ON TELEVISION/Dermot Gilleece: Late-night viewing on Friday got me thinking about Japan and all the negative World Cup publicity about the horrendous cost of booze and beds out there. And how, costs notwithstanding, there was so much we could learn about civilised living from our oriental brethren.
While keying in the night alarm system in my Dublin suburban home, I thought of a visit I made to Tokyo about 15 years ago and of an experience which remains for me the most astonishing of its kind, anywhere in the world.
It started with a call from a public telephone, attached to the wall of a busy shopping mall where I had to take my wallet out to find the number I'd written down of the party I was phoning.
Call finished and it being lunchtime, I headed down the street towards McDonalds for some nourishing goodies (cholesterol held no fear for me at that stage and it being a private visit and nothing to do with my employers, there was no expenses budget to fall back on). Anyway, just as I was being handed my Big Mac, I discovered to my horror that my wallet had disappeared.
Had my pocket been expertly picked? Hardly. No, I must have left it sitting on that payphone back at the crowded shopping mall. If so, was it worth the trouble of going back there? To hell, why not? So, very much more in hope than expectation, I returned to the phone which I had left about 30 minutes previously. And as was the case when I made my phone call, the area was positively teeming with natives.
As I got closer, I wondered if my eyes could be deceiving me. Oh happy day, they weren't. There on top of the phone was my open wallet, exactly as I had left it. Currencies, local and foreign, were clearly visible, along with credit cards. Hundreds must have seen it yet nobody had touched it, even to close it over. And nothing was missing.
Beaming from ear to ear, I stretched my hand across the person using the phone, picked up my wallet and skipped down the street. My faith in human nature had received a high-voltage charge, the like of which I have not experienced since.
Against that background, I watched the Soccer Show on Network 2. Though aware of its existence, I doubted if anything worthwhile would be screened at 11.20 on a Friday night, even if it were repeated on the same channel at 1.45pm the following day.
On inquiring at RTÉ about this rather curious scheduling, I was informed that it was tried at 7.30 after Coronation Street had been lost to TV3, but didn't really work there. So they switched it to a later slot.
Presumably the scheduling gurus reasoned that viewers watching the Late Late Show, could pick up the Soccer Show at lunchtime on Saturday. If so, it is decidedly rum reasoning since neither slot is particularly attractive.
Ray Treacy, who was with the FAI's delegation which returned from Japan last week, took us on a tour of Ireland's prospective base there, in the company of Shay Healy. Before this admirable duo took centre-stage, however, there was an entertaining interview with Jason McAteer, hero of that priceless goal from the qualifying stage.
He reminded viewers of his status as a member, with Gary Kelly and Phil Babb, of the so-called "Three Amigos" who remain as a link with the last Irish World Cup challengers in 1994. And memories of a wonderful American adventure came flooding back as we saw clips of the then Liverpool player with 21 on his back, come on against Italy, Mexico and Norway.
And he talked of how his club career had been resurrected through a move from Blackburn to Sunderland. And while the Scouse accent filled the ears, there was this wonderful camera shot of the Sunderland training ground and the manager, Peter Reid, sharing what was obviously a private joke with the towering Niall Quinn.
As both men laughed openly, it served to confirm the sincerity of Quinn who, a few weeks earlier on the Late, Late Show, had spoken of how helpful his Sunderland boss had been in respect of the forthcoming charity testimonial at the Stadium of Light. McAteer, meanwhile, was suitably dressed down in a black tee-shirt as he looked towards Japan and the "massive games" which await him and his Irish colleagues.
His ambitions this season? Sunderland to qualify for Europe _ "it's still possible" _ and "Ireland to win the World Cup." He insisted: "I actually get a feeling that we can do better this time than in '94." Though he had the good grace to laugh heartily while making the World Cup-winning prediction, one felt that his Lansdowne Road goal had just about given McAteer the right to say anything he pleased.
Then came the Shay and Ray show in Izumo, a city of 88,000 inhabitants, where a huge banner welcomed "Ireland National Football Team" and where the summer temperatures are going to be close to 100 degrees. We were shown the huge dome which happens to be the biggest wooden structure in Japan and which houses an indoor facility with astroturf, where the Irish players may switch their training, if appropriate. It backs onto what will be the Irish outdoor training pitch.
"When I stood here last July, the pitch was in as good condition as it is now - fantastic," said Treacy who, as a player with West Brom and later Charlton, savoured the delights of Dalymount Park on international match days.
"And the playing surface is exactly the same as the players will be experiencing in their group matches." The complex, built especially for the World Cup, contained all sorts of modern equipment, from checking players' blood-pressure and heart-rate, to what appeared to be a splendidly sociable Japanese bath.
Finally, the programme offered a humorous if extremely brief course in language, from some young and highly amused Tokyo women. They provided the Japanese for such contrasting phrases as "Come on you Boys in Green" to "I have a terrible hangover; can you tell me what hotel I'm staying in." My only complaint with an extremely enjoyable and informative programme was the suggestion that the Japanese are a very polite people. This may be true on an individual basis, but while being jostled on Tokyo's crowded streets, I noticed that none of the locals ever apologised.
By way of explanation, it was pointed out that given the crowded nature of the city, if apologising became the norm, the locals would spend all day every day doing so. Which wouldn't make a lot of sense. But they are remarkably honest. Trust me.
PICK OF THE WEEK
TUESDAY: Racing from Cheltenham - RTE 1 (1.30), Channel 4 (1.0), Highlights on Network2 (11.45). Champions League - Arsenal v Deportivo - TV3 (7.30); highlghts on UTV (10.20). Greyhound View - TG4 (9.0pm).
WEDNESDAY: Racing from Cheltenham - RTÉ1 (1.30), Channel 4 (1.0); highlights on Network 2 (12.45). Champions League - Barcelona v Liverpool - TV3; Manchester Utd v Bayern Munich - UTV (7.30); highlights on UTV (11.45).
THURSDAY: Racing from Cheltenham (including Tote Gold Cup) - RTÉ 1 (1.30), Channel4 (1.0); highlights on Network2 (12.05); Gold Cup re-run on Channel 4 (7.40). Rugby Special - BBC2 (11.20).
FRIDAY: The Soccer Show - Network2 (11.50).
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