QuoteIs there not an 'aitch in that word normally?Originally Posted by Not Brazil
I think a big swing is needed.
You confuse aspirations with realities.
http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2010/Polit.../NIRELND2.html
Anytime you want with that Border Poll.
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 there not an 'aitch in that word normally?
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
This is pretty disingenuous. If an All-Ireland team were to happen, it would result in the abolition of the NI side AND the ROI side. It would be the end of two footballing identities and the start of a new one.
Why do you keep framing the argument as if it's the Republic trying to rub the North out??
1. No
2. (Sort of)
3. Yes
4. No
In answer to question two there is the possibilty there will be no NI team in ten years time. Or Scotland or Wales. There could be a UK team. With the very real possibility of no Northern Ireland born players getting into a UK squad. Might seem far fetched today but the major club sides hold the real power now. They might demand a two or even three tier system for international football (not too unlike cricket).
Yeah but they were only friendlies. I think it would be cool if they played some qualifying games out of Dubs. Like the Italians were scared to play us so they made us travel to ****e Bari. When they are confident, they play in Roma. We could do the same. We should have made the Russkies come to Cork.
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
Do you really think Barcelona or Internazionale are that bothered whether the mass of small international sides play eight or 10 games a year? Even if they were (or if there were other factors tending to downplay international football, like smaller finals or two-stage qualifying), that doesn't mean the smaller countries will simply vote themselves out.
Heh. The idea has nothing really to do with Barca or Inter etc., does it? Just that old daydream about FIFA insisting on all-British side. They aren't interested, nobody is bar stirrers on this forum and Seb Coe trying to big up his Olympic youth football tournament.There could be a UK team. With the very real possibility of no Northern Ireland born players getting into a UK squad
What other merged teams do you envisage- Scandinavia, Yugoslavia, Iberia, Gondwanaland?
If you follow the Worldwide game, you'll know that in the West Indies there's much talk of doing the opposite, ie the bigger islands playing individually in international tournaments (as they do in football).not too unlike cricket
It wouldn't. All the RoI fans calling for it would expect it to play all its games in the RoI, surrounded by RoI symbolism and inheriting the RoI's past record (all as I explained above). It offers nothing to NI fans and you haven't got the power to enforce it. Nothing but a daydream.
Er, because it is. Stop stirring.Why do you keep framing the argument as if it's the Republic trying to rub the North out??
Limerick's stadium is fine for international friendlies, why not use it? Ditto Cork if it has the facilities. Why the problem with Bari (I've never visited)?
Last edited by Gather round; 19/06/2011 at 2:42 PM.
See what I mean....
I just didn't really like Bari compared to other places in Italy.
The more I think of this conversation the more I wonder if Ireland could play a home game in Belfast. I know it's a silly thing to say. I would be curious to see the reception though. It could be pretty neat. For every person on here saying no, we wouldnt want that I'm sure we could find people who live up there would be happy with that. I have to do a thing with Tony Blair for work this week, I will ask him if I get a chance. Why, I dont know. He just seems to know a lot about that kind of ****.
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
1 - No
2 - No
3 - Yes
4 - No
In truth I find this board oddly obsessive about soccer in Northern Ireland and make constant comparisons and elusions towards a united team. They're a separate squad, operating in their own league with their own association. They're irrelevant to me, this country and this team. Players should have the right to declare for whichever they chose as per the good friday agreement but beyond that I'd be quite happy forgetting the NI team even existed. They're as relevant or interesting to follow as Iceland or Venezuela.
Ulster says 'Not Applicable'
Folding my way into the big money!!!
You'll incur the wrath for that.
Why do you assume this is what ROI fans want??
If it were to happen, it would have to be equitable - i.e. split home games between Dublin and Belfast. Symbolism/Anthems done the same way as Rugby and Cricket - and new record.
Would you still object on these grounds?
Fair enough if you do, but you keep putting words in the mouths of the pro All-Ireland lobby to suit your own argument. None of us want what you say we want.
Out of interest, how do they conduct these polls? I notice the results of another 2010 poll taken as part of the same overall survey that asked, "Which of these political parties do you feel closest to?", read as follows:
Of course, I know it's not the exact same question as straight out asking who one votes or has voted for, but Sinn Féin, for example, took 27% of the vote in the most recent assembly election last month whilst the DUP took 30% of the vote. There doesn't appear to be a huge degree of correlation between the election results and the poll results. Should correlation be expected? Maybe we shouldn't necessarily expect any considering tactical voting can come into play and all that; I don't know.Democratic Unionist Party (DUP): 18%
Sinn Fein: 11%
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP): 16%
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP): 17%
Alliance Party: 10%
Other Party : 3%
None of these: 21%
Other answer: 2%
Don't know: 2%
However, this earlier survey, taken by NILT in 2003, asks the question directly with regard to how people voted in the 2001 Westminster elections and the results don't correlate at all with the actual share of the votes cast. The DUP, and Sinn Féin especially, tallied a much higher percentage of votes (22.5% and 21.7%, respectively) than the survey suggested they would have had (12% and 8%, respectively). Can such surveys really be trusted then as an accurate reflection or cross-section of the entire community in the north?
Naturally, they'll get a bit more attention than other international teams on the board for a few reasons:
- No other association and set of fans have been accusing the FAI of "poaching" eligible Irish nationals with sectarian undertones for the past half a decade.
- There are quite a few northern-born Ireland fans and Ireland fans with northern links or relations on this board, myself included, who feel very strongly that northern-born Irish nationals should be free to declare for Ireland unimpeded because it could potentially impact directly upon them, those they know or players with whom they identify. Naturally, when the IFA try to hinder this right or NI fans try to cast cynicism on the national identity of nationalists, they'll feel compelled to challenge such views on matters. Many south of the border also feel quite strongly about this.
- We faced NI recently in the Carling Nations Cup.
- There is a very significant number of players eligible to play for us who also happen to be eligible to play for the IFA. When discussion arises specific to these players, some of it will inevitably base itself around the prospect of them lining out for us and the accompanying hysterical IFA/OWC moaning that now appears obligatory.
- There are three or four NI fans on this board who post here quite regularly. Their contributions will have the natural effect of colouring the discussion with their own interests and perspectives. Nothing wrong with that. Bit of variety and debate never did any harm.
- An all-Ireland team appears to be a long-held aspiration of many. If such was to be realised, it would have serious implications for the IFA and their team.
- Nigel Worthington is one of the most comical figures in modern international football and certainly knows how to go about doing or saying something that'll spark a good discussion; the recent Alex Bruce story and his "North of Ireland" comment being particular gems.
I don't think the board is obsessive when it comes to NI though. There is reason for the NI-related discussion. Other than that they're as relevant or irrelevant as any other team. I don't think people really engage in comparing the two sides a huge deal, do they? It's not like we gauge the strength conveyed by our own rankings or seedings relative to their positions or anything. If people want to talk about issues with nothing to do with NI, there are plenty of other threads that form the vast majority of threads on this forum where mention of them is unlikely to crop up.
Well, just on that point...Players should have the right to declare for whichever they chose as per the good friday agreement
It has been noted that a sizeable number of respondents to such polls, hide their true voting intentions in order to appear more moderate to the recorder.
Last edited by The Fly; 20/06/2011 at 12:04 AM.
i) Would you like to see an All-Ireland representative football team?
Yes, its where we will eventually end up so we may as well sit down, thrash it out and crack on.
ii) Do you think it will happen in the next 10 years?
Not without a big adjustment to the notion that the FAI side will simply absorb the IFA side, and then carry on. Even then a decade might be pushing it.
iii) Should players born in the north be allowed play in the FAI team?
Yes. And all emerging underage NI internationals should be made aware of their option and how welcome they would be.
iv) Would an All-Ireland team increase the chance of major tournament qualification?
Yes, it would still leave work to do, but of course the player pool and resources of both properly combined would improve the odds.
And, I would be happy to see the new side 're-branded' for want of a better term, so a kinship was felt toward it by both traditions, and sure why not start in pot six and rebuild it from there, the ascent might just be the bonding session required to seal the deal, even if it took a few campaigns, what matters, we are looking at the next 800 years here ....
Last edited by CraftyToePoke; 20/06/2011 at 3:33 AM.
Heh, that's far too reasoned given some of the reactionary drivel that's preceded it....
Variously, it's what
a) they tell me, here, there, and pretty much everywhere
b) I infer from their references to the stadia, the symbolism, the succession etc. as I mentioned above
c) many of the dimmer ones seem to associate wth the merging of two mdiocre teams and a massively better one automatically emerging
Baloney. You (plural if not personally) don't want it to be equitable; we don't want it at all, under any circumstances. It isn't happening.If it were to happen, it would have to be equitable
Do you seriously think RoI fans would look forward to playing games at Windsor, surrounded by thousands of bad-tempered unionists, with God save Big Ears blaring out? Wise up.
Er, yes. It is a consistent theme of mine, alasWould you still object on these grounds? Fair enough if you do
Ha ha, Do you speak for all of that lobby, or are you just putting words in their mouths?you keep putting words in the mouths of the pro All-Ireland lobby to suit your own argument. None of us want what you say we want
Aye, abolition of the NI team would have a fairly serious implication for the team. No ****, Sherlock.
Do you have any actual evidence or argument for this, or just more wishful thinking?
Look, we aren't merging with your footbal team. Go away and stop stirring.
The notion backed by all the evidence, ye mean?Not without a big adjustment to the notion that the FAI side will simply absorb the IFA side
I think they already know how polite and welcoming you are. Of course they'll also know that only 11 places are available in any given football team, and realistically they'll be competing also against players from England, and maybe Scotland.And all emerging underage NI internationals should be made aware of their option and how welcome they would be
Have you been smoking pot six?why not start in pot six and rebuild it from there
See what I mean.
What do you mean?
See the preceding post....
Then say something original?
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