Stephen Ireland

[The Fly]

Could we have a rerun of the poll?

I think it would be interesting to see if there has been any significant shift in overall opinion.


I think I'd find it difficult to watch him in an Ireland jersey ever again. A re-run of the poll would be interesting indeed.

How's about it?

[The Fly]

.....

[gilberto_eire]

News of the world are running with it on the back page.

They somehow took ''I would love to play for Ireland again'' from his Newstalk interview and ran with a ''WE DON'T WANT YOU'' response.

I listened to the interview in full and I never heard him say anything but ''ya never know further down the line'' which has been his line for the past year or two.

[Thunderblaster]

Thunderblaster is clearly a Norse God of some sort so he's just demanding justice the only way he knows how.

I am the God of Thunder!!:D:thunder:

[Thunderblaster]

wtf? the lad clearly has mental issues, cut him a break

That is for a psychologist to determine. If he has, then he obviously needs treatment, and that depends if there are psychiatric beds available.

[Thunderblaster]

Holy ****, Thunderblaster just single-handedly broke my hyperbole metre! Where am I going to find another one of those?

The hyperbole shop!!

[ArdeeBhoy]

Based on the last tabloid nonsense, the man sounds sadly delusional, but he just seems determined to p*ss off as many people around him as possible.
The only blessing could be that he turns out be relatively no good and ends up being even 'worse' than Liam Miller or similar.
Not that I'd especially wish it on him, but does seem to have mental issues and maybe needs to take a season off to see if these can ever be resolved?

[The Fly]

I am the God of Thunder!!:D:thunder:

.......does that title come with or without, the personalised keyboard?
http://www.entertainmentearth.com/images/%5CAUTOIMAGES%5CKPTHORWLlg.jpg

[Thunderblaster]

.......does that title come with or without, the personalised keyboard?
http://www.entertainmentearth.com/images/%5CAUTOIMAGES%5CKPTHORWLlg.jpg

Without!!

[Stuttgart88]

I am the God of Thunder!!:D:thunder:You know the old joke: bloke shags girl in Norway, goes out to the balcony and views the sweeping pines and snow capped hills, spreads his arms wide and shouts "I am Thor!".

Girl says "yeth, me too, but it wath fun, wathn't it?"

[Drumcondra 69er]

Ireland's Charlie Sheen. We should treasure him.....

[Noelys Guitar]

You would need someone like Hawking and a full team of white coats to work out what is going on in that bald cranium.

[Fixer82]

This just in.

Stephen Ireland has tiger blood!!

[DannyInvincible]

Stephen Ireland is in the Newcastle squad for the first time this evening for their game against Manchester United.

Break a leg, Stephen.

[Charlie Darwin]

Not in the starting line-up anyway. O'Shea starts for United with Gibson on the bench.

[Eminence Grise]

Ding dong the bells are gonna chime...

http://www.rte.ie/ten/2011/0527/irelands.html

[geysir]

I feel sick,
EG, why did you force me to read that piece?

[Sullivinho]

What's Stephen been at since he quit football, anyone know?

[Charlie Darwin]

Why isn't this in all the newspapers?!?

[BonnieShels]

Surely your trunks is the best place for keeping your ring?

[Eminence Grise]

I'm kinda queasy wondering what he stuck the ring on to in case he lost it... Kinda funny, though, keeping the fiancee's jewels close to, well, the family jewels...

[DannyInvincible]

Does he understand fully that marriage is a commitment?

[Eminence Grise]

I think most people here think he should be committed....

[strangeirish]

I'm kinda queasy wondering what he stuck the ring on to in case he lost it... Kinda funny, though, keeping the fiancee's jewels close to, well, the family jewels...Try not to barf...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/video/sun-exclusive/3603369/Prem-star-scores-with-proposal.html

[cestlavie]

He played for Ireland a few times, dont really remember him to be honest, does he still play football, perhaps in his own head.

[Crosby87]

Wait is that his baby momma or is it a different woman? Doesnt he have like 4 kids?

[Noelys Guitar]

And they say money will never buy class.

[theworm2345]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2079990/Stephen-Ireland-warned-Twitter-conduct.html

Really can't stand this ****

The picture really is ripe for a photoshopping but even I won't go that far.

[SkStu]

a nothing story in fairness. Not sure why the reference to the drink driving campaign by Barry Bannan? Seems a bit unneccessary.

[DannyInvincible]

Not sure why the reference to the drink driving campaign by Barry Bannan? Seems a bit unneccessary.

It makes perfect sense once you realise it's the Daily Mail you've been reading.

[elroy]

Stupid thing to put up on the net all the same. Class guy that lad is, glad he wont be going to Poland next summer.

[French Toasht]

A complete non story. Fair play to the lad if he wants to smoke shisha and have a few drinks over Christmas when injured. What's the problem?

There does seem to be a tendency among Irish fans, to castigate or criticise Stephen Ireland at every occasion and a huge element of schadenfraude, when it appears he is out of form. This annoys me.

Stephen Ireland was relevant to me as an Irish fan in the 6 games he played for us and he did extremely well in those 6 games. He doesn't play for us anymore. I wish him the best with his career but he is about as relevant as Stilian Petrov or James Collins or any other Villa player, whose not eligible to play for us.

[drummerboy]

Footballers should be role models and allowing a picture to be published of himself smoking shisha is disgraceful. This guy is a real toss pot. He is a prime example of everything that is wrong with modern day footballers.

As regards his appearances for Ireland, his effort in Cyprus was hardly good.

[French Toasht]

Footballers should be role models and allowing a picture to be published of himself smoking shisha is disgraceful. This guy is a real toss pot. He is a prime example of everything that is wrong with modern day footballers.

As regards his appearances for Ireland, his effort in Cyprus was hardly good.

Shisha is flavoured tobacco. And its not illegal. I really don't see the issue.

He scored 4 goals in 6 games for Ireland.

Oh and of course, he was the sole reason was lost 5-2 in Cyprus.

[Stuttgart88]

He was a very good attacking midfielder in a team that had a soft centre in midfield. He contributed in both respects.

Dumb picture to put up. Looks like a vain nobhead quite frankly. I don't like him or his attitude and as Tony Soprano might say, he's dead to me.

[bennocelt]

Footballers should be role models and allowing a picture to be published of himself smoking shisha is disgraceful. This guy is a real toss pot. He is a prime example of everything that is wrong with modern day footballers.
.

Do wear a pioneer badge or what? Tsk:rolleyes:

[Charlie Darwin]

He's a gob****e but this is a complete non-story. As for being a role model - he's a young man who takes care of his kids. There are a lot worse things he could do than have a cheeky smoke.

[The Legend]

A complete non story. Fair play to the lad if he wants to smoke shisha and have a few drinks over Christmas when injured. What's the problem?

There does seem to be a tendency among Irish fans, to castigate or criticise Stephen Ireland at every occasion and a huge element of schadenfraude, when it appears he is out of form. This annoys me.

Stephen Ireland was relevant to me as an Irish fan in the 6 games he played for us and he did extremely well in those 6 games. He doesn't play for us anymore. I wish him the best with his career but he is about as relevant as Stilian Petrov or James Collins or any other Villa player, whose not eligible to play for us.

Alright Stephen, welcome to the board? how's is your head after all the partying? still an obnixous w**ker that deserves all the schadenfraude a person can get!

[DannyInvincible]

I agree with FT. He hasn't done anything illegal. Why should footballers in particular be role models anyway? What exactly does that mean and from where does the apparent responsibility arise? They're private citizens like anyone else; not public servants.

[Stuttgart88]

He's in the public eye, courts publicity and regularly looks like a jerk, therefore it's fine for people here to say he looks like a jerk.

[French Toasht]

Alright Stephen, welcome to the board? how's is your head after all the partying? still an obnixous w**ker that deserves all the schadenfraude a person can get!

I'm struggling to see how my post could be perceived as me masquerading as Stephen Ireland in disguise.

I called the story how I saw it, a non event. Yet its the classic non event that the SI dissenters will use to jump on the bandwagon to vent and rant about him.

What car he drives or whether he smokes shisha (which again I re-iterate is a perfectly legal exploit, yet the dissenters here would have you believe it's class A) is none of my concern.

He played for us for 6 games. I thought on the whole he did very well in those 6 games. He doesn't play for us anymore. His decision and that's fair enough, I accept that, there was no contract binding him to play for Ireland. I think people need to realise this and get over it, he certainly has.

[theworm2345]

Perhaps I should clarify that the post I made wasn't trying to point out that in the picture he was doing something illegal (or even unsightly in the public eye) just that it reinforces the already clear picture of him as a giant douche.

[DannyInvincible]

He's in the public eye, courts publicity and regularly looks like a jerk, therefore it's fine for people here to say he looks like a jerk.

That's fair enough, but I think it's somewhat different to drummerboy's message. He does appear to be a bit of a jerk, but if he wants to appear as a jerk to the public, that's his own business. The public are as free to ignore him as they are free to think of him as an eejit. To say he should or shouldn't be doing this and that, or to expect him to behave as we want (for the good of our kids? :rolleyes:), however, is a bit too dictatorial for my liking. It's selfish on our parts. Our kids are our responsibility and the responsibility of those entrusted with their care as a public duty; they're not Stephen Ireland's responsibility. Nobody is forced to follow him on Twitter nor is anyone forced to read the rags disguising as newspapers that document the minute and inconsequential details of footballers' private lives on a daily basis. He isn't doing anything illegal/immoral, nor does he owe kids up and down the country some sort of moral guidance or whatever it is certain people think footballers owe us as our apparent role models. He's just being a narcissistic eejit; big deal... Who cares?

[Charlie Darwin]

Perhaps I should clarify that the post I made wasn't trying to point out that in the picture he was doing something illegal (or even unsightly in the public eye) just that it reinforces the already clear picture of him as a giant douche.
Nonsense.

He's clearly a turd sandwich.

[drummerboy]

Danny, as someone who has kids and has been involved in kids football I see the influence professional footballers have on youngsters. Go to a football game now and you will see kids diving around the place aping the antics of the players they see on Sky. No matter how much you point out to kids how stupid his actions are, some kids will still think its cool. If you can't see anything wrong with Ireland's actions, thats fair enough. But his manager doesn't seem too enthusiastic about it. I can see why so many parents are steering their kids towards rugby and GAA with the antics of such knobs.

[SwanVsDalton]

Is it too much to ask he wears a shirt? Forget the smoking, that's why I hate SI.

[youngirish]

I agree that footballers shouldn't be expected to be role models. Let's be honest kicking a pigs bladder around a field is not a characteristic that I'd personally suggest is a suitable means to identify the cream of society.

However as for wishing Stephen Ireland the best I couldn't disagree more. When future historians look back at this period I'm fairly sure Stephen Ireland will be quite rightly looked at in the same vein as Hitler,Stalin and Pol Pot as one of the vilest individuals of the past century. At least Hitler loved his dog, Stalin loved his daughter and Pol Pot never put pink rims on his Range Rover.

Hopefully his career keeps on sliding down into that pit called obscurity and we hear less and less of him in the coming seasons. I hope that humble pie tastes good Stephen.

[French Toasht]

Danny, as someone who has kids and has been involved in kids football I see the influence professional footballers have on youngsters. Go to a football game now and you will see kids diving around the place aping the antics of the players they see on Sky. No matter how much you point out to kids how stupid his actions are, some kids will still think its cool. If you can't see anything wrong with Ireland's actions, thats fair enough. But his manager doesn't seem too enthusiastic about it. I can see why so many parents are steering their kids towards rugby and GAA with the antics of such knobs.

Yeah because the 30 man brawls in GAA every weekend up and down the country are a perfect example for children as to how to conduct themselves.

Your post refers to player's on field actions, of which SI has not been guilty of any particularly scandalous behaviour. Give over will you, you described him smoking shisha as "disgraceful", please tell me whats disgraceful about a grown man smoking shisha? You like so many others take minor indescretions, and blow them way out of proportion, as a means of having a go at the guy purely because he doesn't want to play for his country.

[French Toasht]

When future historians look back at this period I'm fairly sure Stephen Ireland will be quite rightly looked at in the same vein as Hitler,Stalin and Pol Pot as one of the vilest individuals of the past century. At least Hitler loved his dog, Stalin loved his daughter and Pol Pot never put pink rims on his Range Rover.

Oh dear God, I despair.

[DannyInvincible]

Danny, as someone who has kids and has been involved in kids football I see the influence professional footballers have on youngsters. Go to a football game now and you will see kids diving around the place aping the antics of the players they see on Sky. No matter how much you point out to kids how stupid his actions are, some kids will still think its cool. If you can't see anything wrong with Ireland's actions, thats fair enough. But his manager doesn't seem too enthusiastic about it. I can see why so many parents are steering their kids towards rugby and GAA with the antics of such knobs.

I don't have children, so I was more speaking generally, but I'm not sure as to when the supposed point is that exposure by an infatuated and insatiably voyeuristic media a particular private citizen* becomes obliged to bear an extra responsibility in the form of moral guide to the nation's children. It's not Stephen Ireland's fault the Daily Mail gives coverage to these types of (completely legal) non-events whilst also blowing the barely-related responses of individuals like McLeish completely out of proportion. Stephen Ireland "warned"?... There was no indication of anything of the sort, nor was McLeish specifically questioning the player's commitment due to his conduct on Twitter, as the headline sought to insinuate: "Tweet turns sour for Ireland as Villa boss McLeish questions midfielder's commitment". McLeish stated he had to do more in training; what he did on Twitter bore no relationship to that.

Likewise, we have to take responsibility for buying/reading the Daily Mail or paying for our subscription to Sky Sports or whatever. It's not Stephen Ireland's fault we pay for this stuff. We know what we're getting when we buy up. We know when we purchase that incidents we view in a negative light morally may be broadcast and that a commentator's voice-over will tell us ad nauseam that "these are exactly the types of things nobody wants to see in the game" whilst simultaneously replaying clips over and over again of these things nobody apparently wants to see. But we're all still lapping them up even after the tenth viewing. I genuinely don't mean this in a cheeky or disrespectful way in the slightest - there are all sorts of unsavoury things in the world that have the potential to influence children in ways we'd rather could be avoided - but if you feel football is sending out the wrong messages to your children, maybe it's not the sport to which you should be exposing them? We all have a choice here. If we don't like the often-crude messages sent out by the modern-day footballer, we can always ignore them, or - better yet - stop paying for their opulent and self-indulgent lifestyles.

*It doesn't matter whether he's a footballer, a rugby player, a rock star or Joe Soap. He's not a politician entrusted with a public mandate or duty.