QuoteNot sure how appropriate that analogy is given the IFA aren't a subsidiary organisation of the FAI. Well, just not yet anyway...Originally Posted by drummerboy
It's probably an understatement to say not everyone sees it that way.
See the last 100+ posts from a certain person on here...
Not sure how appropriate that analogy is given the IFA aren't a subsidiary organisation of the FAI. Well, just not yet anyway...
What they need to come to terms with, is that we don't regard capping the likes of Gibson, George and McClean as poaching. We regard them as our players and the players, regard themselves as Irish.
Always look on the bright side of life
What you, and others, need to come to terms with is that if these "Irish" players, don't wish to commit their International career to the, er, Irish Football Association, at Under 19 level, some of us would be very happy to help make them your players.
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...
The key words in the above are "some of us" (or in reality "one of us"). The IFA went to the CAS to challenge the eligibility of NI born Iirsh nationals to play for their country. Besides your opinion/ stance, there's not much to suggest that the IFA and its support accepts the CAS ruling. How the IFA conducts its selection policies, U19 or otherwise, is of little interest as long as the eligibility of Irish nationals to represent their country is preserved.
I found this interesting:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...-Slovenia.html
When players join the PFA, there is a space on the form to indicate what countries you are eligible for. I'd like to see a copy of the form for the specific wording of it, but I think its a very progressive attitude. Rather than trying to force players to play for England, NI, ROI etc, why not make all their options fully available and aware to them and let kids, adults, players in general make their own decisions, and not begrudge them when they do.Levein had already been made aware of his dual-nationality status thanks to the Professional Footballers’ Association. “[The Scottish Football Association’s Yorkshire-born chief executive] Stewart Regan deserves some credit as well,” said Levein. “He and I went down to the meet the English players’ union over a year ago. They have added an addition to the membership forms for the kids when they sign up to join – not just for us, but for Wales, Northern Ireland and others too.”
Maybe the IFA should take a similiar approach. Rather than complaining when players leave their setup, evaluate why they've left and try to foster an environment that encourages players to pull on the NI jersey.the FA on Monday indicated it is relaxed about it and believe that their developmental process, which begins with an under-16 team, is an effective system for encouraging the best English-born players to still represent England.
To be fair to the IFA, I think they have finally accepted - whether begrudgingly or not - the right of northern-born Irish nationals to declare for the FAI. Or at least that appears to be their current public stance anyway.* It also looks as if they've acknowledged that the ball is in their court with regard to attempting to win over the broad nationalist community, if such is indeed possible, but at least it's an approach more mature than making official attempts to restrict player choice or branding players who switch "traitors" and such like many of their fans do.
Both Gerry Armstrong and Michael O'Neill have spoken about their acceptance of the findings of the CAS judgment in their writings/interviews. Even Nigel Worthington acknowledged the right of northern-born Irish nationals to declare for the FAI in his famous "north of Ireland" interview after the Kearns judgment. Residual militancy on this matter seems confined to elements within the NI support (it appears that the official stance of the AONISC remains to seek an amendment to FIFA's rules on eligibility or to seek the implementation of some sort of inter-associational agreement between the FAI and IFA) and clueless politicians with what I suspect is a greater interest in picking up a few more votes than local football in NI.
*I'm aware from his posts on ILSF that Mr_Parker believes that figures within the IFA knew full well the Kearns case was a futile endeavour, but that they decided to pursue the calamity anyway in the interests of appeasing and maintaining the faith of their fan-base.
Is this from where Gerry Armstrong gets his information on IFA potentials then? Are the FAI able to access such information? Perhaps the FAI are privy to these details and it provides them with a method of deciphering which northern-born players might be interested in representing Ireland...
As outlined above, I believe the IFA to have adopted such an approach.Maybe the IFA should take a similiar approach. Rather than complaining when players leave their setup, evaluate why they've left and try to foster an environment that encourages players to pull on the NI jersey.
In related news, Shane Ferguson has been called up to the NI squad to face Norway after committing his international future to the IFA in November: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17097691
The morning's Irish Sun is also to run with a front-page story on the abuse James McClean has been receiving on Twitter from vindictive NI fans after his call-up to our senior team, according to a poster on OWC who watched 'Tonight with Vincent Browne' on TV3. The headline is apparently set to read: "Hate mob attack footie ace McClean - Sectarian bile after Trapattoni squad call up."
Last edited by DannyInvincible; 21/02/2012 at 3:35 AM.
And so George and Gibson did, prior to under 19 level. They asserted their right to line out as "Irish" players (inappropriate use of inverta commas). McClean was late in doing so. He drained the IFA of their resources in the same way that Keith Fahey must have done Arsenal and Villa. The action on their behalf against Birmingham et al. must be pending.
Last edited by Olé Olé; 21/02/2012 at 4:15 AM.
Not to mind the bile he received prior to that. But what is funny is that their ilk comprehend that the hate bile won't result in McClean turning back to play for the IFA because they can't possibly envisage that. And so they spew this stuff towards him on Twitter and what is the end product? What do they expect to occur/achieve? I'm not sure, but it doesn't entice nationalists (generalistically speaking) to remain with the IFA.
Yes, but whatever you do don't mention this on his thread. Won't someone think of the children...
Also the North are after some Japanese club striker who plays in Holland...
The IFA are also after Japanese-born Robert Cullen: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2012/0221/cullenr.html
I presume that the AONISC will be demanding the IFA give compensation to the JFA for all the resources and effort they have expended on him over the years if this move does go ahead
Last edited by Scooby Doo; 21/02/2012 at 2:06 PM.
This move has the potential to split the island of Japan along septarian lines; those who would consider playing for NI and those who would rather study mineral coalescence in rocks.
Vile.
Cullen plays at a pretty poor level with VVV-Venlo. His name was first mentioned on this site a few years ago. Having spent most of their history in the Eerste Divisie, Venlo are currently annual strugglers in the Eredivisie and only survived by way of a play-off against a lower-division side last season, if I remember correctly. Barry Maguire also happens to play for them.
Here is what is included in the PFA Membership Form.
Last edited by Closed Account; 21/02/2012 at 4:02 PM.
Would love to see how Stephen Ireland completed that form!
He couldn't. There is only two different Grandmother spaces available.
And I notice they only want you to tick the one box.
So 'British' or Irish...
With McClean now getting his chance to possibly go to the Euros, we now have as many Northern born players vying for spots as Scottish born players. Just thought it was woth mentioning considering the hysteria that surrounds this issue.
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