You volunteering there seanfhear?
Take one for the team and all that!
You volunteering there seanfhear?
Take one for the team and all that!
Over the hill
A lot of arranged marriages worked out just fine.
Bundesliga 2 sensation Scott Fitzgerald Kennedy madre his international debut on Tuesday. Man of the match performance. His coach said was the best internacional debut ever for Canadá Nacional team. Played as a left side defender in a 3 at the back defence.
Well after Scotland new fiasco. Ireland should approach al irish eligible scottish born players. They are so lame! I am in the end of the world un a middle of pandemia and the tv news channels made fun of Scotland in the Eurocopa. Waited 22 years for this fiasco!!!
Not eligible or playing anymore but I'm reading Pat Nevin's book at the moment and there's a funny little anecdote about Ireland going to Hampden Park for a Euro 1988 qualifier and beating Scotland 1-0, and Scotland's "chances of qualification were just about scuppered there and then."
Nevin, who tells a lot of stories about his father's diligently travelling to all his matches from Glasgow to London when he was at Chelsea, tells us that his family originated in Ireland having come "over to Scotland from County Kildare in Ireland just two generations before and they still feel themselves to be, at the very least, partly Irish."
Pat is coming out of the stadium after the match and his old man is waiting for him and "didn't seem particularly unhappy at all." Pat asks him if he was supporting Ireland and "with your own son playing for Scotland?"
"Not... As... Such, but if you were going to lose to anyone, then that is who to lose to."
Yeah he was on "off the ball" one night a year or so ago absolutely delighted that he had finally gotten his Irish passport and talking about how much it meant to him.
Just wondering if Sean McGurk (18), born in Liverpool, attacking midfielder at Wigan and attracting Leeds Utd interest, has any Irish parent or grand-parent?
Rory Delap's son Finn has joined Burton's professional development side: https://www.burtonalbionfc.co.uk/new...507-scholars2/
FINN DELAP
Finn, the son of former Brewers midfielder Rory and brother of Manchester City striker Liam, plays centre-back and has been with our Academy for six months, joining following his release from Derby County.
“I’m looking forward to getting going in the league,” said Delap.
“I just love to play - it doesn’t matter what league, what level, I just want to play football.”
Will this turn out like the Keane brothers with the successful one going with England and the less successful one trying to settle for Ireland? I feel dirty even asking that but it could easily turn out like that.
I guess you could ask whether there's an issue with that. Young lad isn't good enough for England so plumps fo Ireland because his father was an Ireland player. You could swap "player" for "supporter" and maybe end up with Declan Rice.
Big piece in the Athletic about Rice and Grealish and their switch to England. Don't know if I'm capable of reading it...
Yes and having read this piece, I'm a bit more inclined to agree with you. It feels like Grealish was a bit torn. From having chatted to lads his age from Birmingham, I know how strong the Irish community is there. I have seen him with a kid (potentially a nephew) on social media in the last year or so with the kid in a Kerry jersey. The people I have chatted to wouldn't be too fond of his dad either, probably down to his conduct on this matter. It does feel like Grealish was torn.
It doesn't feel like that with Rice. It feels like he was all in on our side and then all in on England's side. Remember his interview soon after switching. Didn't he refer to us as "they" and that he had played for "their underage teams" or something similar?
I heard Ken Earley speaking about him recently. He said he was a crowd pleaser and seems to be willing to say anything to please his audience. I would pose an example- the media love the narrative about him and "Mace" Mount being best mates. It's ideal really on lots of fronts, not least because it is easy fuel to the Chelsea speculation fire. But Rice absolutely and utterly laps it up and pushes it further. He's constantly speaking about him. Constantly posing for pictures, even after matches and on field. It's a little weird from a 22 year old.
Overall, I feel as though Grealish had more of an affinity towards us. Bringing his granny from Sneem to that ceremony for the under 21 award was, in hindsight, maybe a little indicative? I mean, was it a day out for Gran in Ireland to make her proud before he switched to England? Anyway, he was from an Irish community. Got opportunities with us underage etc.
Rice might not have had as much of an Irish connection or have been part of an Irish community, although I have read that his dad was disappointed with the decision. It's hard to know. But he really did jump and show no remorse. I really wish he'd behave with a little more respect towards us.
Dan McDonnell has a piece in the Indo on Rice which is behind a paywall: https://m.independent.ie/sport/socce...-40623104.html
Rice just seems like a total emptyhead to be honest. If he wasnt a player he'd be part of the Engerland brigade that bring so much joy to every away venue they visit
Can't help thinking that Rice and Grealish made the correct choice. The events of today at Wembley v Denmark would appear to back up that decision. However, had it been back in the Charlton era they probably would have opted for the land of their forefathers. It's all about success or chances of to be more precise.
Also FIFA and UEFA have by subtle changes made it almost certain that big countries will almost certainly qualify for tournaments and also have a very good chance of getting out of the groups at tournaments. If you think you are good enough to get in the squads of the bigger / stronger nations then its a bit of a no-brainer. Also England are now actively making these opportunities very obvious to players and courting players that they might have once said work away lads. Now if England think their is even a chance you might be good enough they really make it clear to players that they are valued and wanted. Also there is a lot of money to be made by players through advertising etc in selling in to a market of nearly 60 million potential English supporters. The clubs also know that there is a premium value of having English international players to sell or market especially successful English international players.
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