Balkan incentive for Shelbourne

National League champions Shelbourne are likely to be returning to the Balkans in August for the third round of the Champions League qualifiers if they manage to defeat Rosenborg in their forthcoming games against the Norweigan champions.

In yesterday's draw for the last round of games in the competition before the league stages, Shelbourne or Rosenborg were drawn against either Croatian side Hajduk Split or Dunaferr SE from Hungary, who are making their debut in the competition. If they do win through to the third round, the Dubliners will be away in the first leg, to be played on August 8th or 9th with the return matches taking place two weeks later.

Leeds have been handed a tough draw, with David O'Leary's side due to face TSV 1860 Munchen, who finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season.

Leeds, back in Europe for the second successive year after playing in the UEFA Cup, will host the first leg next month.

Reacting to the draw, club chairman Peter Ridsdale said: "It's one of the toughest ties we could have had. If you look at last year when we drew tough ties every time, it seems like we're having the same bad luck this time around."

He added: "It is this type of opposition we will face week-in week-out if we progress to the Champions League, so given the standard of 1860 we are starting one game early."

Rangers face a trip to Herfolge BK of Denmark, providing they defeat Lithuanian side FBK Kaunas in the second qualifying round. Herfolge, who are managed by former Arsenal midfielder John Jensen, won the championship for the first time in their history last season.

Back home, meanwhile, senior FAI officials yesterday paid tribute to one of the association's longest serving officials, Charlie Walsh, who died on Thursday night.

A key figure in the election of his club, Drogheda United, to the National League in 1968, Walsh went on to become the honorary secretary of the league before taking on the job of honorary treasurer of the association, a position he held until the mid-1990s. "Charlie was a quiet man of soccer," said FAI president Pat Quigley yesterday, "but he was a personality who was well respected by his colleagues in the game. He always treated his position with the utmost care, dedication and attention, and the association owes him a great debt of gratitude for his many years of hard work and commitment."