On Saturday I was lucky enough to witness something that I will not see again. Any of those at Seaview for the Carling Premiership clash between saw a unique footballing moment.
When it comes to the ultimate all-time appearance record you only need look to Northern Ireland because one of the local game's most worthy recipients was taking the plaudits from players, managers, fans, seasoned journalists, all equally dumbfounded by the achievement being celebrated.
For the first time - as far as I am aware - in the history of senior football, a player had reached the milestone of 1000 appearances for the same club. That man was , the captain of Irish League champions elect .
Linfield captain Noel Bailie makes his 1000th appearance for Linfield
Not even the great managed to clock up 1000 games for AC Milan, has not made it to 900 yet for Manchester United. Baillie is in a league of his own.
At 39 years of age 'the skipper' has won dozens of medals including eight Irish League championships, and another this year is a real possibility.
Yet it is his modesty, his unassuming nature that is his most endearing trait.
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So is to be given the chance to revive the fortunes of after a season of turmoil.
On a personal level I am pleased. Scott is a genuinely nice lad, was one of the first players I ever interviewed when I started working at Irish League games.
He always made me laugh with a smart one liner, even during the worst moments of his career when he was in the Ulster Hospital recovering from a serious leg break.
He will need that sense of humour to maintain his sanity in management and when I watch and listen to what is going on at it is hard not to think of the antics at the Oval this season.
Scott Young watched as Glentoran's title hopes disappeared in a 3-1 defeat by leaders Linfield at Windsor Park
An interim manager battling to win the right to manage a club that he loves dearly on a more permanent basis, and lumbered with players who appear to have lost the appetite to fight for the cause or who just are not good enough. Rings true for both doesn't it?
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It was the result that those in the corridors of footballing power in Northern Ireland did not want - 1 1. I suppose after waiting six weeks for the game to be played, three more days was not going to make that much difference.
It is just a pity that those who look after the disciplinary procedures at the Irish Football Association are not blessed with the same levels of efficiency as their colleagues who have sorted out the fixture congestion the weather caused in our Premier League schedule, and that those deciding what to do with and Newry caused to this year's Irish Cup.
Those wise old heads, unable to take swift and decisive action over the in the Newry and Larne Irish Cup clash, did manage to find the time to hand boss Dixie Robinson a six, yes a six-match suspension for the unforgivable crime of taking his coat off in frustration at a questionable decision by a referee and throwing it towards the dugout.
Most of the bans handed out after the Newry v Larne boxing match were not for as many as six matches. The disciplinary system here is a laughing stock and no wonder.
I have resisted for many weeks the temptation to criticise when it comes to this blog. I know most of the guys, they are good people who go out and try to do their very best in difficult circumstances.
But I am increasingly alarmed at the sheer number of bad decisions and mistakes that are directly effecting, or could have the potential to decide, the outcome of matches here this season. The bad decisions result in understandable frustrations from managers and players that lead to unjust bans and suspensions.
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Hello, I'm Joel Taggart and I'm the football commentator for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Ulster. I get to see lots of matches, but I can't be everywhere. Hopefully you can keep me up to date here with all the big talking points from the games that I miss. You can also debate the big issues from the Irish League, the international team, and anything else that tickles your fancy.
