How many have gone on to be internationals, played in the big leagues etc?Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Now that's just sad, boasting about finishing just above one of the worst Bray sides of all timeand it must be even more embrassing to finish BELOW us, who finished below them, eh?
I don't really care to be honest, the spoofer wrote off last season.Oh how the mighty have fallen
Depends on what you count as the big leagues obviously.
Kevin Doyle - Premiership and international.
Shane Long - Premiership
Daryl Murphy - regular in Division One and has been in the international squad I think.
Hoolahan - from what I've heard, he's doing very well at Blackpool and could well be a target for a Division One team.
In recent times as well, you've had Kevin Grogan (Division One), Michael Reddy (Premiership; international call-up) and Dean Delaney (was that his name? Signed from Cork for Leicester, then in the Premiership) and probably one or two others. Pat Kavanagh and Gary Dicker are also on trial at Division One and Two clubs at present. Others such as Richie Foran and Noel Hunt are doing well in the SPL (or were the last time I checked; don't keep that close an eye).
Not a huge amount, but then there aren't a huge amount of these transfers, and it's still better than the usual view of the eL as a place for people who have failed in England for injury/attitude reasons (e.g. Liam George/Paul Byrne) and who have absolutely no future as a professional football.
I'd rather keep the players, obviously, but this sort of interest does represent a step up for the league. And, touch wood, it'll represent an investment in the league as well if transfer fees start to come in.
What!?!
I was talking about UCD.
Who's boastin? I'm not anyway!Now that's just sad, boasting about finishing just above one of the worst Bray sides of all time
Well, I mentioned Kevin Grogan, Gary Dicker and Pat Kavanagh. Darren Quigley obviously. Clive Delaney went over to England and was unlucky not to win a contract. Kevin Moran, Joe Hanrahan and Ken O'Doherty in times past of course.Quigley has a B cap; Quigley and Dicker have 11 U-21 caps between them I think.
There's not been a huge amount in recent years. But then, with three going over this year, that's a definition of improvement. Which is what I was pointing out. If three players suddenly go from UCD to England, it raises the club's profile.
I'm not subscribber to that. Plenty of el players go on trial in England every season but none of them ever seem to get signed.
Delaney is a prime example.
The likes of Murphy, Doyle, Long and Hoolihan went over without doing trials first (as far as I know).
So are you saying that UCD is a place of rehab for down-on-their luck, rejected British league players to get their cross-channel careers back on track?
While the B international wasn't a great game Gamble looked at ease. Certainly made me wonder how the likes of Potter, McPhail & Gibson rated & confounded how Alan O'Brien a senior irish international.
Its typical of some peoples attitude that CCFC get criticised for allowing Doyle leave for some money but when put reasonable valuation on their players also get criticised.
The number of eL players to "make it" in the UK in recent years is certainly higher than those that have not made it. What does it say about the UK coaching & talent spotting system that can allow players to leave & less than 2 years later want them back...
If Gamble wants to move to the UK Falkirk would be a bad move & he'd want to hold out for at least the Championship.
That's actually the complete opposite of what I'm saying, but hey, don't let that stop you.
For a start, Gary Dicker and Pat Kavanagh - and Clive Delaney and Joe Hanrahan and Kevin Moran before them - have never been with an English team. They stayed in Ireland, got an education, graced the league for varying spells and are now looking to take the next step. Better the league gets the services of these players for a few years than have them waste in English clubs' youth set ups.
Secondly, the kind of player the eL should be looking to bring back from England is not a rejected, down on your luck player. In Darren Quigley's case, he returned because of homesickness, for example. Kevin Grogan came to Ireland as Man Utd felt the part-time training would assist his injury. We should be looking to see no Irish player playing in Division Three or lower, for example.
We'll take rejected, down on your luck players if they're good enough, obviously. But the situation is far from one where the eL is a rehab for such players.
Name me a few. Zayed is about all I recall from last year. And whether they took trials first is irrelevant. We're (a) assuming the players concerned will sign and (b) are looking at players who do sign.
In addition, there's no need to focus purely on UCD players who go over. If the eL is getting greater exposure in England and Scotland, then players are going to be more likely to return to the league, or stay in Ireland and make their senior breakthrough there instead. A rising tide lifts all boats and all that, so all clubs - including UCD - should benefit from the better pool of players willing to play in the league.
Des Byrne
Stephen Ward
John Paul Kelly
off the top of my head.
I thought JP Kelly came home due to homesickness. Was he not one of the higher rated youngsters at Liverpool?
I think we're getting dragged completely off the point here, to be honest.
If English clubs continue to sign (not take on trial, but sign) the top players in the eL for proper money, then that is actually a step up from where we were before. Players will be more inclined to either stay in Ireland, make their debut with an eL club and hope to head across the water that way (e.g. Kevin Doyle) or come back to Ireland to reasses and rebuild their career, and get an education at the same time (e.g. the route Darren Quigley looks likely to be taking).
This will affect all clubs in the league to varying degrees, being all in this league which is being looked at in a better light.
Yeah he was also the captain there as well afaik and I heard a couple of times (don't know if this is true or not) that he was actually bullied during his time there.I thought JP Kelly came home due to homesickness. Was he not one of the higher rated youngsters at Liverpool?
Who Cares?!
Of the ex-eircom league players playing in the SPL that i can think of all are just average players and remember these were star players in their teams in Ireland before leaving. I was speaking to a Motherwell fan who said that Richie Foran was just about alrite. He scores alot of penalties and plays on the wing. Noel Hunt didnt do that well with Dunfermline and transfered to Dundee United for less then what was paid to Shamrock Rovers for him. Gary Dempsey has probably done the best and holds down a starting posititon in central midfield with Aberdeen. Richie Byrne has been ****e whenever i have seen him playing on Setanta.
yeah but it doesn't mean he didn't have a trial with pompy or Fulham earlier this year!I thought JP Kelly came home due to homesickness. Was he not one of the higher rated youngsters at Liverpool?
What the f*ck are you on? None of those players were "stars" in the eL. Ritchie Foran was known for being infamous but that's about it.
A leading authority on League of Ireland football since 2003. You're probably wrong.
Bray were never mighty ..... i know theres time yet but in all fairness
The SFAI are the governing body for grassroots football in Ireland, not the FAI. Its success or the lack of is all down to them.
cause i honestly dont think he is worth it, thats why
i have seen him a few times, he might find it difficult to make the grade in england, cork city have better players than him
Wasn't there something about Derry trying to get a Bosman transfer from within the EL as well? Have some hazy recollection of Joe Harkin leaving Waterford like that.
Foot.ie's entire existence is predicated on the average idiot's inability to ignore other idiots
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