Europa League and Conference League qualifying after Uefa confirmed the groupings for Monday's draws.
Celtic already knew their potential opponents in their Champions League play-off, with their draw at 11:00 BST and the Europa League draw an hour later, followed by the Conference League at 13:00.
Now Rangers know that, if they defeat Polish side Jagiellonia Białystok in the third round of Europa League qualifying, they will face either Lillestrom of Norway, the winners of the tie between Northern Irish champions Larne and Iberia 1999 of Georgia, or the losers of two Champions League qualifiers - between Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) and Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) or Mjallby (Sweden) and Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia).
Having dropped down from Champions League qualifying, Hearts face Benfica and the winners of that also have four possible opponents.
Those are OFI Crete, the winners of Thun (Switzerland) and Vikingur Reykjavik (Iceland), or the losers of two Champions League qualifiers - AGF Aarhus (Denmark) and Sabah (Azerbaijan) and Dinamo (Croatia) and Kauno Zalgiris (Lithuania).
#league #rangers
Celtic already knew their potential opponents in their Champions League play-off, with their draw at 11:00 BST and the Europa League draw an hour later, followed by the Conference League at 13:00.
Now Rangers know that, if they defeat Polish side Jagiellonia Białystok in the third round of Europa League qualifying, they will face either Lillestrom of Norway, the winners of the tie between Northern Irish champions Larne and Iberia 1999 of Georgia, or the losers of two Champions League qualifiers - between Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) and Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) or Mjallby (Sweden) and Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia).
Having dropped down from Champions League qualifying, Hearts face Benfica and the winners of that also have four possible opponents.
Those are OFI Crete, the winners of Thun (Switzerland) and Vikingur Reykjavik (Iceland), or the losers of two Champions League qualifiers - AGF Aarhus (Denmark) and Sabah (Azerbaijan) and Dinamo (Croatia) and Kauno Zalgiris (Lithuania).
#league #rangers
2 months ago
Northern Ireland Football League [NIFL] chief executive Gerard Lawlor says he hopes to discuss summer football with clubs before Christmas, with a view to a vote over changing the Irish League calendar as soon as the 2028-29 season.
Earlier in the week, Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins said it is "a worry" that Irish Premiership sides will never improve in Europe without a switch to summer football after his side became the third Premiership team to bow out of the qualifiers.
The Irish Premiership currently sits 51st in the Uefa coefficient system and could lose their fourth European spot if Larne, the only Northern Irish team left in the qualifiers, are knocked out before the group stages.
Lawlor has long been an advocate of summer football, something which has long been a discussion point within football in Northern Ireland.
"There will be a vote somewhere," Lawlor told Sportsound on BBC Radio Ulster.
#premiership
Earlier in the week, Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins said it is "a worry" that Irish Premiership sides will never improve in Europe without a switch to summer football after his side became the third Premiership team to bow out of the qualifiers.
The Irish Premiership currently sits 51st in the Uefa coefficient system and could lose their fourth European spot if Larne, the only Northern Irish team left in the qualifiers, are knocked out before the group stages.
Lawlor has long been an advocate of summer football, something which has long been a discussion point within football in Northern Ireland.
"There will be a vote somewhere," Lawlor told Sportsound on BBC Radio Ulster.
#premiership
3 months ago
The cause of death of an American woman found dead in a scenic Irish town earlier this week has been revealed, according to a report.
Jamey Carney, 43, a New York native who moved to Ireland in 2021, died from suffocation after suffering head injuries, according to a report by The Irish Times, which cited the Irish state pathologist Dr. Linda Mulligan.
Initial reports suggested she had been beaten to death, but the newspaper reported the post-mortem found that suffocation — not her head injuries — caused her death. Police are investigating her death as a murder.
American Mother Murdered In Irish Tourist Town As International Manhunt Targets Alleged Asylum Seeker
Irish police said a person of interest had fled the country before her body was found Tuesday at her home in Killarney, County Kerry, a southwest town popular among American tourists. Some Irish publications are reporting the person of interest is an asylum seeker.
Jamey Carney, 43, a New York native who moved to Ireland in 2021, died from suffocation after suffering head injuries, according to a report by The Irish Times, which cited the Irish state pathologist Dr. Linda Mulligan.
Initial reports suggested she had been beaten to death, but the newspaper reported the post-mortem found that suffocation — not her head injuries — caused her death. Police are investigating her death as a murder.
American Mother Murdered In Irish Tourist Town As International Manhunt Targets Alleged Asylum Seeker
Irish police said a person of interest had fled the country before her body was found Tuesday at her home in Killarney, County Kerry, a southwest town popular among American tourists. Some Irish publications are reporting the person of interest is an asylum seeker.
4 months ago
Holders Kerry produced a ruthless display to see off Armagh by 4-18 to 0-17 to reach the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland SFC at Fitzgerald Stadium.
The Kingdom led 2-8 to 0-8 at the break in Killarney, with David Clifford and Paul Geaney scoring the goals for the hosts, the latter's coming just before half-time which proved crucial in changing the dynamic of the game.
Joe O'Connor netted a third goal for Jack O'Connor's side early in the second half with Keith Evans scoring a late fourth in an emphatic victory.
David Clifford starred as he contributed 1-10 as Kerry booked their place in the quarter-finals and sent out a statement of intent.
For Armagh, their quest to regain Sam Maguire is brought to a stuttering end after back-to-back defeats, with a heartbreaking late loss to Louth last week and a dismantling at the hands of the Kingdom on Saturday.
The Kingdom led 2-8 to 0-8 at the break in Killarney, with David Clifford and Paul Geaney scoring the goals for the hosts, the latter's coming just before half-time which proved crucial in changing the dynamic of the game.
Joe O'Connor netted a third goal for Jack O'Connor's side early in the second half with Keith Evans scoring a late fourth in an emphatic victory.
David Clifford starred as he contributed 1-10 as Kerry booked their place in the quarter-finals and sent out a statement of intent.
For Armagh, their quest to regain Sam Maguire is brought to a stuttering end after back-to-back defeats, with a heartbreaking late loss to Louth last week and a dismantling at the hands of the Kingdom on Saturday.
