Hmm, Beal-feirste, Mid-Tyrone, The 'Black Country' and Ealing spring to mind, to name but four.Originally Posted by Not Brazil
Ha, now that'd be a funny twist.
I didn't raise the issue of FAI camps in Northern Ireland, however, I wholeheartedly agree with you that it is a "stupid idea".
Regarding weeding out (that's two words) players from the IFA set up early, I make absolutely no apology for that.
Those who hold an ambition to represent another Asoociation at Senior level, should not be selected to represent the IFA - very simple.
Their desire to chase their dream with the FAI should be afforded to them at the earliest possible opportunity - by non selection for IFA teams.
The nice thing is, if it doesn't work out with the FAI, they can contact the IFA at a later date with a view to instigating a switch.
This "solution" ensures that such players do not "interfere" with an organisation that does not represent them, or that they feel no allegiance to.
Their "democratic right" to play for their country is not disputed by me. I simply want them to exercise it ASAP, and in the case of those currently representing the IFA who ultimately want to play for the South, I want them weeded out and opportunities afforded to players whose dream it is to represent Northern Ireland at Senior Level.
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...
Would agree with all this bar the issue of FAI training camps in the North.
Nothing wrong with that idea and would wrap up the issue once and for all.
Donegal is well North...handy for the Derry wans too.
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...
It should be easy to do that in the Derry area, no need for selective weeding there, just spray the whole county with a special brand of FAI fungus killer, to put paid to those pernicious Derry weeds.
A proposal which, I'm sure, any logical person would agree with.
Last edited by The Fly; 06/02/2012 at 7:49 PM.
At what age would you see such being instigated?
Age is a distraction.
Here's my proposal. It's not very taxing.
IFA: Is it your wish to represent the Republic of Ireland in international football?
Player: Yes.
IFA: Bye, bye and good luck. Oh, and by the way, if it doesn't work out for you you're more than welcome to switch to our set-up at a later date.
Player: Fair enough. Cheers!
Last edited by The Fly; 06/02/2012 at 8:41 PM.
What happens in the case of this scenario:
IFA: Is it your wish to represent the Republic of Ireland in international football?
Player: Yes.
IFA: Would you consider playing for NI?
Player: No.
IFA: Go on.
Player: No, my ambition is to play for the FAI.
IFA: Ah, c'mon now...
Player: Erm, no, really. I want to play for the FAI.
IFA: Won't you reconsider? Playing for us would put you in the shop window for the FAI anyway.
Player: Meh, OK, I guess. It's still my ambition to play for the FAI, mind.
IFA: No problem, we'll play you until they take an interest in you and you decide to switch.
More fool the IFA.
I always feel that they're perfidious.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Time to crack out the Lough Foyle trivia...
...you know... where the South is North and the North is South!
:O
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Just to tweak that Fly declaration a bit, with a postscript preferably in small type.
Should the player first choose the IFA. There is nothing to prevent the same player, at a later stage changing his mind and declaring for the FAI.
Only one slight problem. FIFA as alluded to above, are unlikely to either agree or enforce this.
There's many many things they've got wrong, but this isn't one of them!
They need to clamp down on (& ideally eliminate) the residency issue far far more;all small counties have got far more to lose from this than whether some Irish people play for two different teams...
It's so parochial it's virtually insignificant on the general scale of things. It's only going to affect 1-2 people at most annually, probably.
To be fair it's of mutual benefit and if they get capped competitively, more fool them. And less so the IFA.
How else would they have got Paddy McCourt et al?
And the age thing is surely some sort of 'restraint of freedom of choice', as in the free to change one's mind. Either way.
Agree or enforce what, exactly?
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...
Of course, the IFA have the "freedom of choice" to select who they wish to represent them at international level - within the framework of FIFA eligibility rules. There is no compulsion upon them to select players with ambitions of representing another Association at Senior International level.
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...
I tend to agree with geysir's objection regarding age restrictions. See below.
RE Fly's suggestion: Should the IFA have done the same with Dale Gorman? Donegal born (I think) and raised, from a family that would support FAI teams, allegedly only playing for IFA teams because the FAI didn't deem him good enough (i.e. he wasn't selected). The IFA are all-too delighted to have him on board, but he would probably switch if the FAI coaches subsequently found him to be good enough. I can't imagine it's his dream to play for the IFA teams.
The IFA doesn't stand to gain much by limiting their team selection that way. All they can do is request a player's service and hope that a player accepts the chance and sticks with them.
End Apartheid Now! One Team in Ireland!
NB it seems you think that international football is purely about the senior men's team. You seem to suggest that players who represent NI at under age level and then switch to the FAI are somehow mercenaries who used and abused the system. What about the success they brought to the underage teams? Have they not been of tangible benefit to the IFA or are they just leaches, who sponged off the system?
When I was 12 and 13, I only had two interests in life, playing sport and girls. It was with age that I figured out who I was, what my identity was and what culture was representative of me. To force a kid make a decision on such an arbitrary question at such a young age is wrong, whatever way you look at it.
And also, like gastric I think your use of the term "weed out" is objectionable and is phraseology that is more synonomous with Slobadan Milosovic and his ilk. I see what you mean, but its just the terminology I take issue with.
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