Sheringham calls Townsend a "fake Irishman"!

**ArdeeBhoy** · 13/09/2009, 12:50 AM

If the Gnomes of Zurich say they can play for us and they genuinely want to, who cares?

Townsend wouldn't be my favourite Irish player, but compared to the likes of Sheringham, he's virtually a saint.....

**geysir** · 13/09/2009, 11:42 AM

It's even more than genuinely wanted to.

They were invited to play and they played for the team to the best of their professional standards, they applied themselves 100% to that duty and so it went until they were no longer wanted. Afterwards they go back to living out their lives. The Ireland football team was their nr 1. and still would be their nr 1.
Where connections to Ireland were tenuos to begin with, they developed to varying degrees. I would say it would be an impossibility for a player over a 10 year period not to develop some sense of appreciation of that nationality and some sense of what they were representing on the pitch.
We know what they were, we asked them to play, they did it and now some are applying a paddyometer in a topic inspired after one of the players is subject to public mock ridicule some 10 years later.

**Predator** · 13/09/2009, 1:50 PM

Originally Posted by The Legend

I think we can all agree that Sheringham is a w**ker!

Great player though. A bit like Stephen Ireland in that respect.

**Paddy Garcia** · 13/09/2009, 8:31 PM

I recall Townsend receiving many cortisone injections in the toe before Irish games just to keep going. I really don't doubt his commitment & it was plenty there in the Giants Stadium where he was outstanding against the Italians.

What a difference he would make today..................

**Bluebeard** · 14/09/2009, 8:41 AM

Aside from the actual debate over the Townsend / Sheringham / Nationality / Them / Us debate:
The type of player Townsend was - does it even exist anymore? Does that type of 40% skill, 60% putting-yourself-about, 110% effort midfield bustler, so common in the 80s and early 90s, get to play at top levels any longer?

**Wangball** · 14/09/2009, 9:18 AM

Originally Posted by Bluebeard

......Does that type of 40% skill, 60% putting-yourself-about, 110% effort midfield bustler, so common in the 80s and early 90s, get to play at top levels any longer?

I've just done the math and there seems to be an error in your figures!

Seriously though I don't think there are any players like that at the top level anymore and as we live in a blame driven culture I'm gonna lay the blame at the feet of the foreigners......they changed the shape of the game and the way people view midfielders and their role, it wasn't enough to be just commited anymore

**irishfan86** · 14/09/2009, 9:30 AM

You know what else "the foreigners" are responsible for? Making the English League the best in the world.

Always something those foreigner-hating-pundits fail to consider.

You want a "more English" league? Watch a few Championship matches and you'll be begging for your foreigners back, trust me.

**elroy** · 14/09/2009, 9:45 AM

Would the likes of Mascherano, Makelele, Darren Fletcher of today not fit into that mould?

**Wangball** · 14/09/2009, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by irishfan86

You know what else "the foreigners" are responsible for? Making the English League the best in the world.

Always something those foreigner-hating-pundits fail to consider.

You want a "more English" league? Watch a few Championship matches and you'll be begging for your foreigners back, trust me.

You've got me wrong man, I actually agree with you, 100%....British football is undoubtedly better not just because of the influx of foreign players into the leagues but because of the influence the imports have had over domestic players too.

Point I was trying to make is that the old fashioned "typically British" mdfielder has become almost redundant in favour of the more well rounded European style player.

**dr_peepee** · 14/09/2009, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Bluebeard

The type of player Townsend was - does it even exist anymore? Does that type of 40% skill, 60% putting-yourself-about, 110% effort midfield bustler, so common in the 80s and early 90s, get to play at top levels any longer?

Jenas maybe... I see what you're saying though

**Mad Moose** · 14/09/2009, 12:18 PM

I've heard Sheringham a few times and he really strikes me as not been very bright at all. He's a terrible pundit with an incredibly limited vocabulary. Just a thought.

**Wolfie** · 14/09/2009, 12:32 PM

Niall Quinn has a story (most likely embellished, if true at all) that following the Italy game in Rome in 1990 - Charlie Haughey (as was his wont) embarked on a lap of the stadium and then paid the team a visit in their dressing room.

Haughey proceeded to praise the team and their efforts and made his exit.

Apparently, Townsend then asked "Who was that old Geezer?" and Cascarino said "Don't know - but one of the lads says he owns a Tea-Shop??".

I've already posted how highly I rated Townsend contribution to Ireland but I can remember cringing through an interview where he described the Irish Tricolour as the "Orange, White and Green". Wrong order, dumbass!!!

**tetsujin1979** · 14/09/2009, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by Wolfie

Haughey proceeded to praise the team and their efforts and made his exit.

Apparently, Townsend then asked "Who was that old Geezer?" and Cascarino said "Don't know - but one of the lads says he owns a Tea-Shop??".

I don't know if that's true or not. Possibly coincidental, but the exact same joke is in the closing credits of an episode of Drop The Dead Donkey.

**Ozymandias** · 14/09/2009, 12:56 PM

[QUOTE=ArdeeBhoy;1231257]If the Gnomes of Zurich say they can play for us and they genuinely want to, who cares?
.[/QUOTE]

would they then be called plastic leprechauns....
sorry I'll get my coat....taxi

**Wolfie** · 14/09/2009, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

I don't know if that's true or not. Possibly coincidental, but the exact same joke is in the closing credits of an episode of Drop The Dead Donkey.

Doesn't surprise me. Niall Quinn featured in a cut price "Jacks Army" cash-in DVD featuring Colum Meaney (I sh*t you not) a couple of years ago.

Quinn recounted that story on the DVD which, while a little amusing, seemed a bit far fetched to say the least.

**gspain** · 14/09/2009, 2:49 PM

Originally Posted by Wolfie

Niall Quinn has a story (most likely embellished, if true at all) that following the Italy game in Rome in 1990 - Charlie Haughey (as was his wont) embarked on a lap of the stadium and then paid the team a visit in their dressing room.

Haughey proceeded to praise the team and their efforts and made his exit.

Apparently, Townsend then asked "Who was that old Geezer?" and Cascarino said "Don't know - but one of the lads says he owns a Tea-Shop??".

Haughey was certainly there and did a lap of honour after the game. Funniest bit was Frank Fahey (then minister for sport I think) appearing out of an underground tunnel, looking for Haughey like a lost schoolkid and then putting his hand up in the air as Haughey was on the opposite side of the stadium halfway through his lap of honour. Fahey with one hand in the air proceeded to run across the pitch just as the sprinklers came on. He got soaked and had us in fits of laughter as he kept going despite getting wetter and wetter.

**Bluebeard** · 14/09/2009, 3:03 PM

Didn't Gnomes of Zurich qualify for the second round of the Inter-Toto about 12 years ago?

**Metrostars** · 14/09/2009, 6:34 PM

What's the problem in referring to two teams as "we"? The word is not mutually exclusive. I am also a US Citizen and I have no problem in supporting the US team as well.

**Paddy Garcia** · 14/09/2009, 7:56 PM

Originally Posted by Bluebeard

Aside from the actual debate over the Townsend / Sheringham / Nationality / Them / Us debate:
The type of player Townsend was - does it even exist anymore? Does that type of 40% skill, 60% putting-yourself-about, 110% effort midfield bustler, so common in the 80s and early 90s, get to play at top levels any longer?

What we have Whelan, Andrews, and Miller instead - those paragons of the beautiful game.

All put together I don't think they would make the footballer Townsend was.

**Torn-Ado** · 15/09/2009, 12:34 AM

Originally Posted by dr_peepee

I have. Definately.... Off the top of my head he reminded Gabby Logan after the 2 all away draw with Holland and she cited it was a bad weekend for them all after the England result, and he reminded her it was a good weekend for him...

Could do with him now...

Hardly a 'good' weekend for us. Losing a 2 goal lead in the last 20 minutes against a depleted Dutch side.