Apparently Ireland qualifies for Italy and England through his grandparents. Read it here. not sure how true it is!
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Apparently Ireland qualifies for Italy and England through his grandparents. Read it here. not sure how true it is!
I watched MOTD2 on tape last night and saw brief highlights of the City v Everton game. Ireland was really good alright. You'd never have guessed he was making his debut. Very confident looking player.
e new Roy Keane' won't play for Republic as long as Brian Kerr remains as team manager
Tuesday October 4th 2005
THE player billed as 'The new Roy Keane' has vowed not to play for Ireland as long as Brian Kerr is involved in the international set-up.
Manchester City's Stephen Ireland has become the hottest property in Irish soccer following his sensational man of the match performance against Everton on Sunday.
In his first Premiership start, after just two substitute appearances, the 19-year-old displayed a maturity beyond his years and earned a ringing endorsement from City manager Stuart Pearce.
But while his club career is reaching new heights his international career has been on hold for three years after a spectacular bust-up with Brian Kerr which saw Ireland exile himself from international football.
"He has said that he won't play again for Ireland as long as Brian Kerr is there," said a family friend.
The falling out with Ireland's most successful under-age manager occurred in October 2002 and saw him stage a Roy Keane style walkout. Ireland was a member of an Irish U17 squad managed by Kerr that was taking part in a European qualifying tournament against Germany, France and Slovenia in Cork and his home town Cobh.
On October 21 Ireland sat on the bench as Germany defeated the Irish 3-0 in St Colman's Park, Cobh, in front of a 3,500 strong crowd that included his family, neighbours and friends.
Two days later Ireland lost 1-0 to France in front of another 3,500 spectators at Turner's Cross and once again the Manchester City player was an unused substitute.
Angry at not been given an opportunity to play in front of his fellow Corkonians Ireland stormed out of the squad and headed back to Manchester rather than staying for the final group game against Slovenia.
At the time Kerr explained that Ireland's departure was due to injury. "Stephen asked to be released on fitness grounds and I told him he could go. I do not believe he wanted to be here in the first place," said Kerr.
But those close to Ireland dispute that. Said a family friend: "Stephen was heartbroken at not being given an opportunity to play in front of his family and friends in either game. He didn't see any point in staying and felt his career would be better served by returning to Manchester City."
Although Kerr was named as senior international team manager three months later, Ireland remained in exile.
"He felt that Kerr still had a huge influence over the international teams. He liked Sean McCaffrey and got on really well with him but he is determined not to return while Brian Kerr is still there," added the friend.
Ireland is now eligible for the U21s and it is understood that Don Givens will be approaching him when he returns from Cyprus to see if he is ready to end his international exile.
But those discussions could hinge on the results of the next two World Cup qualifiers.
© Irish Independent
IS that the reason why the indo are trying to get Kerr out ?? Have you read the stuff they are printing in the last few weeks ?? its all about how kerr is under pressure and he needs to go.
Im sure S.Ireland can be brought on board again even with Kerr on board. It was just a stupid walk out at underage level. The kid probably has more cop on now. We dont need to massage egos in this country, the indo doesnt need to help players like him think they are god FFS.
1) Its a 'family friend' who has past on this groundbreaking news!!
2) If true, its an expected reaction from a 16-17 year old "i wanted to play in front of me mammy and daddy and me mates from school" If he has any cop on Im sure he won't still hold those views - this is about playing for your country for fux sake?
3) Is he really toying with the idea of playing for England or Italy?? -Is he really Irish??
Hi johnymac, I wasn't aware you'd changed sides!
So Stephen Ireland felt he had a right to be selected because his family live near the ground? The poor love. Somebody should have a word with this lad. It's an honour to play for Ireland, not a right.
Alternatively, many of us who were aware of this story for a while now must instinctively have wondered how his relationship with Kerr would affect his prospects. It's an obvious question to ask. I reckon that that's all this article is doing & it's hopping on the latest piece of good news to come out of Irish football and tuning it into a negative anti-Kerr story.
Good point Jolly on the indo, you will also find a Hogan classic Kerr out piece today.
I don't know how relevant it is, but Kerr did mention Stephen Ireland in a press conference before the Italy game as a player who was getting a run in his club side. He had played in pre season for Man City, scoring once, but got injured in the final game before the season started. He actually called him "Stevie" which is what he goes as at Man City.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
It is an excuse to have a go at Kerr, Kerr is now under the most pressure of his Football career, The weekends media slaughtered him! and its been unrelenting so far this week, with this storey on Stephen Ireland and other papers carrying stories on Keane being lined up to suceed him.. The media appear to have taken a complete u-turn towards Kerr, the knifes are out.
He has said that he won't play again for Ireland as long as Brian Kerr is there," said a family friend.
So now a big story is being based on the word of an anonymous "family friend". Some friend.
I guarantee that this story will be denied by Ireland withing the next 48 hours.
I know Duffer through a friend of a friend. He hates Kerr and Ireland and would prefer to play for England. Hope the Herald pick up on this one :rolleyes:
That’s it in a nutshell. Something happened years ago when he was 16 and a nobody. Now he's a player in the greatest league in the world its news. My guess is him and Kerr have talked numerous times since then
If Stevie Ireland won't play for Ireland because he doesn't like the manager then f**k him we don't need him. He should be jumping at the chance to play for the country of his birth. Even if he turns out to be the next Maradona I'd still rather have Kevin Kilbane in central midfield running around like a headless chicken rather than a prima dona that thinks he should be picking the manager as well as kicking the ball around on the pitch.
What's wrong with footballers from Cork anyway? It's lucky us Dubs produce the majority of the good ones.
Only buzzin Cork people I reckon that story is rubbish but if not he shouldn't get near the team even if Kerr goes.
Chill out man, the brother is kosher, he's a Rebel first and then a paddy. He and Kerr are fine, I have it from a friend of the family. The only worry I have is that this sort of paper guff puts to much pressure on the lad. Let's face it one top drawer display v a woefully bad bunch of toffees is not the be all and end all. I remember at this time last year reading the same about Willow Flood. Let's all sit back and enjoy 2 wins in the next week, top the group and see if Stevie is needed to weave some magic in Germany or beyond.Quote:
Originally Posted by youngirish
Now if Robbie only moved to Eastlands to work with him regularly we could be onto something.
Chill out man, the brother is kosher, he's a Rebel first and then a paddy. He and Kerr are fine, I have it from a friend of the family. The only worry I have is that this sort of paper guff puts to much pressure on the lad. Let's face it one top drawer display v a woefully bad bunch of toffees is not the be all and end all. I remember at this time last year reading the same about Willow Flood. Let's all sit back and enjoy 2 wins in the next week, top the group and see if Stevie is needed to weave some magic in Germany or beyond.Quote:
Originally Posted by youngirish
Now if Robbie only moved to Eastlands to work with him regularly we could be onto something.
All we need at this time. Another Cork punk who knows better than his team manager!Quote:
Originally Posted by youngirish
I'm fully behind Stevie on this controversial issue. I too have felt the pain of not being selected to play for Ireland in my own home town and, like Stevie, I now REFUSE to play for the international team while Brian Kerr is still manager.:mad:
I have it on good authority from a family friend of Liam Kearney's hairdresser who lives two doors down from Stephen Ireland's auntie that, as a further protest, he is planning to stop using "Ireland" in his name and shall henceforth be known as Stephen Venegoor of Hesselink...
City starlet will rebuff Kerr call – report
October 4, 2005
Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland, who made an exceptional full Premiership debut in Sunday’s victory over Everton, will knock back any invitation from Brian Kerr to the senior international squad, according to a Tuesday morning newspaper report.
The former Cobh Ramblers midfielder had impressed in two substitute appearances for City before earning a starting role against the Toffees at Eastlands at the weekend.
He responded with a Man-of-the-Match performance, earning praise from teammate Danny Mills and manager Stuart Pearce.
But the 19-year-old will never play for Ireland under Kerr after a fall-out during the manager’s time in charge of the Irish youth international set-up three years ago.
Ireland was an unused substitute for under-17 qualifier defeats at the hands of Germany and France in Cork – and opted to return to his club instead of wait for another possible rebuff in the final mini-tournament qualifier against Slovenia.
And the Irish Independent reports that Ireland, who has not been part of an Irish squad at any level since that walk-out, will not consider a call-up as long as Kerr is in charge of the senior side.
Sounds like another tempremental cork man to me. Went home and let down his country, because he was an unused sub. Sod him if he doesn't want to play for us. Hope kerr doesn't call him up.
Whats it with all these cork deserters?? Mr Collins must be turning in his grave!!
Oh yeah, that is full of quotes from himself, his dad, Kerr and the FAI confirming this pile of bull.Quote:
Originally Posted by Littlest Hobo
The amount of idiots out there who would throw themselves in the river if "de paper" said so is incredible. Baaaaaaaaaa.
Kerr only took charge of a handful of games after that date, and none at U-17 level, so shouldn't we all be worried about why he chose not to work with Sean McCaffrey at the same level when he replaced Kerr??Quote:
Originally Posted by Littlest Hobo
It seems to me that there is an almost Machiavellan style plot going on behind Kerrs back to oust him from Job, with Officials in the FAI and key players media weaving a intricate Web conceived to oust Kerr from his Job while gaining Public acquiescence for Kerrs trail and hanging .. why has it come to this?, is it simply a power struggle in the FAI between Kerr and John Delaney both eager to control the destiny of Irish Soccer, Is Kerr now too Flush with the Cash, private Jets and those Pin stripe suits or is it anything to do with Kerrs preference to Francis Black over the Wolftones. Who knows but Kerrgate is going to unfold in front of our very eyes in the next week or so..
I think the jist of it (and again this is paper talk) was that Ireland thought Kerr still had an input because he was never actually selected therefore suggesting to him that Kerr told McCaffrey not to pick him.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
For what it's worth, I think everyone is getting a little carried away with this, there's never been one single quote from Ireland or Kerr and I doubt very much that he will turn down any call now that he has matured a little more, be it the Under 21's or the Senior team.
Quote:
Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse
http://www.soccercentral.ie/viewstor...&viewstory=yes
It's from 24 October 2002 while Kerr was still boss of the underage sides.
I remember the article well soccerc!
Just read Dion Fannings article summing up the group and Kerr so far in Sunday's Indo. The one thing that I noticed was a lot of quotes from nobody's family friends, inside sources etc. Surprised and disappointed. I like reading the Indo, but it has gone downhill. As a few have already stated, there seems to be a campaign out for Kerr's neck, and almost certainly has its origin's in Merrion Sq.
I hope, really really hope that we get the results we need to (at worst) make a play-off. If Kerr gets sacked (oops sorry doesn't have his contract renewed) then it will be a joke.
If there is any truth in these rumours... no future ex-Ramblers players have a hope of getting picked for the Senior team:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Superhoops
Yes the Chief Executive Macchiaveli... sorry John Delaney has a lot to answer for if these Chinese Whispers originate in 80 Merrion Square rather than a Fast Food outlet:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
Heard Fanning on the radio this morning - "It doesn't matter what structures Brian Kerr has put in place. It doesn't matter if Ireland implement a development plan that is the envy of every country in the world. If Ireland don't get the results to qualify for this World Cup he will be sacked". Sad but true :( What's worse is that Delaney is likely to take the money that's currently being spent on the national team and squander it on the salary of some "big name" unemployed figure like John Aldridge, Tony Adams, Alan Ball, Roddy Collins ;) or Chris Waddle. (or the dream team of Ron Atkinson and Carlton Palmer :eek: )Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
Very malicious comments have been made in the press recently - Roy Keane/Martin O'Neill/even Alex Ferguson are being lined up by the FAI to replace Kerr. Utter nonsense but designed to put out the impression that we can do better than Kerr and he should be got rid of. Of course once the damage is done and the FAI come looking for a replacement it'll be too late when we realise we're stuck with John Gregory or Steve Claridge...
ye dont have a ****in clue,kerr left him out of the team in cobh beacuse he played for the city reserves when kerr didnt want him too in a semi cup final,kerr had promised him he'd get his game,then after not getting his game twice he got a call from manchester askin him to com play in the reserves cup final match so he left as he was captain of the reserves.
now id prefer to play for my club in a cup final then sit on a cold bench watchin a game for my country!!
ps he was approached to play for england after this happened and declined saying he wants to play for ireland at senior level in a few years.
Don't forget the last time the job came up, it came down to Bryan Robson and Kerr and Delaney voted for Robson. Told me all I needed to know about Delaney's interest in football
Delaney is a scúm bag. He is filth of the highest order. THe reason he is still in the FAIlure for so long is that is the most manipulative, backstabbing, two faced judas of them all. I hate the sight of him and I know the toe rag is behind most of the anti kerr media stories.
Delaney's intrest in football extends to following Man Utd on sky sports and spends more money going to Old trafford supporting MAn U than he ever will going to Eircom League games.
What other CEO of an FA would be such a avid supporter of a english based team and english based managers ??. Its so pathetic its embarssing.
He will offer "name your price" to any Englishman in the English PL. In the mean time he will pis$ all over any development of Irish soccer and it stinks.
2/c
Provided the Ireland game doesn't clash with a Manchester City reserves game of course. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by nismo
how could he play for england?
and another thing.. tough ****e on the reserves match. you don't 'not play for your country' hard cheese
Not even close, Man City haven't appeared in the FA Youth Cup Final since 1989 - http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFAY...2/07/15018.htmQuote:
Originally Posted by nismo
If that's the basis for your argument, the rest of the post is suspect at best
The timing of this particular story is suspicious, an attempt to discredit Kerr? Maybe I'm too cynical....
Cocky kid from Cork the least of Kerr's worries
Wednesday October 5th 2005
IT is a moot point if Stephen Ireland will actually make it in the fame academy of Premiership football. But beyond dispute surely is his right to a PhD in gall.
He is a 19-year-old Corkman with the grand total of one Premiership start to his name and, by all appearances, a great chest of self-regard to his arsenal. That start last weekend, admittedly, reaped a Man of the Match award for his role in Manchester City's defeat of a chaotic Everton.
It earned him kind words from dressing-room colleagues and, naturally, some stirring bouquets from old friends back in Cobh, where his career first took palpable blossom.
The Cobh connection, inevitably, spawned comparison with that great, flinty leviathan of the game who left the club 15 years ago to sign for Brian Clough and Nottingham Forest. Better still, Ireland's story bore another compelling echo to that of Roy Keane.
Three years ago, he "stormed out" while on international duty with the national Under-17 squad in a European qualifying tournament.
He has not worn an Irish shirt since and is adamant - apparently - that he will remain unavailable to play for his country while Brian Kerr retains the post of national team-manager. Kerr is a kind of Lucifer in Ireland's eyes for not giving him any game-time in that Under-17 tournament.
The kernel to his argument is that, given the tournament was based in Cork and his family, friends and neighbours were in the stands, Kerr was somehow obligated to accommodate the local boy.
It is the equivalent of declaring that the underage game should be a glorified creche for teens. That the international manager should, maybe, check who's Ma or Da might be sitting in the stand before finalising his team-sheet.
You can't help but set the sheer brazenness of Ireland's stance against the storied self-sacrifice of old heroes like Paul McGrath, Kevin Moran, Frank Stapleton or Dave Langan for whom an Irish shirt represented something more profound than a self-fulfilling night out with friends.
Langan now works as a porter at Peterborough Town Hall. His career was effectively stalled by a knee injury picked up playing for Ireland against France in a World Cup qualifier at Lansdowne Road in 1981.
A bad tackle tore cartilage in his left knee. He would undergo 11 operations on that knee and attempt several comebacks before being forced to retire. Langan played for the full 90 minutes of that game, despite sustaining the injury roughly 20 minutes in. "I was desperate to play," he recalled recently. "Because you adrenaline's pumping, injuries don't matter. You just keep going."
You think of the selflessness of that image. You think of McGrath in the Giants Stadium, so unbreakable, despite the shoulder virus that rendered his right arm limp. You think of Moran in so many wars in so many bullpens, his forehead perpetually bandaged. You think of Stapleton, running a great chain of lone, heroic furrows.
And you think of this kid from Cork, a kid who has started a solitary Premiership game, a kid who is some distance removed from a guaranteed future in the business. You think of him laying down terms of reference under which he might deign to play for his country again.
And you think that, on the roster of worries Kerr will carry to Cyprus today, the obstinacy of Stephen Ireland will scarcely feature high.
Vincent Hogan
© Irish Independent
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/ & http://www.unison.ie/
And he wasn't even playing reserve football for City at the time, never mind being captain. nismo - I can't believe you would post such lies. Don't think there's many cup finals in October.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
and why did he refuse to play at under 19's?
we need another pre-madonna cork whinger around the team like we need a hole in the head.
the arrogance.
If he f***in declares for England the Department of Foreign Affairs should withdraw his citizenship. That's the least you should do with a traitor!:mad:Quote:
Originally Posted by Roverstillidie
The response to all this stuff is ludicrous.
Cart before the horse.
Things are bad. We have no genuine prospects in centre mid once Keane is gone.
You kid plays a few times off the bench and then gets (arguable) man of the match against the bottom team in the Premiership and were already calling for him never to represent Ireland because of something that happened a few years ago for an underage side of which the circumstances are sketchy at best.
Calm down.
1. He may be another Healy, Miller, Stephen Reid etc. He's nothing but potential so far.
2. If he fulfils his supposed potential, he should be selected for Ireland. Chances are he'll be happy to play. Kerr or no Kerr.
3. Kerr mightn't even be the manager by then
4. If he is and Ireland turns it down...then lets find out why.
Storm in a teacup
Like Terry Wogan:DQuote:
Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie
Terry tore strips off Graham Norton after he passed some comment about Dolores McNamara being from "Stab City". Absolved from any/all failings after that as far as I'm concerned.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dublin12