Eligibility Rules, Okay

[The Fly]

We can beat New Zealand on our own, with our eyes closed.

I listened in to the that newstalk segment and it was a bit off the wall There was some journalist (Dunne ? or was he in the program after?) picking his AI team along with Killer who doesn't know much about anything before 1990.
I'll give the Nordies George Best but he'd have had to sober up to play with us in a best ever 11, we had enough drunks already.

Best and Pat Jennings would definitely start.

Danny Blanchflower would contend for a place also.

[DannyInvincible]

Fine Gael senator Frank Feighan was harping on about the "eligibility issue" again during the recent Dáil committee inquisition of John Delaney: http://ryandelarge.tumblr.com/post/1...ility-question

Earlier this month, in a government meeting with the heads of the three biggest sporting organisations in Ireland, Fine Gael senator Frank Feighan raised the issue of Northern Ireland-born players playing for the Republic of Ireland. At the meeting, he asked John Delaney, chief executive of the Dublin-based Football Association of Ireland (FAI), what he thought about it.

BEATING THE DRUM

In his question Feighan bizarrely referred to the 2010 Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) judgement as ‘recent’ (despite it being over half a decade ago) and incorrectly outlined the effect of the case, suggesting that it “determined that players from the Republic could play for Northern Ireland and players from Northern Ireland could play for the Republic.” (Only the latter is true.)

In response, Delaney reiterated the FAI’s position that “it should always be down to the player” and that they would not interfere if a future James McClean wanted to play for Northern Ireland instead of the Republic of Ireland. He also stressed that the FAI maintained a very good relationship with the Belfast-based Irish Football Association (IFA). In other words, Frank, nothing has changed.

It’s been nearly seven years since the IFA lost their case regarding the eligibility of Northern Ireland-born footballers to play for the Republic of Ireland. Since then, objections have quietened and the association has moved on. Head coach Michael O’Neill occasionally expresses his opinion on the matter - he isn’t particularly happy about it - but Northern Ireland supporters are more concerned about planning trips to major tournaments nowadays than protest jaunts to Dublin. So it is rather perplexing to see Feighan persist in beating the drum about the situation.

Feighan seems to have made it some sort of one-man crusade of his to deprive northern-born Irish nationals of an opportunity to play for their country. It's odd. Why is he so hung up about it and what's his motive? Even the IFA have moved on. Maybe he's just trying to give the impression he's done some background work and is asking the FAI tough questions when these types of meetings arise.

[paul_oshea]

I think Frank spent sometime in London growing up or in his youth. Maybe his views are a bit more entrenched.

Interesting that he says this:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/othe...-35396633.html

Personally I've always thought competing in the commonwealth games would be a good thing for our athletes.

[DannyInvincible]

I thought I'd post this here as I can't really think of anywhere else to stick it and the relevant match thread is closed/archived: https://www.facebook.com/YBIGireland...26827544003967

(How do I embed Facebook videos, by the way? The "Insert Video" icon/assistant in the comment-reply box informs me Facebook videos are supported.)

YBIG shared it on Facebook the other week, which is when and where I first saw it, but it's a fantastic video of the crowd in Belfast's fanzone when Robbie Brady scored the winner against Italy at the Euros. The goal elicited amazing scenes of unbridled joy (no doubt similar to those witnessed and experienced by hundreds of thousands of others up and down the country and in France at that very same moment) for the hundreds present.

And yet the likes of Frank Feighan presumably thinks our northern fan-base is in some way problematic...

[geysir]

Unfortunately for guys like John Tracey, they have to answer to politicians like Frank Feighan, who has managed to weasel his way onto the sports capital funding committee.

I liked Tracey's response to Feighan's question about his opinion on Frank's brainwave (participating in the commonwealth games).
"it's definitely beyond my pay-grade" says John.

If Halls Pictorial Weekly was still running, I'd say Frank Feighan would get regular top billing, a perfect dope for the all out parody.

[DannyInvincible]

Derry City's Josh Daniels accepts a call-up to Noel King's home-based under-21 squad to play an Ireland Amateur side on the 11th of February: http://www.derryjournal.com/sport/fo...land-1-7804616

Daniels has previously played with the IFA's under-19s, although hadn't been called up by them in two years.

DERRY CITY winger Joshua Daniels admits he just wants to play international football after receiving a call-up to the Republic of Ireland’s U21 home based squad. The 20-year-old has decided to switch his allegiance from Northern Ireland to the Republic and can’t wait to get some action next week as Noel King’s side face an Ireland Amateur side in a training game in Dublin’s AUL Complex on Saturday, February 11.



“It’s a weird one because I was in the U19s when I was 18 and 19 for the North, but I just haven’t been called up in two years,” he said.

“I was seeing other boys who were getting called into squads and that was fair enough, but I was thinking I’m playing in the League of Ireland, we’re playing down South and most of the people who are going to be watching our games are going to be from Republic of Ireland or FAI.

“Then I got a phone call one day, saying that they thought I was doing well and they wanted me in their squad, so it took a while to get there but it’s finally through and I just can’t wait to play.

“I just want to play international football. I told Northern Ireland that if it had have been the other way about I would have done the exact same thing. I want to play football whether it’s with the U21’s with the Republic or U21’s for Northern Ireland it didn’t matter, whoever was first to come and that’s what I made clear.

“I’m not switching because it’s the Republic of Ireland, I’m switching because I haven’t been called up (for Northern Ireland) in two years and I want to play international football.”

Daniels, who along with City team-mates Ben Doherty and Ronan Curtis are in King’s squad, can’t wait for the game. “We are friends in and out of football so I can’t wait and I think it’s massive for us,” he added.

“We are all in and around senior football, we’re enjoying ourselves and I can’t wait to go down to Dublin, take part in the training and hopefully play in the match and I think we’ll do alright.”

Both Daniels and the article describe his selection by King as a "switch", although I don't think it would actually constitute such under FIFA regulations seeing as the under-21s aren't playing a competitive fixture. There's also no indication that he has lodged any request to formally switch with FIFA. Maybe he has for all we know and it simply hasn't been reported, although I just get a feeling it's not a formal one.

[geysir]

Not good enough Danny, he doesn't care which intl team calls him up.
He doesn't even tickle the gut test. “I’m not switching because it’s the Republic of Ireland, I’m switching because I haven’t been called up (for Northern Ireland) in two years and I want to play international football.”

If he has not played in a competitive u19 game for NI then he's not on the uefa radar and he doesn't have to switch in order to play for us.

[Olé Olé]

There was an article on the42.ie the other day about Niall McGinn. Someone commented under it that he was in Vienna at the Ireland Austria game. I wonder if that's correct. I did meet his best mate from home at the Euros shouting for Ireland and I know he supported us. But that's different to actually travelling to a match.

[DannyInvincible]

If he has not played in a competitive u19 game for NI then he's not on the uefa radar and he doesn't have to switch in order to play for us.

True, although I'm not sure if his appearance(s) for the IFA was/were competitive.

By the way, Josh Daniels was the player who lost his mother, his younger sister, a brother-in-law and two nephews in the Buncrana pier tragedy last March, so fair play to him on being able to keep ploughing on: http://www.derryjournal.com/news/bun...iels-1-7288490

To lose half your family in a single incident like that is unimaginably devastating and it shows great resolve to come through it.

There was an article on the42.ie the other day about Niall McGinn. Someone commented under it that he was in Vienna at the Ireland Austria game. I wonder if that's correct. I did meet his best mate from home at the Euros shouting for Ireland and I know he supported us. But that's different to actually travelling to a match.

I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. He explicitly stated he supported us after he played for NI against us in the Carling Nations Cup and if his friends head to games, why wouldn't he go along with them if not tied down with other commitments?

[Charlie Darwin]

Daniels (or Tracey as he was called then) was a very good prospect underage. I was surprised he never got picked up by an English academy but he's well on his way to becoming a good Premier Division player. Not sure he will be able to break into the full u21 squad now considering he's already 21 though so he's as well keeping his options open.

edit: he's actually 21 later this month

I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. He explicitly stated he supported us after he played for NI against us in the Carling Nations Cup and if his friends head to games, why wouldn't he go along with them if not tied down with other commitments?

You'd hope he asked his club manager's permission first though, otherwise it could get awkward

[DannyInvincible]

You'd hope he asked his club manager's permission first though, otherwise it could get awkward

McGinn wouldn't have had a game for Aberdeen over the weekend of the 11th of November, which was when we played Austria in Vienna, so he might well have been off. Aberdeen played Partick Thistle on the 4th and their next fixture was against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on the 19th.

[Wolfman]

Would most Irish fans, respectfully, even recognise McGinn?

[DannyInvincible]

I'd imagine a fair few should be able to identify him considering he showcased his ability in the League of Ireland with Derry before moving on to Celtic (whom a lot of Irish fans support) for a few seasons. He's been playing in the Scottish Premiership since, with the exception of a season on loan from Celtic at Brentford. Maybe my perception that he'd be easily identified is coloured by my own knowledge and interest in him since he played for Derry, mind...

Do you think most would struggle to recognise him?

[Gather round]

I'd imagine a fair few should be able to identify him considering...

a) 50 international caps, including scoring in NI's impressive win over Ukraine during the Euros

b) two seasons at Celtic, then a further five at Aberdeen regularly playing against Celtic

c) impressing as a youngster in the LoI

d) one season in English D3

e) his popular restaurant business venture in Belfast

f) they may have seen him with the away support

(I understand DI may rank these career highlights differentlly)

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Jonny Hayes said he was going to follow Northern Ireland in the Euros with a few of his, presumably Northern Irish, teammates.

Seen a Q&A with McGinn recently where he seemed to positively identify as NI.

[DannyInvincible]

a) 50 international caps, including scoring in NI's impressive win over Ukraine during the Euros

b) two seasons at Celtic, then a further five at Aberdeen regularly playing against Celtic

c) impressing as a youngster in the LoI

d) one season in English D3

e) his popular restaurant business venture in Belfast

f) they may have seen him with the away support

(I understand DI may rank these career highlights differentlly)

Haha, to be fair, (a) is a pretty significant one, although I think some of your games at the Euros would have been the first time I watched a full NI game, with the exception of games in which we were playing yous. Out of interest, would that be the same for most others here?

(As for (e), you been to Fáilte? Good reviews?)

[Gather round]

Haha, to be fair, (a) is a pretty significant one, although I think some of your games at the Euros would have been the first time I watched a full NI game, with the exception of games in which we were playing yous. Out of interest, would that be the same for most others here?

(As for (e), you been to Fáilte? Good reviews?)

I watch your whole games occasionally (including all bar the first last summer). Hell, I even go to them occasionally

Although I do hit that end of town occasionally it's usually for hospital visits so haven't managed dinner.

[DeLorean]

Out of interest, would that be the same for most others here?

Pretty much, but I suppose up until the Euro Qualifiers everybody used play at the same time, more or less so I wouldn't have really had the opportunity. And then we just happened to play on the same days as them when 'the week of football' was introduced for that campaign too.

[DannyInvincible]

Jonny Hayes said he was going to follow Northern Ireland in the Euros with a few of his, presumably Northern Irish, teammates.

Seen a Q&A with McGinn recently where he seemed to positively identify as NI.

McGinn seemed to positively identify as Northern Irish? Hmm... Where, when and what exactly did he say?

He declares unambiguously that he's an Ireland fan here (at 1m12s):



And he was also quoted extensively in a 2010 study by Darragh McGee and Alan Bairner entitled Transcending the borders of Irish identity? Narratives of northern nationalist footballers in Northern Ireland. In that, he admitted that playing for Ireland would have been his preference (reading between the lines), spoke of his reasons for choosing to play for NI and talked up the idea of career pragmatism whilst downplaying any real national identification with his present international team. I'm sure he has developed bonds within and fondness for the NI team since declaring for them, but he has hardly shed his national identity all of a sudden.

[McGinn] described the dilemma he faced regarding his ‘choice’ of sporting allegiance:

I mean when Northern Ireland called me up, if I had of said no, I would rather hold out for the Republic, I might never have got that opportunity. So I’m glad that I took the chance. You can’t really think about stuff like that. If the chance comes then you have to grab it and use it to enhance your career. (Interview, 3 July 2009)

...

At first glance, a quest for community acceptance appears absent from the actions of those nationalist footballers who decide to represent Northern Ireland in the knowledge that the team receives little support from their wider community. However, as McGinn reveals, these nationalist players are forced to ‘present’ themselves in an attempt to garner respect for and, more importantly, acceptance of their decision. He states that:

I get the odd joke when I’m home about me playing for them, but it was just a matter of making sure the boys know that I’m only there to play football and that’s the only thing. They have even now started to watch the games; although I know they are only supporting me and wanting me to do well. (Interview, 3 July 2009)

This conveys the significance of community in McGinn’s everyday life. He must ‘convince the boys’ that his decision to represent Northern Ireland is not indicative of some wider national identification.

Hayes' trip to follow NI games was discussed before. Wasn't he (very much a peripheral squad-player for us anyway) heading over to follow his team-mate(s?) - presumably McGinn was one of them (not sure if Aberdeen had/have any other NI players?) - and he'd had it all booked before even seriously contemplating that we might actually qualify too? NI had already qualified for the Euros in early October of 2015 after beating Greece at Windsor Park. That was the same night we beat Germany, but that only guaranteed us a tough play-off to negotiate.

I don't think you could really suggest that Hayes identifies more with NI or that he doesn't care about his own country's fortunes, if that's the way you're trying to spin it?

[Closed Account]

Then I got a phone call one day, saying that they thought I was doing well and they wanted me in their squad, so it took a while to get there but it’s finally through and I just can’t wait to play.

Isn't this a departure from what we've previously seen reported and against the gentlemans agreement the FAI said they were adhereing to? i.e they wouldn't make first contact with a player to initiate a switch?