Quote****ing right on!! Can't wait to see the lad in action again. We could be on to a winner hereOriginally Posted by Éanna
Should ****ing hope so. Its not the kind of thing you should even think about changing your mind on.
****ing right on!! Can't wait to see the lad in action again. We could be on to a winner here
Never eat yellow snow!!
In opting for us, Aiden McGeady demonstrates the special affinity with Ireland that many Celtic supporters feel.I know some hereabouts might not understand it, but believe me, I hear it all the time from fans whenever attending matches at CP.
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Yet more evidence that the lad's head is not for turning
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...nd/3662853.stm
Should ****ing hope so. Its not the kind of thing you should even think about changing your mind on.[/QUOTE]
I don't think we should be under any illusions here folks. This lad has chosen Ireland not because he feels that he is Irish but because he feels that he has a greater chance of having a successful international career with us than he does with Scotland. I don't mean that he wouldn't get a game with them but that he feels because we have a number of better young players than Scotland he has a greater chance of playing in major tournaments if he opts for us. This is all of course going on the assumption that his career takes the path that people are predicting. This is a career move, nothing more nothing less. How would we view it if the fortunes of the two teams were reversed and an extremely highly thought of Irish player opted for Scotland and turned his back on his own country? I know that it's been said that he had trouble with the Scottish FA in the past but for somone so young to turn his back on his country because of the ineptitude of his football asscociation is in my view wrong. After all I'm sure we would like to feel that whichever 11 players are representing Ireland at any given match are doing exactly that, representing Ireland, not just the FAI. People are prepared to ignore all this on the basis that if he fulfills his promise it will suit our purposes but in my view he is making the wrong decision and it's one that if as he says himself, he is Scottish, then it is one which he may regret. Don't get me wrong. If he stays with us I will support him the same as I would any other player as I have with all the other players who have chosen us as a career move but I just feel that people are ingoring his motives on the basis that he has the potential to be a top quality player as opposed to the middle of the road type player that normally opts for us.
that I can understand. Its the neanderthal affinity with Celtic that so many Irish people feel that I can't understandIn opting for us, Aiden McGeady demonstrates the special affinity with Ireland that many Celtic supporters feel.
Think you make a very valid point Paulie. However if he's made a decision to play for Ireland at this young age his afinity for Scotland can't be all that strong either. I know of no 16-18 year old Irish kid who would choose to play for another nation when they could represent Ireland. Although happy with it, I do find his decision baffling. I can only assume he's not a very patriotic Scot and if he can turn his back on them I welcome his decision. Better than the Morrisons of this world IMO, as he could have been playing for Scotland in a few months considering their other options.
Thanks for differentiating, Éanna; let's hope a few more round here will do the same. A quick anecdote to illustrate your point:
My parents spent much of the last ten years living in a ****pot town near Tullamore in Offaly (they had to move away, but that's a whole other story). About five years ago on a St Stephen's Day, I was in one of the local pubs to watch the Old Firm derby. Given that I've got an English accent, I spent most of the game having insults thrown at me for being a "hun", an "English b***ard", et cetera, ad bloody nauseam. Now, I might have taken this ordinarily (I was well outnumbered), but at the time I was a Celtic season ticket holder. I asked one of the ******s who was most vociferous in his abuse had he ever been to Celtic Park, at which one of his mates laughed and replied "he's never been outta Oireland!"
Some Celtic fans. Enough said.
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Those are exactly the sort I'm on about. The point I've made before is: if you're living in Ireland, these people constitute the vast majority of Celtic "fans" you meet, so I do understand why people on this board have a problem with Celtic
[ as he could have been playing for Scotland in a few months considering their other options.[/QUOTE]
If he's going to be as good as people reckon, given our lack of quality strikers (Keane and Duff when he plays there apart) he could be playing for our full team by this Autumn or early next year. With Larsson leaving Celtic he could well be a regular starter with them next season so anything is possible.
Do we get many Scots at Lansdowne?In opting for us, Aiden McGeady demonstrates the special affinity with Ireland that many Celtic supporters feel.I know some hereabouts might not understand it, but believe me, I hear it all the time from fans whenever attending matches at CP.
(I didn't think we did)
Give it 15 years for immigration to kick in...........
<insert witty remark>
Why would we? Surely they'd be supporting their own country. We get a fair few Glaswegian Irish through the gates at LR though.Do we get many Scots at Lansdowne?
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I think its unfair to just assume that he's only joining us because we're better.
Scotland have plenty of good young players too (Fletcher, Kennedy, Marshall, McFadden) so I think they're going too improve in the next year or two.
He used to spend his summers here, he obviously feels an affinity with the country so he's decided to come and play for us. Great!
Stop knocking him, he's getting enough from Scotland fans.
Imagine the abuse he'll get at Ibrox Old Firm games because of this decision.
It's interesting to see the references to Fletcher in those articles. I remember reading about two years ago that Roy Keane was always at him to declare for us. You can't blame him for picking his home country but he would have been a great addition to our squad...
Would he? Only seen the guy a few times, but he didn't look great to me at all
I've seen a lot of him and at the start I shared you're opinion, didn't really see what the fuss was about, but as he's been getting more games under his belt, the Utd fans are starting to see in him what Keane did so long ago.
He's a tenacious tackler, passes well, good on the ball and rarely get's himself in trouble, he basically does all the basic stuff very well. Add the ability to get from box to box with an ability to score a few, take my word for it when I tell you Scotland have a gem.
Ireland have a gem.
I suspect that he would get just as much abuse if he had declared for Scotland from that lot.
I too don't think that this was a career move on his part. If he was older, yes, but he made the descision a couple of years ago when he was essentially a child. Tommy Burns couldn't persuade him (if he had listened to Berti he would surely have been certified) nor could his father. I'm not going to get into a row about what it is to be Irish because I'm in no way qualified to hold an opinion but if he wants to play for Ireland and he qualifies to play for you then good luck to him (with the obvious exceptions).
/Update/
I was speaking to my father this morning and I am way off the mark (surprise surprise). Paulie is right about McGeady thinking about his career first and foremost. According to the auld yin he thinks that he has a much better chance of a big international career with Ireland and has said as much himself. Changed times indeed since the days of Ray Houghton....
Last edited by Jim Smith; 28/04/2004 at 8:18 AM. Reason: Plan Wrong!
don't worry, they couldn't hit an elephant at this dis......
Well from a Scottish perspective -we think the following:
1) the folk that run Scottish football are numpties and should be sacked as this sort of thing shouldn't happen.
2) McGeady is a traitor and has no doubt been influenced by some of the 'Oirish' that have never been to Ireland that frequent Celtic Park.
But our loss is your gain.
I know how you feel mate and I'm sure we'd feel the same if it was the other way around but I hope McGeady doesn't get a hard time over this. I can see him being booed at every away match and I really hope thats not the case otherwise, not only the Scottish team but Scottish football will lose a gem.
Just you wait until he has to play at Mordor in an OF game.I would lay a bet now that those that will give him the most abuse will be among the ones found wearing England shirts at Ibrox.
PP
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