Why would a Geordie be wearing a Dundalk scarf...
Why would a Geordie be wearing a Dundalk scarf...
I don't know AB, that's why I was asking the question.
I despair. While Ireland are not producing top quality players, "Shane Long and Seamus Coleman were accidents".
http://www.theguardian.com/football/these-football-times/2014/aug/29/ireland-irish-players-premier-league
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
Accidents in the sense that Ireland doesn't have any plan/system in place to maximise the raw potential of a huge number of young players.
From the article:
Ireland is a small country – the Republic has a population of just over 4.5m – and thus the talent pool is comparatively shallow. However, unlike bigger countries, Ireland’s population is largely centralised and therefore the condition is ripe to introduce a centralised development plan. Uruguay, a country that mirrors Ireland in this sense, albeit with a stronger footballing identity, has done so in recent years. There is a clear, cohesive structure and development plan from youth to senior football, when the best players will be exported. Irish football by comparison is fractured.
I saw your response in there Nigel!
Osarusan is right though, there is still huge numbers playing. It's easily enough to work with. You never know though, maybe the changes already made will bear fruit sometime. I've heard a lot of people saying coaching is more enlightened now but that it takes time for these things to show through. The Scots were moaning two years ago and now they're feeling good about themselves.
The FAI getting a grip on the game, breaking down the factions and joining it all up is the main thing that needs to be done, plus investment in coach education.
I think Nigel's retort in the Guardian is way too simplistic, and we have to look at how the world works nowadays. A few or even a lot of extra bods through the turnstiles will make minimal difference. TV money is where clubs get most of their income to pay good players. Our TV market is miniscule.
I fully respect tradition but I'm more desperate for Irish football and other lesser countries to play more of a role in the continental media phenomenon that is modern football. If opening up cross border leagues outside, say the big 5, or regionalising and or / divisionalising the Europa League or even having a CL for second and third tier countries like the Copenhagen CEO proposed recently, is what may be required I'd have to support it.
This was an interesting article during the week, yet it doesn't even get close to addressing the needs of countries our size:
http://www.espnfc.com/blogs/74/post/...needs-revising
Sorry Nigel, I was referring to your first comment, the response to Shane G. The others I agreed more with.
Last edited by Stuttgart88; 30/08/2014 at 9:58 AM.
The poor lad's getting dog's abuse for "employing negative racial stereoypes" and for being a "condescending posh English git" with a "British superiority complex". He appears to be from Dublin.
All based on the first line about visiting the pub, I'd say, which is pretty pointless, like all of the first paragraph really.
Last edited by osarusan; 30/08/2014 at 2:20 PM.
The whole first section of the article was completely needless really.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
I have to say there are merits in both what Nigel and the article says.
The biggest issue with Irish football as Stutts states is the lack of joined up thinking and the feckless attitude of the national association.
Until that changes we'll be going no where.
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This is golden. The guy doing it is taking the **** out of them. "How much did you pay for your ticket?"
http://balls.ie/football/audio-club-...people-prefer/
Last edited by Charlie Darwin; 11/09/2014 at 12:28 AM.
Half of them didn't have a clue. Some guy when asked about when Ireland was last good, started going on about some Euros 7 years ago. I reckon "I was at the 4-1 Danish game" guy was talking through his hoop
Tony Ward bemoaning the fact that fans who go to big time rugby in Ireland have probably never set foot inside an AIL ground and that IRFU's concern with the club game is only limited.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugb...-30583669.html
It's not difficult to equate professional provincial rugby to the place that English football occupies in Irish football fans' affections. I've always thought it's pretty much the same.
Ah now that's totally different. People going to provincial rugby are contributing to the game in the country. People going to watch matches in England are not.
Using us as an example plenty of people travel from outside of Sligo town to watch us. Should they be given out to for not going and watching their local junior club play?
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
I don't fully agree. I think it shows that people are drawn to the biggest attraction. It just so happens that Ireland can stage a big rugby attraction, we can't stage a big football attraction, but the pub can.
Whether they contribute to the domestic game is a byproduct.
The latter part of your response is just silly. Of course they shouldn't. People can watch whatever they want, or contribute to football however they want.
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