surely the Ulster Rugby team is for the 9 counties of Ulster and not the 6 counties of 'Northern Ireland'. Tommy Bowe is a Monaghan man I believe. Proud Ulsterman!!! Fair play to him.Originally Posted by Not Brazil
So ya can't really equate the Ulster rugby team to the Northern Ireland soccer team....
Folding my way into the big money!!!
Ulster Rugby has already changed the crest some time ago, has a red hand with a strong life and heart line visible
found a picture
I am sorry if this offends you osarusan but that is a ridiculous statement, most probably made in haste to defend a league you love which is understandable. The LOI has not sustained itself 'Properly" for quite some time. Almost every club has suffered financial difficulty, in fact almost every club still does. The clubs that have been successful in recent times have all been involved in financial irregularities of some shape or form, not all illegal in the eyes of Irish law by any means by the way. Some have just been guilty of gross mismanagement or over expenditure. Shels, Pats, Cork, Derry and Rovers have all been on the brink of extinction but have been bailed out or given reprieves. They represent what was once the elite of Irish football yet they were all based on foundations of sand. They have made a mockery of Irish football but they have also highlighted the need for change. I would like to see a system something like this,
Celtic Premier league.
Ulster
Muster
Connaught
Leinster
Swansea
Wrexham
Cardiff*
Celtic
Rangers
Hearts
Hibs
* Cardiff most likely would not be interested so replace with A.N. Other
All Irish based players on central contracts and attached to a current LOI team which would carry on as normal as a breeding ground for players as the AIL does for rugby. Same would apply for the Irish League.
The problems would be obvious for Scotland and Wales as to how the would pick the teams to represent them, but a similar set up would not be entirely unfeasable. Instead of looking at it as the demise of LOI, IL, SPL and WL football think of it as an extra football product to follow, on top of the ones we already have.
I don't think anyone has suggested the change would be easy, but then, what is?
You might not all agree with the ideas posted on here, but surely we all agree that change of some sort is needed??
Help something bit me!!!
Without getting into the mechanics of the "Ulster Rugby" brand, and what it represents, it is absolutely true to state that Ulster consists of 9 Counties.
Tommy Bowe is, indeed, a Monaghan man.
The last time I checked, all 6 Counties of Northern Ireland are within Ulster - therefore, representing "Ulstermen".
The Englishmen came over in the year 2005
But little did they know that we'd planned a wee surprise
Sir David scored the winner, and Windsor Park went wild
And this is what we sang...
LOI football has been around since 1921. It has sustained itself for 88 years.
I was responding to a post saying that the LOI had proven itself unsustainable. That is clearly wrong, as it has been going for 88 years.
There is a suggestion being made that the league being crap (which I'm happy to accept) means it is unsustainable. This connection is simply wrong.
So Northern Irish men plus men from an extra 3 counties....
Folding my way into the big money!!!
Eh?So Northern Irish men plus men from an extra 3 counties....
I merely point out that as all six counties comprising Northern Ireland are in Ulster, it is therefore not that hard to work out that Northern Irishmen are, er, Ulstermen.
The Englishmen came over in the year 2005
But little did they know that we'd planned a wee surprise
Sir David scored the winner, and Windsor Park went wild
And this is what we sang...
Not that it matters a damn, but whilst Tommy Bowe is indeed proud of his Monaghan roots (Emyvale, I believe?), afaik he was actually born in Craigavon Hospital, which technically makes him an Armachian (sp?).
Moreover, he developed his rugby skills at Armagh Royal School, before attending University at Jordanstown.
Never mind the 6:9/Border split, I'd say the presence of those in the Ulster squad with no local connections whatever (eg Botha, Danielli, Diack, Horua, Nagusa and Schifcofske etc) screws any comparison with the NI football team.
In that respect, it's more like the ROI football team...
Have a Happy New Year!
P.S. For any individual who is already starting a reply with "Whatabout Maik Taylor blah, blah, blah...", there's no need, it's understood.
let old acquaintance be forgot....
You appear to be making my point. All the players you list are now (or shortly will be) playing in England! My starting point is to improve the standard of club soccer in Ireland by keeping more of our better players at Irish clubs. Surely you agree that it would be better (ie a better product for Irish socer fans) if a large number of the players currently playing in the Championship, Leagues 1 and 2, Premiership reserve sides and the SPL were playing in Ireland? That will only happen if Irish clubs can provide players with increased and competitive financial rewards. Hence the suggestion of a new structure that makes that viable. To take GR's point, maybe the Celtic League idea is a trifle conservative, and the ultimate transnational structure should be expanded further? Whatever, you have still failed to put forward a constructive alternative or a viable means by with the EL can hope to progress to the point where players like Deegan, Fahey and co dont all automatically end up playing abroad.
With respect to Liverpool, I tend to make my contributions on that subject on a forum where I imagine my musings may appear slightly more pertrinent. Last time I checked this was an Irish football forum.
...don't try and head me off at the pass. It aint just Maik Von Taylor either. Did that Norwegian defender of yeers turn up because he heard about ze Harp?
Never mind the 6:9/Border split, I'd say the presence of those in the Ulster squad with no local connections whatever (eg Botha, Danielli, Diack, Horua, Nagusa and Schifcofske etc) screws any comparison with the NI football team.
In that respect, it's more like the ROI football team...
Have a Happy New Year!
P.S. For any individual who is already starting a reply with "Whatabout Maik Taylor blah, blah, blah...", there's no need, it's understood.
Happy New Year EG! Stay safe on the roads in this weather. Sure Capaldi may have a spare set of tyre chains in the boot ...him being from Norway and all.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
ha ha touché.
In that respect, it's more like the ROI football team...
and may i take this moment to wish all my brothers and sisters to the North a very happy new year! Bainigí sult as mo chairde!
Folding my way into the big money!!!
Dear, dear, Lionel - that reference to the Ice Cream Man is not so much "Dancing on the Ceiling" as "Scraping on the Bottom of the Barrel"....don't try and head me off at the pass. It aint just Maik Von Taylor either. Did that Norwegian defender of yeers turn up because he heard about ze Harp?
Happy New Year EG! Stay safe on the roads in this weather. Sure Capaldi may have a spare set of tyre chains in the boot ...him being from Norway and all.
You see, the boul Tony had a choice of countries to represent:
1. Norway - where his Da (ex-Aston Villa) was playing out the tail-end of his career and Tony was born;
2. England - where his Da was born;
3. Italy - where his Granda was from;
4. Republic of Mexic... er Ireland - they'll take anyone; and (drum roll):
5. Norn Iron - where his dear oul Mammy was born and rared.
I think you'll find he chose his country wisely - even if his better judgement doesn't extend to his choice of club!
http://nifootball.blogspot.com/2006/...y-capaldi.html
P.S. No need for Snow Chains in the Polar North; our Reindeer, like our footballers, are ultra sure-footed.
I think it would be a bit more than 'roots' with Emyvale. He played up to U-21 with the local GAA club & up to U-16 for Monaghan. He also won sprinting medals with the local athletics club in the Community Games. Oh, and he played underage rugby for Monaghan Town RFC. It would seem that his rugby coach in Royal Armagh (a fee paying school, I presume) was a neighbour of his in Emyvale and possibly why he went to a rugby playing school with the hope that he could become a professional rugby player.
His mother worked in Craigavon Hospital which is more than likely the reason he was born there (His mother is from Kildare & father is from Waterford).
A nice tribute to him here (and his family) in the Hogan Stand. I love the bit where they talk about how the pupils and staff of Armagh Royal School were shocked to discover that their new head girl Hannah (Tommy's sister who is a hockey international) had played gaelic football in Croke Park.
http://www.hoganstand.com/monaghan/A....aspx?ID=66932
And according to this, he went to Queens University.
Last edited by janeymac; 01/01/2010 at 11:20 AM.
Sorry, I didn't mean to downplay his Emyvale background - I couldn't say he was born there, so I said "roots" to mean that's where he is from (rooted in)
Armagh Royal does accept fee-paying pupils, which presumably Tommy was (unless he got some ROI Government grant?). However, it is also the state Grammar school (i.e. non-fee paying) for local boys/girls who pass their 11+/entrance exam.
And whilst his Da is obviously a big rugby man, the quality of education it offers may also have been a factor over a more local Monaghan school?
Well, it's only to be expected that Tommy wanted his mother close by when he was being born...
According to his Wiki entry, he studied at UUJ, but played rugby for QUB (much higher standard of rugby than UUJ):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Bowe
Fine rugby man, anyhow - and it's nice to know that if he ever decided to "do a Tony Ward" and take up real football, he's qualified to play for NI.
Sounds a bit like the North team fielded by the great Lawrie McMenemyin 1999
Maik Taylor (Born Germany)
Iain Jenkins (Born lancashire)
Jim Whitley (Born Zambia)
Kevin Horlock (Born Kent)
Mark Williams (Born Cheshire)
Jon McCarthy (Born Hartlepool)
Danny Sonner ( Born wigan)
James Quinn (Born Coventry)
Jeff Whitley (Born Zambia)
Ian Dowie (Born Hertfordshire)
Beggars !!
I think you'll find everyone of those bar Big Maik had at least one, and as many as six, parents/grandparents from NI.Sounds a bit like the North team fielded by the great Lawrie McMenemy
Maik Taylor (Born Germany)
Iain Jenkins (Born lancashire)
Jim Whitley (Born Zambia)
Kevin Horlock (Born Kent)
Mark Williams (Born Cheshire)
Jon McCarthy (Born Hartlepool)
Danny Sonner ( Born wigan)
James Quinn (Born Coventry)
Jeff Whitley (Born Zambia)
Ian Dowie (Born Hertfordshire)
Beggars !!
Somehow, I don't think that applies to Messrs. Schifcofske or Nagusa, for instance, which was the point I was making.
this thread is awesome guys!
I'm originally from the island of celebes in indonesia but I love the Robbie Keane
Soccer stars 2010. woooo!
What do ya mean? Northern Ireland doesnt have a Gaelic Football teamFine rugby man, anyhow - and it's nice to know that if he ever decided to "do a Tony Ward" and take up real football, he's qualified to play for NI.
Folding my way into the big money!!!
What do ya mean? Tony Ward never played Bogball...What do ya mean? Northern Ireland doesnt have a Gaelic Football team
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