I thought it already had, following your excellent performance in Paris. Alas too many of the contributions to this thread are equivalent to Robbie Keane stumbling over his own feet after going round Lloris.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
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I thought it already had, following your excellent performance in Paris. Alas too many of the contributions to this thread are equivalent to Robbie Keane stumbling over his own feet after going round Lloris.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
Indeed - respecting the right and desire of the IFA and it's International representive teams to remain autonomous would be a good starting point.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
Sir David Healy would have knocked that in, well especially a couple of years ago.:pQuote:
Originally Posted by Gather round
And then we would all be going to the world cup. Hooray.
Instead of trawling the internet to give this life without world cup qualification some meaning.
Healy would not get into our side. If I'm not mistaken he's struggling to hold onto his place in the NI side as it is. He's hardly a viable candidate for a starting position in an unified team. Indeed the only current NI international that could possibly place in an unified team is Johnny Evans - but even he is not first choice for his club side. Which further highlights that an unified team would be nowhere near a power in Europe to the extent that it would justify merging the two associations on purely sporting grounds.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
Healy of a few years ago was knocking goals in for fun at international level. Some players just seem to do well at international level. Ireland and Northern Ireland have had them down through the years.Quote:
Originally Posted by ifk101
Johnny Evans, Arrann Hughes, Steve Davis and Kyle Laverty would all be in with a shout of getting into an all Ireland side. As I say sometimes there are players that just do well at international level for whatever reason.
Maik Taylor would be a great back-up if Given were injured. He has performed brilliantly for NI down the years.
Historically there have been times when NI have had better players than they have now but they did okay in was it 3 out of the last 4 qualifying campaigns so they obviously have some good players.
Anyway I have drawn myself into this and I do not see any realistic chance of it happening for at least 10 years.
Would Maik Taylor be eligible for an unified team????? :DQuote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
It depends on how you define okay. Granted NI have had some impressive home results in recent years but they are incapable of winning away from home and they are more than capable of getting hammered at home by decidedly weak opposition.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
Fact is that we have a much bigger and better pool of players to chose from than NI.
Our away record is nothing to write home about either.Quote:
Originally Posted by ifk101
The better and bigger the pool that any team has to choose from will bring better results.
We all know it makes sense. But on the Island of Ireland not everything that makes sense is sensibly utilised.
There are a lot of crazy people on this Island on all sides of every angle.
You will never be bored if you try to understand all the different types of Irish people.
It might just do your head in though:confused:
The only teams that NI have beaten away from home in recent memory are San Marino and Liechtenstein. We're no great shakes away from home but we are still a lot more competitive than NI are.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
Only if those players are motivated to do so.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
No we don't.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
Just learn to accept diversity. And take two aspirins for your head.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
Gibson was one case which could have ended up in the courts - an Irish citizen (identity Irish) did not have the same rights to be eligible for selection as say and Irish citizens like Kevin Kilbane (born in the UK, or any of the Irish lads born in the Republic). Gibson was being discriminated against according to the Irish Constitution as all Irish citizens are meant to have equal opportunities. And the FAI is an Irish State funded organisation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
Within the British Associations - say a player, born in one country (say Scotland, with Scottish parents), but moves at a young age to England (unlike Patrick Viera), cannot opt to play for the country he grew up in. That player is being discriminated against.
I would certainly support that happening - it seems to work very well with regard to the Olympics so I don't think it would be even necessary to go to Court to have the same rights for footballers.Quote:
In the hypothetical event of there being a, singular, Irish team, would you uphold the right of someone born in Northern Ireland, going to Court if neccessary, in order to have the right to "express his national identity", by declaring to play for one of the British Associations?
Diputes regarding FIFA Statutes are dealt with by the Court Of Arbitration in Sport - member Associations are bound by this.Quote:
Originally Posted by janeymac
Members have the following obligations:
(a) to comply fully with the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions
of FIFA bodies at any time as well as the decisions of the Court of
Arbitration for Sport (CAS) passed on appeal on the basis of art. 62 par. 1
of the FIFA Statutes.
FIFA make their rules for membership - and members are bound to abide by them.
In your example of the British Associations, I believe the player would be able to play for England - that is my interpretation of FIFA Statute 16, which states:
A Player who, under the terms of art. 15, is eligible to represent more than
one Association on account of his nationality, may play in an international
match for one of these Associations only if, in addition to having the relevant
nationality, he fulfils at least one of the following conditions:
(d) He has lived continuously on the territory of the relevant Association
for at least two years.
Subject, of course, to him not have representing any other country in a competitive "A" International.
Some claim that random bombings were to remind Dev that we were meant to be neutral and shouldn't be giving Britain, their enemy, a 'dig out'. I'm of the opinion that is generally claimed that the German pilots got their navigation wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gather round
The IFA (and FIFA) should be very grateful to Dev - the IFA would probably have had to spend their cash on rebuilding IFA HQ & Windsor, rather than bailing out FIFA.
I actually don't know what the story is now with the British Associations, but as far as I know this is what happened to Ryan Giggs. They say Michael Owens was lucky that the maternity hospital he was born in was in England rather than Wales.Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
FIFA bodies are subject to local laws. For instance, South African rugby has positive discrimination towards blacks (3/4 have to be played on the international team) which the IRB doesn't argue against.
I've told you what the story is now - Article 16 of the FIFA Statutes.Quote:
Originally Posted by janeymac
So Cory Evans could be declaring for England then?Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
As of the Serbia friendly he's out of our starting XI. Were there a qualifier in March rather than having to wait until September, and assuming everyone fit, I think most NI fans would expect our strongest side, depending on opposition to be:Quote:
Originally Posted by IFK
Taylor
Hughes
Evans
Craigan or McAuley
McCartney
Clingan
Davis
McGinn or Baird
Brunt or McCann
Paterson or Feeney
Lafferty
True about the inability to beat anyone bar the village teams away; but since collapsing at home to Iceland in September 2006 we have played 10 qualifiers at Windsor, winning eight. The one other defeat was to the group winners who also beat Czechia and Poland away, and who are on current form the seventh best team in Europe. Hardly weak opposition. I've ignored friendlies, were you thinking of them?Quote:
Granted NI have had some impressive home results in recent years but they are incapable of winning away from home and they are more than capable of getting hammered at home by decidedly weak opposition
In the last couple of series you've beaten Cyprus (once, as well as shipping a rugby score to them), and Georgia in a neutral country. Fair enough, you can only play what and where it turns up, but it's hardly that impressive. In the equally recent past, you failed to beat one sixth seed home or away and labored to a 96th minute winner against the worst team in Europe. Oh, and draws- whether after 90 minutes or 120- don't count as wins.Quote:
We're no great shakes away from home but we are still a lot more competitive than NI are
Too generous Sean. 2004 was a train wreck; 2006 better (although not better than 2002, we only won one other game apart from beating England); 2010 slightly below par as we were seeded third. Only in 2008 qualifying did we do that well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Seanfhear
That's all a bit hypothetical. Even if it had gone to court, there's a good chance they'd have thrown it out- the Law ignores trivia.Quote:
Originally Posted by Janey Mac
Not only would they have needed to have got lost between Dublin andQuote:
I'm of the opinion that is generally claimed that the German pilots got their navigation wrong
Liverpool- but also fail to spot the difference between an east- and west-facing coastline. Maybe the Luftwaffe crew forgot their compass that night?
You what? Listen, have a word with IFK. He had some drugs available up-thread; you clearly need to change yours.Quote:
The IFA (and FIFA) should be very grateful to Dev - the IFA would probably have had to spend their cash on rebuilding IFA HQ & Windsor, rather than bailing out FIFA
Theoretically, I suppose he could. In practice, already being a full NI international suggests he won't.Quote:
So Cory Evans could be declaring for England then?
he could - but won't.Quote:
Originally Posted by janeymac
Very proud Northern Irish family, the Evans
Perhaps you'd care to list our competitve away wins over decent opposition eg the top 2 seeds in the group.Quote:
Originally Posted by ifk101
Last one I can think of is Scotland 1987 (and they may have been 3rd seeds). Before that let me see Czechoslovakia 1967. Before that you'd be grasping at straws to include an amateur Denmark side in 1957.
We did however beat Northern Ireland 4-0 in 1994 although they were probably 4th seeds.
Northern Ireland haven't beaten any decent teams away from home either in competitive games if you don't count Spain, West Germany, Romania & Bulgaria. :rolleyes:
We beat France away in our last game ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by gspain
I said "recent memory". But quote results from the early 1980s and nitpick all you want. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by gspain
Your memory struggles with a game 23 days ago? On second thoughts, don't give the drugs to Janey Mac, take them yourself.Quote:
Originally Posted by IFK
A game of football is 90 mins. What was the score after 90 mins? Extra time and penalties are used to decide which team progresses to the next round. We won the game but lost in extra-time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gather round
If Crusaders beat Newry tomorrow 1-0 after 90 mins - will you accept that as a victory or will you ask for an extra 30 mins to played?
A game of football can either 90 or 120 minutes; if the Crues-Newry game was the second leg of a cup tie and we'd lost the first 1-0 yes, I'd be pretty insistent on extra time. (For the obvious reason, but also just in case some of the nutters on this thread thought Newry should progress, without actually winning but as they would otherwise be under-represented in IFA competitions or something).Quote:
Originally Posted by ifk101
You drew. Get over it.
Yes, the Welsh must be wondering when they left....Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
This guy on the north’s forum needs to take a ‘chill pill’ over Darron Gibson.Quote:
Originally Posted by janeymac
“Because I hate the sectarian wee toerag to the core”
“Most of all by the scumbags at the FAI, who ripped up a gentleman's agreement to peddle sectarian sh*te in Northern Irish football to further their own interests”
Get over it lads, He’s Irish, he plays for Ireland!
Rightly or wrongly, The match ultimately was a draw. Bit like most of the matches in the group!Quote:
Originally Posted by Gather round
The point above about NI and Republic winning away against top seeds is very true. The only difference I can see is that the Republic have been more consistent at beating the lower ranked teams away and drawing aginst some of the higher ranked one. The word here is consistent, NI also have had some very good away draws (e.g Germany)
Agreed.Quote:
Originally Posted by co down green
Get over it lads, they're Northern Irish, they play for Northern Ireland.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ardee Bhoy
In the last 10 years, NI have won three of 25 away qualifiers (against San Marino, Liechtenstein and Malta). For all the battling draws, that record just ain't any good, so being slightly better than it is neither here nor there. We haven't beaten a bigger and higher ranked country since Euro 96 qualifying (Austria) or one of the top two seeds/ favorites since WC 1986 (Romania).Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan the Man
[QUOTE=co. down green;1292164]This guy on the north’s forum needs to take a ‘chill pill’ over Darron Gibson.
“Because I hate the sectarian wee toerag to the core”
“Most of all by the scumbags at the FAI, who ripped up a gentleman's agreement to peddle sectarian sh*te in Northern Irish football to further their own interests”
Get over it lads, He’s Irish, he plays for Ireland![/QUOT
He's pretty bitter, and McStay isn't the first in recent times to play for us(according to that poster), it'd probably be Mark McKeever who was playing for the R.O.I U-18's and U-21's back in the late 90's.
Shouldn't really get into this....I accept the tie was lost (have to), but you are technically incorrect. Ireland won the game in Paris 1-0. If we hadn't won the game there wouldn't have been extra time. A game is 90 minutes plus injury time. If not, we should get France back to Dublin to play the remaining 30 minutes from the first game! Extra time was played because France won in Dublin and we won in Paris.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gather round
OK, don't. You drew, get over it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Greenbod
Predator im gaa, but im sorry its still deeply entrenched in everything catholic. I mean county board meetings start with the prayer in irish still in some places.
Although everyone is encouraged to play and I personally love to see it, its still deeply rooted in catholicism
When a game goes to extra time the result recorded is the one after 120 minutes. FIFA record the match as a draw and it is recognized as such in the list of results and for the FIFA rankings. The FAI will do likewise.Quote:
Originally Posted by Greenbod
Of course we should have won and would have won but for a cheating Frenchman and a blind Swedish linesman but unfortunately we didn't.
I can remember a couple of young lads called Hicks & Lagan playing for Ireland u17's in 98.Quote:
Originally Posted by SaucyJack
The IFA honcho at the time, David Bowen, and the North's youth manager, Roy Millar did a television interview suggesting that the youngsters `had neglected their country''.:eek:
Bowen went on to express his 'annoyance' at "the ease" with which northern nationalists could obtain Irish passports :eek:
Not a great record overall, but under Trapp, Ireland have become hard to beat given he doesn't even pick his strongest team! And even the most begrudging Orange bigot might admit we 'enjoyed' no luck v.the French!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Gather round
Perhaps a better measure of international 'success' would be average FIFA(For all those C*nts are worth)'s World 'Rankings' over the last decade?
As for Maths;careful with the hypocrisy! ;)
A no.of relations alive at the time, told me it was accounted popularly and subsequently, as being 'in error' due to being a foggy night. And bombed Beal-feirste (and Dublin) and error.Quote:
Not only would they have needed to have got lost between Dublin and
Liverpool- but also fail to spot the difference between an east- and west-facing coastline. Maybe the Luftwaffe crew forgot their compass that night?
Before you get all paranoid, some of them were no fans of the 'Dev' propaganda machine....
Re.above & belowQuote:
You what? Listen, have a word with IFK. He had some drugs available up-thread; you clearly need to change yours.
People in Glass houses....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gather round
You want to see what they say about Marc Wilson, who may never turn out to be good enough to play for even NE Ulster, anyway....Quote:
Originally Posted by co. down green
Unfortunately there's still a substantial no.who've :rolleyes: not taken the NB 'Amendment' !!
But they must be as British, as some of the locals with that surname??Quote:
Originally Posted by Gather round
Just think how you might have benefited from an AI team then!Quote:
In the last 10 years, NI have won three of 25 away qualifiers (against San Marino, Liechtenstein and Malta).We haven't beaten a bigger and higher ranked country since Euro 96 qualifying (Austria) or one of the top two seeds/ favourites since WC 1986 (Romania).
The World Cup as brought to you, when fixed by FIFA....Quote:
Originally Posted by gspain
Mr Bowen might have been even more surpised at "the ease" with which Northern Unionists could have obtained (and can obtain) an Irish passport!:eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by co. down green
What do you mean by that?:confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
What do you mean?:confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
Generally, people born in Northern Ireland are British Citizens, unless they have denounced said Citizenship by sending the appropriate documentation to the UK Home Office, and had their denounciation accepted.
I have yet to meet anyone in Northern Ireland who has done this.
Consequently, most people in Northern Ireland are Dual Nationals (something you don't seem to have a grasp of).
The irredentist Citizenship laws of the Irish Republic afford me Irish Citizenship - I am a British Citizen by birth too.
How do you think "nationalists"from Northern Ireland qualify for the IFA International representative teams...the IFA being a "British" Association, as per FIFA Statutes?
PS: Adams isn't a very "Irish" name, is it?
Why did the tie go to extra time?Quote:
Originally Posted by gspain
Where do they play now?Quote:
Originally Posted by co. down green
Just read it again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
And was being 'tongue-in-cheek', FFS. You lot are paranoid about everything.
As said before, have family born in Doire & Beal-feirste and just have Irish passports. They're not interested in a British one or denouncing something they've never had. Not that anyone has ever asked them!
;)
If you want a Brit.one, bully for you or whoever. Maybe 'thank' them for their past colonial antics, will you?
And what's the relevance of the 'Adams' mention??
Know where yer coming from, but the smart a**es have got it right. And yes, we were robbed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Greenbod
No idea, Perhaps the current IFA director of coaching, Roy Millar scared them away from the sport after they committed treason against 'loyal ulster' :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil