Ciaran Clark D Stoke City b.1989

[ArdeeBhoy]

I can even understand an individual whose parents are Irish may still grow up supporting our national team and even perceiving themselves as Irish if that was the way they were brought up. If this was the case then fair enough but you'd think you'd want to play from ireland from the start instead of seeing how far you could get with England or Scotland or whoever. The ROI offers a somewhat easier route in to international football so there's no reason you'd want to keep playing for England unless this was the country you really wanted to represent.

So no-one ever, can change their mind?? Clearly you know very little about human nature!

And who gives a flying f*ck how tenuous their connection is;If they want to play and do the business, who really cares??

[The Fly]

Barry Bannan sounds like an Irish name, anyone know anything about him(apart from being born in scotland i mean)?

He has 8 caps at under-21 level for Scotland.

[paul_oshea]

Ya but i wonder has he any irish in him...seems fairly dedicated though alright...

[ArdeeBhoy]

Its just been confirmed on BBC Radio 5-live that Clark is indeed starting in midfield.

The pundit for the Brum derby, a Mr.Worthington, that CC wondered might be eligible for the North? It was however suggested that CC's first name & his previous schoolboy affliations made this unlikely!


Though he did claim he was going to approach him in the car park afterwards.
And they have the nerve to suggest we're "the k*ddy fiddlers"!

[Stuttgart88]

his name's spelt correctly, nuff said...

I know a few Clarkes who'd beg to differ

[paul_oshea]

haha stutts....cant beleive i missed that one!

[ArdeeBhoy]

Stutts is right. He knows, trust me.

Without the 'e' is the Scottish spelling.

[mark12345]

What I just love about all the nay sayers on this board (and thankfully there are less of them with the passing days) is that they are as quiet as mice when England call up someone like Bolton's Gary Cahill, who is more than eligible for us. But it's being going on (with them) for decades - Kevin Keegan, Steve McMahon, Martin Keown. Need I go on, there have been many more.

[The Fly]

Stutts is right. He knows, trust me.

Without the 'e' is the Scottish spelling.

His father is Scottish, which may explain the spelling.

[tricky_colour]

What I just love about all the nay sayers on this board (and thankfully there are less of them with the passing days) is that they are as quiet as mice when England call up someone like Bolton's Gary Cahill, who is more than eligible for us. But it's being going on (with them) for decades - Kevin Keegan, Steve McMahon, Martin Keown. Need I go on, there have been many more.

Very true, England have a Rooney playing (albeit crap - lol) for them, you can't a get a more Irish name, plus he has no English blood in him whatsoever.


Anyway I was wondering if Clint Dempsey was eligible for us, he is apparently, or would have been at some point.

[tricky_colour]

I hear Prince Harry has an Irish grandmother

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...1287672397.stm

(lol).

[SwanVsDalton]

I know a few Clarkes who'd beg to differ

Was refering to his first name, I have a personal interest too. But fair shout.

[ArdeeBhoy]

His father is Scottish, which may explain the spelling.

Sorry, but that was your most pointless post ever!


Only joking....

[Adrock]

What I just love about all the nay sayers on this board (and thankfully there are less of them with the passing days) is that they are as quiet as mice when England call up someone like Bolton's Gary Cahill, who is more than eligible for us. But it's being going on (with them) for decades - Kevin Keegan, Steve McMahon, Martin Keown. Need I go on, there have been many more.

I assume this post was meant tongue on cheek, shame on all those mentioned for dishonouring their grandparents though my representing their own homeland

[mark12345]

Dempsey would have been eligible for us. Grew up in Texas of Irish parentage and could have played with a phone call from the Famous Association of Ireland. Mark my words, there are many many other Irish prospects playing in the US. Stands to reason I suppose with 40 million of Irish lineage.

[Charlie Darwin]

Dempsey is as American as they come - I really doubt he'd have been too interested in playing for us, especially as he did his apprenticeship in the US. Conor Doyle from Derby is the opposite - player who's over on his Irish passport and would find it a lot more convenient to attend Ireland games than US ones.

[Adrock]

So no-one ever, can change their mind?? Clearly you know very little about human nature!

And who gives a flying f*ck how tenuous their connection is;If they want to play and do the business, who really cares??

How can it not matter how Irish the Ireland national team is though, surely the point in having a national team is that it represents you as a nation ,not another nation's rejects and third generational offspring of those who left this island for good a lifetime ago or more.
Anyway its also a question of our international credibility. Its bad enough being completely dependent n British clubs to nurture our talent and provide them with a living whilst our own national league remains the most pathetic of any country larger than Dublin, but to be dependent on England and Scotland to provide us with the players to sustain a competitive national team is just embarassing. Football fans from abroad I've met who know anything of our national team tend to find it a matter of amusement that at times half or more of our squad havent ever even lived here. I understand that things arent as bad as they were but these new FIFA rules on switching countires (designed for political reasons to shore up the support of their resident dicatator in chief) are likely to lead to the courting of more and more players who have already opted to represent someone else (sure they might change their minds but not for the most honorable resons) At least Jack's plastics had never pulled on an England shirt before even if they might have wanted to. Its all about pretence anyway this adopt an Englishman business and I think its time people grew out of it to be honest

[CraftyToePoke]

I don't think they realised he was eligible until Richard Dunne tipped them off. Any version of this story I've heard/read credits Dunney.

Richard Dunne is quoted in todays Independent as having become aware of Clarks likely availability last August when he met his parents and heard their accents, it does look more and more like the FAI were blissfully unaware of him until then.

I wonder how many more who dont have an Irish sounding name, and are touted on sites like this, or who dont have a Richard Dunne to do the job of the FAI, are out there?

Whether you agree or not with this type of recruitment to the national side, it is stated FAI policy at present to add depth to the squad using this method and there seems to be a worrying hole in their netting procedure.

[Razors left peg]

Richard Dunne is quoted in todays Independent as having become aware of Clarks likley availability last August when he met his parents and heard their accents, it does look more and more like the FAI were blissfully uaware of him until then.

I wonder how many more who dont have an Irish sounding name, and are touted on sites like this, or who dont have a Richard Dunne to do the job of the FAI, are out there?

Whether you agree or not with this type of recruitment to the national side, it is stated FAI policy at present to add depth to the squad using this method and there seems to be a worrying hole in their netting procedure.

But sure Don Givens is the head scout now, how could anything possibly go wrong ???????

[CraftyToePoke]

But sure Don Givens is the head scout now, how could anything possibly go wrong ???????

Nothing but the same old story eh?