Player eligibility row

[DannyInvincible]

...now the Daily Star's in on the act!

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/...-over-Armenia/

Ha, they even went to the bother of including a photo of Steven Craigan on whose jersey it clearly says "Slovenia". I suppose that's the standard of tabloid journalism for you in Brittany...

[ArdeeBhoy]

Those fans are irrational.

Fast tracking young prospects, to protect our future interests, should not compromise our aims and objectives in trying to win competitive football matches.

You were sounding reasonable there! Until you read what you said about Johnny Gorman and on the Boyce thread.....

[aidinho]

http://link.brightcove.com/services/...d=592799131001

I wonder what Matt Holland and Andy Townsend think of Roy's sentiments?

(I would like to have heard a bit more of the Owen Coyle interview - from the clip it sounds as if he was an opportunist who decided to play for us - actually come to think of it .. Steve Bruce qualified to play for us too .. Irish interest in all three managers interviewed)

they were all opportunists mate who couldnae and wouldnae get a game for Scotland and England respectively so they just choose yous. Owen Coyle is just like Ray Houghton ie. Scotland didn't give him a 2nd look so they just picked the Republic because of their heritage.

[aidinho]

Well, England has the world's best goalkeeper at the moment!

Why is Lawro being a hypocrite?

ehhh....... because hes English?

[aidinho]

Going back to the point on Mark Lawrenson and whether he's ''Irish or not'', this is what he had to say regarding the Arteta situation and why he doesn't think he should play for England. Yesterday he said :


" No way should Mikel Arteta be picked for England.

"And that comes from someone who was born in Preston and yet played for the Republic of Ireland.

"The big difference is the blood line. My mother’s father was Irish, I wanted to play for Ireland and I just happened to be born in the wrong place.''

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news...cle562375.html

that's total bull. if England offered him the chance to play for them instead of the Republic he would have jumped at it. same goes for Matt Holland as well.

[Charlie Darwin]

I may have been mistaken on Lawro's ambitions to play for England. I could have sworn I'd read an interview with him saying he'd have jumped at the chance to play for England, but I haven't been able to find any evidence of it.

[ArdeeBhoy]

they were all opportunists mate who couldnae and wouldnae get a game for Scotland and England respectively so they just choose yous. Owen Coyle is just like Ray Houghton ie. Scotland didn't give him a 2nd look so they just picked the Republic because of their heritage.

Actually you're wrong. My pal was at school with Houghton and by virtue of his Glasgow/Donegal heritage all he ever wanted to do was play for Celtic and, er, Ireland.
Coyle always gave much the same impression, especially as he was even more of a fringe player for us than he would have been for the Scots?

As for Lawro' fairly sure he was keen enough at the time....
Maybe you can prove someone at Preston or Brighton thought he preferred Ingerland instead??
Don't know about Matt Holland but the one player you do have a point about is Andy Townsend.

[boovidge]

Lawro made his debut for us at 19 so he hardly waited around long.

[DannyInvincible]

I suspect the IFA (in a rare moment of enlightenment) have put in a request for confidentiality and the CAS findings will not be made public.

You're probably right. Just reading the following on the CAS website:

ARE THE ARBITRATION PROCEEDINGS CONFIDENTIAL?

The ordinary arbitration procedure is confidential. The parties, arbitrators and CAS staff are obliged not to disclose any information connected with the dispute.

In principle, awards are not published. The appeals arbitration procedure does not specify particular rules of confidentiality, but the arbitrators and CAS staff have a similar duty of confidentiality during the proceedings. Generally speaking, unless the parties agree otherwise, the award may be published by the CAS.

Here: http://www.tas-cas.org/en/20question...0-1010-13-0-0/

It would be interesting to hear what the IFA have to say on the matter, which is why I was wondering if they ever got back to the e-mail GR sent them.

[Lionel Ritchie]

Don't know about Matt Holland but the one player you do have a point about is Andy Townsend.

Townsend was a fantastic servant to us who gave his all in the green jersey and that's all anyone should ask of him.

He doesn't have to cease being English just because he's Irish too.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Hmm. Plenty of times he was anonymous too.
As insipid a player, as a pundit now, totally over-rated for club & country IMHO.

No problems with his involvement now though, but read his book, he openly supported Ingerland in Euro'88.
Still, he saw the light....

[Lionel Ritchie]

I read his book. It's a brutal Hyland ghost write yoke but still ..."openly supported Ingerland" ...he was only born and reared there like.

Anyway I'll agree his punditry is about ITV standard but he was a great player for us ...and turned up to captain B games and friendlies when others cried off with itchyarse injuries.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Fair enough. No problem with him supporting them, though not all the Diaspora would be as accommodating, as in 'born and reared there'. Since when was that a criteria for supporting any national team?

And yeah AT did the crappo friendlies, but he had to fight for his place. And of course Ireland played second fiddle to Fergie and a certain ego in many of those instances.

[Mr_Parker]

I suspect the IFA (in a rare moment of enlightenment) have put in a request for confidentiality and the CAS findings will not be made public.

I'm told it will be published at the end of the month.

[DannyInvincible]

I'm told it will be published at the end of the month.

Where did you hear this?