THROW THAT COUNTDOWN calendar away, the big day has almost arrived.

But with Ireland squaring up against the Swedes at 5pm tomorrow, how on earth are you going to get out of work early enough to make sure you don’t miss any of the action.

We’ve got a few ideas for you….

***BELIEVABLE***

1. ‘I forgot I have a dentist appointment’

A go-to excuse for any spoofer out there, a trip to the dentist is rarely questioned. It’s the kind of thing that can easily slip to the back of your mind, making it an ideal last-minute excuse to get yourself out the door.

And as these visits are invariably miserable occasions, your boss is less likely to stress you out further by questioning you on the last-minute nature of the information.

2. ‘The dog’s feeling poorly’

In an ideal world you’ll be playing the dog card here due to the way cats polarise opinion.

A sick dog at home in desperate need of attention should draw warm understanding from even the coldest of employers. Be warned though, if you are inventing said pet, it might be an idea to explain it is only a temporary arrangement; a family member being away on holidays, for example.

You don’t want that coming back to bite you, so to speak.

3. ‘The alarm is going off and the neighbours are going spare’

“What’s another hour of incessant ringing if it’s been going off all day?” your boss may ask.

So have your follow-up answer ready. Your neighbours have oversensitive hearing or a tremendous fear of bells. Heck, you might need to just check your house hasn’t been robbed.

***SO CRAZY IT MIGHT JUST BE TRUE***

4. ‘I gave my bank details to a guy on the internet who said he was a prince and needed somewhere safe to store his vast fortune so I need to get to the bank ASAP’

The devil is in the detail; the more information, the more believable the excuse. The key here is to portray yourself as a bit of a dope but not too much of a dope that you are handed your P45.

It’s Monday so your boss is probably thinking you’ve no food in the house so this is now a full on humanitarian crisis, they have to let you home.

***GOWAY OUTTA THAT***

5. ‘I’ve just realised the meaning of life and I have to get home and write it down straight away’

Yes, 42 might be the answer to life, the universe and everything as per The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy but you, you my friend have managed what Deep Thought couldn’t and remembered the question.

Of course you have to get home and write it all down. It’s purely a coincidence that the Ireland match is one.

6. ‘You have to keep this a secret but I’m actually a super hero’

You might not be the hero Ireland deserves, you’re not even the one they need right now but show your boss just how different you look when you take off your glasses and they’ll believe you straight away.

There’s also the added benefit that you can use it any time you need to get out of work in future.

***JUST TELL THE TRUTH***

7. ‘My country needs me’

If you’re not comfortable with lying your way out the door, maybe you should appeal to their patriotism. We are, after all, all in this together.

It’s your duty as an Ireland supporter to back Martin O’Neill’s lads on the continent’s biggest stage. Surely any boss worth their salt would understand that. COYBIG.

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