Or maybe they just wanted something "officially green" for St. Patrick's Day?
I was in Lilywhites, a big sports shop in Piccadilly Circus, yesterday buying an Irish jersey for my 5 year old beacuse last year his teachers gave out to me for not sending him to school in a Irish shirt on Paddy's Day.
The footy dept. has 100s of teams' shirts. There were two guys, very Eastern European, and all they wanted was an Irish shirt.
They were arguing over the home or away shirt, and like 2 girls they were holding the shirts up over their torsos and looking for an opinion from the other. I was trying to point out to one of them that the eircom logo on the home shirt was out of date but he literally hadn't a word of English.
My guess is that maybe they were McGeady fans. Too early for Macedonia.
Or maybe they just wanted something "officially green" for St. Patrick's Day?
There is no such thing as a miracle cure, a free lunch or a humble opinion.
Was in a Singapore at the weekend and went to the "GOAL" shop. It had both Ireland home and away shirts and both are sponsorless. It's a proper shop btw not a knock-off place.
Saw a lot of people down in Australia with Ireland shirts, including that Orange one of the McAteer high kick in Macedonia vintage.
Not entirely relevant, but thought it was strange when I noticed it at the time. It's a collection of the World Press Photo winners 2010, but check out the Thai anti-government protester in photo eight wearing what I'm pretty certain is a Meath GAA polo shirt: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12428938
I was in Minami-Matsumoto train station in Matsumoto city about 5 years ago, and going out of the station I saw boy of about 12 wearing an Ireland away shirt. I told him I was Irish, and asked him why he was wearing the shirt and if he liked the Irish team. Sad to say, he looked warily at me for a few seconds, looked at his friend, and they both turned and walked away.
Saw a Korean lad wearing a fairly recent (Euro 2008 quals) Irish jersey a few months back. I asked my 6th grade kids today about football, and was interested to find out that they've heard of Darron Gibson but not John O'Shea!
I don't even bother asking people over here in Ireland shirts if they're Ireland fans anymore, the story is always the same. Its either "XXXXXX brought it back for me" or "Yeah" and then after a follow up question "oh, I don't know, I just like playing with them in FIFA." Often a combination of the two.
My Guarantee
Am looking for old Irish matches on VHS, PM me if you have some and I'll upload them here
Strange is how Mike Walsh of Everton ever got his one cap for Ireland. He made Paul Butler's solitary performance look brilliant and at one point he pulled on the ball and nearly removed an opposition player's head. How he got called up remains one of life's great mysteries!
Strange is how we had Mike Walsh and Mickey Walsh in the Irish squad at the same time.
Mike Walsh joined Everton in 1981 in exchange for Seamus McDonagh and £90k. 3 years later he was playing for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
Mickey Walsh played 21 times for Ireland and was responsible for the magnificent winner against Russia in 1984 and a fantastic knee-sliding celebration afterwards. He also won the English league's goal of the season in 1975 (see below).
I just took the excuse of a Mike Walsh reference to sneak that in.
"There's man all over for you, blaming on his boots the fault of his feet" - Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot
No excuses needed. What about his winner against Russia too?
Bookmarks