But Harrington isn't the highest ranked player from Ireland.Quote:
Originally Posted by gastric
Printable View
But Harrington isn't the highest ranked player from Ireland.Quote:
Originally Posted by gastric
You're being awkward for the sake of it, methinks!Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Who's the highest ranked player from Ireland?Quote:
Originally Posted by gastric
If the article was correct, and it seems it's not, Harrington would be the highest ranked player from Ireland, if the two Macs represented NI, that is what the Sun is referring to. If you want to be pedantic about it, fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
The HorseShoite was referring to a hypothetical that doesn't exist and involves them interpreting a statement ar$eways.Quote:
Originally Posted by gastric
So I take it from your reply that you did get it wrong! :oQuote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
I don't know how you could do that.Quote:
Originally Posted by gastric
Just to add to the 'debate'...
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/socia...hows-1.1396172
Swansea's Belfast born striker Rory Donnelly as informed the IFA that he currently no longer wishes to be considered for selection to IFA teams.
Wolves striker Liam McAlinden has switched to the FAI.
Presumably, Donnelly is open to selection by the FAI then?
Rang Dublin the second he hung up with Belfast, no doubt.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
More here: http://balls.ie/football/meet-the-la...r-the-republic
Quote:
Liam McAlinden of Wolves has declared for the Republic of Ireland despite playing for Northern Ireland at youth level and after being named in their U-21 squad to play Cyprus this week. The striker was born in England and qualifies for the North through his grandmother. He had the option of declaring for the North, the Republic and England. Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill was very disappointed in McAlinden’s decision telling the BBC:
“Liam is a player who we had high hopes for and we’ve tried everything to keep him, I even went down to meet Liam and his agent Stephen. Could you imagine Giovanni Trapattoni doing that?
But that’s what we need to do because we have such a small pool of players to choose from.
Sadly for us the pull of the Republic was too strong. Liam qualifies for us through his grandfather born in Northern Ireland but most of his family are from the Republic.
I think they’ve been in his ear and obviously family means a lot to a player, and he’s chosen to go and try his luck with the Republic.”
McAlinden joins the likes of James McClean and Darron Gibson in declaring for the Republic ahead of the North.
Another two players Middlesbrough midfielder Jordan Jones and Swansea forward Rory Donnelly have also said they do not wish to be considered for selection for Northern Ireland.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
He desn't have to.Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael O'Neill
http://torc.ie/wp-content/uploads/20...ello-Sport.jpg
He whistle; they come, if they have the personality.
And some more from the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22745927
Where do they concoct this nonsense?Quote:
Wolves striker Liam McAlinden has become the latest player to switch allegiance from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland.
The teenager, who has represented NI at youth level, follows players including James McClean to make the move.
Meanwhile, Middlesbrough midfielder Jordan Jones and Swansea forward Rory Donnelly do not wish to be considered for selection for Northern Ireland.
The trio had been named in the U21 squad to play Cyprus on Thursday night.
"We've made these players feel very welcome, but ultimately it's their decision and now we must concentrate on the players who do want to play for Northern Ireland," Northern Ireland senior manager Michael O'Neill told the Sunday Life.
Darron Gibson, Shane Duffy, Marc Wilson and Daniel Kearns also opted for the Republic after playing for Northern Ireland at youth level.
They took advantage of a Fifa ruling that allows players from the island of Ireland to choose which national side they represent, provided they have not played for the other in a competitive senior international.
This ruling did not apply to McAlinden, who is English-born and had the option of playing for Northern Ireland, the Republic and England.
It seems Donnelly's future intentions are still uncertain, however...
Quote:
It is believed Jones, born on Teeside, wants to play for England while the international intentions of former Cliftonville forward Donnelly are unclear.
"He hasn't ruled anything out in the future and certainly hasn't closed the door on playing for Northern Ireland," said Donnelly's agent Gerry Carlisle.
Glad to see this thread get back to its core purpose - breaking news on international newcomers.
Good news, a guy with a chance from early showings.Quote:
Originally Posted by co. down green
Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
I presume a strongly worded response is in the offing Danny?
Couldn't resist:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Me to the BBC
Ha, good job! You saved me the time, which I don't have a lot of at the minute.
Actually, the BBC's wording also gives the impression that anyone born anywhere on the island can play for either side, which, of course, is not the case. A Dublin-born Irish national with no connection to NI as stipulated in the statutes cannot declare for the IFA, for example. I just can't understand how they can still be so ignorant and misinformed in relation to the eligibility issue.
I was gonna bring that up too but the complaints website limits the amount you can write.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
I couldn't complain on the BBC Sport site so submitted an official complaint hence the change in text from what I posted a few minutes ago.
Would Rory Donnelly be eligible for our upcoming U21 campaign?
We seem to lack strikers maybe Noel could have a word...
Donnelly's position is interesting. O'Neill seems to believe he will not play for us, so why is he not willing to commit to them?
Should King call him up and see what happens? Lots of questioned that will need some sort of answer in the near future. It will certainly kick this thread back into life!
Player profile on Jones, he seems to be a tricky winger type!
Also, Wolves fans seem to really rate McAlinden and many think him joining us is a very good idea!
http://www.questia.com/library/1G1-2...erkid-donnelly
http://www.mfc.co.uk/page/squad/seni...~63963,00.html
http://www.molineuxmix.co.uk/vb/showthread.php?t=81991
I see Billy Hamiliton has moved on......... from the Befast Telegraph today
'The other problem we have is the North/South issue.
I have no problem whatsoever if a young boy from a nationalist area wants to declare for the Republic, but some of these boys are being brought up through our system – it's like taking a nice piece of fruit, where they come along and say, 'this is ripe for the picking.'
If they want to take a player who has come through the IFA ranks, they should have to pay a compensation fee of somewhere between, say, half a million and a million pounds a player.
If they had to make that payment when they capped the player, it would make them think twice about whether he was worth it.
I know it's a thorny issue, but everyone would benefit.
The Republic would get a promising player, and we would get money that could be put back into the IFA to develop and coach more young players.
If I were involved in the IFA I wouldn't give up on this and would be lobbying Fifa about it.
In terms of the manager Michael O'Neill, I know results haven't gone his way, but I actually think he is doing a good job with the players he has at his disposal.'
Lovely turn of phrase in what was left unsaid.Quote:
Originally Posted by Newryrep
What if the day comes, a lad who isn't from a nationalist area, decides purely from the viewpoint of his football career (as lets face it, several English born lads most likely have done down the years) to exercise his option to play for R.O.I. And the climate has evolved to a point where he would feel ok in doing this.
I realise and accept this will be met with varying responses but I'd view it as a truly wonderful moment for humanity on the island.
Why would we pay compensation to the IFA? Are they going to pay compensation to the English FA for the number of players they have capped that have been trained exclusively through the english system? Silly Billy.
Amen to the last two posts.
Though tbf, both points have been fairly raised before but worth repeating...
Jones isn't interested in declaring for us. He has his sights set on playing for England.Quote:
Originally Posted by gastric
Seeing as international football is an entirely voluntary endeavour - in terms of an association volunteering to select and train a player if they so wish and a player volunteering to offer his playing services to an association if he so wishes - with no contractual obligations in place, talk of compensation is nonsensical.Quote:
Originally Posted by Newryrep
It's also hypocritical for NI fans to make such demands, as Stu has pointed out.
There's also the issue of actually quantifying the value of benefits or services exchanged between player and association. It's not the one-way process some appear to think it is from which only the player has benefited to the detriment of the association concerned in the sense that that player will have returned something of value back to the association by partaking in their squad(s) and offering his playing services to them (and the paying supporters who turn up to watch them).
Edit just to add: Where on earth is Hamilton plucking the figure of "somewhere between, say, half a million and a million pounds a player" from? Just how significant is the contribution of an international association to a young player's development anyway? Surely, it's highly unlikely they'll have invested anywhere near such a sum in an individual player. It's not like club football where a player's club will have been paying him wages to justify such amounts when it comes to transfer fees, compensation and whatnot.
A slight update.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22760647
That's evidence of the power of a broadside from Bonnie, touched with a 'hint' of a germanic reprimand.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
Good grief, how much money does he think there is in international football? He also seems to be under the impression that pounds is the currency of European football. How cute.Quote:
Originally Posted by Newryrep
The radio interview in full is 37 mins in. Think O'Neill speaks well on the topic.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b022b0t2
I try.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
I'm liking the acceptance that he could've picked England as well.
Just on that option, I wonder if the level of animosity normally reserved for FAI-bound defectors is being similarly directed towards turn-coat Jones...
I don't believe I indicated he was interested in us, just that the attachment shows his eligilbility to play for us. Out of interest, have you got a link about his desire to play for England, Danny?Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Using Hamiliton's logic, could we charge the IFA 10 million sterling for our sacrifice of Alex Bruce to play for them?
From the BBC:Quote:
Originally Posted by gastric
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22745927Quote:
It is believed Jones, born on Teesside, wants to play for England while the international intentions of former Cliftonville forward Donnelly are unclear.
Which players opted for NI despite being very much in the plans of the English national team? That would be a more fair comparison, even though it's been done to death before.Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
Iain Dowie?Quote:
Originally Posted by osarusan
It was already in this thread a day ago...Quote:
Originally Posted by gastric