Pauli captain Jackson Irvine will undergo surgery on his left foot in London on Tuesday and will therefore be sidelined for the next few months Irvine last played for the club at Holstein Kiel on 12 April before a stress reaction in his left foot ruled him out of action After deliberations between the medical department the decision was taken to treat the injury surgically The subsequent rehab procedure will take several months to complete We wish Jackson all the best for the intervention and the fastest possible recovery Irvine backed the Socceroos to get past Japan and Saudi Arabia in crunch qualifiers and seal their passage to next year’s World Cup in North America after writing on social media that he would go under the knife. Read more“I have complete confidence that both the teams I love can take the final steps towards our ultimate goals,” Irvine posted on Instagram “I will be watching and supporting alongside our amazing fans every step until the end.” The influential Australian midfielder has been sidelined for Bundesliga side St Pauli for the last fortnight with the club sending him for scans the results indicating an operation was the best course of action for the 32-year-old His absence is a blow for St Pauli who are on the cusp of avoiding relegation from the German top flight with just three games left in the season It’s an even bigger concern for Socceroos boss Popovic whose side hope to beat the already-qualified Japan in Perth on 5 June and then conquer Saudi Arabia – their closest challengers for the final automatic spot – in Jeddah on 11 June to reach next year’s tournament Irvine has been an ever-present for Popovic and the blow will be keenly felt given His comes at a time when the Socceroos are already without defensive leader Harry Souttar and wingback Jordan Bos Free newsletterGet a daily roundup of the latest sports news features and comment from our Australian sports desk Massimo Luongo has been overlooked due to a lack of game time at Premier League side Ipswich Town Aiden O’Neill has recently moved to the MLS with New York City while Irvine’s St Pauli teammate Connor Metcalfe has only just returned from an ankle injury Pauli will be without Jackson Irvine for the time being after an osteological examination revealed a stress reaction in the skipper’s left foot The 32-year-old Australian reported feeling pain in the area after the away win at Holstein Kiel Other players absent from training on Tuesday were Elias Saad (knee) and Jojo Eggestein (ankle) Both players will be kept under observation this week Noah Weißhaupt also missed training through illness In the second of our monthly features written by antiques expert and television presenter Roo Irvine Recognising antiques is a skill in itself and is almost reminiscent of good old-fashioned detective work Very rarely is an item ‘spelt out’ and even if it is plastered with maker’s marks A passion for antiques brings out the inner super-sleuth in us all We have to use our powers of deduction to pinpoint exactly what we have in our hand whether it was from the reign of King Henry VIII or Queen Victoria we talked about understanding antiques in context with the world we live in- what inspired and shaped them we can don our magnifying glasses and delve into what we actually have in our own homes The true skill lies in being able to identify various rare materials Even experts can get it wrong- the Chinese vase mentioned last month that sold recently for £53m was called a ‘very clever reproduction’ by one of the most valued Antiques Roadshow experts in the 1970s Most antiques and collectables fit into these three categories- genuine (of the period) Reproduction is perhaps a complement to a genuine piece Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and in a lot of cases; there is no intent to deceive whereas fake items are deliberately ‘aged’ to pull the wool over your eyes Age and use ensure naturally inconsistent ‘flaws’ the more the machines used were simply a pair of humble with evidence of technology having a helping hand in its construction A number of other clues will help you pinpoint what you have plus real antiques would often have used expensive woods for the frontage and hide away the cheaper woods Patina is crucial – how many times have we seen beautiful antique chairs where the wood or leather has worn away on the armrest- genuine wear that is hard to replicate it is the smell of hundreds of years of living memories True craftsmanship means Imperfections are good Look at the construction techniques- good old-fashioned reinforced joints Other decorative items like ceramics are also easily ‘faked’ people will always try to monetise on that and ride the gravy train Research is key – if you have an item Are they beautifully detailed and intricate or crude and naïve Even that luscious vibrant cobalt blue used in oriental ceramics can indicate the value 19th century scientists strove to discover substitutes for expensive natural materials- shell bringing about the development of plastic and celluloid This was a fantastic outcome for animal welfare too as materials such as Ivory and Tortoiseshell were wildly popular but so destructive to our beautiful animals and during the Victorian era people became more educated about animal welfare as opposed to just pursuing a lust for luxurious materials there are some items that will never reveal their true story Even Antique shop price tags are merely the seller’s ‘opinion’ and not necessarily the truth but these clues will certainly help your inner detective crack the case Enter your email address to receive notifications of news by email All material on this website is © copyright of the Lochside Press and cannot be reproduced without permission Margaret (Greta) - 30th April 2025 unexpectedly at her home Beloved sister of the late Eleanor Mary (Mollie) and Joseph Dearly loved Great-Aunt and Great-Great Aunt A Funeral Service will be held in Douglas Funeral Church BT24 8HP on Sunday 4th May at 1.30pm followed by a committal in Magheradroll Churchyard donations if desired online via www.douglasfuneraldirectors.com cheques payable to N.I Heart & Stroke c/o Douglas Funeral Directors (address as above) Greta will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by her nephews and entire family circle Share this sad news with friends and loved ones Visit Website [email protected] Link