Association football

An attacking player (No. 10) attempts to kick the ball past the opposing team's goalkeeper and between the goalposts to score a goal.
Highest governing body	FIFA
Nickname(s)	Football, soccer, footy/footie, "The Beautiful Game", "the world game"
First played	Mid-19th century Great Britain, Nottinghamshire, Sheffield.
Characteristics
Contact	Yes
Team members	11 per side
Mixed gender	Yes, separate competitions
Categorization	Team sport, ball sport
Equipment	Football (or soccer ball)
Venue	Football pitch (or soccer field)
Olympic	Part of the Summer Olympic programme from 1900 to 1928 Returned to the Summer Olympic programme in 1936 to today
Paralympic	No
Country or region	Worldwide

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball. At the turn of the 21st century, the game was played by over 250 million players in over 200 countries, making it the world's most popular sport.^[1][2][3][4] The game is played on a rectangular field of grass or green artificial turf, with a goal in the middle of each of the short ends. The object of the game is to score by driving the ball into the opposing goal.

In general play, the goalkeepers are the only players allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms (unless the ball is carried out of play, where the field players are required to re-start by a throw-in of the game ball), while the field players typically use their feet to kick the ball into position, occasionally using their torso or head to intercept a ball in midair. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is tied at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time and/or a penalty shootout, depending on the format of the competition. The Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by the Football Association in 1863 and have evolved since then. Association football is governed internationally by FIFA - Fédération Internationale de Football Association (English: International Federation of Association Football), which organises the FIFA World Cup every four years.^[5]

Etymology and names[link]

The rules of football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863 and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer originated in England, first appearing in the 1880s as an Oxford "-er" abbreviation of the word "association".^[6]

Within the English-speaking world, association football is usually called football (colloquially footy) or occasionally soccer in the United Kingdom, and mainly soccer in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United States. Other countries may use either or both terms, and may also have local names for the sport.

Gameplay[link]

A goalkeeper saving a close-range shot from inside the penalty area

Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game. The game is played using a spherical ball (of 71 cm (28 in) circumference in FIFA play), known as the football (or soccer ball). Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by the Laws of the Game: to be involved in the coin toss prior to kick-off or penalty kicks.^[7]

The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they do use their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading" with the forehead)^[8] other than their hands or arms.^[9] Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though the ball cannot be received in an offside position.^[10]

In typical game play, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling, passing the ball to a team-mate, and by taking shots at the goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the referee for an infringement of the rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart.^[11]

A goalkeeper dives to stop the ball from entering his goal

At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2005–06 season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.48 goals per match.^[12] The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper,^[13] but a number of specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers, or forwards, whose main task is to score goals; defenders, who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders, who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball in order to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, in order to distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which the player spends most time. For example, there are central defenders, and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of the game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time.^[14] The layout of a team's players is known as a formation. Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager.^[15]

History[link]

England playing Scotland in the first-ever international football game (The Oval, 1872)

The Royal Engineers team who reached the first FA Cup final in 1872

Games revolving around the kicking of a ball have been played in many countries throughout history. According to FIFA, the "very earliest form of the game for which there is scientific evidence was an exercise from a military manual dating back to the second and third centuries BC in China", which was known as cuju.^[16] The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played at the public schools of England. The history of football in England dates back to at least the eighth century.^[17]

The Cambridge Rules, first drawn up at Cambridge University in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge Rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge, at a meeting attended by representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world, to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club, formed by former public school pupils in 1857,^[18] which led to formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules.^[19]

These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street, London.^[20] The only school to be represented on this occasion was Charterhouse. The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more meetings between October and December, which eventually produced the first comprehensive set of rules. At the final meeting, the first FA treasurer, the representative from Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting: the first allowed for running with the ball in hand; the second for obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Other English rugby football clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA, or subsequently left the FA and instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football Union. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, went on to ratify the original thirteen laws of the game.^[20] These rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and the lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules football being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s with the FA absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games.^[21]

The laws of the game are currently determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).^[22] The Board was formed in 1886^[23] after a meeting in Manchester of The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the Irish Football Association. The world's oldest football competition is the FA Cup, which was founded by C. W. Alcock and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The first official international football match took place in 1872 between Scotland and England in Glasgow, again at the instigation of C. W. Alcock. England is home to the world's first football league, which was founded in Birmingham in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor.^[24] The original format contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and the North of England. FIFA, the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to Laws of the Game of the Football Association.^[25] The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the International Football Association Board in 1913. The board currently consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of the four British associations.^[26]

Today, football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams,^[27] while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet.^[28] A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football.^[29] Football has the highest global television audience in sport.^[30]

In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and even nations. R. Kapuscinski says that people who are polite, modest or even humble in Europe fall easily into rage with playing or watching soccer games.^[31] The Côte d'Ivoire national football team helped secure a truce to the nation's civil war in 2006^[32] and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké, an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time.^[33] By contrast, football is widely considered to be the final proximate cause in the Football War in June 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras.^[34] The sport also exacerbated tensions at the beginning of the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990.^[35]

Laws[link]

There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a collection of stipulation and guidelines. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors, women and people with physical disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).^[36] In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of football.

Players, equipment, and officials[link]

Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes), one of whom must be the goalkeeper. Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are a variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws.^[13]

The basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards. Headgear is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match officials.^[37]

A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is three, though the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches. Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match.^[38] IFAB recommends that "that a match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team." Any decision regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football associations.^[39]

A game is officiated by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees. In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise.^[40]

Pitch[link]

Standard pitch measurements (See Imperial version)

As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four British football associations within IFAB, the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in imperial units. The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though popular use tends to continue to use traditional units in English-speaking countries with a relatively recent history of metrication (or only partial metrication), such as Britain.^[41]

The length of the pitch for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided that the pitch does not become square. Although in 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (344 ft) long and 68 m (223 ft) wide as a standard pitch dimension for A international matches,^[42] this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented.^[43]

The longer boundary lines are touchlines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines. A rectangular goal is positioned at the middle of each goal line.^[44] The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (8 yd) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws.^[45]

In front of each goal is an area known as the penalty area. This area is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by a penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs, goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks.^[46]

Duration and tie-breaking methods[link]

A standard adult football match consists of two periods of 45 minutes each, known as halves. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time.^[47] The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time, while loss time can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of the referee. The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, toward the end of the half the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time he intends to add. The fourth official then informs the players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee.^[47] Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa. Trailing 1–0 and with just two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty. Villa's goalkeeper kicked the ball out of the ground, and by the time the ball had been recovered, the 90 minutes had elapsed and the game was over.^[48] The same law also stands that the duration of either half is extended until the penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed, thus no game shall end with a penalty to be taken.^[49]

In league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout competitions where a winner is required various methods may be employed to break such a deadlock, some competitions may invoke replays.^[50] A game tied at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shootouts (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of the tournament. Goals scored during extra time periods count toward the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament (with goals scored in a penalty shootout not making up part of the final score).^[7]

In competitions using two-legged matches, each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from the two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially a penalty shootout are required.^[7]

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the IFAB experimented with ways of creating a winner without requiring a penalty shootout, which was often seen as an undesirable way to end a match. These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra time was scored (golden goal), or if one team held a lead at the end of the first period of extra time (silver goal). Golden goal was used at the World Cup in 1998 and 2002. The first World Cup game decided by a golden goal was France's victory over Paraguay in 1998. Germany was the first nation to score a golden goal in a major competition, beating Czech Republic in the final of Euro 1996. Silver goal was used in Euro 2004. Both these experiments have been discontinued by IFAB.^[51]

Ball in and out of play[link]

Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play. From the beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play:

A player takes a free kick, while the opposition form a "wall" to try to block the ball

• Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play.^[11]
• Throw-in: when the ball has crossed the touchline; awarded to opposing team to that which last touched the ball.^[52]
• Goal kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a player of the attacking team; awarded to defending team.^[53]
• Corner kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a player of the defending team; awarded to attacking team.^[54]
• Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution or send-off an opponent without a specific foul having occurred. A goal may not be scored directly (without the ball first touching another player) from an indirect free kick.^[55]
• Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls.^[55] A goal may be scored directly from a direct free kick.
• Penalty kick: awarded to the fouled team following a foul usually punishable by a direct free kick but that has occurred within their opponent's penalty area.^[56]
• Dropped-ball: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason, such as a serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective.^[11]

Misconduct[link]

On-field[link]

Players are cautioned with a yellow card, and sent off with a red card. These colours were first introduced at the 1970 FIFA World Cup and used consistently since.

A player scores a penalty kick given after an offence is committed inside the penalty area

A foul occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of the Game while the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick.^[9] The referee may punish a player or substitute's misconduct by a caution (yellow card) or sending-off (red card). A second yellow card at the same game leads to a red card, and therefore to a sending-off. A player given a yellow card is said to have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in his official notebook. If a player has been sent off, no substitute can be brought on in their place. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player, substitute or substituted player. Non-players such as managers and support staff cannot be shown the yellow or red card, but may be expelled from the technical area if they fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner.^[9]

Rather than stopping play, the referee may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the team against which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage".^[57] The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within "a few seconds". Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage being played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at the next stoppage of play.^[58]

The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final^[59]. The score of a match cannot be altered after the game, even if later evidence shows that decisions (including awards/non-awards of goals) were incorrect.

Off-field[link]

Along with the general administration of the sport, football associations and competition organisers also enforce good conduct in wider aspects of the game, dealing with issues such as comments to the press, clubs' financial management, doping, age fraud and match fixing. Some on-field incidents, if considered very serious (such as allegations of racial abuse), may result in further action than that which is in power of an on-field referee.^[60] Some associations allow for appeals against player suspensions incurred on-field if clubs feel a referee was incorrect or unduly harsh.

Sanctions for such infractions may be levied on individuals or on to clubs as a whole. Penalties may range from fines, points deductions (in league competitions) to expulsion from competitions. For example, the English and Scottish leagues will often deduct 10 points from a team that enters financial administration.

Governing bodies[link]

The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such as futsal and beach soccer) is the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The FIFA headquarters are located in Zurich. Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:^[61]

• Asia: Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
• Africa: Confederation of African Football (CAF)
• Europe: Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
• North/Central America & Caribbean: Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)
• Oceania: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
• South America: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol/Confederação Sul-americana de Futebol (South American Football Confederation; CONMEBOL)

National associations oversee football within individual countries. These are generally synonymous with sovereign states, (for example: the Fédération Camerounaise de Football in Cameroon) but also include a smaller number of associations responsible for sub-national entities or autonomous regions (for example the Scottish Football Association in Scotland). 208 national associations are affiliated both with FIFA and with their respective continental confederations.^[61]

While FIFA is responsible for arranging competitions and most rules related to international competition, the actual Laws of the Game are set by the International Football Association Board, where each of the UK Associations has one vote, while FIFA collectively has four votes.^[26]

International competitions[link]

A minute's silence before an international match

The major international competition in football is the World Cup, organised by FIFA. This competition takes place over a four-year period. More than 190 national teams compete in qualifying tournaments within the scope of continental confederations for a place in the finals. The finals tournament, which is held every four years, involves 32 national teams competing over a four-week period.^[62] The most recent tournament, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, was held in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July.^[63]

There has been a football tournament at every Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles.^[64] Before the inception of the World Cup, the Olympics (especially during the 1920s) had the same status as the World Cup. Originally, the event was for amateurs only,^[25] however, since the 1984 Summer Olympics professional players have been permitted, albeit with certain restrictions which prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides. Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level. In the past the Olympics have allowed a restricted number of over-age players per team;^[65] but that practice ceased in the 2008 Olympics. A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, full international sides without age restrictions play the women's Olympic tournament.^[66]

After the World Cup, the most important international football competitions are the continental championships, which are organised by each continental confederation and contested between national teams. These are the European Championship (UEFA), the Copa América (CONMEBOL), African Cup of Nations (CAF), the Asian Cup (AFC), the CONCACAF Gold Cup (CONCACAF) and the OFC Nations Cup (OFC). The FIFA Confederations Cup is contested by the winners of all 6 continental championships, the current FIFA World Cup champions and the country which is hosting the Confederations Cup. This is generally regarded as a warm-up tournament for the upcoming FIFA World Cup and does not carry the same prestige as the World Cup itself. The most prestigious competitions in club football are the respective continental championships, which are generally contested between national champions, for example the UEFA Champions League in Europe and the Copa Libertadores de América in South America. The winners of each continental competition contest the FIFA Club World Cup.^[67]

Domestic competitions[link]

The governing bodies in each country operate league systems in a domestic season, normally comprising several divisions, in which the teams gain points throughout the season depending on results. Teams are placed into tables, placing them in order according to points accrued. Most commonly, each team plays every other team in its league at home and away in each season, in a round-robin tournament. At the end of a season, the top team is declared the champion. The top few teams may be promoted to a higher division, and one or more of the teams finishing at the bottom are relegated to a lower division.^[68] The teams finishing at the top of a country's league may be eligible also to play in international club competitions in the following season. The main exceptions to this system occur in some Latin American leagues, which divide football championships into two sections named Apertura and Clausura (Spanish for Opening and Closing), awarding a champion for each.^[69] The majority of countries supplement the league system with one or more "cup" competitions organised on a knock-out basis.

Some countries' top divisions feature highly paid star players; in smaller countries and lower divisions, players may be part-timers with a second job, or amateurs. The five top European leagues – the Premier League (England),^[70] La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), the Bundesliga (Germany) and Ligue 1 (France) – attract most of the world's best players and each of the leagues has a total wage cost in excess of £600 million/€763 million/US$1.185 billion.^[71]

Women's association football[link]

Two players trying to win the ball

Women have been playing association football since the first recorded women's game in 1895 in North London. It has traditionally been associated with charity games and physical exercise, particularly in the United Kingdom.^[72] This perception began to change in the 1970s with the breakthrough of organised women's association football. Association football is the most prominent team sport for women in several countries, and one of the few women's team sports with professional leagues.

The growth in women's football has seen major competitions being launched at both national and international level mirroring the male competitions. Women's football faced many struggles throughout its fight for right. It had a "golden age" in the United Kingdom in the early 1920s when crowds reached 50,000 at some matches;^[73] this was stopped on 5 December 1921 when England's Football Association voted to ban the game from grounds used by its member clubs. The FA's ban was rescinded in December 1969 with UEFA voting to officially recognise women's football in 1971.^[72] The FIFA Women's World Cup was inaugurated in 1991 and has been held every four years since.^[74]

Variants and casual play[link]

Variants of football have been codified for reduced-sized teams (i.e. Five-a-side football) play in non-field environments (i.e. Beach soccer, Indoor soccer & Futsal) and for teams with disabilities (i.e. Paralympic association football).

One of the attractions of association football is that a casual game can be played with only minimal equipment – a basic game can be played on almost any open area of reasonable size with just a ball and items to mark the positions of two sets of goalposts. Such games can often have team sizes that vary considerably from 11-a-side, use a limited and/or modified subset of the official rules, and are likely to be self-officiated by the players.

See also[link]

Association football portal

• Association football culture
• Association football tactics and skills
• List of association football clubs
• List of women's association football clubs
• List of men's national association football teams
• List of top association football goal scorers
• List of top association football goal scorers by country
• Lists of association football players
• Paralympic association football
• Variants of association football

References[link]

External links[link]

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lez:Футбол

Choong Family or Choong Fam as they are sometimes known, are a four piece group originating from east London, consisting of Rappers Afix and Nutz P, and Singers Scandal and HT. They are best known for their single "More Murking". The group released their first album "Higher Elevation" in 2005.

Discography[link]

Mixtapes[link]

George Hook
George Hook at a Fine Gael event on 20 February 2011.
Born	(1941-05-19) 19 May 1941 (age 71) Cork
Nationality	Irish
Other names	The Alpha Male, Hooky, The Hooky Monster
Education	Rathmines College of Commerce
Occupation	Journalist and Radio Broadcaster
Spouse	Ingrid Hook
Children	Alison, George junior and Michelle
Website
www.georgehook.com

George Hook (born 19 May 1941)^[1] is an Irish broadcaster, journalist and rugby union pundit. He had a career as a rugby union coach and businessman, before becoming a rugby pundit with Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). He hosts The Right Hook on the Irish radio station Newstalk and appeared as a coach on RTÉ's reality TV show, Celebrity Bainisteoir.

Life[link]

Hook grew up in Cork and attended Presentation Brothers College, a fee-paying school and rugby union stronghold. Subsequently he attended Rathmines College of Commerce.

Hook has had a number of jobs, beginning as a temporary clerk for CIÉ, and later becoming a travelling salesman for the Burroughs Corporation (now Unisys). He also ran a catering business for over twenty years. He coached London Irish, Connacht, and St. Benildus College, as well as the American National Team in the 1987 Rugby World Cup.

The Right Hook, Hook's radio show on Newstalk, is a popular^[2] evening drive-time programme. Hook appears as a rugby pundit on RTÉ on a regular basis and appeared as a judge on RTÉ celebrity dancing show Jigs & Reels. He has also been parodied in The State of Us.

In 2005, he published an autobiography, "Time Added On". The book described his years involved in business and the failure of this career path.

In 2009, he visited the impoverished Caribbean island nation of Haiti where he was moved to tears by the plight of the poor people who lived there so much that he organised a recruitment drive to get volunteers to go there on a house building week.^[3][4][5] The next day a vicious earthquake struck Haiti. After the earthquake Hook was heard to say: "It is a godforsaken place. God has literally forsaken it."^[6] Following the January 2010 earthquake. Hook urged his radio listeners to donate money.^[7]

Hook is also the patron of Comber Foundation, an Irish charity working in Romania since 1991, of which his daughter Michelle McGill is a trustee.^[8] The charity provides homes in the community for adults with disabilities who grew up in institutions and orphanages ^[9]

Politically, Hook is a longtime supporter of Fine Gael, frequently identifying himself on The Right Hook as being "an old Blueshirt".

Bibliography[link]

• Hook, George Time Added On, Penguin Ireland, 2005, ISBN 1-84488-076-1

Quotes[link]

Hooky has made some notable quotes as part of his rugby union punditry on RTÉ:

2009 Six Nations:

"My predictions for this match [Ireland vs France] make Gethsemane look like Butlins."

"If this was the Italian Premier league there would be an investigation in the refereeing."

"If they say 'We knew Italy would be hard to beat', I'll vomit on my Jaffa Cakes."

"France haven't been beaten like that since Hitler marched down the Champs-Élysées."

2008 Six Nations:

"Eddie O'Sullivan is the Edith Piaf of Rugby."

"If Eddie O'Sullivan had retreated to the Führerbunker, World War 2 would still be going on."

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: George Hook

• Official website
• Ghook on Twitter
• Blog
• The Right Hook on Newstalk
• Profile in Dublin-based magazine Village
• George Hook's Lions Video Blog

File:Munster rugby badge.png
Nickname(s)	The Red Army
Founded	1879
Location	Munster, Ireland
Ground(s)	Thomond Park (Capacity: 26,500) Musgrave Park (Capacity: 8,300)
Coach(es)	Rob Penney (Director of Rugby)[1] Anthony Foley (Assistant & Forwards) Simon Mannix(Backs)[2] Paul McCarthy (Scrum) Shaun Payne (Manager) Mick Galwey (Squad Advisor)[3] Bryce Cavanagh (Head of Strength and Conditioning)[4] Anthony Coole (Medical & Physio) Ian Costello (Skills) Tom Comyns, Aidan O'Connell(Asst Strength & Conditioners)
Captain(s)	Paul O'Connell
Most appearances	Peter Stringer (223)
Top scorer	Ronan O'Gara (2,409)
Most tries	Anthony Horgan (41)
League(s)	Pro 12
2011–12	3rd
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.munsterrugby.ie

Munster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Munster, is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from Ireland. They compete in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup. The team represents the IRFU Munster Branch, which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish province of Munster.^[5] Their main home ground is Thomond Park, Limerick, though some smaller profile games are played at Musgrave Park, Cork. Munster currently play in a red and blue home strip, while the away strip is white striped horizontally with the colours of the six counties of Munster. The Munster Rugby logo consists of three crowns and a stag. The team motto is "To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible"; it is derived from the motto of the MacCarthy clan – "Forti et Fideli nihil difficile".

Munster is known for its passionate support and games involving Munster hold several Heineken Cup records for highest attendances in every stage of the finals, as well as the highest ever attendance for a rugby game in both Spain and Switzerland. In 2008, Director of Coaching Declan Kidney left to take up the head coach job with Ireland, and Munster ensured continuity by promoting Australian Tony McGahan to the position from within the coaching setup.

It was announced on 22 February 2012 that McGahan would be leaving Munster at the end of the 2011-12 season^[6][7][8], to take up a role of coaching co-ordinator on Australia's management team.^[9]Rob Penney, coach of Canterbury and New Zealand U20, was chosen to succeed McGahan, being unveiled as the next Munster coach on 2 May 2012.^[10]

As of the end of the 2010/11 season, Munster are third in the ERC European Rankings with 29 points, behind Toulouse (2nd, 31 points), and Leinster (1st, 31 points).

Heineken Cup, Challenge Cup and Celtic League[link]

Munster finally reached the Heineken Cup quarter-finals in 1998/99, after three years of not being able to get out of the group stages.

Munster's first appearance in the competition's final was in the season 1999/2000, where they lost by one point to Northampton at Twickenham. Nevertheless, that season was most memorable with a fantastic win over Toulouse 25–31 in Bordeaux.

Their good form and bad luck continued in the following year (2000/01) with a semi-final defeat to Stade Français, again by one point, where a try by John O'Neill [1] was disallowed by the referee, as he deemed the ball out over the dead ball line.

In 2001/02 Munster lost the last match of their pool at Castres, but qualified as best runners-up. Munster beat Stade Français 16–14 in Paris. The only try of the game coming from Anthony Horgan. It was then on to Béziers to meet Castres for the semi-final. Munster were triumphant and went to the final at Millennium Stadium to meet the reigning champions, Leicester. Munster lost a tight game remembered as 'the hand of Back' final as a Leicester flanker used his hand illegally in a scrum when Munster had a last-chance attack. Munster also reached the final of the Celtic League this season, but lost to Leinster, 24–20 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin.

In 2002–03, they reached the quarter-finals after a win against Gloucester, later issued on VHS under the title "The Miracle Match". In this game, Munster needed to win by a margin of at least 27 points and score a minimum of four tries to earn a quarter-final berth. They won 33–6 with four tries in a game that has become part of Munster rugby folklore. They again faced Leicester, this time at the Tigers' home of Welford Road, and defeated the reigning champions to progress to the semi-finals. They faced Toulouse in the semi-finals and lost out on a place in the final after losing by a single point in France. In this season, Munster won the Celtic League for the first time by beating Neath, 37–17 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.

In 2003–04 it was more of the same. After an assured performance in the Pool stage they defeated Stade Français at Thomond Park to set up a semi-final date with English champions Wasps. This was considered one of the best Heineken Cup matches of all time. Although leading by 10 points in the second half, having already lost Ronan O'Gara to injury early on, they succumbed to 2 Wasps tries in injury time resulting in a Wasps v Toulouse final. Munster finished in a disappointing seventh position in the 2003/04 season of the Celtic League.

In 2004–05, after a shaky performance in the Pool stage, they qualified as 5th seeds and played Biarritz away. The match was played at Real Sociedad's ground, the Anoeta Stadium, in San Sebastián in Spain — the first Heineken Cup game ever played in Spain. Biarritz won 19–10 to avenge a 38–29 defeat at the same stage in 2001. Munster secured an impressive position of second in the 2004/05 season of the Celtic League.

Inside the Millennium Stadium for the 2006 final where over 65,000 Munster fans were present

In 2005–06, Munster qualified to the final of the Heineken Cup, having overcome rivals Leinster 30–6 in the semi final at Lansdowne Road. The final was held at the Millennium Stadium against Biarritz. Munster won 23–19 to become European champions for the first time. Munster finished one place lower than the previous season in the Celtic League, finishing third overall.

2006–07 was a disappointing season for Munster, losing their previously unbeaten European record at Thomond Park, by going down to the Leicester Tigers in the group stages. They later lost the quarter final to the Llanelli Scarlets. Munster's performance in the Celtic League was equally disappointing, finishing sixth overall.

In 2008, Munster signed Doug Howlett, the all-time leading try scorer for New Zealand. That season's Heineken Cup saw Munster finish top in their group, and they went on to reach the final for the second time in three years beating Saracens in the semi final. The final, again held at the Millennium Stadium, saw Munster defeat Toulouse 16–13 to claim their second Heineken Cup title in 3 years. Munster finished third in the Celtic League for the 2007–08 season.

In the 2008–09 season, Munster once again topped their group in the Heineken Cup and reached the semi-final, but lost to arch-rivals Leinster by 25–6, attended by a world record crowd of over 82,200. On 30 April 2009 Munster clinched the Celtic League for the second time in their history after closest challengers the Ospreys beat the Newport Gwent Dragons but failed to claim a bonus point, this handed the title to Munster who could not be overtaken at the top of the table.^[11]

The 2009–10 season saw Munster finish top of their Heineken Cup pool once again. Victories over Northampton Saints, French Top 14 champions USA Perpignan and Italian side Treviso saw Munster qualify for the Heineken Cup Quarter Finals for a record 12th consecutive year. The match took place in Thomond Park where Munster played Northampton Saints for the third time that season running out winners 33–19 and by four tries to one. They lost 18–7 in the semi-finals to Biarritz at the Anoeta. Munster came 4th in the Celtic League, but because this season saw the introduction of a play off system for the top four teams, Munster met and lost 16–6 to Leinster in the play-off semi final .

The 2010–11 season saw Munster drawn in Pool 3 of the Heineken Cup alongside Ospreys, London Irish and RC Toulon. Munster lost 23–17 away to London Irish, before defeating RC Toulon 45–18 at Thomond Park. Munster defeated Ospreys 22–16, but lost the reverse fixture at Liberty Stadium 19–15. In round 5 Munster went to Toulon, losing 32-16. As a result, Munster failed to qualify for the quarter finals of the Heineken Cup for the first time in 13 years. Munster won their final pool game, at home to London Irish, 28-14, and qualified for the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter finals. Munster defeated Leinster 24-23 on 2 April 2011 in the Celtic League, ending a run of 5 straight defeats. Munster defeated Brive 37-42 in their Amlin Challenge Cup quarter final to qualify for the semi-final against Harlequins on 30 April. Munster lost the semi-final in Thomond Park 20-12.^[12]

Munster finished first in the 2010–11 Celtic League. They beat Ospreys 18-11 in their semi-final to set up a Grand Final with Leinster, which Munster won 19-9, securing a third Celtic League title.^[13][14]

Munster were drawn in Pool One for the 2011–12 Heineken Cup, alongside Northampton Saints, Scarlets and Castres Olympique. They beat Northampton 23-21 in the first pool game at Thomond Park, after an 83rd minute drop-goal from Ronan O'Gara.^[15] In their second pool game, Munster beat Castres 24-27, with O'Gara again scoring an overtime drop-goal to secure victory.^[16] Munster won their third pool game, away to Scarlets, 14-17.^[17] In the return fixture a week later, Munster won 19-13.^[18] A 26-10 win over Castres on 14 January 2012 ensured that Munster qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2011-12 Heineken Cup.^[19] Munster ended their 2011-12 Heineken Cup Pool 1 games with a 36-51 victory against Northampton Saints, securing the top seed in the quarter-finals and winning 6 out of 6 pool matches for the first time.^[20]Munster lost the quarter-final against Ulster 16-22, losing just their second match at home in the Heineken Cup.^[21]Munster finished third in the 2011-12 RaboDirect Pro12 season, and played Ospreys away in the play-off semi-finals, losing 45-10.^[22]

Current Standings[link]

Pro 12 League Table watch · edit · discuss
	Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points For	Points Against	Points Difference	Tries For	Tries Against	Try Bonus	Losing Bonus	Points
1	Leinster (F)	22	18	1	3	568	326	+242	48	28	5	2	81
2	Ospreys (C)	22	16	1	5	491	337	+154	44	22	2	3	71
3	Munster (SF)	22	14	1	7	489	367	+122	45	27	5	4	67
4	Glasgow Warriors (SF)	22	13	4	5	445	321	+124	34	23	2	3	65
5	Scarlets	22	12	2	8	446	373	+73	43	30	5	5	62
6	Ulster	22	12	0	10	474	424	+50	53	41	5	3	56
7	Cardiff Blues	22	10	0	12	446	460	−14	43	45	5	5	50
8	Connacht	22	7	1	14	321	433	−112	27	36	0	7	37
9	Newport Gwent Dragons	22	7	1	14	370	474	−104	27	41	1	5	36
10	Benetton Treviso	22	7	0	15	419	558	−139	41	57	3	5	36
11	Edinburgh	22	6	1	15	454	588	−134	42	65	2	4	32
12	Aironi	22	4	0	18	289	551	−262	22	54	1	5	22
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: number of matches won; the difference between points for and points against; the number of tries scored; the most points scored; the difference between tries for and tries against; the fewest number of red cards received; the fewest number of yellow cards received.
Green background (rows 1 to 4) are play-off places. Qualification for the Heineken Cup is based on each country's allocation, i.e. three highest-ranked Irish teams, three highest-ranked Welsh teams, both Italian teams and both Scottish teams. Because Leinster won the 2012 Heineken Cup Final, Ireland earned an extra Heineken Cup place, which will go to Connacht. Updated 5 May 2012. Source: RaboDirect PRO12 Notes:

Against Touring Sides[link]

Munster has a great tradition of competitiveness and impassioned displays against touring sides. The first touring side to play Munster were the famous "Original" All Blacks led by Dave Gallagher, who lined out against Munster in the Markets Field, Limerick in November 1905. Munster were defeated that day 33–0. Throughout the years Munster were to record a number of near-misses and last minute defeats to the Springboks, Wallabies and the All Blacks. The first tangible result against a touring side was to come in 1958 when the Wallabies were held to a 3–3 draw in Thomond Park.

First victory over a touring side[link]

Munster was the first Irish Provincial side to defeat a major touring team when they defeated Australia 11–8 in Musgrave Park, Cork on 25 January 1967. Munster were captained that day by Tom Kiernan.

Against the All Blacks[link]

Munster first played the All Blacks in 1905, losing 33–0 on the occasion. They have played each other many times since then. Munster drew with New Zealand 3–3 in 1973 and then in 1978 became the only Irish side to have beaten the All Blacks. The 12–0 victory occurred on Tuesday 31 October 1978 at Thomond Park, in front of a crowd of 12,000, though many times that number still claim to have been present, such was the occasion.^[23] Christy Cantillon scored a try with Tony Ward converting. Ward also added a dropped goal in each half. The game remains the only time an All Blacks team lost to any Irish side, and now forms part of Munster rugby mythology. A stage play named Alone it Stands (by John Breen), and a book named Stand Up and Fight: When Munster Beat the All Blacks by Alan English were both based on the events. Both have been commercially successful. Alone it Stands has had several sell-out runs in Ireland and abroad. "Stand Up and Fight" was a bestseller in 2005.^[24] The All Blacks returned to Thomond Park in November 2008 — to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the previous match, and to celebrate the opening of the new stadium. After 76 minutes of the match Munster were winning 16–13, but a late try by Joe Rokocoko meant the All Blacks won 18–16.^[25]

Against Australia[link]

Like the All Blacks, Munster have played Australia many times. They first met in 1947, where Australia won 6–5. Munster claimed their first victory over the Wallabies in 1967, when they won 11–8. In 1992, Australia, reigning world champions, having won the 1991 Rugby World Cup, visited Munster as part of a European Tour. Munster won 22–19 in a rough encounter in Cork. Ten years later, London newspaper The Daily Telegraph recounted part of the legend in a feature on Munster prop Peter Clohessy: "The then Wallabies coach, Bob Dwyer, who was not a man who readily accepted that opposition sides could legitimately score more points than his team, immediately branded the Munster Number 3 a 'disgrace'. It had been a typically rugged, robust and memorable Munster triumph, with leather and fists flying on both sides. Clohessy who wouldn't generally be known for misconduct was no more guilty than the next man but world champions are not supposed to lose against a hastily assembled Irish provincial XV. There had to be a reason, an excuse, and Dwyer rounded on Clohessy". History repeated itself in 2010 when Munster defeated the Wallabies by 15–6 with their Australian fly-half, Paul Warwick, kicking all fifteen points (three penalties and 2 drop goals). The match was played in ferocious weather, with Munster playing into a gale force wind and driving rain in the first half. Indeed, the conditions made the half time score of 6–6 all the more significant, as Australia could neither cope with the weather nor the Munster pressure in the second half.

Results against touring international teams[link]

Date	Country	Location	Score	Result
1947	Australia	Mardkye	5–6	Lost
1954	New Zealand	Mardyke	3–6	Lost
1958	Australia	Thomond Park	3–3	Draw
1960	South Africa	Musgrave Park	3–9	Lost
1963	New Zealand	Thomond Park	3–6	Lost
1967	Australia	Musgrave Park	11–8	Won
1970	South Africa	Thomond Park	9–25	Lost
1973	New Zealand	Musgrave Park	3–3	Drew
1974	New Zealand	Thomond Park	4–14	Lost
1976	Australia	Musgrave Park	13–15	Lost
1978	New Zealand	Thomond Park	12–0	Won
1981	Australia	Musgrave Park	15–6	Won
1984	Australia	Thomond Park	19–31	Lost
1989	New Zealand	Musgrave Park	9–31	Lost
1990	USSR	Clonmel	15-19	Lost
1992	Australia	Musgrave Park	22–19	Won
1996	Samoa	Musgrave Park	25-35	Lost
1996	Australia	Thomond Park	19–55	Lost
1998	Morocco	Thomond Park	49–17	Won
2008	New Zealand	Thomond Park	16–18	Lost
2010	Australia	Thomond Park	15–6	Won

Colours and logo[link]

The 'three crowns' emblem used by Munster alludes to the three constituent historic kingdoms of Munster; Thomond in the north, Desmond in the south, and Ormonde in the east. A revamped logo was introduced for the 2003–04 season which included the addition of a stag with the three crowns.^[26] The crest was designed to maintain the three crowns, and the new red stag symbolizes strength and competitiveness.^[26] The decision for change was a product of two years of planning of research and design.^[26] Elements of navy were also introduced into mainly red Munster jersey. The current kit consists of a red shirt with navy blue trimming, white shorts and red socks. The kit is made by Adidas, who replaced Canterbury of New Zealand, in a deal covering kit supply for three seasons. The name of Munster's current title sponsors, Toyota appears on their shirt. The club motto appears on the inside-collar of the 2011/12 jersey. The counties of Munster are also listed at intervals on the jersey.

Home grounds[link]

Munster have two main stadia where they play their home matches – Thomond Park in Limerick and Musgrave Park in Cork. Thomond Park is the bigger of the two, with a capacity of around 27,000, while Musgrave holds 8,300. As well as Munster, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC play at the grounds of Thomond Park. Thomond Park is famous for its atmosphere and unique history^[27] – its noise during play and complete silence when a player (home and away) is kicking at goal. It is also famous for Munster's intimidating record that it held for over a decade – having never been beaten at home during the Heineken Cup.^[28] However the record was broken during the 2006–07 season when they were defeated by the Leicester Tigers.^[28] Munster train in the University of Limerick. Munster are currently training at the excellent facilities at the Cork Institute of Technology, Cork.

Thomond Park went through a major renovation in 1999, and in 2006, Munster announced plans to upgrade it. In autumn 2008 the new 27,000 capacity stadium was opened. Two sweeping arches are one of the defining features of the stadium as well as the concourse outside of the new East Stand.^[29] The new stadium design was well received and won the Public Choice Award for 2009 from the Irish Architecture Foundation.^[30] A long discussion and consultation on the new name concluded with the decision that the name would remain Thomond Park.^[31]

Supporters[link]

Thousands of fans watch the 2006 Heineken Cup Final in Limerick

The strength of Munster's support was demonstrated during Munster's 2006 and 2008 Heineken Cup final wins. News reports detailed the lengths some fans were willing to go to secure tickets to the game. Some Munster fans travelled to Biarritz to buy up the French allocation of tickets.^[32] On the day of the game the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff was filled with a capacity crowd of 74,500. Of those numbers it is estimated that in excess of 55–65,000 were Munster fans^[33] with the remainder being neutrals and Biarritz supporters. The Millennium Stadium was intended to be a neutral venue but commentators on the day remarked that it could hardly be counted as such. In North America there is an official supporters club called Munster Rugby USA.^[34]

Munster have played in the most-attended semi-final match of the Heineken Cup, the 2009 Semi-final v Leinster, Croke Park, Dublin – 82,208 (also the then largest crowd ever to attend any club rugby match until that record was broken in the Saracens - Harlequins league game in 2012)^[35]

Munster's appearance in the 2002 final against Leicester Tigers at the Millennium Stadium, which drew 74,600, was the record attendance for a Heineken Cup Final^[36] until the 2007 final between Leicester and London Wasps at the newly expanded Twickenham, although it is estimated that as many as 10,000 Munster fans attended this game, having bought tickets before Munster were knocked out of the competition. Munster's 2005 quarter-final against Biarritz Olympique in Estadio Anoeta, played as it was across the border in San Sebastián, with an attendance of 32,000 also set the record for the biggest rugby match ever played in Spain.^[37] Their October 2006 Celtic League game against Leinster at Lansdowne Road beat the record for that competition with an attendance of 27,252.^[38] This record lasted just two months however with the Leinster and Ulster match on 31 December 2006 filling Lansdowne Road (over 48,000 in attendance) for the last match at the stadium before redevelopment.^[39]

On 2 October 2010, Munster played Leinster in the 5th round of the Celtic League at the Aviva Stadium, this set a new crowd attendance record for a Celtic League game at 50,645.^[40]

Munster fans are known for their silence when a kick is being taken, but also for their noise. Fans repeatedly chant "MUNSTER" or sing "The Fields of Athenry" (an Irish famine song from Galway, Connacht) and "Stand Up and Fight" (from the Broadway musical Carmen Jones.) They famously sang The Black Velvet Band to the Ospreys' Irish winger Tommy Bowe during their 2009 Heineken Cup quarter final encounter.^[41] Tommy Bowe sang this song at the official reception for the 2009 Grand Slam winning Ireland rugby team.

Munster Rugby is unusual in the aspect that it has given two words to the rugby lexicon. Famously, the Limerick club of Garryowen introduced the "Garryowen kick", a high up and under which puts defending players under pressure. Also, the term "Mullocker", used to describe an unrefined forward, has its origins amongst the dockers who worked on a casual basis for the Limerick docking firm, Mullock & Sons.

Munster A[link]

Munster A is the team that represents Munster in the British & Irish Cup and in the All Ireland Inter-provincial Championship.^[42] Pre-professionalism and a formal Celtic league structure, the main Munster team competed in the AIPC. Since the advent of professionalism the provinces have fielded lesser teams in order to concentrate on the Celtic League. The team is composed of Senior Munster squad players requiring gametime, Academy players and AIL players called up from their club.^[43]

Having been beaten finalists in the 2009-10 British and Irish Cup, losing 23-14 to Cornish Pirates^[44], Munster A secured success in the British and Irish Cup on 27 April 2012, beating Cross Keys 31-12 in the final of the 2011-12 tournament at Musgrave Park, Cork.^[45]

Honours[link]

• Heineken Cup
  • Winners: 2005–06, 2007–08: 2
  • Runners Up: 1999-2000, 2001–02: 2
• Celtic League/Magners League/Pro12:
  • Winners: 2002–03, 2008–09, 2010–11: 3
  • Runners Up: 2001–02, 2004–05: 2
• Celtic Cup:
  • Winners: 2004–05:^[46] 1
• Irish Inter-Provincial Championship:
  • Winners: 22
• Setanta Challenge Cup:
  • Winners: 2007^[47], 2008:^[48] 2