QuoteMcDonnell is one of the journalists who engages properly with people on Twitter so I'm sure he'd be interested if you linked him to your piece. Miguel Delaney from the Examiner posted a link to it on his today so he may have already read it.
Just got round to reading this properly and pretty much agree with the sentiments above. I'm extremely surprised that McDonnell seems to possess such a warped understanding of the eligibility rules. Surely he has at least read the wording of article 15 (now article 5), never mind the other three eligibility articles and the Kearns judgment. He's always impressed me with his adeptness for research and detail, but I don't know what happened here.Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
Is he correct about a gentleman's agreement having been in place whereby players had to remain with the IFA until at least the age of 17? I'd never heard that before. Surely that's not right, but it seems very specific for something he'd have just plucked out of his imagination, if you know what I mean. I still don't see how it could be right though. What age was Gibson when he declared for us? And Paul George? And didn't Ger Crossley appear for our under-16s a decade and a half ago?
Just another thing; no-one at the FAI has ever said that Alex Bruce is or was "surplus to requirements", never mind Trapattoni. People can assume that all they wish, but who's to say he wouldn't have come in handy were we to suffer some future injury crisis in defence or whatever? Who knows when we'd require him? NI fans seem to argue that switching in the direction of the IFA is somehow different to those who switch the other way because the players from whom they generally tend to benefit have been deemed "surplus to requirements" by their original associations, but it is no different in principle or theory. I mean, there's no way of actually judging whether or not a player is surplus to requirements or not unless an association actually comes out and says something on the matter. It's not all that likely in reality, sure, but who can say with any certainty that Bruce won't experience some late-career flourish? Who ever said that Johnny Gorman, for example, was surplus to requirements at the FAI? I'm not arguing that they shouldn't be allowed to switch to the IFA if that's what they want to do, but just highlighting what I perceive to be hypocrisy in the opposing argument.
McDonnell is one of the journalists who engages properly with people on Twitter so I'm sure he'd be interested if you linked him to your piece. Miguel Delaney from the Examiner posted a link to it on his today so he may have already read it.
Never really bothered with Twitter, but I might just have to get round to it.
Also, just noticing the James McClean thread was binned. Could the general eligibility discussion not just have been thrown into this thread?
Perhaps he joined OWC and conducted his research there.
Ahh.....the old chestnut about a gentleman's agreement between the FAI and IFA.
Can anyone verify its existence once and for all, or must it now be declared an urban legend?
What we can say is that we would need to be in real dire straits for Alex Bruce to come in handy.
I think that the GAWA's collective antipathy towards Alex Bruce's newfound willingness to represent Northern Ireland is twofold.
Firstly, the comments he made (below) regarding his initial decision to represent the Republic of Ireland over Northern Ireland...
"I had the choice of both the Republic and Northern Ireland, but to be honest I didn't even know I qualified for the North until they called me up. But I'd very fond memories of USA 94 and the supporters, so when opportunity arose to play for the Republic, it was a very easy decision to make.
"It was a great feeling making my debut for my country, one I'll never forget."
"But I think I'm going to pick the Republic purely because I think they are a better team. That's no disrespect to Northern Ireland."
...left supporters with the impression of being sloppy seconds, or, in this case, tacky thirds - as it's safe to assume that England would have been his first preference.
Secondly, and of equal significance, is the notion that accepting Alex Bruce into the Northern Ireland setup would result in the complete undermining of their supposed moral highground; leaving the IFA open to accusations of hypocrisy, thus removing any remaining vestige of credibility they had over the whole 'poaching' issue, and so on so forth........
Let me be the first to stick my head above the parapet and declare with great degree of certainty that that won't happen.
Last edited by The Fly; 10/08/2011 at 5:10 AM.
Good comments from Steve Davis and Gareth McAuley.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sp...-16034160.html
"If someone has to think about playing for Northern Ireland then we aren't interested (in them)"
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...
Is that a dig at a significant proportion of the current NI squad?
I tweeted O'Donnell about it, saying the article overplays the GFA issue etc. Got no response.
Funny enough on Twitter last night there was a row between Delaney, Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh and Scott Dougal, a deputy sports editor for Press Association, had a barney last night (and continuing this morning). Dougal is on a bit of a wind-up, but Delaney and Ó Raghallaigh have very effectively shut him down. Good to see a couple of journos know their stuff.
Moreover just noticed East Terracer linked Danny's piece to Delaney. His response: '@EastTerracer Christ, that is impressive'.
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
Like who specifically?
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...
Let's start off in the goalkeeper position.
All members of the current Senior squad have committed to Northern Ireland - none of them are there under duress. None of them feel they are doing the IFA a favour. None of them strung the IFA along.
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 Paddy Canadian, Paddy English and Paddy German didn't need to "think" about playing for NI?
Perhaps Gareth was talking primarily about Paddy Northern Irish?
Whatever - his sentiments hit the note.
If a player thinks he can dick the IFA about, he's surplus to requirements.
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...
He didn't say just that though did he? From your previous post, he said:
As pointed out to you above, I'm sure there's players on your team who did have to think twice about playing.If someone has to think about playing for Northern Ireland then we aren't interested (in them)
Not sure what this about, but the Shinners are weighing, in according to Twitter.
BBCGarethG Gareth Gordon
Barry McElduff brands former ROI manager Brian Kerr a disgrace for saying he hadn't made it easy for NI-born players to switch sides.
Don't even know what Kerr's supposed to have said...
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
Like who? Lee Camp?
I can't think of anyone in our Senior squad, born in Northern Ireland, who had to think twice about it.
I can certainly think of players who had to think twice about playing for the South - or maybe three times.
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...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14466118.stm
Maybe the Shinner attending tonight's match might have a bad hair day in protest?
Kerr maybe has an eye on the job.
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...
Ok, in the context of players born in the north, that's different (apart from McGinn perhaps). Your initial quote didn't reference that at all. For players born outside of Ireland, as we all know, I'm sure there's players who play for both of us that have had to think twice about doing so.
Same as he said in the Irish Times a few months ago I think. McElduff should stay out, the last thing anyone wants is this going Stormont. And you're bang on - Kerr's fishing.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14466118.stm
Maybe the Shinner attending tonight's match might have a bad hair day in protest?
Kerr maybe has an eye on the job.
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
Mostly agreed -though since the Faroes drew us in the WC qualifiers I'd say he's keen on sticking around to try and hit the bullseye and make the rest of the dominoes fall like a house of cards. checkmate.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
Degenirated into mud slinging and general WUMerry from Not Brazil. Should be cleaned up and left in place as his dedicated players thread though.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks