The ones that got away

[Razors left peg]

I wouldn't want a bigoted, woman beating, alcoholic, drug taking individual representing us at any sport. I must admit to not being particularly moved by his fall from grace.

agreed... hes a w*nker

[EalingGreen]

I remember hearing a story of the time when Gordon Lee was manager at Newcastle United. They had a young footballer on the books called Aidan McCaffrey.
Lee suggested he approach the FAI to see whether they might be interested in him.
"But I'm not Irish, Boss", replied McCaffrey.
"You must be Irish", said Lee.
"No Boss, no Irish blood in me at all"
"A name like that and you're not Irish?", Lee spluttered, "I don't bloody believe it!"
At which point, Malcolm McDonald butted in:
"Hey Boss, did you ever play for China?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aidan_McCaffrey

[ArdeeBhoy]

I remember hearing a story of the time when Gordon Lee was manager at Newcastle United. They had a young footballer on the books called Aidan McCaffrey.
Lee suggested he approach the FAI to see whether they might be interested in him.
"But I'm not Irish, Boss", replied McCaffrey.
"You must be Irish", said Lee.
"No Boss, no Irish blood in me at all"
"A name like that and you're not Irish?", Lee spluttered, "I don't bloody believe it!"
At which point, Malcolm McDonald butted in:
"Hey Boss, did you ever play for China?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aidan_McCaffrey

Surely though, an unwilling? Member of the Diaspora!

He was cr*p mind, as I recall.....

[theworm2345]

On the US players mentioned, while they have Irish names, Dempsey, McBride and others like Donovan and John O'Brien were not eligible. A few other recent US internationals were eligible e.g. Michael Parkhurst(father from Galway), Greg Berhalter(mother also from Galway)

The day MLS players (at least if it stays at its current level) start representing Ireland in competitive matches is the day I stop watching football

[Metrostars]

The day MLS players (at least if it stays at its current level) start representing Ireland in competitive matches is the day I stop watching football

Good that [cough]Joey Lapira[/cough] never played in MLS then.

[Wolfie]

Bit of a shocker that John Joe O'Toole is actually Belgian .

[theworm2345]

Good that [cough]Joey Lapira[/cough] never played in MLS then.

Yes it is, though that was a friendly match (Bolivia and Ecuador), and at that point I was thinking that I may never watch football again.

Apparently he's doing OK in the Norwegian 2nd Division

[aidz1]

wayne hennessey???

[Splurge]

Lennon turned down Brian kerr when he tried to get him I think. I remember hearing bout Scholes years ago too but not sure what the family connection is

It was on one of the sunday papers, yrs back before he was a Utd regular. No one tought he would ever be good enough for Utd or England back then, the chubby ginger that he was.

[OwlsFan]

I wouldn't want a bigoted, woman beating, alcoholic, drug taking individual representing us at any sport.

That would rule out 20% of the population

[bwagner]

Grant Mc Cann?

[Lionel Ritchie]

I wouldn't want a bigoted, woman beating, alcoholic, drug taking individual representing us at any sport.

The auld bigotry must run really deep with a man when one of the parents is RC.

For consistency' sake I hope you're not a fan of, say, The Who. Their drummer (and one of my heros as a youth incidently) Keith Moon was a drug taking, alcoholic, wife beater ...broke her nose on at least one occasion.

[livehead1]

The auld bigotry must run really deep with a man when one of the parents is RC.

For consistency' sake I hope you're not a fan of, say, The Who. Their drummer (and one of my heros as a youth incidently) Keith Moon was a drug taking, alcoholic, wife beater ...broke her nose on at least one occasion.

If you think they are qualities with which you would like our sports representative to contain then more power to you

[Lionel Ritchie]

If you think they are qualities with which you would like our sports representative to contain then more power to you

I absolutely do not. I acknowledge there's a role model issue that we want people to live up to. But it's a fact of life that they often don't. Probably more frequently than we get to hear about - and in that situation I think the best course is to separate art from artist and leave the rest of the persons transgressions to the relevant authorities.

[Paddy Garcia]

Apparently Kyle Naughton

[CraftyToePoke]

I believe Mark Noble, and Lee Boyer could have, also Jimmy Bullard.

David Dunn and Gareth Barry im less sure of, just their names really. but the first 3 do/did/would have quailfied for us.

[EalingGreen]

Grant Mc Cann?

This one?

http://www.irishfa.com/squad-profile...nn-midfielder/

[EalingGreen]

The auld bigotry must run really deep with a man when one of the parents is RC.

God help him, but Gazza doesn't have the brains to be bigoted (if that's possible).

I assume Livehead was referring to Gazza's flute-playing in his first Old Firm game; apparently that stemmed from an Ally McCoist wind-up, where he told Gazza before the game that he should do, since the Rangers fans would appreciate it...

As for his being a "drug-taking, woman-beating alcoholic", I imagine the same standards could be applied e.g. to George Best, except that Gazza has never been imprisoned, nor did George have the excuse of mental illness.

And Gazza never willingly turned his back on the game, either, for that matter...

As a Spurs and NI fan, those two were both heroes of mine; at the same time, I don't approve of many of the things they did.

But I would never criticise them, on the basis that if I had their outrageous talent, plus all the money, birds and hangers-on etc that go with it, I can't guarantee I wouldn't have gone off the rails in similar fashion. Nor, I would suggest, can anyone else.

(Joey Barton, mind, now there's a different case...)

[Razors left peg]

God help him, but Gazza doesn't have the brains to be bigoted (if that's possible).

I assume Livehead was referring to Gazza's flute-playing in his first Old Firm game; apparently that stemmed from an Ally McCoist wind-up, where he told Gazza before the game that he should do, since the Rangers fans would appreciate it...

As for his being a "drug-taking, woman-beating alcoholic", I imagine the same standards could be applied e.g. to George Best, except that Gazza has never been imprisoned, nor did George have the excuse of mental illness.

And Gazza never willingly turned his back on the game, either, for that matter...

As a Spurs and NI fan, those two were both heroes of mine; at the same time, I don't approve of many of the things they did.

But I would never criticise them, on the basis that if I had their outrageous talent, plus all the money, birds and hangers-on etc that go with it, I can't guarantee I wouldn't have gone off the rails in similar fashion. Nor, I would suggest, can anyone else.

(Joey Barton, mind, now there's a different case...)

Maybe the first time he did it was ok to claim that he didnt understand but he did it again after that...

[livehead1]

I absolutely do not. I acknowledge there's a role model issue that we want people to live up to. But it's a fact of life that they often don't. Probably more frequently than we get to hear about - and in that situation I think the best course is to separate art from artist and leave the rest of the persons transgressions to the relevant authorities.

So in that case you would accept that it's got nothing to do with bigotry. We have been quite lucky supporting Ireland over the last number of years, in that our footballers don't tend to get themselves involved in too many scandals.

You say you would like to separate art from artist but that simply isn't possible. Say for example, Paul Gascoigne is playing for Ireland. He is time and time again being caught up in reprehensible acts, this invariably damages that image of the national side. Therefore, back to my original point; I don't wish to see people with the 'characteristics' of a Paul Gascoigne et al, representing my nation in any sport.