Unless you are indulging in irrelevant trivia, your question is a red herring, as it isn't about the republic, it's about irish nationals born in the dual national north.
Nationality is the compulsory criteria for playing international football
The dual nationality status in the north is a constitutionally agreed principle, agreed by 85%? of the people on the island.
The comedy continues...
My bad. Fixed.
Last edited by ArdeeBhoy; 13/08/2011 at 9:35 PM.
Link's broken: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sp...-16034655.html it is.
Love this line from Gerry:
Translation: "They didn't have a hope of getting a game."“Players have gone to the Republic and come back to Northern Ireland because they didn’t like it.
A fight to secure loyalty?
Surely the IFA would be better off figuring out why the likes of James McLean doesn't want to play for their representative team?
Because heretofore they've managed to ignore it.
Indeed. Given that he's already played for our U-21 team seven times as an adult.
If Armstrong, or anyone, can address the problem of players effectively retiring (whether or not they have a realistic chance of playing for the RoI's senior team) it must be a good thing.
Surely we already know.
And who's "retiring" ??
As he was already part of the IFA's set up why would he have quit that to needlessly get involved with the FAI's?
Playing for the U21's again and again wasn't going to affect his eligibility for his senior National team so there's nothing to be gained by him quitting that set up at all.
The next stage is what really matters.
He was called into a squad for a team he had no intention of ever playing for.
Was he informed of his selection before the announcement? I doubt it. But even at that it seems like he did have to make a decision which took him 3 days. Why would we expect him to rush into it?
You get to play competitively once and then you're tied. It's not a decision to be taken lightly.
The apoplectic nature of OWC fans responses to young Nationalists choosing to play for their country is quite something and doesn't lend itself to reversing this so called trend.
I wonder if the choices were between Scotland and the statelet would they react so vehemently against the decision to play for Ecosse.
I was engaging AB regarding his, spurious, assertion that all players at that level had a choice - clearly, that it not the case.
I am wholly aware of the choices avasilable to Northern Irish born, dual nationals.
I'm glad you agree with me that nationality is the compulsory criterion for playing international football - I was told earlier in the thread, repeadedly, that this fact was "wrong".
Such dual nationality was the case long before circa 85% of this island (who voted) constitutionaly rubber stamped it.
As I have consistently, and repeadedly, stated - given the outworking of the FIFA Eligibility Statutes, I want the IFA to concentrate the core of their development in players whose ambition is to further their career with Northern Ireland at senior international level - and to weed out those who do not harbour such ambitions.
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...
Paul Rowan has a piece in the Sunday Times about how "more must be done to stem the flow" of Irish nationals playing for the Irish national team. He doesn't seem to make much of a point.
End Apartheid Now! One Team in Ireland!
I don't know. Maybe he's confident of getting senior RoI caps, maybe he's getting a bit carried away by his transfer to England.
I'm talking about what's lost, not gained. For him, likelihood international football quite soon, for the NI side a useful squad member.there's nothing to be gained by him quitting that set up at all
Both stages matter.The next stage is what really matters
How do you know? Apart from the U-21 caps, were he as adamant as you claim presumably he'd have called NW immediately to correct any misunderstanding. Rather than wasting time for three days.He was called into a squad for a team he had no intention of ever playing for
There'd be no need if (as you suggest above) he'd already made the decision.Why would we expect him to rush into it?
Present company excepted, I hope? I'm quite sanguine about it. Although of course I'm disappointed by young NI players abandoning NI to play for other countries, particularly when they've already amassed numerous U-21 caps. And most irritatingly when they ar*se about, like McClean did after the squad was announced.The apoplectic nature of OWC fans responses to young Nationalists choosing to play for their country is quite something
Maybe not. I'm content to see how Armstrong gets on. And unlike some I'd prefer the IFA to have a good working relationship with the FAI. Even the latter continue to pick already capped NI players for their teams.and doesn't lend itself to reversing this so called trend
Ha ha. I imagine they'd be equally irritated; I certainly would. The closest recent, comparable example shows Scottish fans reacting thus when a couple of young players left for the RoI.I wonder if the choices were between Scotland and the statelet would they react so vehemently against the decision to play for Ecosse
The "next stage" is that players thus minded have no stage with the IFA at Under 21 level - if they have "no intention" of ever playing for the senior team, they should be ignored or weeded out of our ranks.
If you don't want to carry through to senior international level, get out...now!
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...
Nothing new to rehash then??
Presumably none of the North's fans complain when players eligible for them come in the other direction from other, er, jurisdictions....Although of course I'm disappointed by young NI players abandoning NI to play for other countries, particularly when they've already amassed numerous U-21 caps. And most irritatingly when they ar*se about, like McClean did after the squad was announced.
You mean players that are Eligible...And unlike some I'd prefer the IFA to have a good working relationship with the FAI. Even the latter continue to pick already capped NI players for their teams.
Like who, exactly?The closest recent, comparable example shows Scottish fans reacting thus when a couple of young players left for the RoI.
Armstrong's remit also involves scouring Australia, America, Britain etc.. looking for anyone with a link to the IFA team.
Is there any point in the IFA employing someone to persuade a few Northern born players to stay within the IFA set-up when their focus is firmly on bringing in players born from outside.
For example, half the North's U21 team that played on Wednesday night were born in England.
I saw a quote a couple of days ago from a family member of a player from the North who has opted to play for Ireland, who said that most of these young lads have never heard of Gerry Armstrong.
The IFA still don't seem to get it!
Last edited by co. down green; 14/08/2011 at 1:44 PM.
Don't be silly. Their focus will always be mainly players from inside. Although they realise the need to be flexible and look outside too. I'd prefer we didn't cap people with England U-19 and U-21 caps, as I've said here repeatedly, but clearly that's a minority view now.
Ha ha. Doesn't your mate or his young friends watch TV?a family member of a player from the North who has opted to play for Ireland, who said that most of these young lads have never heard of Gerry Armstrong
Surely like most teams they'll take whoever's Eligible from wherever??
And 'Repeatedly', surely not...
Bar the 25th anniversary of their last WCF appearance in the last month or, why would most teenagers have heard of GA?Doesn't your mate or his young friends watch TV?
With respect to him, he was hardly George Best or even David Healy...
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