Very interesting article here which im sure most people will agree with
http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer...151-qqqx=1.asp
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Very interesting article here which im sure most people will agree with
http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer...151-qqqx=1.asp
Would love to see it happen in my lifetime. Purely from a football point of view it would really enhance Ireland's prospects to compete. I wouldnt care if it meant sacrificing anthems' and flags', there's always a middle ground. How bout a Shamrock Flag and Sing Danny Boy (please not Ireland Call!), play North and South of the border each game.
It wont happen short term because of the politics involved but i would love to stand side by side with my Northern friends and cheer on an irish football team. Like O' Neill says imagine that 82 term with Brady and co involved. Here's hoping one day it will happen with all parties willing.
we could all stand in croker arm in arm singing the ballad of Ronnie Drew!! :D:D
It would be impossible to keep everyone happy; I could easily foresee some kind of quota system where squads would have to contain certain percentages of Northern / Southern players, ala South Africa rugby. And that would never work
theres not the slightest chance this will ever happen
Id actually be opposed to it. If it were two club sides I think most people would be opposed to it as well. Like it or not Norn Ireland has a history and tradition in football. Why should we be allowed co opt their team on to ours just cause we are the "bigger team". Surely its against everything thats good about football? "eh your not doing that great so can we take your team and co opt the best players as well?"
A new stadium to be built half way between Dundalk and Newry? Well, I suppose there are some buildings there already suitable for searching away fans trying to smuggle in drink, knives, semtex, cattle...Quote:
Originally Posted by Juanace
Only Country (or whatever you want call it) that will have its home fans seperated!!!!
Eh, i think a few Norn Irish fans might dispute that at the moment! It would be them co opting our players onto there team the way were playing!!Quote:
Why should we be allowed co opt their team on to ours just cause we are the "bigger team".
Sounds like what St. Pats did to St. Francis.Quote:
Originally Posted by Billsthoughts
Surely a couple of their players would be good enough for our team. I'd take Johnny Evans in an instant. A few others would be possibilities. Healy would be worth a place on the bench to see if he could recreate the form for a combined team that he manages for NI (though not at Fulham). If this proved to be the case he would definitely get into the team. On club form however I'd definitely start with Doyle and Keane.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ciaran
An on form Steven Davis would be a useful option in midfield while Chris Baird and Aaron Hughes (neither of which I rate) would be others that would stake a claim due to our pitiful defensive options at present.
I reckon 2-3 of their players would be starters in a first 11 initially.
healy worth a place on the bench? where have you been for the last few years. imo opinion he'd be as good as Keane for us. bu its never gonna happen so why waste time thinking about it.
I would be totally opposed to it for one simple reason....Our anthem.
I would hate to see us going down the line of Rugby and having to come up with some complete rubbish song that is supposed to make us feel pride in our team.
There are still too many divisions, all ya have to do is look at the crowd for a northern Ireland game and see the passion that they sing god save the queen with and how many union jacks around the stadium. I just dont see how the 2 supporters could mix
Do you not realise that almost half the population of the North have the same culture and identity as people in the 26 counties. So I would'nt see a problem with the supporteres mixing.
The north could get their own anthem accepable to all their people and that along with AnaB could both be played.
What about the slightly more than half of the population of the north who don't have "the same culture and identity as people in the 26 counties"?Quote:
Originally Posted by kingdomkerry
If it can work for rugby, it can work for football.
There will inevitably be a number of groups who would oppose any such merger, but I'd say there would be more people for this than against it.
The reality is that we can achieve much greater things together than we can apart- a slogan that applies to more than just our football fates.
But it doesn't work for Rugby.Quote:
Originally Posted by irishfan86
Many people I know down here bitch like they're being put upon just because Irelands Call is played at all -completely oblivious to the fact that a large quota of the Irish Rugby support have to stare at the ground and, metaphorically or actually, cross their fingers while AnaB is played under a flag that is not their flag.
The difference is that rugby has never had separate teams. There is also a lot of disquiet in Ulster rugby circles over their treatment last year on the anthems issue.Quote:
Originally Posted by irishfan86
We actually broke away in 1921. The only way I could see an All Ireland team happening is if the UK was forced to field only one national team. This is very unlikely.
did they really expect an Irish team to play under god save the queen?Quote:
Originally Posted by gspain
what the 6 counties needs is their own anthem like the scots and welsh have. when they get around to that then both both anthems can be played and at last we can get rid of irelands call
And what % of those actually attend Norn Iron games? At a guess not that many, certainly the minority of the overall crowds they get.Quote:
Originally Posted by kingdomkerry