QuoteTake it none of your family were unfortunate enough to be forced to emigrate.Originally Posted by kellco88
Good for you.
Yes
No
Really? Who John Harkes and who else? Just curious.I would still rather have 90% of the team Irish than the squad of USA 1994 where 6 of them were born in Ireland
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
Take it none of your family were unfortunate enough to be forced to emigrate.
Good for you.
squad here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_FI...Cup_squads#USA
Almost certain John O'Brien - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_O'Brien_(soccer) - qualified for Ireland, but I don't think he was ever approached to play for us.
<EDIT>
Just realised I got that wrong, and that as_i_say meant that 8 of the Ireland squad were born in Ireland
The squad is here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_FI...lic_of_Ireland
Of those Bonner, Irwin, Moran, Keane, Staunton, Kelly, and Whelan were born in the Republic and Kernaghan was born in Belfast
McGrath was born in London but grew up in Dublin
All three of these cases are guys who wanted/want to play for another country first and we are the back up choice. If it means that they take the place of players with a genuine passion for the shirt then I'm quite uncomfortable with that.
Having said that, examples like Townsend show that players who wouldn't have considered themselves Irish first and foremost can play their heart out for the team. So I'm a little torn.
Seems to be strange timing anyway.
Actually, the whole point about Kernaghan was that he was born in England, NOT Belfast; if he had been born in NI, he would never have played for ROI:
http://sport.scotsman.com/rangersfc/...the.3337606.jp
(A couple of minor factual errors in that article, but the jist is OK i.e. such was the "stick-in-the-mud" attitude of the IFA, that they for a long time they refused to recognise Grandparentage as conferring eligibility, even after FIFA authorised it and other countries were taking advantage of same)
my mistake, I was going by his wikipedia page - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Kernaghan
Born in Otley, West Belfast
Thats a good point, I dont ever remember looking at a player in an Irish shirt and thinking that he wasnt giving it everything because he wasnt born in Ireland.
Its really not that complicated!!!
Hey IFK, you seem strangely silent on the Nolan issue this time round. I presume the fact that Tardelli is watching him today means we must now also question the latter's intelligence, loyalty and footballing judgement? Why would he be willing to watch a mediocity who would add nothing to the squad and dosen't want to play for us in any case?
In my opinion if they're good enough, call them up into the squad. If there are players out there who can improve our squad and qualify to play for us then I think it would be a waste not to call them up.
Cmon County!
No he defo turned us down. A couple of times... I dug out some articles before and posted them in the previoous similarly titled thread. And there was another one from years ago too. I don't want this fella on the band Wagon at this point. Honestly would have taken him as recently as a few months ago, but to come on board at this stage. No jayzus way... Feel very strong about it. Would rather see us fail to qualify than to take him at this point. Will boo his every touch in the home leg. Will Bring a "Bring Back Andy Reid" type banner to croker. This is entirely different to what big Jack did. It's mercenary stuff. Desperate. No pride..
Trapp should get off his arse and watch a few more club games than prostitute our team like this at this stage.... These are the kind of noises he should have made a year and a half ago. Not now... Shocking stuff..
Last edited by dr_peepee; 17/10/2009 at 1:35 PM.
He's lived in Italy for a decade, he at the very least has a strong claim to compassion for the country. A similar case is in rugby where a Munster player Mafi will have Irish citizenship in the next year and would be eligible to play for us if he so wishes. Which I wouldn't have a problem with. I do have a problem with this.
Has Nolan ever been to Ireland? He's quite clearly not Irish.
I was merely making the point that we have good enough players in the premiership without looking for players who might qualify.
And no need for the personal remarks.
Agree with Dr P's first paragraph, but I thought we had now pretty much established that Trap has indeed cast the net as wide as he can, the Andy Reid situation being a different story.
If any of the abovementioned got in ahead of Reid it'd be a travesty. I'd hate for any of them to be included over anyone.
Nolan - NO NO NO. This guy doesnt offer us anything more than we have already. Am sure he was approached during the Stan era and was ineligible but also not interested. No thanks. If anything this guy has seen his best days.
O'Hara - Am sure this guy is in the England U21 squad. Decent player but is known to be not the most professional player about.
Naughton - This guy was involved with us before, I remember reading about Brady sussing him out a few months ago and he wasnt interested. Subsequently received an U21 call up for England.
all the talk about nolan!!! what about fahey, imo he,s a better player playing regularly in a better league!!!
All these are in another country through work. Camo is probably part Italian. Maybe as much Italian as Shaquille O'Neal is Irish. I'd hardly call that 'at least a strong compassion.'
Sadly we don't have anything like Serie A in Ireland, or we might fill the obvious shortcomings we have with people that lived in Ireland, just as Germany, Croatia, Poland and Spain do and have done for as long as foreigners have played in their leagues.
Maybe Nolan has never been to Ireland. Maybe he knows as much about his own country as he knows about the country of one of his ancestors. I dunno, but footballers are rarely that bright in England. But someone in the last two generations in his family left Ireland. Is he eleigible for Irish citizenship? If he is, he's entitled to play for Ireland regardless of whether he's an England fan, a Nazi, likes Brendan Grace music, or is a rampant peado. And I hold all four in equal disdain.
This is the cooooooooooooolest footy forum I've ever seen!
kevin nolanjust no, well actually have him in contention but he's behind many players including andy reid and keith fahey.
don't care about naughton, never heard of him. does he start for tottenham?
Oh he has. He was part af a squad to play inthe UEFA championshap qualifiers against England. Brian Kerr was the manager. Mr Nolan couldn't bring himself to play against England and asked to be let go home, which he did. At least he had the honesty and backbone to realise this. However now, maybe his career needs a boost and his agent has suggested he resurrect his international career with the ROI. I say tell him to …
Always look on the bright side of life
Is Gary Cahill still eligible or did he get a cap for England recently?
'And Crouch must score'
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