You stay classy, Belfast Telegraph...
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You stay classy, Belfast Telegraph...
As uncouth as the reference might be or appear to be, it would be a pretty momentous appointment in the context of the Irish League. No?
'Adnan Januzaj invited to play for Kosovo in friendly match': http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26231426
The Kosovan general secretary's sentiments on "obligation" would very nearly border on IFA-esque there. Surely something lost in translation!Quote:
Originally Posted by BBC
I suppose it shouldn't come as any great surprise either, but the BBC still appear to be of the belief that Januzaj may yet become eligible to play for England under current rules. :rolleyes:
I don't really see why it would or should be a big deal. The headline just strikes me as incredibly regressive, insular and ultimately embarrassing for whoever's sorry idea it was. Or maybe it's the fact that some still feel one's (assumed) religion in this context is a matter worthy of public note. Fenlon was a popular player whilst playing for Linfield, as far as I'm aware, and plenty of players from Catholic or nationalist backgrounds line out for the club in the present day. Whatever about the cultural make-up of the majority of the club's fanbase, it's not as if Linfield are a Protestants-only club.Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
I'm sure that, for any well-meaning Linfield supporter, it would be as insulting to them as this sort of ill-educated nonsense was to Irish supporters when Martin O'Neill took over with us: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...coach-duo.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luke Edwards
Of course you're correct about players of all religions playing for them. Fenlon was a controversial signing at the time but ultimately one which was successful for all concerned and one which the fans certainly warmed to quite quickly. Maybe (probably) I'm out of touch with the current political temperature of IL football but this managerial appointment would strike me as a pretty big deal. The headline and reference to Catholicism is, as I said, a bit uncouth/silly.
http://foot.ie/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by Chris KilpatrickQuote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Catholic manager Fenlon tipped to take over at Linfield
A Catholic football manager from the Republic of Ireland is the frontrunner for the top job at Irish League giants Linfield.
I think this is the comedy part ;)
"Linfield chairman Jim Kerr yesterday revealed the club hopes to have a replacement lined-up within weeks."
what about the fact that their chairman is the lead singer for Simple Minds
Was browsing the Whoscored.com teams of the week there. A name stuck out in the middle of the park; Mirko Boland. An Irish name, no doubt, but his name could just be derived from a continental European name.
It's also a German name: http://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=bohlandQuote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
His fan page on the Eintracht site says he smears Lowensenf on his Corned Beef, and he enjoys Bratwurst washed down with Guinness after a tough match. So who knows. It adds that he is extremely punctual and lacks empathy for others suffering, yet is verbose and prone to fighting then quickly making up before fighting again with family when drunk.
ha ha brilliantQuote:
Originally Posted by Crosby87
That group name being somewhat apt regarding a constituency of their fanbase...Quote:
Originally Posted by Fixer82
However;Kerr and Fenlon (a former Celtic season book holder allegedly) both involved in the higher echelons of Linfield...
Surely some sort of 'nationalist plot' !!
;)
It's pretty ridiculous to insinuate that Ireland would only welcome a Catholic manager from Northern Ireland. Rodgers, Lennon and O'Neill are all good managers. It's just a coincidence that they are all Catholic. If they were Mormon, we would not care.
I'll be honest; I was troubled by Trap's membership of Opus Dei. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
? Ireland is the name of this country. It says so right on your passport.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/...h_passport.gif
http://www.irelandunnewyork.org/uplo...20PM/photo.jpg
Ah jaysus. I didn't complete my sentence there but Charlie got what I was at. Context. Context.
Yes Irwin you're right and as Danny can attest he is aware of my disdain for referring to this State as the Republic of Ireland.
Why Bonnie?
The name of the country is Ireland, not the Republic of Ireland. Nobody calls Poland 'the Republic of Poland,' even though it is actually its official name, as opposed to Ireland which is officially just 'Ireland.'Quote:
Originally Posted by Crosby87
I think it is to delineate to stupid people the fact that a "Northern Ireland" exists but i could be wrong. (For example I didn't think the US had much of a chance to medal in hockey.)
That's what "the south" is for, or "the South" if you've a bit of attitude about you. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Crosby87
When asked if I'm from the north or south I always say east.
North Dakota has long wanted to drop the "North" part b/c they feel it makes it sound like a cold, remote place with a high alcoholism and abuse rate, (of course it is/has) while South Dakota gets more tourism. (North Dakota is last). So it would just be "Dakota." Which sounds more romantic. Ireland gets plenty of tourism but maybe you should be Southern Ireland while Northern Ireland is just Ireland. Southern Ireland sounds like a fine destination to the uninitiated. For example Stutts last year you went to the beaches and hot tubs of Sweden on Holiday but maybe you would have just investigated spending your money in Southern Ireland.
We are regulars to West Cork which is lovely. It makes east Cork sound horrible by implication though.
My family got tired of the rain though hence more imaginative destinations in recent years.
Cork and Kerry are beautiful places. If a foreigner asked me where to go in Ireland, they would be top of the list. In fact, I would tell them to skip the towns and cities and just do a rural, scenic holiday. Architecturally, Ireland's towns and cities are put to shame by other developed countries.
Would Ystad rate as one of your more imaginative destinations?Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Yes, I think so. Nice spot actually. Since our last trip to Cork we've also been to Mallorca and Annecy in France. The latter wins.
Scottish born Paul Paton has been called up for Northern Ireland.
Looked up his Twitter for sh*ts and giggles..
https://twitter.com/zebacowie/status/439857032418426880
His father's from Larne so I don't think his eligibility was ever in question.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
Exactly, he's one of ours.
Well, I suppose any of their 'triallists' can later jump ship and join us!
;)
Even Alex Bruce...
:rolleyes:
The Adnan Januzaj saga is pretty interesting. Just looking at this, Kosovo have their eye on a few more as well, should they gain recognition... Shaqiri, Xhaka, Behrami and Cana. I presume the 'special circumstances' apply because Kosovo wasn't previously an option and they'd be entitled to switch should the situation chance?
Kosovo to persist with Januzaj
Kosovo football federation officials will continue their pursuit of Adnan Januzaj, despite comments from the Manchester United winger's father that he would not make his international debut for the country next month.
Kosovo is currently not recognised by the United Nations and until then cannot be admitted to FIFA. World football's governing body, however, has granted the nation permission to play against full FIFA members who recognise its independence - although such meetings would not qualify as full international fixtures.
Januzaj was reportedly set to play for the country - where the majority of his family hail from - in its first-ever full international against Haiti on March 5.
Kosovo manager Albert Bunjaki told ESPN FC on Wednesday: "The players must decide by themselves. I want them in the team, but the most important thing is that they - not their parents, their managers or anyone else - make their decision. If they can do that, I know they'll have high motivation to come with us."
But Eroll Salihu, secretary general at the FFK, said he would continue to pursue the 19-year-old.
"We cannot force him, but it would be very symbolic if Adnan would play for 15 or 20 minutes," he said. "He would not be asked to do anything beyond that. Unfortunately he is just 19 and we don't have any official statement from him, but I think [Januzaj's camp] should give positive signals to meet with our officials."
The midfielder is wanted by a host of different countries, with Belgium, Albania, Turkey, Serbia and England all hoping to persuade him to represent them.
Bunjaki said he would also pursue Bayern Munich's Xherdan Shaqiri and Borussia Monchengladbach's Granit Xhaka, who will both play for Switzerland in this summer's World Cup, as well as Swiss teammate Valon Behrami, of Napoli, and Albania captain Lorik Cana, of Lazio.
"The most important thing is that we start building the team with the players available to us now, who are all of good quality, and creating some competition within the group. After that, if we play in the World Cup qualifiers then of course I want the best players for Kosovo - that includes Shaqiri, Xhaka, Behrami, Januzaj, all of them," he said.
Friendly matches do not commit a player to one country, but FIFA's statute, article 17, allows for changes in national representation by athletes only in special circumstances.
Last week, Januzaj's father told Kosovan TV station Kohavision that he would like his son to play for Kosovo, but added that "the matter is delicate, because the Kosovo FA is not yet a member of FIFA."
"Maybe one day Adnan will play for Kosovo, but for now, this will not happen. And we have a lot of time to think about everything."
Incidentally, they are drawing 0-0 at home to Haiti at half time in their first international.
Edit:
Full time:- Kosovo 0-0 Haiti
When he states that he wants Xhaka, Behrami and Shaqiri to play for Kosovo, is he rambling? It's not possible for these players to switch to Kosovo having appeared competitively for Switzerland, is it?
They seem to be banking on there being an amnesty, although I can't see where in history there is a precedent unless they represented a nation that no longer exists.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Surely Yugoslavia and the USSR are the pertinent precedents here.
Eg. Boban played for Yugoslavia and then played for Croatia which subsequently came into being. And Yugoslavia existed after this date also. The USSR FA continued on as the Russian FA.
This bit from that article is not correct
"Kosovo is currently not recognised by the United Nations and until then cannot be admitted to FIFA."
That admission to FIFA can also depend on the parent FA giving their permission/favour for the application.
If Kosovo got the backing of Serbia FA, they could become a FIFA member without having UN membership.
But that would be as unlikely as an Orange parade standing to attention for AnbF.
Serbia and Montenegro is a better example, but the 'amnesty' as such only concerned the countries directly affected.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
In Kosovo's case, none of their players play with their mother FA, in fact they hate Serbia. Their international standard players are with Albania and Switzerland.
Kosovo's case is breaking new ground.
Fair point about 'new ground', though without being contrary, be surprised if this is the first ever case?
Be surprised then:) It's (hypothetically) unprecedented.
Where you have a new FIFA member from a new breakaway region/country, whose players are not playing with the 'mother' FA, but with other countries in Europe.
And hypothetically (on being accepted as full member), Kosovo are looking for an amnesty for those capped players.
Don't know if it's ever been mentioned but Harry Kane of Spurs is allegedly eligible through an Irish father.
He was mentioned in the usual rounding up of the usual suspects in the papers recently alright. Galway I think.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
Yugoslavia in 1990 and Yugoslavia in 1992 were the same in name only. A new republic was formed and a new FA applied to join FIFA and UEFA. That's not in any way applicable to Kosovar footballers who are cap-tied to Switzerland.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels