That seems to be a lot of non-entities switching sides (either way) there.
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That seems to be a lot of non-entities switching sides (either way) there.
According to a poster on YBIG, Franco Di Santo of Wigan is considering declaring for us as he's apparently eligible via an Irish grandmother. Seems an odd one but he claims to have heard it on TalkSport... :confused:
My own suspicion is that the poster has misinterpreted a joke. TalkSport were probably discussing Di Santo's international possibilities or credentials and figured he hadn't a chance of carving out an international career with Argentina, so suggested he should, instead, declare for us. 'Cause don't everyone have an Oirish granny?! Haw haw! :rolleyes:
Strange. There are many Argentinians with Irish names living in Ireland now. It's quite possible, although they do tend to be from the upper classes, which is why you see more Irish names in Argentinian rugby than football.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ynch_Mural.JPG
Ché Guevara was a working class hero. From the upper classes, mind...
No better man than Trap to cap an Argentine. Call him up!
NB, As you implied, not the most endearing of articles in terms of his loyalty to NI, but this is the way things are now. I remember Clinton Morrison hoping he would get an English call up, and when this did not materialise he joined us. TBH, he was an asset to us and showed a lot of loyalty to the side. Hopefully McEleney can do the same and then only can he truly be judged.Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
Pity Kwame Ampadu still isn't playing. This would have been a commentator's dream, 'Di Santo to Ampadu'........Quote:
Originally Posted by Sullivinho
Frank O'Disanty?
I'm still upset we missed out on Peter O'Demwingie.
Could there come a day when Shane McEleney faces Patrick McEleney? That'd be something.Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
Just like the Boatengs.
In fairness to Shane McEleney, he must be a fairly determined young man. In his comments he completely fails to refer to an affinity to Northern Ireland. It's obviously a careerist choice he has made so best of luck to him as it's doubtful he'll be missed by Ireland. Given the pressure Michael O'Neill has been placing on some of our players, this is hardly the most reassuring gain for Northern Ireland supporters.
Can any Derry City supporter tell me how Patrick has progressed? I have heard he was quite impressive in the first division. I saw him in the first league game against Sligo Rovers and he looked rather busy, without being overly productive. That's not an awfully negative complaint for a 19 year-old.
He's going backwards. Had a largely poor season, imo, albeit with some flashes of magic as still out most creative outlet. In fairness there's a lot of pressure on him to step up, it often shows in his performances, and the side is very inconsistent just like him. He's young yet, but I'd like the side to look at securing another creative player or two to take the pressure of him, and let him focus on improving his game. Highly unlikely he'll ever trouble the international set-up tbh.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
A very impressive performance in Jackman park during Derry's 1-0 win against Limerick 2 years ago in the LOI 1st division suggests he's well able for international football.
Two years ago...
Sarcasm, presumably?
Another one sent to the dark side by Trap's ignorance...
Quote:
Rory McIlroy has ended any debate about his national allegiance by declaring that: “I’ve always felt more British than Irish.”
He continued: “What makes it such an awful position to be in is I have grown up my whole life playing for Ireland under the Golfing Union of Ireland umbrella. But the fact is I have always felt more British than Irish. Maybe it is the way I was brought up, I don’t know, but I have always felt more of a connection with the UK than with Ireland.
“And so I have to weigh that up against the fact that I have always played for Ireland and so it is tough. Whatever I do, I know my decision is going to upset some people but I hope the vast majority will understand.”
Yeah, that's been all over the Irish Times & Sports Facebook pages.
Old news on a not slow news day...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/19552073
You'd need to be a bit of an idiot to let a completely uncontentious decision that was both none of your business and pretty likely anyway upset you. His possession of just a British passport is already public knowledge and didn't the DUP claim him as one of their more high-profile supporters?Quote:
Originally Posted by Rory McIlroy
DUP really? Doesn't sound right coming from a middle-class mixed marriage family. McIlroy's always appeared very moderate, at least publicly.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Also the Irish Times Facebook page is chock full of idiots getting upset. 'Oh I'll never support him again!' kind of efforts - pathetic.
The best part are the people who are convinced he's just confused.Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
I dunno but I think we should just get a few mb regulars together to beat the prod out of him...
Well maybe this is all part of his journey to discover who he really is and he's coming out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
He is coming out in one sense I suppose...Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
It does seem odd - maybe why it stuck with me - but I'm pretty sure I once read it on a political commentary site; possibly Slugger O'Toole or something like that. Can't find any specific reference to it at the minute, mind. I thought McIlroy was from a Catholic background. Isn't it Graeme McDowell who's from a mixed-marriage family?Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
It would surprise me if Rory was a DUP supporter Danny. The DUP claim many things that are not true.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Sadly, his golfing talent seems to be overshadowed by the "is he one of us, or one of themuns" mentality of some - mostly people with little or no interest in golf.
Regarding Shane McEleney, did he play for any Northern Ireland Representative sides before playing for the South?
Ears bleeding. The Last Word have just discussed Rory's Nationality.
Gfa gfa gfa!!!
I've encountered a few on FB gurning the old "he'd no problem with his nationality when "WE (??Irish version of the royal WE maybe?)" were investing time and money in his development". Sound familiar at all? ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
Incidently I dunno if any of ye are good at sourcing cached web pages -maybe ye can find an old version of Rory Mcs website. It left no doubt where his allegiance lay. Subtle as a brick through a window it was and calling to mind nothing more so than the work of a notional little auld doll who got her ECDL1 and designed a geocities site for her local loyalist flute band. All it lacked was a midi file of The Sash.
Do you somehow think the entire Irish & Korean populations are interchangeable...Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
;)
He did actually, and vowed never to play for NI again after experiencing a sense of alienation. Whether rightly or wrongly, he attributed this to his Catholic background. Interesting comments on his experience here: http://foot.ie/threads/147164-Eligib...=1#post1619124Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
Wasn't all the "time and money" in his development done by a 32 county organisation? Didn't he shrug away a tricolour last year upon winning a tournament?
Guess I'm surprised there is any sort of controversy in this at all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter
Why do we insist on chucking flags at our golfers knowing that 3 of the 4 best that Ireland have produced have differing ideas of their Irishness?
It bugs me that it's forced. It also bugs me when people in the south consistently refer to this mystical Northern Ireland place also so... what do I know. My ideals of Irishness are as ****ed up as the next mans.
Not that I can talk, but the second part of that last post doesn't really say anything...
Yes, I was aware of those comments.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
However, I have yet to trace if/when he actually represented Northern Ireland, and, if so, how many times and at what age level.
Meanwhile, Shane Ferguson looks set to end a favourite foot.ie talking point by turning out for Northern Ireland in their qualifier against Luxembourg tonight.
HELP POLICE MURDERQuote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
http://www.wvgazette.com/mediafiles/...0404203145.jpg
Seriously ...good luck to the kid. NI might not have it as easy as they'd like tonight. Luxembourg had a tight enough result against Portugal the other night.
Have we even commented on that thread since?Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Did it not get locked?
They're 9 places above Luxembourg.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie
Off the Ball said they were 23 places below Lux. I obviously misheard.
I did (just to numb the pain of rejection).Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
'Gerry Armstrong steps down from NI Elite player role': http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19616737
Quote:
Gerry Armstrong has stepped down from his role as Irish Football Association elite player mentor.
Armstrong took on the role last year amid increasing concern over the drain of Northern Ireland-born players to the Republic of Ireland.
However, Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill will now be in complete charge of player recruitment.
"I have take my remit as far as I could," former Northern Ireland striker Armstrong told the Sunday Life.
"It had come to the stage where there was an overlap.
"The role has changed and naturally enough the manager Michael O'Neill is keen to take on the extra responsibility of speaking to players who might be interested in playing for Northern Ireland."