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HINTERLAND March 22 2012 SPORT 37

ATHLETICS SEEING NIALL THINGS HOWARD Splashworld 10K HOWARD’S WAY this Sunday The 4th running of The Splashworld 10k, promoted by Balance fitness, takes place in Tramore this Sunday, Paywall is F1’s new crash barrier March 25th, at 12.30pm.

Munster Masters ’m loath to criticise any of the programme in the 1970s, League? Widnes. It is not too strong at Holy Cross decisions Bernie Ecclestone then the Saturday afternoon to say that is stuck in its The Munster Masters makes for the sport that he live game on RTÉ in the north of ghetto with no hope Men and Women Road has run with an iron fist for 1980s, that really caused of breaking out when no-one but the championships are on in over thirty years. But that English soccer to burrow its committed is watching. the area on Sunday next isn’tI going to stop me criticising a way into the Irish psyche. Formula 1 has struggled in recent promoted by Waterford AC. decision that Bernie Ecclestone made It probably wouldn’t have times to stay as what the Americans They start at 1 pm outside for the sport that he has run with an happened to the extent it did call a water-cooler topic. It was a sport The Holy Cross Lounge on iron fist for over thirty years. had the game been behind that was once sufficiently noteworthy the main Waterford/Cork Ecclestone has long yearned for a paywall and potential to make Nigel Mansell the BBC road and are over a distance a 24-hour outlet for his sport. In a new fans of Formula 1 may Sports Personality of the Year on two of 4 miles. display of admirable candour a few never develop as they are occasions despite his complete lack years back, he admitted to being not regularly exposed to the of any personality. And who among Kate’s Swiss stroll baffled at why the petrolheads who sport. Irish sports fans can forget the hoopla Sunday morning in love the sport spurned the wall-to- surrounding the Jordan F1 team? In Lugano in Switzerland wall telemetry of his first effort at a FLEETING FANCY retrospect it was all a little bit silly. saw another outstanding pay-per-view Formula 1 channel. The More telling examples Eddie Jordan was a business man performance by Kate Veale, lesson that he would have learned for F1 are the fates of sports whose business was making money, West Waterford AC. She was the extra bells and whistles on like darts and rugby league. and the paddywhackery that attached won an International 10k the dedicated channel were not Neither will regret taking the itself was all part of the sales pitch. junior walk easily in 47 sufficiently useful to pay for when Murdoch soup as they have Still, the affection generated by the minutes 1 second, well inside you could get almost every lap of seen huge increases in prize team was real enough, to the extent the qualifying standard of every race on free-to-air television. money/wages as a result. But that Jordan polo shirts and caps were 50.50 for July’s World Junior His solution? Sell only half the races The hoopla surrounding the Jordan F1 team was, in retro- there must be wistfulness at a common sight. Nowadays the only Championships in Barcelona. to the BBC. If you want the full-fat spect, all a little bit silly. what has been lost in terms team that anyone could be said to Formula 1 experience, you have to of visibility. Darts players like have affection for is Ferrari. As the doubt now, and that will make F1 even Waterford Road take the shilling of Ecclestone’s fellow Eric Bristow, John Lowe and Jocky sport retreats behind its paywall, more attractive to advertisers. Race Entries octogenarian media mogul, Rupert Wilson were once genuinely famous, the chances of a team rising up in So if I don’t think he will lose Murdoch. the latter despite being only good the manner of Jordan again would Entries are now available money on this, what’s the problem? It’s unlikely that the transition rather than great. The only darts seem to be slim. Bernie Ecclestone is online at Run Ireland for You’d think that a man in the twilight to Sky will be a financial failure for player with any degree of fame these no doubt hoping that the part-time the second annual WIT AC/ of his years like Bernie Ecclestone Formula 1. It’s a sport that depends days is Phil Taylor, and he has had to presence of the sport on the BBC Waterford AC Road Race and would have more appreciation for the heavily on as many eyeballs as win 15 world titles to get to that stage. will keep the ‘personalities’ in the the Waterford to Tramore legacy of the sport. The sport that possible falling on the advertising Even rugby league had its big names. public eye. But the days when people 7.5miles, so get your entries every administrator would look to as hoarding moving around in circles, Armchair sports geeks like myself cared about the fate of an individual in early and save money. an example would be soccer, which and obviously there’ll be fewer of had no problem name-checking Grand Prix are long gone. It’s the First race is on Sunday April has managed to see an exponential those as the casual post-Sunday roast , or Mal World Championship or nothing, and 1st at 12pm at WIT Campus, rise in revenues Carriganore over 5km. crowd have less opportunity to tune fully half of it will take place off the in. But Ecclestone will have factored while still firmly screen as far as the average punter is Second race is on Saturday, maintaining May 5th at 7pm, starting this into account. If he could wean The casual post-Sunday concerned. the sport off its addiction to cigarette its place in The sport will continue to prosper. on the Mall, Waterford and the collective finishing near Splashworld. advertising then this transition roast crowd have less It’s the highest level of motor racing, should be straightforward. Besides, consciousness. and almost everyone can relate to Shane just shy of he will now be able to present That would be to driving a car. There’s a danger for the underestimate opportunity to tune in. Munster record better data about the demographic sport though that in time Sebastian following F1 simply by looking at the the extent of Vettel will be mentioned in the same Tramore the global soccer juggernaut though. type of person buying a subscription Meninga. With the dawn of the breath as Simon Whitlock or Kevin AC’s Shane People were fiercely loyal to their to the channel. If the ad men ever , the sport had genuine Sinfield. That would certainly be quite Monagle teams long before Sky. It was Match thought it was better to be safe than pretensions of having franchises the legacy for Bernie Ecclestone to (centre) of the Day and The Big Match, sorry and include ads for Pampers or in Wales and Ireland. The most leave behind for the sport of Fangio, recently took ITV’s Sunday afternoon highlights Dove during the break they’ll be in no recent addition to the ranks of Super Stewart, Prost and Senna. the Munster Indoor U13 boys 60m hurdle title in Nenagh in a time of 10.02sec - just .01 sec short of the Munster record. Having Something has to give been on the winning U13 relay team with Jamie Stone, There was an incident in the it should be emphasised, a scoffing protein shakes in the Ian & Mark Hartery, Shane league match between Munster perfectly legal tackle. Rugby’s canteen. You don’t need to also took bronze in the 60m and Leinster in the RoboCop rules are from an era when even think any of them are on drugs sprint and will now race in League (or whatever it’s called) players at the highest level were to be concerned at the extent to the All-Irelands. last year that came back to frequently beer-swilling, chain- which professional sportsmen On Saturday and Sunday mind this week. Doug Howlett smoking lard bellies. Being push their bodies to the limit to next the first two sections received a poor pass and had tackled by your average flanker eke out the extra yard of pace of the All-Ireland Juvenile to stop in his tracks to control was about as dangerous as being or ounce of strength. And then Indoor Championships the ball. Duly he was hit with a hit with a runaway shopping when you see what happened to will be in Nenagh with a pulverising tackle to the midriff trolley wrapped in pillows. Fabrice Muamba last Saturday, large Waterford entry. The for his troubles. Nowadays the tackle at the time of writing critically majority of entrants are from What struck me (pun comes from a professional ill after collapsing during Ferrybank AC, but Tramore unintended) was how sportsman at the peak of the Spurs-Bolton match, you AC will also be represented. dangerous it looked yet no- physical perfection, obsessively wonder whether they’re going High impact: Munster’s Doug Howlett one batted an eyelid – it was, pumping iron in the gym and too far.