Anthony Pilkington M Fleetwood Twn b.1988

**Irwin3** · 07/11/2011, 3:05 PM

Originally Posted by ifk101

I know the FAI have fielded players with zero connection to Ireland in the past.

Ah yes the FAI discovered an Irish granny that Pilkington had no previous awareness of.

Now, now .....

Enlighten me please. I've heard this before but can't think of an example.

Are you trying to be funny? (Yes I see the smilie) He didn't know he was eligible. Barring some kind of family rift I'm sure he knew where his nan was from. Unless maybe she died young or something.

**tetsujin1979** · 07/11/2011, 3:26 PM

Originally Posted by Irwin3

Enlighten me please. I've heard this before but can't think of an example.

Are you trying to be funny? (Yes I see the smilie) He didn't know he was eligible. Barring some kind of family rift I'm sure he knew where his nan was from. Unless maybe she died young or something.

Julian Kelly of Reading, James Wallace of Everton and Anthony Gerrard have all lined out for underage sides, and later found not to qualify

**Irwin3** · 07/11/2011, 3:41 PM

Didn't the latest on Gerrard say he was eligible.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...900147,00.html

**tetsujin1979** · 07/11/2011, 4:26 PM

Gerrard's a strange one, he played, then wasn't sure if he was eligible or not so didn't feature again, and now apparently he is

**The Legend** · 07/11/2011, 5:29 PM

Originally Posted by brine3

Maybe we can all chip in and get Cork City to sign some 16 year old Brazilians, who will qualify for permanent Irish residence inf five years from now.

Ha, so they can turn around later and refuse to play for us?

**Yard of Pace** · 07/11/2011, 7:53 PM

Originally Posted by The Legend

Ha, so they can turn around later and refuse to play for us?

I can imagine it now....

"Voc� foi um jogador de merda, voc� � um gerente de merda, a �nica raz�o de eu ter qualquer relacionamento com voc� � que de alguma forma voc� � gerente do meu pa�s e voc� n�o est� mesmo irlandesa, voc� Ingl�s c ** t."

**paul_oshea** · 07/11/2011, 8:50 PM

I often wondered how that is spelt, is that the correct way stutts?

Like dip your ring in this, i never got that one either.

**tricky_colour** · 08/11/2011, 1:38 AM

Originally Posted by brine3

Jesus, Ireland has suffered from emigration for centuries. It means that we have an overseas pool of players who are proud to pull on the green jersey and represent their homeland. Other football teams would kill for such a resource.

I myself have not lived in Ireland since 1986. Probably since before some of the whingers on this thread were born.

Sure, it would be great if we could turn back the clock and undo everything that caused emigration. There'd be 30 million people living in Ireland. We'd have four Richard Dunnes and five Damien Duffs.

Limiting the current Irish team only to those that are born and bred on the island of Ireland is like punishing ourselves twice over for emigration.

And so what if some of them are confused about where their allegiance lies. If they have an English father and an Irish mother then of course they are going to feel torn. It's only natural. It's all a part of being en emigrant. It's why Mark Lawrenson says "we" when talking about either Ireland and England. I never had a problem with that. But some little-Irelanders do.

So in an Ireland v England match he could say "We are wining and we are losing" !!

**tricky_colour** · 08/11/2011, 1:42 AM

Originally Posted by brine3

Maybe Pilkington has one of Stephen Ireland's grannies?

What really gets on my nerves as far as mercenaries go are the rich football leagues benefiting from players qualifying for the country through residence. Like Deco for Portugal and Marcos Senna for Spain. Like Spain doesn't have enough of a footballing advantage already.

Maybe we can all chip in and get Cork City to sign some 16 year old Brazilians, who will qualify for permanent Irish residence inf five years from now.

How much would we need to raise?

**Jaysus** · 08/11/2011, 5:21 PM

On the bench of Sky's team of the season so far.

**Razors left peg** · 09/11/2011, 3:39 PM

Originally Posted by JGKyne

Since he's 23, I can't help thinking that maybe he was one eye on representing GB in the Olympics and we're the fall back option...

Lets just say he were to play in the Olympics for GB could he then go on to still represent us afterwards? Since he wouldn't be capped by any of the home nations.

Good question,anyone know the answer to that??

**Murfinator** · 09/11/2011, 3:57 PM

I'd imagine it wouldn't tie him to anything although I can't imagine the FAI committing PR suicide and attempting to coax someone who'd represented Britain internationally at senior level to play for Ireland.

**mark12345** · 09/11/2011, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by tricky_colour

So in an Ireland v England match he could say "We are wining and we are losing" !!

BRINE 3 has made the best point on the subject seen here in years. Pity it falls on such deaf ears.

**TrapAPony** · 10/11/2011, 6:33 PM

Top left jersey on the wall in the Pilkington household. Is that a treasured Irish jersey I see or is it my imagination?
http://lockerz.com/s/151467724

**Closed Account** · 10/11/2011, 6:57 PM

Originally Posted by TrapAPony

Top left jersey on the wall in the Pilkington household. Is that a treasured Irish jersey I see or is it my imagination?
http://lockerz.com/s/151467724

But is that a Union Jack on the cue......

**Stuttgart88** · 10/11/2011, 7:57 PM

Originally Posted by joe_denilson

But is that a Union Jack on the cue......

Originally Posted by Irwin3

Right on cue.

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

No, not right on cue.

Originally Posted by Irwin3

I predicted it, hence right on cue.

........

**tricky_colour** · 10/11/2011, 8:00 PM

Originally Posted by mark12345

BRINE 3 has made the best point on the subject seen here in years. Pity it falls on such deaf ears.

Pity you can't be bothered to say what it was.

**Stuttgart88** · 10/11/2011, 8:02 PM

Mute comments and deaf ears, not a good combination

**tricky_colour** · 10/11/2011, 8:32 PM

Originally Posted by TrapAPony

Top left jersey on the wall in the Pilkington household. Is that a treasured Irish jersey I see or is it my imagination?
http://lockerz.com/s/151467724

It is very similar to the one.

Perhaps not exactly the same but I would say it certainly is an Ireland shirt hard to say what else it could be.

This seems to be it

**theworm2345** · 02/01/2012, 2:54 PM

Nice goal there by Pilkington to equalize for Norwich. Picked it up about 30 yards out, cut across the center of the pitch before unleashing a low drive from 25 yards out with his left foot in to the bottom of the keeper's left hand post.