THREE MONTHS out of circulation after a hip replacement operation afforded me time to reflect on many things in the realm of sport. Sadly the time has been more no table for negative rather than positive incidents with self interest, greed, lack of honesty, violence and thuggery attracting more attention than results.

Saddest of all perhaps is the state in which, what we used to call rugby union, finds itself. Things are changing day by day, but the wide issue remains unsolved and that is, namely Who does the game belong to?

Anyone reading these pages within the last few months, who is even only vaguely interested in rugby, cannot but be aware that the battle for the heart and soul of the game has been raging and that the forces of integrity and light are fighting a rear guard action.

There are thousands of people all over the world of rugby union in all sports in fact who regularly dip into their pockets to help clubs in various ways. Many others spend many hours every week doing all sorts of chores. All for the love of the game.

It is mighty hard in these circumstances to read about or listen to tales of outright greed which have crept into the game of ruby union recently. It begs the question about how long people will continue to dip into their pockets or do all the chores or give all the time that is needed, while multinational television stations and self seeking power blocs seek to take whatever financial advantage which lie in the cul de sacs of power, while at the same time threatening to cause irreparable damage to the game.

Thankfully this country has two men of steely nerve and proven courage under the dropping ball to represent us, namely Syd Millar and Tom Kiernan. Their determination is being tested and challenged by some very heavy power brokers and, thankfully they are getting the kind of support they deserve from Wales and Scotland as they try to protect the integrity of the game.

Mind you bad behaviour in the sporting arena is nothing new and many people, including myself who have been inclined to blame the excesses of modern living in general and television in particular, are well wide of the mark.

For information on the lines of rowdy sporting behaviour I am indebted to the "Times Past" column in thin newspaper which recently brought us back to Pompeii in the year 79 AD. It appears that an athletics contest between the sportsmen of Pompeii and the "neighbouring parish" of Noceran that year ended abruptly. Apparently "large numbers off Nocerans came by special excursion to see that justice was done to their representatives. When the contest still was undecided one or two Norcern as suddenly took exception to the ruling of the referee and they struck several citizens of Pompeii in the teeth.

"In a moment all the Norcerans and the Pompeiians in the cheaper seats were at one another's throats. The players followed their example and the referee began to look for the exit. An enjoyable time way had by all, but the outcome of the incident was not so happy. The matter was referred to the Emperor Nero and he disqualified the amphitheatre for 10 years."

But to get back to the present! It seems to me that one of the saddest things to arise on the periphery of sport in recent times is the nasty, mindless and, apparently, well orchestrated anti Manchester United cult. I confess that this first came to my notice in my local pub when a number of people (well they looked vaguely like people) came in wearing football shirts with the initials ABU printed on them.

I was astonished to learn that the letters stood for "Anyone But United". Now I carry no torch for any particular club, but neither do I wish any club ill. Surely if sport is to mean anything, it is to admire the fact that it takes two teams to make a match.

It seems to me that the people of the ABU tendency are also the kind of people who boo the opposing kicker in rugby, hurl racist abuse and throw bananas at black players, tear up the seats and terrify decent people including children at Lansdowne Road and shove their naked rear ends out of busses.

That some people, they know who they are, seek to give themselves some notoriety by proclaiming their membership of the ABU tendency is, to say the least, petulant and childish.

Then there was the fiasco in the United States when a clearly biased referee encouraged by unsporting Mexican players made a mockery of the word `sport' and as far as we know, have been allowed to get away with it.

But we don't have to go that far away to look for bad behaviour. I read recently of a cricket match in Dublin, a serious, competitive match at that, which was abandoned when umpires pulled up the stumps and left the field because of bad behaviour by the players. Cricket!

And if all that weren't enough we have a glut of drug allegations in Atlanta and on the Panorama. It is surely a sad day when a man like Chris Bras her, who has given a lifetime to sport in many different ways, tells us that he is so disgusted that he isn't going to the Olympic Games.

But there is a positive note. What hurling we have seen, none better than Wexford and Offaly at Croke Park last week. Just the job to cheer us all up. There wasn't a foul blow nor a faked injury in the entire match of vast skill, sportsmanship and athleticism. I'm glad I have caught up.