already here
great post ! I couldnt agree more. The same scum that were shouting abuse are probably calling for a UI team now because Norn Iron is doing so crap for the last 1/4 of century.As for an All-Ireland football team, there is no way I will share my national team with those who abused Paul McGrath and Packie Bonner in Windsor Park in 1993.
What has the republic of ireland to gain from all of this exactly ? its a lose lose situation for us. Someone in favour please point it out
Them same people who pushed Neil Lennon out..Originally Posted by thejollyrodger
great post ! I couldnt agree more. The same scum that were shouting abuse are probably calling for a UI team now because Norn Iron is doing so crap for the last 1/4 of century.
What has the republic of ireland to gain from all of this exactly ? its a lose lose situation for us. Someone in favour please point it out
The best player on the team..
Whats the saying biting off your nose to spite you face..
We have nothing to gain from it an I would say the majority of the country would be against it
anyone born in the 6 counties can have a british or irish passport.
players qualify for northern Ireland by actually being born there,as opposed to the actual passport.
although anyone with a british passport can play for n.i., the FAs of scotland england wales and norn iron all have an agreement that they wont use players from each others nations, unless they have a proper fifa-approved connection to that country, realtions/family etc. as opposed to the possibility of one country poaching british passport holders from all the countries all over the u.k.
Is it true that Wales were weighing up a move for Carlo Cudicini last year as he was living in England 5 years and had never represented Italy or England?
I love the way ROI take players from NI, England and Scotland with utter disregard for the respective associations.
"Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe." Dillo
I don't see the point in a cross-state team. Why would two different nations cross a state boundary to form a national team? It would be nothing more than a marriage of convenience. The whole home nations thing is a bizarre anomaly which predates FIFA and is only really tolerated because of that. National teams should stick to states and nations within states in extrenuating circumstances but this makes no sense.
Good point. I think I was more getting at people who are against the idea because the North have no good players or because we'd lose our identity or other silly reasons. It's sad to see how little respect people have for our national history when they can say things like a unified Irish team would take away from our national identity.
northern protestants would be dead against it anyway so its all a non starter.
What about the rugby though? My (very limited) rugby knowledge is that rugger is more a Protestant game up there? No problems with the one team though.
Anyone considering a joint team after what they did during the WC qualifiers in 1993 should be ashamed.... Not in a Billion Years... no f**king way!
Even if they had all the best players and we had nothing, i wouldnt change my mind.
I dont agree with a United Ireland rugby team and playing that stupid song...
If we ever govern Northern Ireland, fine.. but until then....
there is still a bit of agro about rugby. Namely that the Irish national anthem is played at all. The other problem is the flag be flown.
don't see any big loss in terms of uefa influence. a few less suits might get to go on holiday but other than that...
as for the UK factor. ask a scottish person where they're from. most of them and the welsh have a separte national identity from the english.
NI and ireland merging teams is a completely different kettle of fish to scotland wales and england merging.
I'm not pushed myself but I'd love to see a unified league and the end result of that would probably be a unified team. but it's all at least 10 years away anyway at which point the general consensus will have changed anyway
I think the remark was made acknowledging that aside from the obvious politics and seciurity involved it would be nice to see.
I do think though that allot of people would change their tune if NI had a Damian Duff at their disposal, but they obviously don't so it's easy to dismiss the idea and cite history/politics etc as the reason.
From a purely footballing perspective I have to amit it's something I think about from time to time. Hypathetically I try to assess who'd be an asset to our current set up, as has been done already on this thread.
There's too much sh1te involved though, so it won't happen any time soon...
now since we are on the subject anyone know what will happen if london gets the olympics? it seems that the host nation automatically qualify for the olympics so it seem like great britian will have to put in a football team. this could lead to a big problem, since most of the players will be english anyway. what will happen if they refuse to put in a footy team will this hamper there chances of getting the olympics?
Yes. I've heard Jeffrey Donaldson say as much. [sorry if this has stepped over the politics line]
A united team would be the way to go. We shouldn't look at it from the point of view of "what players would we gain?" - This is narrow minded and misses the point.
The real reason this would make sense is because almost every single other sport one can think of is organised on an all-Ireland basis.
Although the Germanies and the Koreas did't merge their teams (while they maintained separate juristictions), it wouldn't have been unnatural. Essentially what the two Irelands, two Germanies and two Koreas have in common is that they are countries divided by ideology, but the same country nonetheless. Its not like we're trying to Merge with Wales, or Bulgaria with Romania, just to gain some advantage!
On where they might play, I woundn't have a problem with sharing the matches around the cities - two games in Dublin for every one in Belfast (maybe even some games in Cork if we ever get a suitable stadium!)
What about sharing your team with the scumbags who jeered the Rangers players at Lansdowne? or the Bohs fans who chanted abuse at Lee Feeney only last week?? Scumbags are scumbags and they appear everywhere. Don't forget that these are not the only people in Northern Ireland, they are not representative of general opinion. The ones that came to Windsor in '93 were hooligans intent on trouble, NOT football fans.
You're confusing the concepts of nation and state. There are two different states on this island, but neither one has a monopoly on the concept Ireland, even though Free-staters seem to think they do!
If France and Germany wanted to join together THAT would be a marriage of convenience!
too true
From a football perspective, we've nothing to gain currently but if you go back a couple of years, Northern Ireland were a respected team and teams genuinely feared going to Windsor Park because they knew the team was going to be tough. Who's to say they won't start producing again?
Before people take a moral high ground on their supporters, consider the booing Rangers players get in Lansdowne...Those in Windsor Park booing that night were scum but there is plenty of scum in Lansdowne too.
Aside from football, there are plenty of gung-ho Young Irelanders on this site who seem to be completely against this as it will destroy our identity and we'll lose our anthem and our flag.
Surely, in the face of the entire Anglo-Irish history, a few things stand out. Firstly, if a few colours on a flag and a few verses of song are the only things we have to give up to get a peaceful united Ireland, it can't be that bad?
Secondly, surely the identity that nationalists aspire to is one of a united Ireland of different peoples and not a Catholic one of tricolours and Soldier's Songs calling people to arms to knife the Brits?
Sport and politics will always be linked and if they have managed to maintain a united Ireland rugby team, I don't see why any nationalist on this site would be against a united Ireland football team. Just my two cents...
The (English) FA would never let this happen as they would lose a valuable vote at FIFA/UEFA Congress.
They can currently count on 5 votes - England, Scotland, Wales, N.Ireland and of course Rep.of Ireland. We would always vote with them as it affects our players in their league.
Best is a fcuking idiot. Can't think why anyone should take him seriously.
He's talkin the gargle again
The gob****e believes 'a united side could be a force if they pooled their resources'. How the hell did he come up with that one.
Can't quite see brunt partnering keane in the middle or jones doin us any favours up front.
Never eat yellow snow!!
You get all sorts of people at every match and some find it accecptable to Boo and jeer other players because of their religion, colour and team they play for... Like we saw coming from our fans towards Rangers players and against Ronaldo This is disgraceful and I personally would not jeer a player unless it was called for ( by him playing in and unsporting manner, diving, bad tackles ect)...
I am completely against a united Ireland team because firstly it would be of no advantage to us at the moment, but if they did have top class players to offer I would still be against it... We would loose our Identity as a nation..
you say loosing a few colours on a flag and a few verses of a song wouldn't be that bad.. If they take that away from us what do we have left
I find you comments ignorant and highly offensive.. just hope your in the minority in this country otherwise were fu*ked
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