QuoteIndeed - respecting the right and desire of the IFA and it's International representive teams to remain autonomous would be a good starting point.Originally Posted by seanfhear
I thought it already had, following your excellent performance in Paris. Alas too many of the contributions to this thread are equivalent to Robbie Keane stumbling over his own feet after going round Lloris.Anyway if an All-Ireland team had the sticking power (and the tenacity) of this thread then it would be a force to be reckoned with.
If this could be translated to the football team there would be no stopping us.
Indeed - respecting the right and desire of the IFA and it's International representive teams to remain autonomous would be a good starting point.
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...
Sir David Healy would have knocked that in, well especially a couple of years ago.
And then we would all be going to the world cup. Hooray.
Instead of trawling the internet to give this life without world cup qualification some meaning.
Healy would not get into our side. If I'm not mistaken he's struggling to hold onto his place in the NI side as it is. He's hardly a viable candidate for a starting position in an unified team. Indeed the only current NI international that could possibly place in an unified team is Johnny Evans - but even he is not first choice for his club side. Which further highlights that an unified team would be nowhere near a power in Europe to the extent that it would justify merging the two associations on purely sporting grounds.Sir David Healy would have knocked that in, well especially a couple of years ago.
And then we would all be going to the world cup. Hooray.
Instead of trawling the internet to give this life without world cup qualification some meaning.
Healy of a few years ago was knocking goals in for fun at international level. Some players just seem to do well at international level. Ireland and Northern Ireland have had them down through the years.
Johnny Evans, Arrann Hughes, Steve Davis and Kyle Laverty would all be in with a shout of getting into an all Ireland side. As I say sometimes there are players that just do well at international level for whatever reason.
Maik Taylor would be a great back-up if Given were injured. He has performed brilliantly for NI down the years.
Historically there have been times when NI have had better players than they have now but they did okay in was it 3 out of the last 4 qualifying campaigns so they obviously have some good players.
Anyway I have drawn myself into this and I do not see any realistic chance of it happening for at least 10 years.
Last edited by seanfhear; 11/12/2009 at 10:52 AM.
Would Maik Taylor be eligible for an unified team?????
It depends on how you define okay. Granted NI have had some impressive home results in recent years but they are incapable of winning away from home and they are more than capable of getting hammered at home by decidedly weak opposition.
Fact is that we have a much bigger and better pool of players to chose from than NI.
Our away record is nothing to write home about either.Would Maik Taylor be eligible for an unified team?????
It depends on how you define okay. Granted NI have had some impressive home results in recent years but they are incapable of winning away from home and they are more than capable of getting hammered at home by decidedly weak opposition.
Fact is that we have a much bigger and better pool of players to chose from than NI.
The better and bigger the pool that any team has to choose from will bring better results.
We all know it makes sense. But on the Island of Ireland not everything that makes sense is sensibly utilised.
There are a lot of crazy people on this Island on all sides of every angle.
You will never be bored if you try to understand all the different types of Irish people.
It might just do your head in though
The only teams that NI have beaten away from home in recent memory are San Marino and Liechtenstein. We're no great shakes away from home but we are still a lot more competitive than NI are.
Only if those players are motivated to do so.
No we don't.
Just learn to accept diversity. And take two aspirins for your head.But on the Island of Ireland not everything that makes sense is sensibly utilised.
There are a lot of crazy people on this Island on all sides of every angle.
You will never be bored if you try to understand all the different types of Irish people.
It might just do your head in though
Gibson was one case which could have ended up in the courts - an Irish citizen (identity Irish) did not have the same rights to be eligible for selection as say and Irish citizens like Kevin Kilbane (born in the UK, or any of the Irish lads born in the Republic). Gibson was being discriminated against according to the Irish Constitution as all Irish citizens are meant to have equal opportunities. And the FAI is an Irish State funded organisation.
Within the British Associations - say a player, born in one country (say Scotland, with Scottish parents), but moves at a young age to England (unlike Patrick Viera), cannot opt to play for the country he grew up in. That player is being discriminated against.
I would certainly support that happening - it seems to work very well with regard to the Olympics so I don't think it would be even necessary to go to Court to have the same rights for footballers.In the hypothetical event of there being a, singular, Irish team, would you uphold the right of someone born in Northern Ireland, going to Court if neccessary, in order to have the right to "express his national identity", by declaring to play for one of the British Associations?
Diputes regarding FIFA Statutes are dealt with by the Court Of Arbitration in Sport - member Associations are bound by this.
Members have the following obligations:
(a) to comply fully with the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions
of FIFA bodies at any time as well as the decisions of the Court of
Arbitration for Sport (CAS) passed on appeal on the basis of art. 62 par. 1
of the FIFA Statutes.
FIFA make their rules for membership - and members are bound to abide by them.
In your example of the British Associations, I believe the player would be able to play for England - that is my interpretation of FIFA Statute 16, which states:
A Player who, under the terms of art. 15, is eligible to represent more than
one Association on account of his nationality, may play in an international
match for one of these Associations only if, in addition to having the relevant
nationality, he fulfils at least one of the following conditions:
(d) He has lived continuously on the territory of the relevant Association
for at least two years.
Subject, of course, to him not have representing any other country in a competitive "A" International.
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...
Some claim that random bombings were to remind Dev that we were meant to be neutral and shouldn't be giving Britain, their enemy, a 'dig out'. I'm of the opinion that is generally claimed that the German pilots got their navigation wrong.
The IFA (and FIFA) should be very grateful to Dev - the IFA would probably have had to spend their cash on rebuilding IFA HQ & Windsor, rather than bailing out FIFA.
I actually don't know what the story is now with the British Associations, but as far as I know this is what happened to Ryan Giggs. They say Michael Owens was lucky that the maternity hospital he was born in was in England rather than Wales.
FIFA bodies are subject to local laws. For instance, South African rugby has positive discrimination towards blacks (3/4 have to be played on the international team) which the IRB doesn't argue against.
I've told you what the story is now - Article 16 of the FIFA Statutes.
Last edited by Not Brazil; 11/12/2009 at 8:24 PM.
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...
So Cory Evans could be declaring for England then?
As of the Serbia friendly he's out of our starting XI. Were there a qualifier in March rather than having to wait until September, and assuming everyone fit, I think most NI fans would expect our strongest side, depending on opposition to be:
Taylor
Hughes
Evans
Craigan or McAuley
McCartney
Clingan
Davis
McGinn or Baird
Brunt or McCann
Paterson or Feeney
Lafferty
True about the inability to beat anyone bar the village teams away; but since collapsing at home to Iceland in September 2006 we have played 10 qualifiers at Windsor, winning eight. The one other defeat was to the group winners who also beat Czechia and Poland away, and who are on current form the seventh best team in Europe. Hardly weak opposition. I've ignored friendlies, were you thinking of them?Granted NI have had some impressive home results in recent years but they are incapable of winning away from home and they are more than capable of getting hammered at home by decidedly weak opposition
In the last couple of series you've beaten Cyprus (once, as well as shipping a rugby score to them), and Georgia in a neutral country. Fair enough, you can only play what and where it turns up, but it's hardly that impressive. In the equally recent past, you failed to beat one sixth seed home or away and labored to a 96th minute winner against the worst team in Europe. Oh, and draws- whether after 90 minutes or 120- don't count as wins.We're no great shakes away from home but we are still a lot more competitive than NI are
Too generous Sean. 2004 was a train wreck; 2006 better (although not better than 2002, we only won one other game apart from beating England); 2010 slightly below par as we were seeded third. Only in 2008 qualifying did we do that well.
That's all a bit hypothetical. Even if it had gone to court, there's a good chance they'd have thrown it out- the Law ignores trivia.
Not only would they have needed to have got lost between Dublin andI'm of the opinion that is generally claimed that the German pilots got their navigation wrong
Liverpool- but also fail to spot the difference between an east- and west-facing coastline. Maybe the Luftwaffe crew forgot their compass that night?
You what? Listen, have a word with IFK. He had some drugs available up-thread; you clearly need to change yours.The IFA (and FIFA) should be very grateful to Dev - the IFA would probably have had to spend their cash on rebuilding IFA HQ & Windsor, rather than bailing out FIFA
Theoretically, I suppose he could. In practice, already being a full NI international suggests he won't.So Cory Evans could be declaring for England then?
Last edited by Gather round; 11/12/2009 at 1:51 PM.
he could - but won't.
Very proud Northern Irish family, the Evans
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...
Perhaps you'd care to list our competitve away wins over decent opposition eg the top 2 seeds in the group.
Last one I can think of is Scotland 1987 (and they may have been 3rd seeds). Before that let me see Czechoslovakia 1967. Before that you'd be grasping at straws to include an amateur Denmark side in 1957.
We did however beat Northern Ireland 4-0 in 1994 although they were probably 4th seeds.
Northern Ireland haven't beaten any decent teams away from home either in competitive games if you don't count Spain, West Germany, Romania & Bulgaria.
We beat France away in our last game
I said "recent memory". But quote results from the early 1980s and nitpick all you want.Northern Ireland haven't beaten any decent teams away from home either in competitive games if you don't count Spain, West Germany, Romania & Bulgaria.
Your memory struggles with a game 23 days ago? On second thoughts, don't give the drugs to Janey Mac, take them yourself.
A game of football is 90 mins. What was the score after 90 mins? Extra time and penalties are used to decide which team progresses to the next round. We won the game but lost in extra-time.
If Crusaders beat Newry tomorrow 1-0 after 90 mins - will you accept that as a victory or will you ask for an extra 30 mins to played?
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