Alex Bruce

[ArdeeBhoy]

Aye, but we're not the managers. Nor do we make the rules....

Lots of players no longer care about international football;maybe we should be grateful for those that do?
Some people are eligible for 4-5 countries, but until they are left with that competitive stamp they can 'float' between all of them.

This is true of Bruce who is eligible for 3 different teams in 2 countries!

[Not Brazil]

Aye, but we're not the managers. Nor do we make the rules....

Lots of players no longer care about international football;maybe we should be grateful for those that do?
Some people are eligible for 4-5 countries, but until they are left with that competitive stamp they can 'float' between all of them.

This is true of Bruce who is eligible for 3 different teams in 2 countries!

Regardless of what the rules are, or who makes them, I think Worthington and the IFA have made a big mistake in entertaining Bruce, after him choosing to represent the South and rejecting Northern Ireland.

Regardless of how players can "float", Worthington shouldn't be sending rescue crafts to lift opportunists like Bruce from the seas of the international wilderness, after him jumping from from the South's full international ship.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Well, given there's no country in Europe called 'the South', it's difficult to have much sympathy for your poaching of players....

[Not Brazil]

it's difficult to have much sympathy for your poaching of players....

I think you might sense that I'm none too happy about the IFA's "poaching" (perhaps rescuing is more apt) of Bruce from the South's stock of dead wood.

[geysir]

He had his chance to play for Northern Ireland before - rather patronisingly, he chose not to.

What did he say or do at that time to give you the impression that he was patronising?

[tricky_colour]

To be fair, he's one of the many, er, British-born players in the North's squad, so why would anyone care??

Fine. So Jermaine Pennant, Jamie O'Hara, Paddy Kenny, Stephen Ireland & Andy Reid all have no chance??

Anyone who does not want to play, by definition, has no chance, I suppose you could drag them onto the field and tie them to a goal post but I think you would be liable for a charge of false imprisonment in that case.

[Not Brazil]

What did he say or do at that time to give you the impression that he was patronising?

http://foot.ie/threads/33837-Is-Alex...mate-mercenary

[geysir]

"I am going to pick the Republic purely because I think they are a better team. That is no disrespect to Northern Ireland." said Bruce.

That's pragmatic opportunism, not patronising.

[Not Brazil]

That's pragmatic opportunism, not patronising.

Aye, whatever.

Coming 5 months after Northern Ireland had beaten his country of birth, it did raise a grin.

[ifk101]

Coming 5 months after Northern Ireland had beaten his country of birth, it did raise a grin.

He's comparing the ROI and NI, no?

[Not Brazil]

He's comparing the ROI and NI, no?

Yes.

Bruce is English, no?

[ifk101]

Yes.

Bruce is English, no?

Yes he is born in England. So why would the result in a England/ NI game influence his decision to chose between NI and ROI?

[Noelys Guitar]

Surely this is Nige trying to get his own GB team together before 2012? A kind of distant fourth cousin to to those actually selected. And why not I say.

[geysir]

Possibly the way Bruce sees it, there are two Irish association teams and he doesn't see much, if any, difference between the two, apart from the superior football ability of the ROI team
A Paddy from the North or a Paddy from the South, are all the same to Bruce. He is demonstrating a complete lack of Paddy-ethnic discrimination.

The exclusive hatred for Bruce from the OWC fans is purely because he chose the ROI first, as I presume a similar player who had played 2 friendlies for England would be welcomed.
All goes to show, as if we didn't know already, that for a large part of the NI support, ethnic intolerance and hatred comes easy, even though they have a claimed aspiration to appeal to both of the largest ethnic groups in the North. But as that recent Slugger blog went, 'Northern Ireland soccer represents ‘British’ Northern Ireland, not, erm Northern Ireland'

[DannyInvincible]

If anything, Bruce has kept "politics" out of it entirely.

[geysir]

Exactly, Bruce soars like an eagle to rise above the petty bigotry of the OWC fans and all they can do is squabble in their own mire.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Coming 5 months after Northern Ireland had beaten his country of birth, it did raise a grin.

Well, judging by the other players (born outside the six counties) currently representing the North's lesser sides, he'll be in good company!

The one 'plus' point is they'll be less likely to defect elsewhere? As they know they'd never get a game with the Ingles?
And will even know the words to that current dirge of an anthem....

[Fixer82]

Possibly the way Bruce sees it, there are two Irish association teams and he doesn't see much, if any, difference between the two, apart from the superior football ability of the ROI team
A Paddy from the North or a Paddy from the South, are all the same to Bruce. He is demonstrating a complete lack of Paddy-ethnic discrimination.

The exclusive hatred for Bruce from the OWC fans is purely because he chose the ROI first, as I presume a similar player who had played 2 friendlies for England would be welcomed.
All goes to show, as if we didn't know already, that for a large part of the NI support, ethnic intolerance and hatred comes easy, even though they have a claimed aspiration to appeal to both of the largest ethnic groups in the North. But as that recent Slugger blog went, 'Northern Ireland soccer represents ‘British’ Northern Ireland, not, erm Northern Ireland'

Jaysus for years we had to listen to Ian Paisley giving out about the IRA.
Now it's Ian Parsley giving out about the IFA.

[Predator]

The exclusive hatred for Bruce from the OWC fans is purely because he chose the ROI first, as I presume a similar player who had played 2 friendlies for England would be welcomed.

Indeed.

Does the same level of contempt exist for Michael O'Connor and Tony Kane I wonder? Does it not apply or does it bubble beneath the veneer of respect?

[ArdeeBhoy]

Most Ireland fans wouldn't have a clue who they are. And even if they did, reckon most wouldn't give two fecks unless they popped up years later and scored an important goal or something. Similarly with Bruce. Good luck to him, in the main.