Player eligibility row

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Originally Posted by Predator

I'd love to know the details of their bid to stop Kearns from playing. I wonder why no one knew about it? What's more, can you imagine if they had succeeded? I doubt Kearns would have been too happy. Do you think he'd have represented NI again?

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I believe that this issue is now all over bar the shouting.

When Shane Duffy elected to 'defect' to our set-up, he was followed by a group of 4 or 5 young players, one of which was Daniel Kearns - as we all know. One of the main, technical, arguments put forward by some of the more eminent posters on OWC was that players from Northern Ireland could represent ROI only if they satisfied the familial link requirement, and that the citizenship argument was a red herring. Darron Gibson, in their eyes, was able to represent ROI, despite having no familial link, because he qualified under the "old rules." Therefore, there had yet to be a 'new' test case.

Of these 4 or 5 players, I found it hard to believe that all had a familial link to ROI. If, as seems to be the case, Daniel Kearns has not and the IFA were unsuccessful in their attempts to prevent him from representing ROI, then were all just waiting for that dear old fat lady to start singing.........err.........again.

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Originally Posted by awec

Wouldn't bother me, it's the principal of it. He could never play another International game again for all I care.

It REALLY gets on my tits when players defect. Kearns has played for us at youth level, if he was never interested in playing for us proper the IFA should have dumped him out on his hole years ago so that he didn't waste our time and effort.

FFS, he lad has played AGAINST the Republic and scored for us AGAINST the republic. What a waste of space, effort and money he was.

I fully support the IFA fighting this. Yes, players have a right to play for the republic, but the republic is ripping the ass out of it, waiting until WE develop players and then sticking their arm in. If you want players, take them before they play for us. I have no problem with players shifting sides if they at least have the decency to do it before playing for NI at youth level.

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Whilst I have minimal sympathy for your players being allegedly tapped up, perhaps you should be grateful as an archaic colonial outpost and part of a much larger political state (which by historical quirk has 4 teams FFS), you even have your 'own' team....and just accept the very fact it exists, for now.
And accept 45% of your population are unlikely to ever accept playing for a society, that deep down despises them!

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Originally Posted by awec

Wouldn't bother me, it's the principal of it.

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What is the 'principle of it' exactly?

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Originally Posted by awec

It REALLY gets on my tits when players defect. Kearns has played for us at youth level, if he was never interested in playing for us proper the IFA should have dumped him out on his hole years ago so that he didn't waste our time and effort.

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How do you propose that the IFA start to implement this initiative of dumping out players who don't want to play for them?

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Originally Posted by awec

I fully support the IFA fighting this

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Let us know what the Titanic looks like now, will you?

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Originally Posted by awec

waiting until WE develop players and then sticking their arm in. If you want players, take them before they play for us. I have no problem with players shifting sides if they at least have the decency to do it before playing for NI at youth level.

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Nonsense. The players are free to change when they want within the current rules and it's not as if the FAI is harvesting players - the players make their own choice when it is presented. As Danny says, this isn't exclusive to NI, so stop acting as if it is.

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Originally Posted by The Fly

I believe that this issue is now all over bar the shouting.

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Pretty much how it seems. It was a storm in a tea-cup.

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Originally Posted by The Fly

When Shane Duffy elected to 'defect' to our set-up, he was followed by a group of 4 or 5 young players, one of which was Daniel Kearns - as we all know.

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Sorry that isn't quite true. The media have distorted this. The '4 or 5 young players' had all declared long before Shane Duffy, despite being in the same age group - Duffy's decision to switch was intentionally and somewhat cynically publicised by Worthington and the IFA. The McEleney brothers, Darren McCauley, Kearns (not sure about Devine) and McBride had all made the switch before Duffy. Shane Duffy's switch didn't 'open the floodgates' as they say.

I sense things drawing to a close as far as the IFA's case and the surrounding circus is concerned, but just looking back on how this beast grew its wings out of the whole Shane Duffy saga, it leaves a bit of a sour taste. If you take on board the way in which the IFA and its loyal legions behaved with respect to Duffy, you'll see how they attempted to tarnish his reputation and exploit his move to the FAI in order to bolster their own agenda by associating his loss of talent to the FAI and the publicity generated thereafter with a very politicised conflict of interpretation over a set of FIFA statutes to which he wasn't even relevant.

The outraged cries of "keep politics out of football" were especially rich, if not utterly redundant. The IFA gleefully moved on the back of the publicity storm they themselves sowed which had Duffy variously cast as a traitor, a turn-coat, a sell-out, manipulative, conniving, a defector, a liar when he claimed it was his life-long dream to play for Ireland, a mercenary in his "defection", a poached idiot who fell for the sweet-talk and winking eyes of notorious child-snatcher Liam Brady, all sorts of absolutely shameful skullduggery... A 17-year-old lad who found himself being fast-tracked through the IFA's ranks; as synonymous with the FAI's alleged "poaching" as any other self-interested activity of a football association, I sh*t you not. Are we supposed to delude ourselves into believing that all this was done solely in Duffy's interest and was somehow orchestrated solely by himself? The IFA are in the same game as the FAI here. Let's not kid ourselves that they are some sort of innocent victim in all of this. Duffy had to call a stop to his passage before things snowballed any further through a system in which he found himself by geographical circumstance. They had to use a misplaced Duffy as a scapegoat, of course, to ensure the dispute hit the headlines and gathered wind, in spite of the fact that he qualified to play for Ireland by virtue of an eligibility route with which they could have and seemingly had no gripe whatsoever. Who'd give a toss about a West Ham reserves reject, after all? Shameful stuff all round and all very well executed, except for the fact that it hasn't really come to much in the end, bar completely showing certain stubborn curmudgeons up for what they really are. So hold back your impressed rounds of applause just yet!...

The most depressing thing I took from the whole sorry affair is what appears to be the incredible level of underlying bitterness still harboured by so many. What a complete charade the "sophisticated", "tolerant" and "polite" sectarianism of trying to claim that the FAI ("Footballing Apartheid in Ireland"? How embarrassingly ignorant, arrogant and sanctimonious...) were the ones falling foul of the spirit of the GFA was; that denying Irish citizens the right to represent their country would somehow be within the spirit of the agreement. What a sly and despicable insult to the identity and aspirations of the whole nationalist community in the north.

I don't think northern players defecting to the south can go on forever. Politically, it's untenable. Hopefully, NI will decide that its best interests lie in an all-island team (I am not a republican, by the way), but I can see why that would be unattractive to the Northern Irish people.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

I sense things drawing to a close as far as the IFA's case and the surrounding circus is concerned, but just looking back on how this beast grew its wings out of the whole Shane Duffy saga, it leaves a bit of a sour taste. If you take on board the way in which the IFA and its loyal legions behaved with respect to Duffy, you'll see how they attempted to tarnish his reputation and exploit his move to the FAI in order to bolster their own agenda by associating his loss of talent to the FAI and the publicity generated thereafter with a very politicised conflict of interpretation over a set of FIFA statutes to which he wasn't even relevant.

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Agree. It really was quite distasteful behaviour by the IFA wrapped in hypocrisy. They blatantly set out to make an example of Duffy and use him to shine a little media attention on their whinging grievances about integrity and youth development gone to waste when behind the scenes they are tapping-up ("unhappy":rolleyes:) players from England's youth system. How in earth these two-faced, incompetent fools believe they can build a successful appeal with CAS is beyond me.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Wait... so you want the IFA to fight this, but you also want him to sod off and play for the FAI? Those are quite difficult standards to live up to.

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As I've said countless times on this thread, my issue is with those that are happy to play for us at youth level and then magically and mysteriously have issue playing for us at senior level.

You either want to play for NI or you don't. If you don't, you shouldn't get a anywhere near our youth structure. If you do, we're glad to have you.

I understand the rather unique political situation in Ireland where people born in NI are well within their rights to play for the ROI. I have no problem with someone from NI playing for the ROI right through youth level and into senior level.

My issue is with those that are happy to hitch a ride on the IFA youth system and then switch. That is taking us for fools and playing a dirty game and those are the sort of people that I, and the majority of NI fans have a problem with. I won't dispute that there are some NI fans who think it shouldn't happen at all but most of these people live in dreamworld.

It's not bigotry or sectarianism, it's nothing to do with that. It's basic principals. Why should we develop players at youth level only for them to go play for another country. This is international football, not club football, there is supposed to be a degree of loyalty which seems lost on some individuals.

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Originally Posted by lopez

I'd love to play for the country I was born in...again and again and again. I'd be to own goals what Pele was to putting them in the other team's net. :rofl: Oh dear, what a D*ckhead! :rolleyes:

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What have I said that's incorrect?

I'm not saying everyone born in NI should play for NI. For nationalists born in NI the country they were born in in their mind is Ireland, and so they should play for Ireland (if they want, they are more than welcome to become full NI internationals), and with that I have no issue.

What I do have issue with is "I view myself as being Irish but I'll play for Northern Ireland for a while to see how it works out and then when the ROI come asking I'll just jump ship. Win win for me and the ROI, and screw you Northern Ireland."

If you can't see the problem with that then there's no hope for us.

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Originally Posted by awec

What have I said that's incorrect?

I'm not saying everyone born in NI should play for NI. For nationalists born in NI the country they were born in in their mind is Ireland, and so they should play for Ireland (if they want, they are more than welcome to become full NI internationals), and with that I have no issue.

What I do have issue with is "I view myself as being Irish but I'll play for Northern Ireland for a while to see how it works out and then when the ROI come asking I'll just jump ship. Win win for me and the ROI, and screw you Northern Ireland."

If you can't see the problem with that then there's no hope for us.

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I agree with your point, but how do you feel about taking this through to its logical conclusion, FAI training camps in NI?

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Originally Posted by dantheman

I agree with your point, but how do you feel about taking this through to its logical conclusion, FAI training camps in NI?

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It won't make a difference though it'll be politically volatile. Anyone who really wants to play for the ROI will find a way to attend training camps nomatter where they are, though many would view ROI training camps in NI as the FAI really sticking the arm into it.

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Originally Posted by awec

My issue is with those that are happy to hitch a ride on the IFA youth system and then switch. That is taking us for fools and playing a dirty game and those are the sort of people that I, and the majority of NI fans have a problem with. I won't dispute that there are some NI fans who think it shouldn't happen at all but most of these people live in dreamworld.

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If you check my previous posts on this thread you'll see i have a fair amount of sympathy for Northern Ireland over this issue.

I do think though that the post I've quoted doesn't take into account the possibility that for some (many?) of these players, they only really develop a feeling about this issue of allegiance in their teens, maybe even mid to late teens.

It's not fair to suggest that every player starts out with the idea of going through the IFA youth system while knowing all the time that they'll decide they want to represent the FAI at senior level. It suggests a level of connivance I wouldn't expect to find in players ...say.... 14 years of age.

I've no doubt there are some who do continue to milk the IFA system even after having made their mind up regarding allegiance to the FAI, but I'd imagine that for many, there is a (perhaps quite painful) process of awakening (political, social) which starts after they've played in NI youth teams.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I don't think northern players defecting to the south can go on forever. Politically, it's untenable. Hopefully, NI will decide that its best interests lie in an all-island team (I am not a republican, by the way), but I can see why that would be unattractive to the Northern Irish people.

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Why is it untenable? The border will presumably remain for the foreseeable future, ditto the large nationalist minority on our side of it. But why would the unionist majority just give up the Northern Ireland team (stop being unionists, effectively)? I see some NI fans, particularly on OWC are saying this, but it's a hysterical over-reaction.

Are you a monarchist then?

The only time I could support an all Ireland football team is when there is (and I beleive it'll happen eventually) a United Ireland.

It's weird, because I can watch the Ireland rugby team no problem (and do watch them), but I'd find watching an all ireland football team strange and I don't know if I'd be able to relate to it as "my" team.

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Originally Posted by Gather round

Why is it untenable? The border will presumably remain for the foreseeable future, ditto the large nationalist minority on our side of it. But why would the unionist majority just give up the Northern Ireland team (stop being unionists, effectively)? I see some NI fans, particularly on OWC are saying this, but it's a hysterical over-reaction.

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Sounds like someone reckons supporting NI is an expession of ones unionism. ;-)

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Originally Posted by awec

The only time I could support an all Ireland football team is when there is (and I beleive it'll happen eventually) a United Ireland.

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I don't even see it happening in the event of a UI awec. I don't reckon a UI likely any day soon but in any event there's no strict reason why the NI team (or ROI if unity came about because we rejoined the UK) couldn't keep going thereafter.

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Originally Posted by awec

The only time I could support an all Ireland football team is when there is (and I beleive it'll happen eventually) a United Ireland.

It's weird, because I can watch the Ireland rugby team no problem (and do watch them), but I'd find watching an all ireland football team strange and I don't know if I'd be able to relate to it as "my" team.

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Out of interest, why exactly would you be unable to relate to an all-Ireland football team, in contrast with how you relate to the current all-Ireland rugby team? It is because it would be something you wouldn't be totally used to and wouldn't be sure what form it might take on, or is there something more to it?

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Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

there's no strict reason why the NI team (or ROI if unity came about because we rejoined the UK) couldn't keep going thereafter.

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I see we're in the business of massaging unionist paranoia now. :P

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Out of interest, why exactly would you be unable to relate to an all-Ireland football team, in contrast with how you relate to the current all-Ireland rugby team? It is because it would be something you wouldn't be totally used to and wouldn't be sure what form it might take on, or is there something more to it?



I see we're in the business of massaging unionist paranoia now. :P

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I think it's because I've never experienced a Northern Ireland rugby team and therefore never "lost" any sense of national pride.

As a block booker at the NI games, to suddenly lose that team and start supporting another one would be like changing my club team, it would just feel wrong.

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Originally Posted by awec

The only time I could support an all Ireland football team is when there is (and I beleive it'll happen eventually) a United Ireland.

It's weird, because I can watch the Ireland rugby team no problem (and do watch them), but I'd find watching an all ireland football team strange and I don't know if I'd be able to relate to it as "my" team.

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Hmm. You're half-way there ;)
What if the Ireland team in the future was made up of eleven players from the North.....it could happen!!

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Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

Sounds like someone reckons supporting NI is an expession of ones unionism. ;-)

(or ROI if unity came about because we rejoined the UK)

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Well, yes. Not to mention numerous other nasty attributes.....

And are you for real???

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Originally Posted by awec

to suddenly lose that team and start supporting another one would be like changing my club team, it would just feel wrong.

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You could likely get used to it after awhile like anything else, especially if the situation was better than it is now.

I mean what if it was ultimitely in the best interests of everyone concerned? If for arguments sake i told you NI will not make a Euro or WC for the next 30 years would you reconsider? Or would you rather a team never make it but at least they would still be "your team?" This is what I am curious about.

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Originally Posted by Crosby87

You could likely get used to it after awhile like anything else, especially if the situation was better than it is now.

I mean what if it was ultimitely in the best interests of everyone concerned? If for arguments sake i told you NI will not make a Euro or WC for the next 30 years would you reconsider? Or would you rather a team never make it but at least they would still be "your team?" This is what I am curious about.

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I honestly don't know, I haven't thought about it a lot.

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Originally Posted by awec

I honestly don't know, I haven't thought about it a lot.

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Well start thinking about it so we can get a decent united team going and therefore be able to travel to tournaments more than once a decade. :pray:

Also what is :watermelon: for? :penquin:

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Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

And are you for real???

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Real about what now? Ireland rejoining the UK or the likelihood of the FAI and Republic of Ireland team surviving reintegration to a larger geo-political entity? The former is about as likely as an entirely seperate, independent 32 county all-island state. The latter could happen in the event we went cap in hand back to her benevolent majesty pleading that this whole "going indie" fad had gotten right outta hand. These guys agree with me.

Yeah, right.
April 1st.was 3 weeks ago. You need to wake up to what most other sports are doing!

And WTF has the Hong Kong FA to do with anything???

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Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

Yeah, right.
April 1st.was 3 weeks ago. You need to wake up to what most other sports are doing!

And WTF has the Hong Kong FA to do with anything???

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Hong Kong continue to field their own football team despite being a part of the Peoples Republic of China. Same with Macau.

So in the event of say a United Ireland state there is no reason why the two international teams or their FAs would have to merge unless they and their relative supporters specifically wanted to. I'd say an overwhelming majority of NI supporters would be against it and while it would appear a majority at least of our support would be in favour -that majority would erode pretty fast when people realised such a merger would be the end result of difficult negotiations where some sacred cows and hobby horses would meet a bloody doom. Some of the things likely to be negotiated out the window would be A na bF (nice tune ...iffy lyrics though) and our tricolour. You could also expect to be heading the other way up the M1 to watch about half our home games. Who'd like to break that news to Aviva?

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Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

Hong Kong continue to field their own football team despite being a part of the Peoples Republic of China. Same with Macau.

So in the event of say a United Ireland state there is no reason why the two international teams or their FAs would have to merge unless they and their relative supporters specifically wanted to.

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Surely FIFA would have the final say in it? Are they going to yield to Northern Ireland fans? Where would the jurisdiction of this continued Northern Ireland team be in the event of united Ireland state? In the event of one state, I suspect there would be one team.

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Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

Some of the things likely to be negotiated out the window would be A na bF (nice tune ...iffy lyrics though) and our tricolour. You could also expect to be heading the other way up the M1 to watch about half our home games. Who'd like to break that news to Aviva?

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In the event of Ireland becoming a reunified entity politically, the issues of anthem and flag would probably already be sorted and the single Ireland football team (and probably other Irish sporting bodies) would take on these I imagine. On the issue of the stadium; it wouldn't make any sense to split the home games between Belfast and Dublin unless a new 50,000 seater stadium is built in Belfast.

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Originally Posted by Predator

Surely FIFA would have the final say in it? Are they going to yield to Northern Ireland fans? Where would the jurisdiction of this continued Northern Ireland team be in the event of united Ireland state? In the event of one state, I suspect there would be one team.

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In the event of a United Ireland? that does not mean the memory of a 'Northern Ireland' can be just wiped out and allegiance automatically transferred to another entity. Same as partition in 1921 did not inflict a memory wipe out for nationalists nor automatically could impose a positive sentiment towards the new statelet.
FIFA would be inclined to support an existing federation's desire to continue to exist as a separate entity.
In all likliehood the IFA would be allowed to continue to have representative teams, if they want to.

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In the event of Ireland becoming a reunified entity politically, the issues of anthem and flag would probably already be sorted and the single Ireland football team (and probably other Irish sporting bodies) would take on these I imagine. On the issue of the stadium; it wouldn't make any sense to split the home games between Belfast and Dublin unless a new 50,000 seater stadium is built in Belfast

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Who knows what course the path to unity will take, regardless, the IFA will not at all be under any forceful pressure from FIFA to compel them to disband.

I'm not sure how FIFA votes on that kind of thing, but I assume the home nations FAs would have 50% of the votes so would effectively block any attempt to integrate the Irish teams against the IFA's will.

Just having a guess, but I assume that the reason Hong Kong and Macau are able to preserve distinct international teams is due to the fact that they remain as separate political jurisdictions within the overall "state" or something. I don't know what the nature of any future united Ireland would be, but I assume that for the two teams to be preserved, there would have to be some visible political distinction between their respective territories. In saying that, I have heard the notion of a federal united Ireland being aired in which Stormont would maintain certain powers of governance over what is now Northern Ireland but still under the general umbrella of a united Ireland. Whether that would satisfy FIFA as being "distinct enough", I don't know.

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Originally Posted by geysir

Who knows what course the path to unity will take

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The path blocked with a big 'no entry' sign, I think. In the foreseeable future it's about as likely as a united Scandinavia.

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Originally Posted by Danny Invincible

Out of interest, why exactly would you be unable to relate to an all-Ireland football team, in contrast with how you relate to the current all-Ireland rugby team? It is because it would be something you wouldn't be totally used to and wouldn't be sure what form it might take on, or is there something more to it?

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It would be- not that I see it happening in the foreseeable future, as above- effectively a Republic of Ireland team complete with Soldier's song, Tricolors, fiddle-diddle and the rest. I've no interest in rugby, but do follow Irish cricket and that's bad enough. No harm to the Southern and nationalist fans, obviously we have a shared enjoyment of the game, but I'd much prefer a distinct NI team even if it was weaker.

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Originally Posted by Crosby 87

If for arguments sake i told you NI will not make a Euro or WC for the next 30 years would you reconsider? Or would you rather a team never make it but at least they would still be "your team?" This is what I am curious about

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The latter, of course. In the same way that if I'd told you in 1994 you'd only qualify for one of the next eight tournaments I wouldn't have expected you to go off and start supporting England or Brazil.

Keep trying to convince yourself

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I'm not sure how FIFA votes on that kind of thing, but I assume the home nations FAs would have 50% of the votes so would effectively block any attempt to integrate the Irish teams against the IFA's will.

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If it was an issue, it would be an issue for congress.
The home nations do not have 50% of the congress vote.
They have no special voting privileges in FIFA
except they have a majority vote or veto power, as regards to any changing of the rules of the game or something to that effect.
Other than that, the 4 home nations have just one vote each in congress, same as any other association.

The IFA could apply to be downgraded to provisional member of FIFA, and in future be known as the provisional IFA.

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Originally Posted by Gather round

It would be- not that I see it happening in the foreseeable future, as above- effectively a Republic of Ireland team complete with Soldier's song, Tricolors, fiddle-diddle and the rest. I've no interest in rugby, but do follow Irish cricket and that's bad enough. No harm to the Southern and nationalist fans, obviously we have a shared enjoyment of the game, but I'd much prefer a distinct NI team even if it was weaker.

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It's, er, tricolour
Did the Nordie education system even deny its correct spelling??
:eek:

As for a 'separate' cricket team, luckily the ICU (& IRFU) aren't such paranoid bigots to suggest fragmented national sporting teams. By comparison, even the distant concept of a UI is more likely, FFS.
;)

Evidence of this is one Irish soccer team not qualifying for a Finals since 2002 and the other 'faux' one for a minimum of more than quarter of a century and counting......

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Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

Some of the things likely to be negotiated out the window would be A na bF (nice tune ...iffy lyrics though) and our tricolour. You could also expect to be heading the other way up the M1 to watch about half our home games. Who'd like to break that news to Aviva?

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We've already had that discussion;'A Nation Once Again', The Four Provinces Flag and if Aviva are that bothered, they can pay to upgrade Casement Park !

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Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

We've already had that discussion;'A Nation Once Again', The Four Provinces Flag and if Aviva are that bothered, they can pay to upgrade Casement Park !

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https://www.msu.edu/user/svoboda1/ta...es/talk2me.jpg

Chattin' with the bathroom mirror does not a discussion make. A Nation Once Again? Why the half-measures? ...why not 'The Provie Birdy' altogether? For balance sake -when we're playing in this upgraded Casement Park should we play 'Here Lies A Soldier' or 'Dollys Brae'?

I truly do not believe NI will ever make a World Cup or Euro Championship in my remaining lifetime. I am 33 and healthy as a horse.
Just my opinion.

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Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

Chattin' with the bathroom mirror does not a discussion make. A Nation Once Again? Why the half-measures? ...why not 'The Provie Birdy' altogether?

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Hmm. Clearly Amnesia and Irony are not concepts that have permeated the Limerick environs??
Though if you really want to bring up Irish nationalism/'The Struggle', in a spirit of compromise, games in Beal-feirste could also be accompanied by 'The Sash'. Even that would be more credible than their current dirge....
;)

And to be fair to the Six counties representative XI, if there's a 24 team Euros in 2016, even they should get there....

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Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

It's, er, tricolour
Did the Nordie education system even deny its correct spelling??
:eek:

As for a 'separate' cricket team, luckily the ICU (& IRFU) aren't such paranoid bigots to suggest fragmented national sporting teams. By comparison, even the distant concept of a UI is more likely, FFS.
;)

Evidence of this is one Irish soccer team not qualifying for a Finals since 2002 and the other 'faux' one for a minimum of more than quarter of a century and counting......

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Funnily enough, I've been criticised for singing "Ireland's call" at the rugby, recieved dirty looks after people hear my Northern accent for not singing the Soldiers song (I stand, I'm quiet and I respect it, seem some can't respect my choice not to sing it) and I've heard the old "Ireland's call shouldnt be sung, it's a disgrace, only in there to appease those northern <insert expletive here>."

If these problems exist in Rugby, then they'd be far greatly magnified in football and I can't ever see there being an all ireland football team for a long time.

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Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

We've already had that discussion;'A Nation Once Again', The Four Provinces Flag and if Aviva are that bothered, they can pay to upgrade Casement Park !

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Casement Park? You're kidding right?

Why not upgrade Windsor?

I don't know, you could call the access road to Casement, 'Irony Bypass', no?
;)

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Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

As for a 'separate' cricket team, luckily the ICU (& IRFU) aren't such paranoid bigots to suggest fragmented national sporting teams

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It represents two separate countries, so fragmenting into two teams makes perfect sense.

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By comparison, even the distant concept of a UI is more likely, FFS

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Come out of denial, you know it makes sense.

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Evidence of this is one Irish soccer team not qualifying for a Finals since 2002 and the other 'faux' one for a minimum of more than quarter of a century and counting......

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Aye, it's evidence that they're both mediocre. Which they'd likely remain if they merged.

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Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

For balance sake -when we're playing in this upgraded Casement Park should we play...'Dollys Brae'?

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Only if we rename it 'King William's Bridge'

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Originally Posted by Crosby87

I truly do not believe NI will ever make a World Cup or Euro Championship in my remaining lifetime. I am 33 and healthy as a horse.
Just my opinion

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I wouldn't put too much money on it, while wishing you another healthy 50 years and more. I've not expected us to qualify for any tournament while I've been watching, including the ones where we did.