We’re bad sports

THE controversy engendered by the exit of Ireland’s Under17 soccer team at the quarterfinal stage of the European Championship against the Netherlands has, I believe, damaged our hard-won sporting reputation.

In the course of a penalty shootout, the 16-year old Irish goalkeeper stepped off his goal line, which is not permitted, an act which was instrumental in the Netherlands winning the game.

The behaviour of the Ireland senior team manager Martin O’Neill in publicly confronting the referee on the pitch, who was clearly correct in his decision, set a poor example on how Ireland’s youth players should show discipline and respect the authority of match officials.

Irish sports commentators and media condemned the decision of the referee, suggesting he should make allowances for the fact that the goalkeeper was only 16. It doesn’t seem to matter to them that the Dutch penalty taker was also just 16.

Jettisoning sporting ethics and standards to win at all costs is a betrayal of our young sportsmen and sportswomen. Tom Cooper, Templeogue, Dublin 6w.