By Cathal Dervan

Celtic boss Martin O’Neill believes he has finally found a successor for Parkhead legend Lubomir Moravcik in the shape of on loan striker Craig Bellamy - but he also fears he won’t be able to afford the fiery star when Newcastle United put him on the transfer list at the end of the season.

Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has again stated that Bellamy will not play for his club again, but Celtic are certain to be priced out of the market for the Welsh striker when he is sold in the summer after his Parkhead loan expires.

Bellamy was inspired in Saturday’s 6-0 win over Dunfermline and O’Neill said, “Craig came back and played in midfield and I thought he was Lubo Moravcik for a while, making little incisive passes in an around the penalty box.

“He created a few of the goals and I was delighted with him. He might not have got on the scoresheet but I was really pleased with him.”

As for any prospective deal to buy Bellamy, O’Neill said, “In the particular climate we are involved in at this minute it would probably be unlikely we would be able to afford the fee for him but things might change.

“If he does fantastically well and wants to stay and become a massive hit with the supporters then it would make it easier for us to go and try and look at ways of trying to keep him, but I think that is all premature.

“Craig’s contract with us is up in May and Newcastle have put a price on him and it is there for anyone to make a bid. My own view is that it is too early to call.”

Young Irish prospect Aiden McGeady scored one of those six goals and earned more praise - and a few demands - from his happy manager as the Bhoys boosted their goal difference.

O’Neill added, “It was a brilliant goal by McGeady. We needed that and he was scintillating after that. You see the goal he scored today in training all the time.

“We all know he is capable of doing it and, when he finds himself in that position in training, he steps inside and sticks it in the back of the net.

“He knows he needs to work on that part of his game. His goal making is absolutely fine and he is capable of scoring more goals.”

O’Neill reacted angrily when he was linked with the Manchester City job vacated by Kevin Keegan last week.

Grants Cut

SONIA O’Sullivan is the highest profile casualty after the Irish Sports Council dramatically axed training grants from athletes they feel will not be able to compete at the next Olympics in Beijing in 2007.

Mark Carroll, James Nolan, Peter Coghlan and Karen Shinkins have all lost their x19,000 a year training grants, with Coghlan announcing his retirement from competitive athletics in protest.

Irish Athletics team captain Terry McHugh blasted the government appointed body’s decision to cut grants now.

He told the Irish Independent, “Most athletes are five to six months into preparing for a season which will start, in earnest, in two months and suddenly, without any warning, they’re told they’re getting no grant.

“Every employer is obliged to give you some notice. This is incredible. It’s the equivalent of an employer suddenly terminating your contract halfway through it and with absolutely no warning.

“If the Sports Council wanted to make changes, fair enough but not like this. To a full-time athlete x19,000 is your life but this is not just about losing the money.”

European Indoor Championship hero David Gillick, sprinter Paul Hession, Maria McCambridge and Adrian O’Dwyer have all had their funding increased under the new system.

Antrim Against

ANTRIM are the latest northern county to confirm they will vote against any change to Rule 42 at next month’s congress as the chance of rugby and soccer ever being played at Croke Park recent.

Antrim County Board Chairman Joe O’Boyle went so far as to criticize the FAI and the IRFU for not looking after their own affairs as the debate intensifies.

O’Boyle said, “While I accept that the Irish government contributed greatly to the development of Croke Park there were people in Antrim, Down, Fermanagh and all over Ireland selling raffle tickets and holding fundraising events for it.

“It is our stadium and it should remain exclusive to the GAA. Croke Park is one of the best stadiums in the world and it is evidence of many years of hard work and dedicated commitment Gaels give to the association.

“The Football Association of Ireland has qualified for three World Cup finals in the past 20 years. Where has the money gone? It has won qualification money and has made millions in merchandising, yet soccer still does not have a national stadium in the Republic of Ireland.

“Equally, there is a lot of money in rugby and the IRFU can afford to redevelop Lansdowne Road or build a new venue, as we had to.”

O' Se Targeted?

THE Dublin County Board are to investigate claims that Westmeath manager Paidi O' Se was targeted at the end of his team’s NFL defeat to the Blues in Parnell Park on Saturday night.

O' Se has refused to confirm the full details of the alleged incident, and opposite number Paul Caffrey denied any involvement.

“I was the subject of an unsporting gesture the like of which I hadn’t seen in 30 years of football,” said O' Se.

“I am coming here for the last 30 years and no one laid a hand on me . . . and nobody will either. I felt that there was an unsporting gesture carried out on the part of Dublin afterwards which isn’t true Dublin form.”

Dublin boss Caffrey said, “I have no comment to make on the incident but anyone who knows Paul Caffrey knows he is not an unsporting person. Whatever happens on the field is what we’re about, not what happens off it.”

Limerick’s Boss

JOE McKenna has been appointed as manager of the Limerick hurlers until the end of the championship campaign and has already thrown down the welcome mat to dual stars like Conor Fitzgerald, Brian Begley, Stephen Lucey and Mike O’Brien.

Previous incumbent Padjoe Whelahan refused to play the county’s dual football and hurling stars but McKenna, who began his reign with a league win over Down, is anxious to reverse that decision.

“We need every player we can get. We will be looking at Conor Fitzgerald and Stephen Lucey straight away,” said McKenna who has lost T.J. Ryan to injury for the rest of the NHL campaign.

“No player will be ruled out and I intend to meet with football manager Liam Kearns as soon as possible to see what arrangement we can come to. I think it’s very important that we have a full selection available.”

Keane’s Cup

ROY Keane has thrown down the gauntlet to any Manchester United starlet looking to replace him as he awaits an FA Cup semifinal date with Newcastle next month.

The Cup presents the best prospects of a trophy for United this season now that they are out of the Champions League with Arsenal and Blackburn meeting in the second semi.

There was new talk of the need for Alex Ferguson to find a long term replacement for Keane in the wake of their defeat away to AC Milan and the Irish midfielder admitted, “People talk about replacing me and that’s fine, but it’s a challenge.

“It’s like when I first came into the United team. I had so much respect for Bryan Robson, but I wanted his place. Eventually he left and I came on the scene and it’s something that will happen to me.”

Keane Sub

ROBBIE Keane had to be content with a second half appearance as a substitute as Spurs lost to a Shay Given-inspired Newcastle in the FA Cup quarterfinal on Sunday, but the Irish striker insists he is happy with Martin Jol’s decision to rotate his front players.

Keane said, “We have four great strikers, and nothing is settled at the moment. The manager has been chopping and changing, looking for the best partnership.

“I’m just one of the four, and it’s not for me to say who should be playing. Whoever I’ve partnered has done well and I’m having a good season myself.

“If you look at any big club these days, you’ll find they’ve got four strikers and a rotation policy, and if we are going to develop on the right lines and get into Europe, we need a big squad.”

Eircom Start

CHAMPIONS Shelbourne were scheduled to kick off the new eircom League season in front of the television cameras against UCD on Wednesday night, March 16, with league officials confident the game will benefit from increased exposure in the coming month.

Eircom League chairman Paddy McCaul launched the new league with international boss Brian Kerr on Monday and claimed, “The 2005 season promises to be the most exciting and interesting to date in the league.

“With vastly improved prize money in both divisions, an unprecedented level of television coverage and the ongoing improvement of facilities under the UEFA Club Licensing program, the future is very bright for Irish domestic soccer.”

GAA Shorts

TAOISEACH (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern and GAA President Sean Kelly officially opened the new Hill 16 and Nally End terrace at Croke Park on Monday afternoon to bring the official capacity of the ground to a whopping 82,300. Kelly said, “Croke Park has been a sporting cathedral, a field of dreams for countless generations of our people” . . .

WESTMEATH attacker Alan Mangan could miss the rest of the league campaign after damaging a knee in a clash with Dublin defender Paddy Christie last Saturday night. Paidi O Se’s side are already without forward Gary Dolan for the foreseeable future with a knee injury . . .

ARMAGH star Diarmuid Marsden announced his retirement from inter-county football last week when he broke his ankle playing for his club Clann na nGael on Saturday . . .

TROUBLED Roscommon may have to seek bank borrowings of x1 million to offset debts arising from the redevelopment of Hyde Park and other projects . . .

JOHNNY Murray has been appointed manager of the Meath hurlers for the rest of the season with T.J. Reilly and Kilmessan’s Martin Curran as his selectors.