Darren Fletcher half Irish.

[tricky_colour]

I didn't realise this. Its a shame he declared for Scotland though,
a team world ranked 63rd and hammered 6-0 by Holland IIRC.

http://www.manutdzone.com/playerpage...enFletcher.htm


"Fletcher was so good a prospect that Roy Keane tried to use his
Irish mother as a means to make him play for the Republic of Ireland."

[HarpoJoyce]

"Fletcher was so good a prospect that Roy Keane tried to use his
Irish mother as a means to make him play for the Republic of Ireland."

What exactly did Roy do or threaten to do to Darren's Mum to make him declare for Rep. of Irl?

[dynamo kerry]

old news surely - fletcher made his choice ages ago

[gmani]

old news surely - fletcher made his choice ages ago

yeh your right that's very old news ............

[Plastic Paddy]

yeh your right that's very old news ............

Oh, easily as old as the news that Wayne Rooney has declared for England. You seemed to miss out on that though. No, hold on, Fletcher can still change countries, like all the others you've yet to name. Can't he?

Gillipolas.

PP

[tricky_colour]

Well you can take the **** but I never realised he was half Irish,
I mean Fletcher is a very English name (for an arrow maker I think).

Obviously some people's names lead you to believe they are Irish or
of Irish orgin, Danny Murphy for example.

I wonder how long before a Paddy O'Reilly plays for England?

And Rooney is another fine Irish name, but for the famine he would be
playing for Ireland instead of Morrison!!

Hows about that then?

[NeilMcD]

Fair play to Fletcher he played for the country that he wanted to play for and the one he feels proud to represent and did not use international football as a career move. To be honest if someone declares for us, that is all well and good but I dont think we shoudl go down the road of chasing every guy with half irish roots to play for us. I think we are doing well now as we seem to have a team which has been brought up in Ireland and at least been coached by Irish coaches etc. I am not saying that we should turn are back on 2nd genearation Irish or anything of the sort but I do think it is healthy that the majority of our 1st team is now born and bred Irish and the most talented ones have been born here. If this can then be supplemented by the likes of Kilbane and Breen who wear the Irishness on their sleeve and are very proud to be Irish that is what we want from our international side.

[Duncan Gardner]

Wayne Rooney's a spit for my old man at the same age- he'd be playing for NI

[tiktok]

Wayne Rooney's a spit for my old man at the same age

Hope you got your looks from your mum so DG

[Junior]

Its a shame he declared for Scotland though,
a team world ranked 63rd and hammered 6-0 by Holland IIRC.

I don't think this should be a factor in deciding the country you wish to play for, do you???

[tricky_colour]

I don't think this should be a factor in deciding the country you wish to play for, do you???

Well perhaps not, but if you have duel nationality how do you make the decision.

If you had an Irish father, Scotish mother and were born in Wales but
live in England who would you play for?

You have to base your desicion on something, and you chances
of playing or winning are going to probably be a factore for some people.

[tricky_colour]

Fair play to Fletcher he played for the country that he wanted to play for and the one he feels proud to represent and did not use international football as a career move. To be honest if someone declares for us, that is all well and good but I dont think we shoudl go down the road of chasing every guy with half irish roots to play for us. I think we are doing well now as we seem to have a team which has been brought up in Ireland and at least been coached by Irish coaches etc. I am not saying that we should turn are back on 2nd genearation Irish or anything of the sort but I do think it is healthy that the majority of our 1st team is now born and bred Irish and the most talented ones have been born here. If this can then be supplemented by the likes of Kilbane and Breen who wear the Irishness on their sleeve and are very proud to be Irish that is what we want from our international side.

I have Irish parents and grandparents, however I was born in England.
I don't have one drop of English blood in me.
If I played for England I would put the ball into the back of my own net.

[lopez]

I have Irish parents and grandparents, however I was born in England.
I don't have one drop of English blood in me.
If I played for England I would put the ball into the back of my own net.

I'm still waiting for my call up for England as well. Thought I had a chance in Turkey with that threatened strike. What is the world record for the fastest ever own-goal?

[Junior]

Well perhaps not, but if you have duel nationality how do you make the decision.

If you had an Irish father, Scotish mother and were born in Wales but
live in England who would you play for?

easy, Ireland

Lopez is yer man - what did it for you Lopez??

You have to base your desicion on something, and you chances
of playing or winning are going to probably be a factore for some people.

I know the point you are making, but I would suggest the person in the above situation would have an affinity, love, natural inclination to be of one nationality over the others. I remember the first time I checked in to a hotel on my own and feeling very proud when I could fill in 'Irish' under the 'nationality question' (i've since learn't that no ****er fills that bit in !!!).

So I stand by my point that it shouldn't be a career decision, I would argue that the decision in 99% of times was made a long time before that.

Jnr

[tricky_colour]

I'm still waiting for my call up for England as well. Thought I had a chance in Turkey with that threatened strike. What is the world record for the fastest ever own-goal?

Actually on the only occasion I got to play for my school team
(I was a late developer), I managed to put the ball into the back
of my own net

T'was my first and last game

I was playing left-back although I was right footed, and the best I could
do with their nippy right winger was to block his cross and give away
a corner.

They won several corners but nothing ever came of them so I was happy
to give them away after that, however the captain was a little concerned
and told me to bring the winger inside.

Brilliant!! I brought the winger inside, but he passed outside to
the right back, who fired in a low pass pass across the goal which the winger
was ready to stick into the back of the net.

Of course I stuck out my leg to block the pass and put the ball into
my own net to save the winger the trouble!!!!

Apart from that I thought I had a good game (made one assist ).

I think it was my school games 45 yard shot from about the halfway line which ended up in the top right corner which earned my place though.

One of the best goals I have ever seen! (Honest) It went in like a rocket, partly due to the gale blowing behind me!!!

If only I had chosen a careering in football over engineering!!

Keano would have struggled for a place with me in the squad!!!! (dreams...)

[lopez]

Lopez is yer man - what did it for you Lopez??

Talk about putting me on the spot. Actually I have closer links with Spain (visited the mother's home town a lot more as a kid, more relatives I know live there (my Irish relatives mostly lived in Maaan-chester), watched football in Spain before Ireland, prefer to lie in the sun of Andalucia than the rain of West Cork when I retire) which is surprising. Anyway to redeem myself I'm in my Spain shirt tonight cheering them on against those Lusitos hijos de putas. Sometimes being of mixed heritage has its advantages.