David Connolly

**Fixer82** · 11/03/2015, 10:28 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpsPwxJ-eSg

20 minutes in he talk about being Irish and representing Ireland etc

**CraftyToePoke** · 11/03/2015, 11:06 PM

Interesting, he repeatedly refers to the step up to Feyenoord, and the technical skill levels he encountered there and the comparisons to passing training there Vs training & passing drills in England.

**DannyInvincible** · 11/03/2015, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by Fixer82

Connolly was injured at the time.
Not the first or last player Givens ever fell out with.
Why Givens felt the need to go public with this when he was a caretaker manager needs to be questioned also. Trying to make a name for himself. Never liked him.

Was he definitely injured? Givens' version of events (as outlined at a press conference in the video I posted) would seem to suggest otherwise; as if Connolly would have accepted a call-up had he been first-choice rather than back-up to another player who got injured and dropped out.

Givens does strike me as a bit of a mouth either way, mind.

**Fixer82** · 12/03/2015, 7:12 PM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Was he definitely injured? Givens' version of events (as outlined at a press conference in the video I posted) would seem to suggest otherwise; as if Connolly would have accepted a call-up had he been first-choice rather than back-up to another player who got injured and dropped out.

Givens does strike me as a bit of a mouth either way, mind.

I remember this well at the time. Connolly's manager at Wimbledon (was it Wimbledon he was with then? Leicester?) came out saying he would never turn down a chance to play for Ireland but he'd gotten injured that weekend and had stitches in his ankle.

I think I remember Givens getting involved with a row over Anthony stokes too when it really had nothing to do with him.
And a few other players who's names don't spring to mind

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 12/03/2015, 7:20 PM

Fell out with Chris McCann too.

**DannyInvincible** · 12/03/2015, 7:21 PM

Originally Posted by Fixer82

I remember this well at the time. Connolly's manager at Wimbledon (was it Wimbledon he was with then? Leicester?) came out saying he would never turn down a chance to play for Ireland but he'd gotten injured that weekend and had stitches in his ankle.

I think I remember Givens getting involved with a row over Anthony stokes too when it really had nothing to do with him.
And a few other players who's names don't spring to mind

Does that mean Givens was embellishing or completely fabricating the claimed content of their conversation? Why would he do that?

If not, and if Connolly was injured, why would he say those things to Givens if he wasn't available anyway?

**Fixer82** · 12/03/2015, 7:32 PM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Does that mean Givens was embellishing or completely fabricating the claimed content of their conversation? Why would he do that?

If not, and if Connolly was injured, why would he say those things to Givens if he wasn't available anyway?

I'd say the truth is in the middle somewhere.
Maybe Connolly was a bit smart with him but a simple bit of diplomacy and man management would have seen there was no trouble.
At the time, I got the impression that Givens didn't like Connolly (perhaps because of something to do with Connolly when he was an underage player?) and anticipated an awkward phonecall and got exactly what he expected/wanted.
If Givens didn't have such a bad track record I wouldn't have been so quick to jump to Connolly's defence at the time.
I believe he fell out with many players when he was the U-21 manager.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 12/03/2015, 7:33 PM

Fell out with Owen Garvan as well.

**DannyInvincible** · 12/03/2015, 7:42 PM

Originally Posted by Fixer82

If Givens didn't have such a bad track record I wouldn't have been so quick to jump to Connolly's defence at the time.
I believe he fell out with many players when he was the U-21 manager.

I think you're right. I've always had the impression he was a very inept man-manager.

**tetsujin1979** · 12/03/2015, 8:52 PM

wasn't there something with Alan Judge as well?

**CraftyToePoke** · 12/03/2015, 10:11 PM

I'm with Connolly on this one, Givens has too much previous.

**OwlsFan** · 13/03/2015, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

Fell out with Owen Garvan as well.

Don't let Stuttgart see you referring to Owen Garvan. He had high hopes for him and now the very mention of his name pains him.

**Yard of Pace** · 13/03/2015, 10:14 AM

Garvan, Stokes and Judge, though.....not exactly saints if you believe what you read.

Not a fan of Givens, mind. Though his da hurled for Limerick so he maybe gets a bit of a pass off me....!

**OwlsFan** · 13/03/2015, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by Yard of Pace

Garvan, Stokes and Judge, though.....not exactly saints if you believe what you read.

Not a fan of Givens, mind. Though his da hurled for Limerick so he maybe gets a bit of a pass off me....!

Anyone who scored a hat trick against the Soviet Union and 4 (yes 4) against Turkey, can't be all bad. Don't mind them, Don, I still love you.

As an aside, has anyone else ever scored 4 for Ireland in a game?

**DeLorean** · 13/03/2015, 1:17 PM

Republic of Ireland national football team (Wikipedia)

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

On 25 February 1934, the Irish Free State made their FIFA World Cup debut, drawing 4–4 with Belgium at Dalymount Park in a 1934 World Cup qualifier. Paddy Moore scored all four of the Free State's goals and became the first player ever to score four goals in a FIFA World Cup game.

**Charlie Darwin** · 13/03/2015, 4:47 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

wasn't there something with Alan Judge as well?

And Steven Ireland. Although we can't hold that against him. Fairly sure there were a few others too.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 13/03/2015, 5:33 PM

Pretty sure Givens fell out with Treacy too.

And these are just the ones we know about.

**geysir** · 14/03/2015, 7:15 PM

My impression of him was of a dedicated professional, I liked him, he was a stylish crafted player, bottom 1/4 of the epl to upper championship standard.

As regards the WC play-off, kick into the player on the ground, I felt a similar frustration as Connolly at the time so I can't criticise him for that, I just could understand it at that very second, why he impulsively did it on a player milking a run of the mill tackle for all it was worth, when we were frantic to keep the ball moving.

**Ol� Ol�** · 14/03/2015, 8:29 PM

Originally Posted by Fixer82

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpsPwxJ-eSg

20 minutes in he talk about being Irish and representing Ireland etc

Cracking little anecdote in there about Jim Beglin. For those who haven't watched the video, Connolly asserts his Irishness and goes on to say that he supported Ireland growing up and supported Liverpool because they had Irish players. Such a supporter was he that at 8 years of age Connolly wrote a letter to Jim Beglin asking for his autograph. Beglin sent back two tickets to a Liverpool game. Little did Beglin know that he was sending tickets to a future Ireland international...

**Charlie Darwin** · 16/03/2015, 11:44 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

My impression of him was of a dedicated professional, I liked him, he was a stylish crafted player, bottom 1/4 of the epl to upper championship standard.

As regards the WC play-off, kick into the player on the ground, I felt a similar frustration as Connolly at the time so I can't criticise him for that, I just could understand it at that very second, why he impulsively did it on a player milking a run of the mill tackle for all it was worth, when we were frantic to keep the ball moving.

Did Givens drop you for Glenn Crowe too?