World Cup fever has already yielded rich dividends for one Irish soccer supporter. Mr Finbarr Long, a civil engineer, from Bishopstown, in Cork city, won a million francs (£107,000) in a penalty shootout at half-time during the Queens Park Rangers and Manchester City game in London yesterday as part of a competition organised by the World Cup sponsors, Shredded Wheat and Cherios breakfast cereals. Mr Long had answered three questions on a cereal packet and completed a slogan, devised by his wife, Margaret, promoting the breakfast cereal to gain entry to the international competition. Yesterday, he was to compete with four others in the penalty shoot-out, but the rules allowed him nominate somebody else to take the penalties on his behalf. So he chose an engineering colleague, Mr John Flynn, from Ballincollig. "I knew he was a keen amateur soccer player, and that I would have been too nervous," said Mr Long last night. "We came over without even thinking about winning, so we have no plans yet for the money. If Ireland qualifies for the World Cup, we might go and see the team."
Mr Flynn said: "When Finbarr rang me up and asked me to take the penalties, I thought it was a wind-up. But he then convinced me that it was not, so I decided to have a go."