Shane Lowry

[greendeiseboy]

Just read on the FAI website that he has declared for Australia.

Bit of a dissapointment as he was beginning to make the breakthrough at Villa and had progressed through the underage and under 21 squads with us.

Has the Givens curse struck again?

[seanfhear]

Are the FAI becoming like the IFA in their ability to lose promising young players.

[cestlavie]

Givens is a disaster, his record speaks for himself, Lowry was a really good prospect, saw him a couple of times playing underage for Ireland and he looked a real talent

[geysir]

Doesn't have to have anything at all to do with Givens.
Lowry was played by Givens, last played against Germany.
He is an Australian.

[greendeiseboy]

Doesn't have to have anything at all to do with Givens.
Lowry was played by Givens, last played against Germany.
He is an Australian.

Yeah, and that's why he initially declared for us and basically got his first taste of international football with us.

My opinion is that he used us in his early career to get this experience and save himself the hassle of having to travel the long distances involved with the aussie set up.

Now that they have almost qualified for the Worl Cup he's decided to jump on their banwagon

Regardless of where he was born (in fact both his parents are Irish) I think it's poor form on his part - my opinion.

[boovidge]

I don't think you can make judgements like that without knowing the full facts. He might just have had a change of heart. Pretty disappointing though.

[superfrank]

Don't have any problem with him joining up with the Aussies whatsoever. It's completely legal by FIFA rules and if he wants to play for them, he should.

It'd be better off to have someone whose heart is fully behind playing for Ireland, rather then having him in the side when he really wants to play for Australia.

[greendeiseboy]

I don't think you can make judgements like that without knowing the full facts. He might just have had a change of heart. Pretty disappointing though.

As I said its my opinion. Would like some statement from someone on his actual reasons.

He was a real prospect and after other similar losses I hope this dosent become a trend.

Having said that a lot of those who have changed their minds i.e Neill Kilkenny and Matthew Connolly havent amounted to much anyway

[gypsydownunder]

It's unlikely to have anything to do with Givens. He's never lived in Ireland and only visited on holidays [granted, that's more than some players who've played for Ireland]

He was born in Australia. He got coached and benefits from football in Australia.

He's a dual citizen - it would have suited him to be Irish when he first went to England. Work permit rules etc. He's doing well and had to make a choice of which country to play for. He chose his country of birth. Can't be anything wrong with that? Especially as Australia are pretty much guaranteed a place at every World Cup, now that they qualify via the Asian Zone.

Anyway I'll let you know if he's any good, as I'm going to the Australia v Holland game in Sydney next week.

[Razors left peg]

We've benefited from players changing nationalities enough times in the past so I've no issue with him, good luck to the lad

[ChemicalBrother]

How does Givens still have a job

[Gather round]

Are the FAI becoming like the IFA in their ability to lose promising young players

As others say above, I think this is a bit harsh. The guy is effectively dual-qualified, the rules encourage him to choose between his options, maybe more than once. So he has. Alternatively, fans and the FAI could look on his contribution to the youth and U21 teams as a positive in the past , rather than a future opportunity lost.

And without particularly wanting to defend the IFA either generally or specifically in the way they handled the recent eligibility row, I don't think they have lost many promising stars. As I've said before on similar threads, we (like the South) are likely to gain more players from England than we lose to each other or anyone else.

Gypsy- are you having an identity crisis? ;)

[as_i_say]

How does Givens still have a job

Up there with Is there a God, how do Jacobs get the figs in etc etc

[seanfhear]

Don Givens has detailed dossiers and uncut video of all the leading lights of the FAI in highly compromising activity.

[tetsujin1979]

Along the same lines as Lowry, the Aussie striker in the U-20 World Cup qualifies for Ireland: http://www.limerickleader.ie/sport/Sean39s-star-is-on-the.5703594.jp

not saying he should be called up or anything, but something to keep an eye on

[Gather round]

Don Givens has detailed dossiers and uncut video of all the leading lights of the FAI in highly compromising activity

He knows all the hookers in Bydgoszcz? :)

[backstothewall]

Yeah, and that's why he initially declared for us and basically got his first taste of international football with us.

My opinion is that he used us in his early career to get this experience and save himself the hassle of having to travel the long distances involved with the aussie set up.

Now that they have almost qualified for the Worl Cup he's decided to jump on their banwagon

Regardless of where he was born (in fact both his parents are Irish) I think it's poor form on his part - my opinion.

He still hasn't been capped by them, and the world cup bandwagon has left without him. All is not lost perhaps. I know there will be a different debate over whether or not we would want him now if he didn't want to play for us only a few months ago, but he isn't totally off our radar yet. And its 4 years until his next chance at a big tournament as an Australian.

[padjoe]

the asian cup qualifiers begin next year so only two years till the next major tournament. personally i think he's a player who is showing little progress after initial promising signs

[wrestler313]

Up there with Is there a God, how do Jacobs get the figs in etc etc

well said mate!

[Charlie Darwin]

To be fair, his chances with Ireland and Australia would always have been about equal, and his decision to declare for Australia probably shows that his heart lies there. Best of luck to him, but I don't think he has any intention of reversing his decision.

[Predator]

He's some golfer I hear!:)

Could Lowry even switch back if he wanted to? Assuming that the new rules are applied he can't, since a dually qualified player can only switch association once. With this in mind, should we even have a thread on the guy any more? It's not like he's still an Irish player afterall, having declared for Australia.

:rolleyes:
Then again, I suppose we could use the thread as a platform to cry shame on him for doing the so-called 'immoral' thing. You know, wasting all our valuable resources and then selfishly leaving when it suited him (Hey, we might even have a case for compensation!); deviously exploiting the system and luring our poor coaches into a false sense of security before taking off without any consideration or gratitude. He consciously strung our coaches, and us as fans, along and he's a Judas! Those Australian beggars/poachers!
:rolleyes:
Good luck to him anyway!

[Charlie Darwin]

He can change his mind provided he hasn't played for Australia. Bobby Zamora is in the same boat - he never played for Trinidad so he can still be picked for England.

[ArdeeBhoy]

He's really not that good. Saw him in a few Leeds games last season. If he's the answer, then may a higher power help Ireland (& Australia) !!

[wrestler313]

tbh we have duffy, st ledger, o'dea, and a few others waiting in the wings, we don't need him, especially as he left us high and dry

[Predator]

He can change his mind provided he hasn't played for Australia. Bobby Zamora is in the same boat - he never played for Trinidad so he can still be picked for England.Does it actually matter whether or not he plays if the paperwork which makes his change of association official has been finalised? He has changed association from the FAI to the Australian FA and since a player can only switch once, he cannot switch back.

[Charlie Darwin]

I actually wasn't aware he'd been called up to a squad. The paperwork has probably gone through then, but I'm not sure how strictly FIFA enforces the rule.