U21 Representitive competition

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Originally Posted by Dodge

Answered yourself there mate...

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What, about the largely full-time part?

No different than what they'd get in their domestic league playing for their first team as I know at least half the teams in Ireland are semi-pro.

Ergo: it's decent preperation for their first team debuts.......though looking at tonight's 5-0 defeat they've a long way to go yet!

Ireland lost 5-0 to England.

Ireland then drew 1-1 with Wales.

No score from todays game against Scotland. England won the tournament anyway.

Lost 2-1 to Scotland. Info here. Scroll down a bit.

Jesus, they Scotch and Welsh should be thoroughly ashamed of those results.

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Originally Posted by Cymro

Which is why no team you've ever entered into this tournament has ever won it. Even back in 2002 when you entered your senior players?

That's a pretty disrespectful view to take of the competition. The kids you put out will be gaining invaluable experience against largely full-time opposition.

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Were you at the 2002 games?

The squad selected was not the squad that eventually travelled. It did contain semi pro players but none of our "senior" squad.

We even included two from the Irish League one of whom was captain.

Not the strongest Welsh squad but those are still very disappointing results. I thought after beating Scotland we would get some momentum, but it wasn't to be.

England were clearly the best side and deserved the win.....congratulations to them.

Final table

---------P W D L For Ag Pts
England--3-3-0-0-11-0-9
Wales--3-1-1-1-2-4-4
Scotland--3-1-0-2-2-5-3
Ireland--3-0-1-2-2-8-1

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Originally Posted by Cymro

Not the strongest Welsh squad but those are still very disappointing results. I thought after beating Scotland we would get some momentum, but it wasn't to be.

England were clearly the best side and deserved the win.....congratulations to them.

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England comprised of the best conference players are always going to be strong. Most of the squad are capable of higher level but choose to be semi pro.

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Originally Posted by soccerc

England comprised of the best conference players are always going to be strong. Most of the squad are capable of higher level but choose to be semi pro.

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Actually as I explained earlier many of England's players are full time. So is Wales' Rhys Griffiths, who plays for Llanelli, and undoubtedly most of our Conference players (about 9 were selected from the Conf for Wales with the rest being WPL or Newport County players)

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Originally Posted by Cymro

Actually as I explained earlier many of England's players are full time. So is Wales' Rhys Griffiths, who plays for Llanelli, and undoubtedly most of our Conference players (about 9 were selected from the Conf for Wales with the rest being WPL or Newport County players)

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Full time? 12 of the England squad have "full time " employment other than playing within football. Being a player is not their "paid" job though that is tenuous.

Ronnie Henry, one of last year's English squad (don't know if he featured this year) recently captained Kidderminster at the first new Wembley cup final and won numerous caps for the English National Game XI. He played in the eL a couple of years ago and was absolute bilge.

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Originally Posted by Sheridan

Ronnie Henry, ......played in the eL a couple of years ago and was absolute bilge.

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You forgot to mention he was a Roddy import to Dublin City, flying in on a friday at 4pm and fcuking off on last flight home friday evening:D

So were a lot of Roddy's recruits, but some of them were very good. Ronnie Henry was a bumbling, unfit carthorse. He had a nice moustache for a while though. And actually, they all lived in digs with Barry Ryan after the first game or so.